Tress of the Emerald Sea: A Cosmere Novel (Secret Projects)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson comes a rollicking, riveting tale set in the Cosmere universe—a standalone adventure perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson

The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (novella)
Oathbringer
Dawnshard (novella)
Rhythm of War

The Mistborn Saga
The Original Trilogy
Mistborn
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages

Wax and Wayne
The Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
The Bands of Mourning
The Lost Metal

Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
Tress of the Emerald Sea
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
The Sunlit Man

Collection
Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection

The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener's Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (with Janci Patterson)

Other novels
The Rithmatist
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

Other books by Brandon Sanderson

The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity

Skyward
Skyward
Starsight
Cytonic
Skyward Flight (with Janci Patterson)
Defiant

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Published Apr 4, 2023

384 pages

Average rating: 7.85

895 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Tress of the Emerald Sea* offers a heartwarming, whimsical adventure set on a pirate ship, featuring strong world-building and endearing ...

BMC
Jul 15, 2025
8/10 stars
I normally don't mind short chapters but these ones felt choppy to me and it took a while to get into the story. Once I did? A fantastical and (mostly) wholesome time was had.
CeLynasings
Jul 30, 2024
9/10 stars
Great book with a great hero!!! Tress is an amazing character. I wish parts 5 and 6 didn’t read as the author just wanted to finish the book, but I still loved this book.
LondonLevyn
Feb 01, 2026
7/10 stars
For someone who rarely reads fiction, I actually really enjoyed this book. For some reason, spending time reading a make believe story has always felt like wasting time. Which is kind of a crippling thought, because it means missing out on good storytelling and on an important skill: imagination and creativity. And truthfully, even though this was fiction, I learned a lot from it. About friendship. Leadership. And what it looks like to possess good character. Tress is really that girl. Not in a loud, sexy, modern way but in a quiet, gentle, dignified way. Not only do I want a friend like her, I want to be a friend like her. Her character never wavered. She was ten toes down, through and through, which I found incredibly admirable especially in today’s society where it feels like every man for himself. I also loved how wholesome it was. No sex scenes. Nothing even remotely close. Just a good story. Honestly, it was refreshing. I appreciated the character development too. She unlocks an entirely unexplored part of herself, and it had me thinking about how many of us miss out on unrealized talents and passions simply because we never take a risk. Overall, great book. The spores definitely threw me for a loop at first, but you get used to them. I’d definitely recommend it.
Jonathan Willis
Jan 13, 2026
8/10 stars
I really enjoyed this one. It is my favorite of the secret projects that Sanderson has done with Yumi a very close second. I think I just really enjoyed the setting, on a boat playing pirates. Tress is such a good character and Huck is so endearing. The other main characters are so interesting to follow and I really enjoyed how everything came together.
tloster25
Jan 02, 2026
8/10 stars
It was quaint, not my favourite but enjoyable

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