The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
Read: April 15, 2026 – May 29, 2026
Final Rating: 4.5/5 stars (really liked it)
Whenever one does discover a moment of joy, beauty enters the world. Human beings, we can’t create energy; we can only harness it. We can’t create matter; we can only shape it. We can’t even create life; we can only nurture it. But we can create light. This is one of the ways. The effervescence of purpose discovered.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is my first Brandon Sanderson book, and what an introduction it was. I found the style of narration super intriguing, very tongue-in-cheek with some hilarious commentary added in. The world-building and exposition didn’t feel too wordy or lengthy, and I found myself drawn in by the descriptions. Speaking of drawings, I loved the illustrations by Howard Lyon. They were wonderful complements to imagining Tress’ world.
Tress is such a relatable heroine. I loved everything about her from her love for cups, her intelligence and sharp mind, her kindness, compassion, and honestly just her growth from before she ever left her Rock. As a reader, I felt as though I got to see the different facets of Tress and how she grew and evolved in the story, and it made for a wonderful read. Not to mention, the other characters in the book were fleshed out and I also came to care for their individual stories – Huck, Fort, Salay, Ann, even Ulaam. Though they clearly weren’t the main characters, I thought Sanderson did a great job at making the readers invested in their lives. I also appreciated just how diverse they were.
Though I enjoyed the writing style and narration, the story moved a little too slowly for me especially in the middle. I actually took a break before coming back to complete it… not for a lack of quality, but it didn’t feel like the type of book I would stay up reading – moreso something I would read several chapters at a time over a longer period. But once I got to the 86% mark? Oh, I was gripped. I didn’t put it down until I finished 😭 so yeah, if you want something that sustains its faster pacing throughout the entire book, this might not be for you.
Ultimately, I loved this adventure and just all the gems and nuggets. It was oddly philosophical in a way that had me noting down quotes and thinking about them in my own life. I’m really excited to start Mistborn next and continue my journey into Sanderson’s writings!
The Tress she had been might have accepted her fate. The Tress she had been would have wanted to please him. That Tress was dead. She was now the Tress she had become.