Reading as a Writer: Tress of the Emerald Sea

I got my copy of Tress of the Emerald Sea from World Fantasy Con, again. Despite being a fantasy fan since my teens, this was my very first Sanderson book.

I thought this was a very pleasant, wholesome story. It read like The Princess Bride, or like a modern Disney movie, where the majority of the narrative is fit for a bedtime story, while every now and then there's a line that is clearly For the Parents. It was sweet and funny and enjoyable.

That said, there was a lot about this book that I felt could only have happened because of who Sanderson is and how this book was created. Some of the world-building felt unexplained and unearned, and I'm unsure still at the narrator's role in the book. After mentioning this book to some new friends, I got the sense that maybe he was a tie-in to some other Sanderson books? As a new reader, I wasn't totally impressed, and felt that the jokes often fell flat, or I could see them go over my head.

All in all, I enjoyed this read. It was a nice palate cleanser from some of the heavier themes of what I've been reading. If I come across another Sanderson book I will probably pick it up--but it won't be at the top of my TBR.

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