Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

📚Genre: Epic Fantasy | Pages: 384 | ⭐ Overall: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

“I was thrown into a fun story with random events and left satisfied.”

Tress has always lived a quiet life on her tiny island, collecting cups from passing sailors and dreaming over stories told by her friend Charlie. But when Charlie’s voyage ends in disaster, Tress sets sail to rescue him—straight into the dangerous Midnight Sea, where pirates rule and a single drop of water can kill. Armed with courage and curiosity, she must trade her simple life for an extraordinary adventure that could change everything.

Tress of the Emerald Sea is a delightfully whimsical, sea-swept adventure that blends fantasy, humor, and heart. From the moment Tress sets sail, the story throws you into pirate mayhem, shipwrecks, and clever escape plans. It’s fast, funny, and consistently charming.

Tress is a smart, sensible heroine who actually makes the choices you’re silently begging characters to make—and she still finds her courage when things get wild. The side cast sparkles too, especially Ulaam, the gloriously creepy question-asking ship’s surgeon who somehow manages to steal scenes while giving you both the ick and the giggles.

Sanderson’s prose is witty and highly readable, with vivid, cinematic set pieces on storm-tossed seas. Even when the pace zips along, the world feels textured and alive.

By the end, it plays like a fairy tale flipped on its head—a princess rescuing the prince—and it left me satisfied and smiling. Sometimes you really do have to fake it till you make it.

☔ Best read on: a rainy day or weekend trip
📍 For readers who love: clever fairy tales, adventurous heroines, sparkling wit

⭐ Ratings

📖 Story: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
👥 Characters: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
🪶 Writing: ★★★★★ (5/5)
💭 Enjoyment: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

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Amazon Book Description

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?