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: 8.07

606 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Vern_the_wise
Apr 21, 2025
10/10 stars
Weird, original, incredible, probably one of the most fun books I’ve read in a long while.
hideTurtle
Apr 15, 2025
9/10 stars
"Perhaps you would prefer someone facing a dragon? Well, this isn't that kind of story. Which makes it even more remarkable that Tress still does that eventually. But kindly stop getting ahead of me!"
Chanlo1994
Mar 22, 2025
10/10 stars
Mr. Sanderson was correct in his post script. This book is like a fairytale for grown ups. I sincerely enjoyed every page of it. He even gave some writing tips within it? Which I personally loved. It's my first Brandy Sandy and now I 100% understand why people love him so much. I really really really want another book set on this planet. Will I get my wish? I hope so. I also like how he took some tropes and just threw them out the window. Like "nope, we don't need that, we're going to do something unexpected instead."
stevenwdm@gmail.com
Jan 28, 2025
8/10 stars
A young madden sets off to rescue the one she loves and discovers that the oceans are composed of mythical spores that vary from hazardous to both alive and malevolent. But spores are not the only danger and wonder awaiting her. The way these spores impacted the development of the world is well thought out. However I felt that at time the narrator was overly blunt and preachy.
katietopp
Jan 01, 2025
10/10 stars
Okay here is the thing about this book. It is written so well, which is unsurprising for fans of Sanderson. And the story is full of whimsy, and the characters are lovable. I was fully ready to give it 4 stars just for that. But the ending, a twist I didn’t see coming, all the ends tied up in a neat bow. It really pushed it over the top for the extra star. Love. I've been told multiple times since this came out that Tress was an easy entry point into Sanderson's Cosmere. I cannot help but agree. Cannot wait to drive deeper into the Sanderson universe.

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