Title: The Emperor’s Soul
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Series: Elantris
Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.
Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.
Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.
Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit. (Goodreads)
Review:
To be honest, I first decided to read The Emperor’s Soul just out of curiosity, because I knew Brandon Sanderson from Mistborn series (which is one of my all-time favorites) and this novella had won Hugo Award, but somehow I set a low expectation when I started reading and I really didn’t think I will like it. Dear God, how I was wrong! I soon learned that ’tis a folly to underestimate Brandon Sanderson’s writing. For God’s sake, I even had read his previous books and love them! How could I have not have high expectation?! The moment I finished reading, I actually found myself crying. No, it wasn’t because that the story is sad or tragic, but because the story is just so beautiful and so profound, I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed. There are many great aspects about this novella, and I can write pages long about all of them, but I don’t think I have time to write everything, so I apologize in advance if my writing seems weird as I have to cut off many other things I would like to write to keep it short. As usual, spoiler ahead.
First of all, the one thing I like the most about the Mistborn series is its characters (hi, Kelsier), and I find that in The Emperor’s Soul, it’s the same case. Brandon Sanderson’s strength lies in how he can write characters who felt so real and so human. For example, Shai is a Forger. By all rights, she’s a criminal. She does illegal things. But does that mean that she’s evil? No, not at all. Sure, she has flaws, but as a whole, she is true and she is good. In Gaotona’s case, he sure has his own agenda and is stubborn to a fault, but he has good intentions and we can see how his meetings with Shai has changed him little by little. With Ashravan, we can see even a lot more as we, together with Shai, learn what kind of personality he has and what are the things in his past that have influenced him to become the person that he is now. Each of these characters have their flaws and their strengths, and by looking into their past, we can understand how they came to be the way they are. So you see, Brandon Sanderson has a proven track record of writing well-rounded characters, complete with their past stories, so we can at least understand where they come from even if we cannot relate to them.
Well, if Brandon Sanderson cannot write a believable character who we can relate to or understand, then it will be ironic since this novella’s main theme is about understanding people… which is another reason why I love this story so much (well, I am an enthusiastic student of humanities after all!). As a Forger, it is vital to Shai that she can understand the nature of things, and many of the things she says ring powerfully true to me. This gem about human nature, in particular:
A person was like a dense forest thicket, overgrown with a twisting mess of vines, weeds, shrubs, saplings, and flowers. No person was one single emotion; no person had only one desire. They had many, and usually those desires conflicted with one another like two rosebushes fighting for the same patch of ground.
is my favorite quote as it speaks so powerfully and so beautifully about the complexity of human beings. Shai understands the nature of humans and the nature of plants, and so, she can compare the two of them to a great effect. The imagery of the words is simple and yet, beautiful.
Another aspect of the story I love is the plot itself. It moves along so smoothly while still keeping me on my toes as there are many unpredictable things (Will Shai built a “back door” in the Emperor’s seal after all? Will she be able to escape?). I also love that the more we read, the more we uncover each character’s personalities, and we find out that they are not who we think they are. It’s so fascinating to follow the journey of Shai to understand the Emperor and try forging a soul for him. I particularly love the way the resolution to the story is written. It is full of action and full of emotion. My favorite scene is when Shai finishes the stamp and escapes from her room, only to go to the Emperor to stamp him herself. I can understand her reasoning, especially as she says this:
“I wish that I could know you. Not your soul, but you. I’ve read about you; I’ve seen into your heart. I’ve rebuilt your soul, as best I could. But that isn’t the same. It isn’t knowing someone, is it? That’s knowing about someone.”
I could feel my heart breaking when I read this. It’s just so bittersweet, how Shai knows everything about him and yet she will never really know him. To be honest, the fangirl part of me is shipping them really hard, wishing that there’s another end that will let them stay together. However, after reading the last part of the epilogue, I do think that it is best to let things end the way it is. We get to see just what it is that Shai has actually done and just how profound its effect will be. This part was what got me weeping along with Gaotona. It’s truly a masterful end, bittersweet and yet hopeful.
This novella has really left a deep mark on my soul. I will never forget how the story and characters have made me feel. The story may be fiction, but it has changed how I see and feel about the real world, especially about humans. The thing I want to say about this novella has been said in the novella itself, as my feelings about this book somewhat mirror Gaotona’s feelings about Shai’s book, so I would like to close my review with the quote:
These were the tears of a man who saw before himself a masterpiece. True art was more than beauty; it was more than technique. It was not just imitation.
It was boldness, it was contrast, it was subtlety. In this book, Gaotona found a rare work to rival that of the greatest painters, sculptors, and poets of any era.
It was the greatest work of art he had ever witnessed.
Yuki no Toshokan 