Rachel Bennett's Reviews > Tress of the Emerald Sea

This was a really fun fantasy adventure novel, written with Sanderson's trademark wit and penchant for storytelling, but without some of his usual complications or long length. It's still a long book (almost 500 pages), but it's very plot focused and has forward momentum basically the whole time. He very rarely gets bogged down in world-building or explaining magic systems and when he does, I honestly just skimmed those parts. I tried to understand but it went over my head so I just didn't worry about it, and honestly it wasn't an issue for me enjoying the story.

My favorite thing about this book was the humor - I laughed out loud the whole way through. I highlighted so many funny passages, but also a lot of quotes that were really thoughtful or insightful. He had really poignant ideas about people's capacity and talents vs. the opportunities they are given to rise to their natural abilities that were highlighted through Tress's journey, but will make anyone think. He also speaks to what makes a person or story extraordinary, or exciting vs. "boring," and how the "boring" lives and stories are just as important as anything else.

One of the great tragedies of life is knowing how many people in the world are made to soar, paint, sing, or steer - except they never get the chance to find out.
There are, unquestionably, musical geniuses of incomparable talent who died as street sweepers because they never had the chance to pick up an instrument.
He wasn’t so boring after all. Secretly, I’ll tell you that you aren’t either. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to lower your value. Don’t trust them. They know they can’t afford you otherwise.