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A review by mohammad_sabir
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
4.0
(Read from Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection)
What can I say about The Emperor’s Soul? It's a good novella with, of course, a fantastic magic system.
Shai tried to steal the Moon Scepter from the Imperial Palace. She was betrayed, however, and captured. Shai is a forger - someone who can re-write an object's history to change what it is in the present - which unfortunately means execution, for such sorcery is abhorred in the Rose Empire. She, however, gets a chance to save her life, if she can accomplish the unthinkable and forge the emperor’s soul
(Why? Read the novella and find out!)
This is the first novella that I've ever read, and I'm surprised at Brandon Sanderson's ability to tell such a good story within such a small page count. The most impressive thing for me was how so much worldbuilding was conveyed so smoothly in such a small page count, followed by the magic system (of course). Forgery was so fascinating to me because of its interesting mechanics and vast utility, and honestly because it was the first magic system I encountered wherein anyone with enough training and the right resources can practice it. I can elaborate further on the characters, the world etc, but I would refrain from doing so and encourage readers to experience the story themselves.
Some might wonder why I chose to give this four stars instead of five, when I've mentioned no shortcoming in my review. I did so because the fifth star for me is reserved for books that thrilled, shook, and amazed me, books that stood out and (at least) felt exceptional to me. The Emperor’s Soul is a fantastic story, no doubt, and upon finishing it I remarked, "Well, that was a good story." And not, "Woah." Hence the four stars. This, however, is purely subjective and should not stand against the book in any way: you might feel very differently about the book.
That said, a highly recommended novella that is quite literally an exploration of the human soul.
What can I say about The Emperor’s Soul? It's a good novella with, of course, a fantastic magic system.
Shai tried to steal the Moon Scepter from the Imperial Palace. She was betrayed, however, and captured. Shai is a forger - someone who can re-write an object's history to change what it is in the present - which unfortunately means execution, for such sorcery is abhorred in the Rose Empire. She, however, gets a chance to save her life, if she can accomplish the unthinkable and forge the emperor’s soul
(Why? Read the novella and find out!)
This is the first novella that I've ever read, and I'm surprised at Brandon Sanderson's ability to tell such a good story within such a small page count. The most impressive thing for me was how so much worldbuilding was conveyed so smoothly in such a small page count, followed by the magic system (of course). Forgery was so fascinating to me because of its interesting mechanics and vast utility, and honestly because it was the first magic system I encountered wherein anyone with enough training and the right resources can practice it. I can elaborate further on the characters, the world etc, but I would refrain from doing so and encourage readers to experience the story themselves.
Some might wonder why I chose to give this four stars instead of five, when I've mentioned no shortcoming in my review. I did so because the fifth star for me is reserved for books that thrilled, shook, and amazed me, books that stood out and (at least) felt exceptional to me. The Emperor’s Soul is a fantastic story, no doubt, and upon finishing it I remarked, "Well, that was a good story." And not, "Woah." Hence the four stars. This, however, is purely subjective and should not stand against the book in any way: you might feel very differently about the book.
That said, a highly recommended novella that is quite literally an exploration of the human soul.