The Emperor's Soul

This was a fun read. It was my first foray into Brandon Sanderson, so I had no idea what I was getting into. The magic system was quite detailed and a very cool concept, but because it's a short book with such complex magic, there were points where I felt like describing how the magic worked seemed to take up too much space. That said, it was mixed into the story in a way that didn't make it feel like I was reading a text book on magic. It was a good story that ran at a good pace, and I can't deny I was thoroughly entertained.

Part puzzle, part character study, part adventure, it ticks all the boxes of a solid stand-alone novella. The story mostly centres around a young prisoner. The only thing keeping her alive is her singular ability in the use of Forgery: a very unique type of magic that can rewrite the history of an object. Because the nature of the magic is based essentially in trickery and the changing of history, the protagonist always keeps other characters - and the reader - guessing what is true, what is a lie, and what she's planning. This all builds up into a real page-turner of a climax, all while building a unique relationship between characters.

In the afterward, Sanderson said that he was inspired by Korean history, and it seemed to do justice to that style of rule without being blatant or overstepping and acting like he could write a Korean story. I felt that the emphasis on the power of the ruling clans was a dynamic that was very well played out. I worried that because of Sanderson's prolific nature, the fantasy would be generic or predictable, but on the contrary, it was a very original story.

The only thing that I found odd about his style was his aversion to violence. The climax was very high action, but everyone who got hurt or attacked was hurt or attacked in a way that conveniently reassured the reader that they would be ok, and I actually found the unnecessary detail a bit distracting. Overall though, it was a very fun and fulfilling fantasy story, and I will definitely revisit the Cosmere at some point.