The Emperor's Soul
Ratings570
Average rating4.4
This was an enjoyable short story, and the magic was cool as fuck. Hope that it comes back at some point in other stories.
4.5/5
Audaciously ambitious. Sanderson attempts to capture the essence of the soul and reveals the thinking of a thief, an honest man and an emperor. I loved the soul stamp magic system and this is so nice as a bite sized tale.
8/10
First half was ok, but the second half was a 10/10 for me. Understanding the magic system and wrapping up the story while seeing serious development in every character was awesome.
still my fav novella cuz it just fits into such an enjoyable genre
Its also interesting to read this right after the echo wife. The Echo Wife just sidesteps the interesting philosophies and character discussions around cloning/identity stuff whereas this book considers it head on and poses art vs imitation as a theme for it. Very cool
As far as novellas go, this one is pretty good.
The author has managed to pack a ton of character work and world building in this short story.
I really liked the magic system and the main character that we followed.
I hope we get to read more about those in future works.
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.
“True art [is] more than beauty; it [is] more than technique. It [is] not just imitation. It [is] boldness, it [is] contrast, it [is] subtlety.”
– Brandon Sanderson. “The Emperor's Soul.”
This is a work of art. Thank you Brandon.
Very well written! Interesting characters and intriguing world - I wish we could learn more about it. Love that it can be read on its own.
Short stories aren't really my thing, so I've been trying to adjust my rating criteria to be less strict than I would for a full novel. Everything you'd want is there in The Emperor's Soul, and then some. What can be accomplished in 100 pages is accomplished superbly. Would I have loved a full novel? Absolutely. But honestly I felt all the emotions despite only knowing the characters for a short time. I felt stress and urgency, and I really understood the motivations of the main character. Sanderson seriously has an interesting mind and excels at creating magic systems too.
This is a novella about magical forgery. I really liked it. I would read a novel about Shai. Great character.
Dit was het derde verhaal dat ik las in Brandon Sandersons Cosmere universum en ook het derde verhaal in de wereld van Elantris (Sel).
Alhoewel dit een kort verhaal was, een novelle, was het enorm rijk aan details. De wereld, het magiesysteem, de personages,...
Weerom enorm onder de indruk van Sandersons schrijfkunst en vooral zijn fantasie om zo'n unieke systemen te bedenken. Fenomenaal.
This was going to get 4 stars till I realized who ‘The Imperial Fool' was, and then went to read the deleted prologue on Sanderson's website
After reading The Lost Metal, I had to dive back into The Emperor's Soul, for reasons. And also I just really enjoy rereading Sanderson.
Rereading a book in the Cosmere universe is something of a wonder, especially a novella in one of my favorite worlds, Sel, Home of Elantris. Shai is one of the greatest female protagonists I've ever read. She's absolutely versatile and holds the talent of gold in her hands. A perfect representation of what female leads should be.
The second time around, I found I enjoyed The Emperor's Soul more than my initial read. It was one of the first stories I read in Arcanum Unbounded, and now it's one of the best in that collection. Now it's my final read of 2022.
Now it's time for Secret Project #1!
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1st Read: Physical / Arcanum Unbounded (2019)Re-read: Kindle (2022)
Sanderson's grasp of magic is mind boggling. The man has done it again... gone and created yet another complex and realistic magic system. Picture this, on the planet Sel, the same planet as Elantris their exists another empire on the other side of the world, far from the city of Elantris. There are people in this land called forgers... not just forgers of money, documents, or artwork. They use magic to forge... well, if I told you I would spoil the story.
Suffice it to say, this was a compelling story. It's not my favorite one of Sanderson's, but it is certainly interesting and well worth reading just to learn about the magic system featured on the other side of the Sel.
One question remains for me? How is/was/does the magic system featured in The Emperor's Soul affected by the ten years Elantris was in ruin?
The emperor's soul
“You can't always write what you know - not exactly what you know. You can, however, write what you see.”
I swear that I picked this up just to see what it was about.
And then, I was swallowed.
It's not the best Brandon Sanderson's, however: what. A. Universe.
And I've became a huge fan of Shai in the end when she truly shows her abilities and everything she is capable of.
I think, maybe I'm the only one but... the end, when the seal is finally attached to the emperor and she admits that she wanted to know him better, really know him, not just about him; and see her most important work result in the end, I had to hold myself to do not make a scene and cry like a baby.
An amazing read. Just like in most of Sanderson's books, the magic system is beautifully complex and unique. It has a fast moving plot and the fact that Brandon managed to put all of this onto not even 200 pages is amazing.