Reviews with content warning for War - Tress of the Emerald Sea

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Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

9 reviews

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As someone who has not read the majority of Sanderson's works, I can safely say this isn't a bad place to jump in if you're not familiar with the world. Much like Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, this is referencing things from the Cosmere universe Sanderson has created, but you can get by without getting the references. It seemed to me maybe there were more connections in this one? But I'd have to read more to know for sure.

I loved the vibes of this book, a bit of Princess Bride set at sea. But the sea isn't what you think it is. Sanderson is truly creative with his worlds, and the world building is fascinating and so well done. Will it spur me to read more Sanderson in the future? Only time will tell.

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meganpbell's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This cozy, quirky, clever fantasy lives up to its inspiration—what if in The Princess Bride, Buttercup was the one who went after Westley? In the course of attempting to save her noble true love from the evil Sorceress, a window washer runs away from home, dares life and death at sea, joins a dangerous crew, and unlearns a whole lot about people pleasing, taking charge, and accepting help. A delightful, surprising, heartwarming adventure of a book I’d recommend for fans of Ella Enchanted and Our Flag Means Death!

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cgeesey's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fun, trope-breaking romp through an interesting and dangerous world. It has some reflections on the nature of humans and the bravery/resourcefulness of ordinary people forced into difficult situations. The narrator breaks the fourth-wall a lot, but it doesn't distract from the story, I think it adds fresh humor. Good, lighthearted read would definitely recommend.

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spootilious's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Read: September 12, 2023
Title: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
Review:

The biggest take away for this review is that this novel was loads of fun with such a unique world and wonderful characters.

The details: I am no stranger to Brandon Sanderson. I adore his work! That being said Tress of the Emerald Sea, which having the feel of many of his other works, is something unto itself.

The novel is fun and whimsical, with characters that are so lovable it hurts and villains that are just as loath-able. The nods to other worlds and characters in the cosmere is ever present which could be a bit confusing to a casual Sanderson reader (rather than the dedicated ones) but not so much so that it takes too much away from the story.

Sanderson has always had a talent for writing women and there is no exception here.

The world building is stunning (as expected) and so unique (also as expected).

Now, despite all of this it is not a 5 star book in my opinion. The ‘twists’ of the novel are extremely predictable. Perhaps this might be because I have read too much of Sanderson’s works but regardless, I found more of the world building (particularly the spores and interactions with them) far more surprising and intriguing than the actual plot ‘twists’. Though, I find that I am very rarely surprised but plot twists now a day, so perhaps it is just me.

I will also say that one of the signatures of a Brandon Sanderson book is it’s explosive and captivating ending. It is something I have come to expect and is typically delivered, and while the ending of this novel is fast paced and entertaining I would not categorize it as explosive (at least not figuratively) nor captivating. That is not to say that it wasn’t good, far from it, the ending was practically perfect. It was simply not what I had come to expect from a Sanderson novel, it seemed to fall just a tad bit short of my expectations; the book as a whole however met them all head on.

I loved this novel and will be recommending it as a wonderful first step into the Cosmere!

Minor TW: Death, Self harm, Vomit, Confinement, Murder, Slavery, War, Violence, Suicide, Classism, Blood, Guns.

Quotes:

If you wish to become a storyteller, here is a hint: sell your labor, but not your mind.

One of the great tragedies of life is knowing how many people in the world are made to soar, paint, sing, or steer—except they never get the chance to find out.

If bravery is the wind that makes us soar like kites, fear is the string that keeps us from going too far.

More twisted than a librarian’s love life (trust me, they’re a strange bunch)

You can’t taste a memory without tainting it with who you have become.

Memories are fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves.

Worry has weight, and is an infinitely renewable resource.

After spending ages walking around with everyone piling bricks in your arms, it can throw you off balance when someone removes a brick to carry for you.

If we let it, memory can make shadows of the now, as nothing can match the buttressed legends of our past.

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vickybuka's review

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The author claimed they were writing with The Princess Bride in mind, but I think the book has the same resonances as Stardust. Possibly because of the pirates.

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readandfindout's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Style/writing: 5 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4.5 stars
Worldbuilding: 5 stars

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kirbylover16's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Super cute story and an easy read. Dare I say it could have been longer? It's a pirate adventure story that reminds me of the bloody jack series but is less violent. I love the idea of an ocean that's not just water or lava. The big twist took me half the book to figure out, which is pretty satisfactory. The only thing that bugged me was the "I'm not like other girls" troupe is everywhere in this book and how many times "moons" was said.

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emilyplun's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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saltycoffee's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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