Wednesday 27 January 2016

Artful - The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

First Sanderson I've ever read, a fantastic recommendation to begin here and one I highly encourage for those daunted by the mammoth size of his other books. 

'The Emperor's Soul' is a fascinating work, the novella form feels a perfect length for the story, the magic is genuinely interesting, weaving a brilliant mix of the scientific and artistic creativity with the complex state of the human life. The life in question just so happens to be the Emperor, as well as central character Shai. A brilliant protagonist too, and one I really hope Sanderson returns to in the future, she definitely merits a full novel or more novellas/short stories. 

Shai's methodical, scientific and artistic pursuit to re-create the emperor's soul is such an excellent premise and is clear evidence of Sanderson's creative prowess and the excellent structural powers he wields to present it in such an entertaining and effective way. 

There is so much potential with the premise and the powers of the Forgers in this story, and a fascinating and engaging character enough to explore her life and the world around her. I really hope there is a future for Shai on the page, but if not this is a perfect novella to showcase her character. 

Now I just need to begin reading his novels, with a vast array of meaty options to begin with. Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, Elantris or Warbreaker perhaps? 

They're all so heavy it hurts my eyes. 
  

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