Quick Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea

Are you looking for a cozy read with a little bit of adventure? Loveable characters? Then let’s talk about Tress of the Emerald Sea. The best way to experience this book is to go in mostly blind. So, this review is going to focus on vibes.

This book counts as a ‘cozy’ read. I’ve heard it described as cozy fantasy, but to me, it felt more like (soft) science fiction than fantasy. While there is some violence and adventure, the story still maintains a warm happy tone with a touch of magic.

According to Sanderson, the nugget that started this story was the question: “What if Buttercup from Princess Bride went after Westley herself?” And that energy permeates the story. I haven’t seen The Princess Bride movie in a long time (and I never read the book), but I grew up surrounded by references to the movie. The humor in this keeps the same energy. A little goofy, but heartfelt. Sanderson also started the story as a secret surprise for just his wife and the dedication almost made me cry (I may or may not have already been in a sad mood at the time).

It’s been a long time since I read Mistborn, so I can’t entirely remember the humor there. However, this book’s humor harkened a bit to Red Shirts and The Android’s Dream both by John Scalzi. Although, it has been many years since I read either of those books, so I may be misremembering. I suppose I should put them on my TBR…

Anyway, most of all, I was reminded of Treasure Planet. Tress of the Emerald Sea is a soft sci-fi with a heartfelt adventure. Just like Treasure Planet was. The story is also filled with nuggets about human behavior that I really enjoyed too.

Overall, if you want a cozy read with interesting dynamic characters (and deaf representation!!) you should read this book. Even if Brandon Sanderson’s work wasn’t your thing before. This book deviates from, well at least Mistborn… though I can’t really speak to his other work. I suppose I should put some of the other Cosmere books on my TBR too…

This review is a modified version of my review on Instagram, but I have a lot more content over there!