Book Introduction
The book today is The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson and if you haven’t read it and like what you hear in this episode, this is your chance to pick it up!
What’s it About:
"The Emperor's Soul" by Brandon Sanderson takes place in the same universe as “Elantris” and centers on Shai, a Forger who uses magic to rewrite histories. Imprisoned for a theft in the palace, she's tasked with recreating a soul for the Emperor who’s mind was injured after an assassination within 100 days to earn her freedom. To do this, she must craft a soulstamp with all her forgery knowledge and every piece of history she can find on the emperor.
Shai navigates the political intrigue of the palace, dealing with skepticism and hostility like that of the emperor’s arbiters Gaotona and Frava. She must face her own moral dilemmas and implications of her art as she works to achieve the impossible. When she succeeds in her task, she relies on what she’s learned from palace intrigue to escape.
Top Thoughts (What I liked/Didn’t Like):
Brandon Sanderson is a fantastic writer, and he brought this world to life in very short order. While it is a small sliver of the world itself, namely the magic and philosophy of forgery, it’s a great story nonetheless. Sure, some things are still ambiguous, but they don’t deter from the plot. The vibrancy of the world brings a fresh magic system (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and a unique approach to how it’s wielded. This wasn’t a book I wanted to put down once started.
This is only a taste of the world, and after rereading this for the podcast, I want more from this universe (and there is more!) You’re left feeling like you only have a piece of the whole story. The ending was kind of predictable, and the resolution is fine but not great IMO. As mentioned, some of the world building is lacking but not a huge issue for the core story of the intricacies of magic and of forgery in this world.
Some things I’ll be discussing in the full-length podcast:
Authenticity
Ethics & Morality
Perception & Trust
Stay Tuned
I hope you enjoyed this webisode, let me know what you thought of it and if you’ve read or intend to read this book.
If you’re interested but not sold, there’s a full-length podcast where I discuss this book at length coming for your binging pleasure on Substack and Spotify!
You can find all things What The BooK by going to craigtstewart.com
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