Tress of the Emerald Sea Review

Hello, all!

2023 has been my Brandon Sanderson era, and none of his books have appealed to me more than Tress of the Emerald Sea.

Pub Date: 1-10-23
Adult - Fantasy

Tress lives a simple life on her tiny island home, the Rock. She spends most of her time staring at the rolling spore seas, collecting cups from the sailors at the port, and sharing stories with her best friend, Charlie. Tress has always enjoyed her life and never longed for more until the day Charlie left. As the duke's son, Charlie is expected to marry to secure an advantageous alliance, but disaster strikes on their voyage, leaving Charlie at the mercy of a dangerous woman named the Sorceress.

Tress is determined to rescue Charlie, so she concocts a daring plan. With some help, Tress stows away on a ship leaving port and sets out on her quest. It doesn't take long before her plan goes belly-up, and Tress finds herself surrounded by pirates. Instead of cowering in fear, she uses this as an opportunity to learn everything she can about the world and the spores that dominate it to help in her rescue mission. Armed with knowledge and a few new friends, Tress is ready to face the Sorceress and take back what's hers.

I was hesitant going into this because I've only just started reading the Cosmere, so I was worried things would go over my head. That wasn't the case. I'm sure there were some nods to other books that I may have missed, but the overall story stands on its own, and I adored every minute of it. It had such whimsy. I loved following Tress along on her quest. Her character development is so satisfying. She comes into her own by the end, and I loved watching her learn to stand her ground while not compromising who she is at her core. The secondary characters were fun, and I liked how they turned into a little family. If you're looking for a fanciful pirate adventure with The Princess Bride vibes, I recommend checking it out.

Rating: 4/5