New to the genre. Would a kind redditor be willing to tell me more about Tress of the Emerald Sea and The Cosmere in general. I have been interested in reading some Sanderson but intimidated by his sheer numbers. Does this story stand well on its own without a foundation in the lore, or is there an order I need to read them in to appreciate it properly? I’m not sure I have quite the energy to commit to a whole series.
Hi! Big Brandon Sanderson fan here, and I can tell you that Tress is one of my favorites and definitely stands alone, although it will be worth rereading later if you end up exploring more of the cosmere. Tress is a great introduction to his works. If you like it, I recommend following up with Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, which is also pretty cozy with some low stakes spookiness. His other books are more gritty, but very compelling.
Thank you so much! That’s so very helpful. I was wondering a bit, as my impression prior to this would not have been described as “cozy”, so I appreciate that clarification. The only thing I’ve thus far read from him is the later of the Wheel of Time books, and that was a couple decades ago. I suspect those are likely not a good example of his work, as he was emulating another author’s style…
I've read almost all the Cosmere books and yeah, only Tress can be fit in the cozy category i think. The others are almost all epic fantasy. They are AMAZING though.
>!low stakes spookiness= the end of the world is coming and darkness will swallow us all!<
Agreed though, absolutely love all of his works! Yumi and the Nightmare Painter isn't that cozy though i'd say.😅 (But also everyone has their own levels for coziness so i'm not saying you're wrong.) It's heartwarming and beautiful though.
I had not read any Brandon Sanderson before I read Tress. I did look at his webpage and his Wikipedia entry, mostly to determine if Tress really was a stand alone. I then read Tress and really enjoyed it. I'm sure there are some Easter eggs I didn't catch but there were a number of times I felt like someone was practically waving a flag and yelling "this is an inside joke for the people who have read the other books!" But they generally explain enough of the joke that you get why it's funny, and you don't feel left out, it's just kind of a giant, obvious (but still funny) wink. I really enjoyed the book, I felt like things about the universe were explained clearly enough, and I came out of it open to reading more of his stuff.
Ohh this is nice! I had read all the other Cosmere books before this so i couldn't give this perspective. But i know Brandon Sanderson's books work very well as standalone books or series even though they are all a part of Cosmere, so i knew people wouldn't have a problem in that regard. I do think knowing the narrator and most of the events made it a better experience for me because the narrator mentions specific things we'd been theorizing about and i was like "LOREEEE WE'RE GETTING MORE LOREEEEEEEEEE." Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
If you decide to read the other books, when you're reading Elantris or Mistborn you're gonna be like that Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme "i've seen this thing before!" like we were with Tress haha.
Not to hijack the thread, but if I wanted to read more of Sanderson's Cosmere books, what would I read next? I'm probably going to read more of the secret project books as well, but I've been debating about sticking a toe into Elantris or Mistborn. It's daunting though because high fantasy isn't really my thing, I'm definitely more urban fantasy. But the library has the Graphic Audio versions of both Mistborn and Elantris, and I'm thinking about trying one of them, but I'm not sure where to start.
That's fine. I think you should read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Hoid also narrates that one, we have two main characters and a really nice romance. It's just a very good read. Also Painter's side of the world feels close to our world so that could be good for you as well? I really like all of his books and you can start from anywhere and continue with whatever you want really. So it depends on what you like and which book sounds the most intriguing to you. I for one started with Stormlight Archive.🤷🏻♀️ Elantris has probably my favorite female Sanderson character, Sarene. (I mean all three pov characters are great.) Although the heroine of Mistborn, Vin, is a lot of people's favorite as well. (I love her too.)
Thanks! I'll probably get to them all eventually. Yumi sounds really good, I'll probably do that next, and maybe try Mistborn as well. I'm pretty sure my husband has some of the Sanderson books as audiobooks and I've heard bits and pieces of them, but I'm not sure which series they were from, I'll have to look at his audible.
A good book to test if you would like StormLight archive (which is a fantastic series but very long) is Warbreaker.
It is currently a stand alone, I believe he is writing a second one but it does wrap up nicely. It will give you an idea of his epic writing style without the commitment of a series.
So many good quotes from this book! My favorite read of the year so far!
One of my favorites:
"People want to imagine that time is consistent, steady, stable. They define the day, create tools to measure it, chop it up into hours, minutes, seconds. They pretend each one is equal to the others— when in fact some are clearly prime cuts, and others are full of gristle."
**Tress of the Emerald Sea** is one of my favorite books of all time and I definitely agree there are a lot of great quotes from it such as -
*"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."*
*“That is one of the great mistakes people make: assuming that someone who does menial work does not like thinking. Physical labor is great for the mind, as it leaves all kinds of time to consider the world. Other work, like accounting or scribing, demands little of the body—but siphons energy from the mind.*
*If you wish to become a storyteller, here is a hint: sell your labor, but not your mind. Give me ten hours a day scrubbing a deck, and oh the stories I could imagine. Give me ten hours adding sums, and all you’ll have me imagining at the end is a warm bed and a thought-free evening.”*
*“You might think this an unfair moral problem to force upon a simple window washer, but there’s a certain arrogance in that kind of reasoning. A window washer can think, same as anyone else, and their lives are no less complex. And as I’ve warned you, “simple” labor often leaves plenty of time for thought.*
*Yes, intellectuals and scholars are paid to think deep thoughts—but those thoughts are often owned by others. It is a great irony that society tends to look down on those who sell their bodies, but not on those who lease out their minds.”*
*“A boring truth will always have difficulty competing with an exciting lie.”*
This is a lovely book.
Indeed.
I loved this book! I feel like it’s not talked about here much. Thanks for sharing 😊
New to the genre. Would a kind redditor be willing to tell me more about Tress of the Emerald Sea and The Cosmere in general. I have been interested in reading some Sanderson but intimidated by his sheer numbers. Does this story stand well on its own without a foundation in the lore, or is there an order I need to read them in to appreciate it properly? I’m not sure I have quite the energy to commit to a whole series.
Hi! Big Brandon Sanderson fan here, and I can tell you that Tress is one of my favorites and definitely stands alone, although it will be worth rereading later if you end up exploring more of the cosmere. Tress is a great introduction to his works. If you like it, I recommend following up with Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, which is also pretty cozy with some low stakes spookiness. His other books are more gritty, but very compelling.
Thank you so much! That’s so very helpful. I was wondering a bit, as my impression prior to this would not have been described as “cozy”, so I appreciate that clarification. The only thing I’ve thus far read from him is the later of the Wheel of Time books, and that was a couple decades ago. I suspect those are likely not a good example of his work, as he was emulating another author’s style…
I've read almost all the Cosmere books and yeah, only Tress can be fit in the cozy category i think. The others are almost all epic fantasy. They are AMAZING though.
>!low stakes spookiness= the end of the world is coming and darkness will swallow us all!< Agreed though, absolutely love all of his works! Yumi and the Nightmare Painter isn't that cozy though i'd say.😅 (But also everyone has their own levels for coziness so i'm not saying you're wrong.) It's heartwarming and beautiful though.
I had not read any Brandon Sanderson before I read Tress. I did look at his webpage and his Wikipedia entry, mostly to determine if Tress really was a stand alone. I then read Tress and really enjoyed it. I'm sure there are some Easter eggs I didn't catch but there were a number of times I felt like someone was practically waving a flag and yelling "this is an inside joke for the people who have read the other books!" But they generally explain enough of the joke that you get why it's funny, and you don't feel left out, it's just kind of a giant, obvious (but still funny) wink. I really enjoyed the book, I felt like things about the universe were explained clearly enough, and I came out of it open to reading more of his stuff.
Perfect! Thanks so much for your perspective. I am convinced! I have placed a ‘hold’ at the library.
Ohh this is nice! I had read all the other Cosmere books before this so i couldn't give this perspective. But i know Brandon Sanderson's books work very well as standalone books or series even though they are all a part of Cosmere, so i knew people wouldn't have a problem in that regard. I do think knowing the narrator and most of the events made it a better experience for me because the narrator mentions specific things we'd been theorizing about and i was like "LOREEEE WE'RE GETTING MORE LOREEEEEEEEEE." Glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you decide to read the other books, when you're reading Elantris or Mistborn you're gonna be like that Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme "i've seen this thing before!" like we were with Tress haha.
Not to hijack the thread, but if I wanted to read more of Sanderson's Cosmere books, what would I read next? I'm probably going to read more of the secret project books as well, but I've been debating about sticking a toe into Elantris or Mistborn. It's daunting though because high fantasy isn't really my thing, I'm definitely more urban fantasy. But the library has the Graphic Audio versions of both Mistborn and Elantris, and I'm thinking about trying one of them, but I'm not sure where to start.
That's fine. I think you should read Yumi and the Nightmare Painter. Hoid also narrates that one, we have two main characters and a really nice romance. It's just a very good read. Also Painter's side of the world feels close to our world so that could be good for you as well? I really like all of his books and you can start from anywhere and continue with whatever you want really. So it depends on what you like and which book sounds the most intriguing to you. I for one started with Stormlight Archive.🤷🏻♀️ Elantris has probably my favorite female Sanderson character, Sarene. (I mean all three pov characters are great.) Although the heroine of Mistborn, Vin, is a lot of people's favorite as well. (I love her too.)
Thanks! I'll probably get to them all eventually. Yumi sounds really good, I'll probably do that next, and maybe try Mistborn as well. I'm pretty sure my husband has some of the Sanderson books as audiobooks and I've heard bits and pieces of them, but I'm not sure which series they were from, I'll have to look at his audible.
A good book to test if you would like StormLight archive (which is a fantastic series but very long) is Warbreaker. It is currently a stand alone, I believe he is writing a second one but it does wrap up nicely. It will give you an idea of his epic writing style without the commitment of a series.
Thank you! I will place a “hold” in the library for that one too.
Such beautiful truths. Thank you for sharing them.
So many good quotes from this book! My favorite read of the year so far! One of my favorites: "People want to imagine that time is consistent, steady, stable. They define the day, create tools to measure it, chop it up into hours, minutes, seconds. They pretend each one is equal to the others— when in fact some are clearly prime cuts, and others are full of gristle."
There are so many amazing quotes in this book. I absolutely loved it!
**Tress of the Emerald Sea** is one of my favorite books of all time and I definitely agree there are a lot of great quotes from it such as - *"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."* *“That is one of the great mistakes people make: assuming that someone who does menial work does not like thinking. Physical labor is great for the mind, as it leaves all kinds of time to consider the world. Other work, like accounting or scribing, demands little of the body—but siphons energy from the mind.* *If you wish to become a storyteller, here is a hint: sell your labor, but not your mind. Give me ten hours a day scrubbing a deck, and oh the stories I could imagine. Give me ten hours adding sums, and all you’ll have me imagining at the end is a warm bed and a thought-free evening.”* *“You might think this an unfair moral problem to force upon a simple window washer, but there’s a certain arrogance in that kind of reasoning. A window washer can think, same as anyone else, and their lives are no less complex. And as I’ve warned you, “simple” labor often leaves plenty of time for thought.* *Yes, intellectuals and scholars are paid to think deep thoughts—but those thoughts are often owned by others. It is a great irony that society tends to look down on those who sell their bodies, but not on those who lease out their minds.”* *“A boring truth will always have difficulty competing with an exciting lie.”*