ŷ������

"I will find a way out. Even if I have to collapse your entire cave! Even if I have to walk through the spores! Even if it takes fifty years, I will never relent. And you, dragon, will eventually have to kill me to stop me. Because I will get to the Midnight Sea, and I will find the Sorceress, and I will save the man I love!" [Tress]


There is nothing I can say more about Brandon Sanderson that wasn't already said, but I have to admit - that man has an incredible imagination. You can't help, but be in awe of everything he puts into his stories. Every single one captivates the reader in a way that it's hard to put these books down. Tress of Emerald Sea is not an exception of this rule. It has it all: a badass heroine, a dangerous quest, talking animals, curses, pirates, sorceress, dragons, a true love, a found family and an incredible narrator that not only will make you laugh out loud with his witty comments, but also will make you tear up and think not only about the story you just read, but about your life too. It's truly a whole package of goodness.


The plot.

In the middle of the ocean, there was a girl who lived upon a rock. This is how Tress' story starts. She's a ordinary teenager living in Diggen's Point - a place full of depressing views, dismal atmosphere, wretched ground with a crumbly black saltstone that goes into everything and with black smoke in the air. There are also the spores - gray things send to the planet by its' twelve moons - that created vast seas of alien dust instead of water and can explosively sprout in a way that can kill a man on the spot. Despite all this, no one leaves that place. Because no one can (if you're not important enough, at least). Anyways, our MC, Tress, is thoughtful, soft-spoken and overly fond of collecting cups. (she really, really loves those cups) She's the type that likes her tea lukewarm, goes to sleep early and doesn't like to impose. Her only friend, Charlie, is a duke's son who likes to talk and to pretend to be a groundskeeper.

When the duke takes his family away from Diggen's Point - and Charlie is forcefully leaving with them - Tress is left alone, waiting for Charlie's promised cups (remember, she really, really likes cups) and for Charlie's return. But when duke's family eventually comes back, Charlie is not with them. Tress finds out that her friend got taken by a mysterious Sorceress of the Midnight Sea and decides to go into a very dangerous journey to find Charlie and bring him back home.


The MC.


"I had always wondered if this island would prove too small for one such as you." [Lem, Tress' father]

"Everything is extraordinary about you, Tress." [Ulba, Tress' mother]


The thing is, Tress is NOT extraordinary. She really isn't. She's a ordinary teenager living an ordinary life. She lives with her parents and her little brother and works as a window washer to help her family financially. She doesn't want to leave Diggen's Point - not because no one can leave, but because that was the place she had grew up in. The thought of going on an adventure frightens her. She's convinced that she has everything she always wanted. She's convinced that she's happy.

But when Charlie leaves and doesn't come back, Tress decides to do the unimaginable - she goes on an adventure to find her friend. I liked how carefully she planned her every move. She was desperate and worried for Charlie's wellbeing, but didn't let her emotions take control over her. A girl that didn't like to impose had to embrace herself and ask for a favor - ask for help. Not for herself, never for herself, but to save the person she loved. She worked her way through the dangerous seas not with a physical strength, but with bravery and cleverness. She felt tired and was full of doubts from time to time - but she never given up. It felt like she was ready to go through hell and back just to find Charlie and it was incredibly admirable. If asked, she would probably say that she didn't do much, just what she needed to do. But for someone following her journey, she seemed like a truly badass heroine and it was a pleasure to witness her coming out of her shelf and growing up to be a strong and confident woman.

I also have to point out that both of Tress' parents are alive and both are incredibly supportive of her decisions. It was so heartwarming.


The romance.


"Charlie," Tress whispered. "You sent me cups."
He looked at her. "That was a lifetime ago, Tress."
"I love them. Particularly the one with the butterfly on the sea. Like us, Charlie. Soaring over places we never thought to go. And the one made of pewster. Like us, Charlie. Stronger and more straightforward than we have a right to be."


First I have to say that I liked the fact that Charlie wasn't just a character thrown in the story just to be a reason for the MC to go into a journey and then being completely forgotten. Their relationship was described in a very beautiful way that captivated me and I couldn't help, but cheer for these two. As best of friends for a very long time, they already had been in a high level of understanding each other, so it shouldn't be any surprise, but I still found myself in awe.

"You've always been able to see me when others don't." [Charlie]

The idea of soulmates (probably) didn't exist on Tress' planet, but if it did, Tress and Charlie would've been soulmates. Their relationship was so tender, so subtle and beautiful - and kind of ridiculous, really - that it made me tear up. Yumi and Nikaro, Tress and Charlie. True romance right there.


My thoughts.

I was really surprised when I realized that Hoid, the narrator of the story, is actually a part of it (in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter he's not). He wasn't as hilarious in this book like he was in Yumi..., but I still found myself giggling a couple of times. In comparison to Yumi..., Tress of Emerald Sea seems to be a little bit more serious. And also in comparison to Yumi..., Tress of the Emerald Sea focuses more on the fantasy elements than the romance. But its' found family trope is strong. I really liked the relationship between Tress and the crew of Crow's Song, especially Fort, Salay and Ann. I also liked Huck (I did not expect the plot twist - probably should have - but really didn't) and Ulaam (Ulaam reminded me so much of Rocket from The Guardians of the Galaxy).


I would easily give this book five stars (like I did with Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, but, to be fair, I found myself losing focus and feeling bored at times. The story kind of dragged. But overall it was amazing, really. I'm so excited to read the next two books of the Secret Projects. Will Hoid still be the narrator? In what kind of planet will I find myself in this time? ;)