After a short story I read in a collection of epic stories and liking it, I jumped head first into this relatively short novella by Sanderson. I fell rapidly and didn’t get hurt, thank goodness, because head injuries can be fatal. I’m just saying.The Emperor’s Soul may be short but it packs a relatively heavy punch. The characters populating the pages and the situations in which these characters operate are remarkably complex. My creative writing professor remarked that I have a thing for feisty protagonists and well, everyone knows that. Shai is a feisty one. She follows her nose into trouble all the time and the glimpses we get of her backstory seems utterly fascinating. So yes, I wish the book had been longer because the world is just so emotionally rich. The mythology is also surprisingly original. I have read so many fantasy novels that oftentimes it feels as though I have seen and read everything – like nothing is original anymore. However, I was pleasantly surprised to come across a different, utterly original, world where Forgers can forge anything into something else. Even an emperor’s soul. I am making it sound much simpler than it is but reading the process is fascinating. I found the discourse on a human soul, human nature rather fascinating and somewhat unexpected.The gradual thawing of the Emperor’s advisor is also a treat to witness. Gaotona comes with preconceived notions about Shai and what Forgers do and as time passes and he observes her work, his perceptions of her change. Their friendship and the culmination of it is rather brilliantly done. The pacing is brisk and Shai is well, awesome. The ending does not tie up the ends and I am still wondering who the Fool Shai encounters when in prison is. I do think that there may be more adventures featuring Shai and the mysterious Fool. I totally recommend this to anybody looking for a good short read!
