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A review by sphynxreads
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
2.5
I think I've officially grown tired of Brandon Sanderson. While there is a lot to love in this book, I've found myself thinking a lot of times that I just don't care anymore.
I love Tress as a character and the beginning chapters of the book are the strongest in my opinion, but as the story continued I had the impression that Sanderson was offering me more of what I could care less about and less of what I wanted out of this story.
Part of The Princess Bride's appeal is not just the strength of Buttercup and Wesley's romance, but also the character work and development of the side characters. While this has comparable wit, charm, and humor in terms of storytelling and dialogue, I felt that the characterization of the side characters left a lot to be desired. They're all unique in their own way but hardly compelling.
Sanderson is known to be a master of world-building, but I have to say what he does here is distracting to a degree. There are so many Cosmere connections here which I recognize would be exciting for many fans, but they kept taking me out of the story. Even the explanations of the magic system felt uninspired to me. Give me more character backstory and less of the frikkin spore lore, I beg!
Alas, this really is Sandersonified Princess Bride, and from realizing I wanted more Princess Bride and less of Sanderson's flair, I've learned that I have grown apart from his previous appeal to me which is a shame.
I love Tress as a character and the beginning chapters of the book are the strongest in my opinion, but as the story continued I had the impression that Sanderson was offering me more of what I could care less about and less of what I wanted out of this story.
Part of The Princess Bride's appeal is not just the strength of Buttercup and Wesley's romance, but also the character work and development of the side characters. While this has comparable wit, charm, and humor in terms of storytelling and dialogue, I felt that the characterization of the side characters left a lot to be desired. They're all unique in their own way but hardly compelling.
Sanderson is known to be a master of world-building, but I have to say what he does here is distracting to a degree. There are so many Cosmere connections here which I recognize would be exciting for many fans, but they kept taking me out of the story. Even the explanations of the magic system felt uninspired to me. Give me more character backstory and less of the frikkin spore lore, I beg!
Alas, this really is Sandersonified Princess Bride, and from realizing I wanted more Princess Bride and less of Sanderson's flair, I've learned that I have grown apart from his previous appeal to me which is a shame.