The Emperor's Soul
ISBN: 9780575116207
Description
When Shai is caught replacing the Moon Scepter with her nearly flawless forgery, she must bargain for her life. An assassin has left the Emperor Ashravan without consciousness, a circumstance concealed only by the death of his wife. If the emperor does not emerge after his hundred-day mourning period, the rule of the Heritage Faction will be forfeit and the empire will fall into chaos.
Reviewed on 25th February 2014
I was slightly dubious going into this Brandon Sanderson short story. I'm not entirely sure why as I've never been disappointed by anything he's written, but often it's the epics and series that really hook me, and perhaps I was afraid that I'd get too invested and be disappointed by something that was so short.
As I read the first couple of chapters I thought that my fears had been realised, but then I got completely hooked. It's the tale of a Forger - someone skilled in manipulating reality to change something into something else that it could have been. It's a fascinating new magic system again that builds another world for Sanderson to play in, showing off what is probably his greatest skill.
Although there is a close focus on one main character, the others that fill the world are enriched with depth that the reader is allowed glances into, particularly through the way that we learn about them from a single insightful point of view.
As always with Sanderson's work, I was left wanting more, and felt that this short story was certainly worth reading.
