Background
Published in 20212, “The Emperor’s Soul” by Brandon Sanderson is a standalone novella set in the Cosmere universe. Blending intricate magic with philosophical questions about identity and art, the story follows Shai, a forger and skilled thief, who is captured after attempting to steal a priceless artifact. Facing execution, Shai is given an impossible task: to recreate the soul of the Emperor Ashravan, who has been left brain-dead after an assassination attempt.
Using her mastery of Forgery (a magical art that alters an object’s history to transform its present) Shai must craft a new soul for the Emperor within 100 days, all while under the watchful eyes of her captors. As she delves into Ashravan’s life to understand and recreate him, Shai reflects on the nature of identity, creativity, and the value of true artistry.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book as short as it was (a mere 176 pages so barely a paragraph for Sanderson). His books always seem have some interesting rules for forces bringing the fantastic to the plot. However, once I become accustomed to how things work, I forget the ridiculous and fall into the story. This was certainly the case here. This type of investiture, to use the Cosmere term, was pretty imaginative. A “forger” could rewrite the history of an object to change the reality of that object. So, a broken item can be remade or a whole item can be broken… or a person could be modified or even rewritten.
Shai was very likable character and though she is criminal, she was easy to root for as she struggles for freedom and success. Sanderson didn’t have much time to go into too many characters in depth, but this story could easily spawn sequels and perhaps an entire series.
Recommendation
Great book. I enjoyed it.