The Emperor's Soul

Elantris

by Brandon Sanderson

A novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Emperor's Soul showcases a fascinating magic system as the clock ticks down for a condemned criminal.

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.

Shai is given an impossible task: to create—to Forge—a new soul for the emperor in less than one hundred days. But her soul-Forgery is considered an abomination by her captors. She is confined to a tiny, dirty chamber, guarded by a man who hates her, spied upon by politicians, and trapped behind a door sealed in her own blood. Shai's only possible ally is the emperor's most loyal councillor, Gaotona, who struggles to understand her true talent.

Time is running out for Shai. Forging, while deducing the motivations of her captors, she needs a perfect plan to escape…

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novella, Audiobook, High Fantasy, Short Stories, Magic

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2012

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I read this in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection)

Absolutely incredible. Apparently, 105 pages are sufficient for Sanderson to craft a fantastic story with a strong beginning, wonderful characterizations, memorable climax scene, and a satisfying conclusion.The Emperor's Soul has become my favorite novella of all time; it has qualities that surpassed a lot of other fantasy novels I’ve read.

I won’t go into any details on what the plot is, it’s only 100 pages long, try to jump into this story without knowing anything about it as I did. The plot dances upon several themes such as the nature of humanity and what truly defines art. There was a lot of beautiful philosophical contemplation to be found here and the novella was utterly well-paced. The Emperor’s Soul doesn’t waste any time getting into the plot; there’s no info dump, the magic system and world building were introduced gradually together with the plot and character development. Have I mentioned that the main character Wan ShaiLu (or Shai in short) is a lovable and intelligent heroine?

“There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person's life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn't take on step, then find yourself in a completely new location. You first took a little step off a path to avoid some rocks. For a while, you walked alongside the path, but then you wandered out a little way to step on softer soil. Then you stopped paying attention as you drifted farther and farther away. Finally, you found yourself in the wrong city, wondering why the signs on the roadway hadn't led you better.”

Everything about this book was stunning but the best part for me was definitely the Asian influences that can be found in the fantastic magic system and world-building. As an Asian myself, it’s always a joy to read a fantasy book that implements Asian culture with justice. Even though this is a short book, the magic systems—Forgery and Bloodsealing—were imaginative and intricately explained. as Sanderson’s usual strength. Sanderson has mentioned that The Emperor’s Soul was created based on his experience in Taiwan; Forgery that relied on Soulstamp (Sanderson’s version of Chinese Seals), settings that reminded me of an older Asian palace, the clothes; the Asian influences were evident in every aspect of the novella.

Picture: The Emperor’s Soul by breath-art



Lastly, although the setting of the world is in Sel, the same world where Elantris—Sanderson’s debut novel—took place in, you can read this novella without reading Elantris. There were only two or three terms from Elantris mentioned in the story and they served close to zero influence on the plot; you probably won’t even realize this book is related to it. Plus, in my opinion, this 100 pages novella significantly triumphed over the 600 pages in Elantris.

Impressive storytelling, unique premise, vivid and immersive prose made The Emperor’s Soul a phenomenal novella that won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella category justifiably. I totally recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a short and superb reading experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Cosmere fan or not, you don’t want to miss this reading this gem.

“You can’t always write what you know—not exactly what you know. You can, however, write what you see.”

–Brandon Sanderson

That’s precisely what he did, with brilliance.

Side note: The identity of The Imperial Fool can be found in this deleted prologue posted by Brandon Sanderson himself. Please read it only after you finished the book.

http://brandonsanderson.com/the-emper...

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you could create anything?
Or more specifically, what if you could change the history of an object and essentially recreate what it believes it is?
All you need is a little Titanium White...



Ok. Maybe not.
Shai is a Forger who got pinched by the Imperial po-po while trying to steal some of their shit, and now, in exchange for her freedom, she's been tasked with recreating the Emperor's Soul!
Which, in case you were wondering is why the book is titled, The Emperor's Soul.
Now, she's got to do this in secret because the dude's been left a vegetable due to a failed assassination attempt.
Of course, creating (or recreating, in this case) a soul is next to impossible even if you had years to work on it, and Shai most certainly does not have years. She's got a few months before the Emperor's council needs to present him as hale and hearty to the other factions within the government who want to take over.
So what's a girl to do?



Well, that's one option.
But Shai has other plans...



This was a really good short story, and if Sanderson's other fantasy stuff is anything like this, then I can't wait to read more!

[Nataliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, after this novella I do understand how people can call themselves Sanderson fans.

The first two Sanderson offerings I’ve read were a bit lackluster, so a few GR friends advised this novella to see what he can actually do — and they were right. I should have started with this one.

“There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person's life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn't take on step, then find yourself in a completely new location. You first took a little step off a path to avoid some rocks. For a while, you walked alongside the path, but then you wandered out a little way to step on softer soil. Then you stopped paying attention as you drifted farther and farther away. Finally, you found yourself in the wrong city, wondering why the signs on the roadway hadn't led you better.”

The art of “Forgery” is at the forefront of the story — a magical skill to rewrite the essence of an object (or a person) to change their past and therefore rewrite its present. This art is considered an abomination in the Empire, especially when applied to humans via soulstamps. The problem is that when the emperor is left braindead by an assassination attempt, suddenly all means seem valid for the ruling faction to remain in power — even if it means a soul-stamped ruler.

Shai is a forger tasked with the momentous job or crafting a soul for the emperor to pull off the ruse (her other option is execution, so she takes up the job offer) while juggling ambitions, threats, prejudices and the dire need to escape for her life. But as she delves into the depths of the emperor’s soul, aided by one of his advisors Gaotona, the need to escape and the desire to create an absolute masterpiece start to collide.

“A Forger wasn’t a simple scam artist or trickster. A Forger was an artist who painted with human perception. […]

A person was like a dense forest thicket, overgrown with a twisting mess of vines, weeds, shrubs, saplings, and flowers. No person was one single emotion; no person had only one desire. They had many, and usually those desires conflicted with one another like two rosebushes fighting for the same patch of ground.”

It’s a compact story where the magical system is the true star, but in the remaining spaces there are questions of morality and honesty, the nature of art, the questions of ethics, originality and deception. It’s complex and yet not needlessly so, measured in tone and pace, not relying on plot twists (seriously, books have started to over-rely on that, and it’s unnecessary most of the time), avoids any romance (there are so much more depths to the multitude of human interactions, but most writers tend to default to romance as it’s the most easily gratifying — but thankfully Sanderson does not go there).

4 solid stars.

——————

Also posted on my blog.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was a little unexpected!

I was planning to keep my novella ratings between 1-3 stars, but Emperor's Soul had me so confused I had to make an exception. At around 100 pages long, this certainly is no major entry but I was having a heard time understanding why Sanderson would come up with a novella this long while having almost no connections to Elantris. Yes, there were a couple of minor connections here and there but they were so well hidden that one has to be very attentive if they you don't want to miss them! For the entirety of the book I was thinking this must have been started as a second book and the author decided to limit things to novella.

Even if you are a reader who skip novella's usually, I strongly recommend that you don't skip this one.

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous short fantasy novel - I absolutely loved it!! Very possibly my favorite of all of Sanderson's works that I've read.

Wan ShaiLu, a magical forger of art and other valuable things, is captured and put under sentence of death for her crimes. But Shai is given an opportunity to escape her sentence: she is charged with magically forging a new soul for the kingdom's assassinated emperor, whose body had been healed but whose mind was permanently destroyed by the attack. Shai is given only a hundred days to accomplish this near-impossible task. And there are those waiting to kill her if she makes a wrong step, or trying to subvert her task for their own selfish purposes.

It was all fantastic: the characters, the complex motivations, the layered storytelling, the intricate magical system built on Chinese-type stamps.


There are some fascinating touches that add depth to the story. One of my favorite bits is how Shai uses her Forging talents to turn her grim prison room into a lovely chamber, including a cracked glass window:

Attempts to Forge the window to a better version of itself had repeatedly failed; each time, after five minutes or so, the window had reverted to its cracked, gap-sided self.

Then Shai had found a bit of colored glass rammed into one side of the frame. The window, she realized, had once been a stained glass piece. It had been broken [and] rather than repairing it as it had been meant to be, someone had put ordinary glass in the window and left it to crack. A stamp from Shai in the bottom right corner had restored the window, rewriting its history so that a caring master craftsman had discovered the fallen window and remade it. That seal had taken immediately. Even after all this time, the window had seen itself as something beautiful.

Or maybe she was just getting romantic again.

I love what this book has to say about the nature of art, and souls, and how people affect each other.

He found himself weeping.

Not for the future or for the emperor. These were the tears of a man who saw before himself a masterpiece. True art was more than beauty; it was more than technique. It was not just imitation.

It was boldness, it was contrast, it was subtlety. ... It was the greatest work of art he had ever witnessed.

I'm also amazed at how much Brandon Sanderson packed into 167 pages. I would have enjoyed reading more, but really, this felt like the perfect length for this story.

[Viburnum (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

so i fell into the sandersonhole for the fun of it

and now i'm trapped whoops

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review of The Emperor's Soul is published at Grimdark Magazine.

The Emperor’s Soul is Brandon Sanderson’s Hugo Award-winning novella inspired by his visit to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Sanderson was duly impressed by the hundreds of thousands of artifacts on display, covering eight thousand years of Chinese history, and he was particularly drawn to the red stamps used by Chinese artists, scholars, and nobility. Sanderson developed a magic system based on these red stamps, giving them the ability to alter an object’s history, thereby recasting its future. With this, the central idea for The Emperor’s Soul was born.

The Emperor’s Soul takes place in the Rose Empire on the same world as his epic fantasy novel, Elantris. Although The Emperor’s Soul connects to Sanderson’s greater Cosmere universe, it is a standalone story, and hence it is unnecessary to read any of his other work to understand and appreciate this novella.

At the beginning of The Emperor’s Soul, the young Emperor Ashravan is braindead after an assassination attempt which also claims the life of his beloved wife. The crime is apparently an inside job, committed by one of his corrupt council members vying for power.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Shai is imprisoned and facing execution for creating forgeries of both a famous painting and the Emperor’s scepter. Forgery is a magical art involving the carving and application of a soulstamp that captures the essence of an object and can make subtle alterations to its history. In the Rose Empire, forgery is considered to be an immoral and dangerous practice and is punishable by death.

Nevertheless, the Emperor’s advisors recognize Shai’s unmatched talent and give her one chance at freedom, which involves the greatest forgery of all: recreating the soul of the Emperor himself. Shai is given one hundred days to complete the forgery, the traditional grieving period for the Emperor to mourn the loss of his wife.

To achieve this nearly impossible task and prevent the fall of the Rose Empire, Shai must work closely with the Emperor’s most trusted advisor, the elderly Gaotona, who knows the Emperor better than anyone else. Gaotona does not approve of forgery but concedes that this is the only way to save his cherished Emperor.

Although The Emperor’s Soul is not an especially dark fantasy, grimdark lovers will appreciate the complex and opposing views on morality expressed by Shai and Gaotona during their thought-provoking discussions, and the respect that the two characters develop for each other over time.

I especially enjoyed the questions raised on the nature of art. Must art necessarily be original, or does the skill of forgery also constitute an artform? Is it possible for a forgery to improve upon the original work? As a master of forgery, can Shai herself be considered an artist?

Sanderson also raises important questions on the nature of the human soul. What exactly constitutes a soul? Can a soul be fully described and replicated? If yes, is the replica really the same person or simply a clone?

The Emperor’s Soul is also proof that you don’t need hundreds of pages to create a well-realized fantasy with compelling characters, a unique magic system, and thought-provoking questions on morality, art, politics, and the nature of human existence itself. Sanderson accomplishes all of this in a little over 100 pages, with a conclusion that leaves an enduring emotional impact on the reader. The Emperor’s Soul ranks among the best work by Brandon Sanderson over his incredibly prolific career.

[Iryna *Book and Sword* · Rating 5 out of 5]

*3/28/2020
Second read. Just as amazing.
________________________________


"The Emperor's Soul" deserves all of the stars. All of the praise.

“There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person's life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn't take on step, then find yourself in a completely new location. Then you stopped paying attention as you drifted farther and farther away. ”

You know what this book's only flaw is? It's way too short.
Oh, don't worry, the story is all perfectly wrapped up and beautiful. There just needs to be more of this because "The Emperor's soul" is a masterpiece. I could easily read 500 more pages of this.

That said, this is the best thing I've read this year and it's only 175 pages. The novella is a Hugo Award Winner and I definitely see why.

​175 pages to develop a page turning story with deep background and great characters.
175 pages to create one of the best female main character ever.
175 pages to have reader guessing the next turn and twist.
175 pages apparently was all Brandon Sanderson needed to blow my mind.

“She took a deep breath and let herself become someone else. An imitation of herself who was calm, even in a situation like this.”

Sanderson has an uncanny ability to write amazing female characters. I've noticed that since the very first pages Vin (Mistborn) was introduced, and once again from the very first pages of Shai in this book. First of all Shai wears glasses! Hello, I haven't ever read of a girl in a book, let alone fantasy book, who wears glasses! So, as a fellow glass wearer, I approve of this a 100 percent.

Shai is both overly confident and the most humble. She is brilliant. Yes, some of her morals might be askew, but she has a big heart and a shining soul.
What I find absolutely refreshing from Sanderson's books is that he never focuses on his character's appearances. It doesn't matter what a person looks like - what matters is how they behave themselves, how they present themselves and what their skills and talents are. I feel that this is a very important message to deliver in a world where everyone and everything is judged by looks.

“People,” Shai said, rising to fetch another seal, “by nature attempt to exercise power over what is around them. We build walls to shelter us from the wind, roofs to stop the rain. We tame the elements, bend nature to our wills. It makes us feel as if we’re in control.”

Since this is a short novella I don't want to write anything that might give something away. All I'm going to say is - do yourselves a favor - read it. If you are not into fantasy - read it. Who knows, this might be the book that will get you into it. And if you are Sanderson's fan, but haven't read this yet- you are missing out big time.

"The Emperor's Soul" is going on my all-time-favorite-books shelf and it will stay there forever and ever.

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[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint about this book is that it should have been longer!

Shai is a forger, meaning that she can rewrite an object's history, thus making it into a new object. Such magic is considered taboo within the Empire, that is until they find themselves enlisting Shai's help to try and forge the soul of their fallen Emperor, Ashravan.

I don't know why I loved this so much, I think I was just completely entranced by the magic system. It depends wholly on the plausibility of any given thing to be another thing, it's a mystical power that's rooted in an object's potential, and that is so cool to me.

Even though this book was only 175 pages, I was able to get such a clear sense of the characters. They were so genuinely written, like I could absolutely go out into the world and find similar people. When a character feels real, their motivations become important to me as a reader. I love the process of feeling an author breathe life into their words.

I'll say that if you're reading this and hoping there will be throwbacks to Elantris, don't. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there isn't really much that ties this book to Teod or Arelon or Elantris or any of the countries/cities previously mentioned. The Jindoese people pop up briefly but that is mostly it.

Anyhow, another wonderful installment from Brandon Sanderson!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Absolutely brilliant and very compelling!! How can a favorite author become even more favorite? I knew this novella will be good just not that good. I’m pretty sure now once I read Stormlight (hopefully this summer) Brandon Sanderson will become *the* favorite author.

This is without a doubt the best short story I've read in my life. Sanderson proves he's yet again a master at characterization and through this book, we get a glimpse of how he also thinks when writing his characters. It's also a standalone and romance free which was nice. Although part of the Cosmere, it can be easily read if you're new to this world too since it's not related to any of his other books.

I've read a few novellas by Brandon Sanderson and it's nice to see how he's evolved in writing those too. I might raise my rating to 5 stars later.. the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars although objectively it deserves it, is that I'm in a not a book slump (I'm reading just fine) but I'm finding it difficult to love books like I used to.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible Daily Deal Sale until 28Jan18 $1.99

Buddy read with fellow Sandersonitis afflicted friends Athena & Alexa, and newly wrangled in buddy reader Katie

4.5 Soulful Stars

Just a reminder that Brandon Sanderson is probably my favorite fantasy writer I’ve read 9 full length books by him and 2 novellas, he consistently never disappoints so I might be a little biased, but deservedly so. His worlds, his imagination, his magic systems, his surprise twists always amaze me. The Emperors Soul was no different, it is a complete story with another strong female character and I was totally drawn into the story immediately.

Even though this is set in the Elantris world it stands on its own. You could read this without knowing anything about the Elantris story line and be okay and probably enjoy it just as much. Again Sanderson made up an entirely new magic system and showed it beautifully throughout the story. He made characters that were complex and interesting as well as sympathetic. Shai is another strong female character and I loved getting to know her in this.

No matter how good you were, someone was better. Live by that knowledge, and you would never grow so confident that you became sloppy.

Shai is a forger, she has been trained to use specialized images in stamps to rewrite the past and change things in the present. The Emperor has been damaged beyond repair and Shai is the only hope to create a new soul for him. It is the hardest task she has ever been given and if she fails her life will be forfeit, hell if she succeeds they will most likely kill her too. Shai must figure out how to finish her task and stay alive.

“We may feel in control, but we never truly are unless we understand people. Controlling our environment is no longer about blocking the wind, it’s about knowing why the serving lady was crying last night, or why a particular guard always loses at cards. Or why your employer hired you in the first place.”

Again another great story from BS, I could hardly pull myself out of the story to even submit a status update.

If you have never read a Sanderson book and you are wondering ‘would I like this author?’ this is a great book to try and just get a taste of how wonderful the magic, worlds and characters he creates are.

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Emperor’s Soul, Sanderson proves that he doesn’t need 1000+ pages to write a stunning, emotionally compelling story. He creates an intricate, beautiful magic system called Forging, or the art of making imitations, convincing objects to take on the traits of things they are not. Shai is a Forger tasked with copying the emperor’s soul. But a soul is more detailed, more layered than any oil painting or ceramic vase. Along the way, Sanderson raises philosophical questions that show surprising depth for a novella of 100 pages: What about a person determines who they are? Can a copy be considered a work of art in its own right? The twists are carefully plotted and perfectly paced, and the ending resonated deeply with me. Sanderson’s ability to create vivid characters with complex motivations and dynamics really shines in this novella. The Emperor’s Soul is exquisite.

5 stars

[Dana Ilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too damn short. Sanderson what is wrong with you? I want more~!!!

https://vipera2015.wordpress.com/2018...

[Dhia Nouioui · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Emperor’s Soul is a brilliant stand alone piece, short and sweet. I wondered how a novel could take place in just one room, but Sanderson really did it.
You can feel the frenzy of an artist and the passion of an advisor, in the main characters. The main theme seems to be the idea of being genuine, and that's what this book feels like. Genuine.

This book captured my attention quickly and held it. I was impressed by how much was there given that there are a handful of characters and locations....

[Eon Windrunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is storytelling.

I can count with one finger the number of novellas I have felt compelled to own, and in hardcover nonetheless, and The Emperor’s Soul is that book.

“It would be the greatest Forgery of all”

I will abstain from describing anything regarding the plot as I would love for new readers to experience it without any knowledge, in fact, if you can avoid the blurb, even better. Capturing everything I love about fantasy in the diminutive form of a novella shorter than 130 pages, it is a masterpiece of fiction that I have read no less than five times and will continue to reread many times over.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The elderly man opened the door and stepped in, then froze as the wall flooded with color.
Vine patterns spiraled out from Shai’s stamp like sprays of paint. Green, scarlet, amber. The painting grew like something alive, leaves springing from branches, bunches of fruit exploding in succulent bursts. Thicker and thicker the pattern grew, golden trim breaking out of nothing and running like streams, rimming leaves, reflecting light.

The mural deepened, every inch imbued with an illusion of movement. Curling vines, unexpected thorns peeking from behind branches. Gaotona breathed out in awe and stepped up beside Shai.



You can read a deleted prologue for this novella here, but only do so if you have finished The Emperor's Soul

[Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is Brandon Sanderson's true masterpiece.

She was nearly there with this project. The emperor’s soul spread out before her, with only some few corners still shadowed. She wanted to see it through; she longed to find out if she could make him live again.

Shai is a Forger, an artist who can copy and recreate almost anything through the use of forbidden magic. Sentenced to death for the theft of a sacred imperial relic, she grasps her final chance to live, and to perform the greatest feat of Forgery imaginable.

Whil Shai is an interesting protagonist, the true star of the show is found in the character of Arbiter Gaotona, an old, powerful man in the upper echelons of imperial society. While his colleagues are merely grabbing for retained power, the soul of Gaotona, the oldest of them, is much deeper than that.

I very much enjoyed the relations to artistry and the creative process throughout the book, even as part of a suspenseful story. There is even discussion of ethics and belonging in terms of art. And once more, Brandon Sanderson has proved himself adept at creating interesting mechanisms of the supernatural.

Finally, it is also a story about memory. And about identity. About how the two are so irrevocably intertwined in a person’s mind and soul. This is true both for the protagonist and her subjects. And, perhaps, for all of us.

[Somormujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
Pronto pondré la reseña, pero ya avanzo que, en mi opinión, la trama necesitaría algo más de desarrollo. La historia y los conceptos mágicos lo merecen. Todo ello sin discutir que es una novela muy entretenida y con diálogos muy interesantes, digna de Sanderson.

[Lena K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything that I've read so far by Sanderson; The Stormlight Archive, Warbreaker, Elantris and Mistborn (Cosmere is a vast place with amazing stories). So I knew I won't be disappointed here as well. Which I was not indeed. But, WHY was this so short? It was Such a unique story, and I would have loved to hear more about Shai and Gaotana and the emperor. Where does Sanderson get these ideas? :) (He actually explains in the postscript if you're interested).


One of my favorite quotes was this one. It shows that you can't really see when something goes wrong/right in life, as it's more of a fluid process than we assume;

There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person’s life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn’t take one step, then find yourself in a completely new location. You first took a little step off a path to avoid some rocks. For a while, you walked alongside the path, but then you wandered out a little way to step on softer soil. Then you stopped paying attention as you drifted farther and farther away. Finally, you found yourself in the wrong city, wondering why the signs on the roadway hadn’t led you better.

[TS Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little wonder why this masterpiece novella won the Hugo Award, so beautifully written and delivered, this story speaks to your soul - pun entirely intended.

Sanderson created yet again another imaginative magic system, Forgery, which is in short, imitation of the highest degree that requires a rewriting of history or memory of its target. And what could be more complicated and masterful than that of the forgery of a soul.

He also gave us characters that are incredibly compelling (the relationship between Shai and Gaotana was simply wonderful) and injected emotion, tension and contemplation into a story which I can only describe as beautiful, all in under 200 pages. The magic system of Forgery was displayed to its fullest potential given the limited number of pages, but the essence of the story was not in the least compromised.

One of my favourites from my favourite author.

P/S: Do read the Postscript by the author :)

[Eric Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Emperor's Soul
By Brandon Sanderson

A Review by Eric Allen

Due to his work on The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson has not had much time over the last few years for working on his own books. As such, he has elected to write several novellas as sequels to his already published works to tide his fans over until he is freed up from his obligations to the Wheel of Time, and can put his focus entirely back into his own works. The Emperor's Soul is one of these books. Though not actually a sequel, it takes place within the same world as Elantris, though in a distant land, and with none of the same characters.

Shai is a forger, a person able to create exact copies of anything through magic and an understanding of its history and its pieces. Imprisoned for the theft of priceless artifacts, leaving fakes in their place, Shai awaits the day of her execution. When the Arbiters, those who rule in the Emperor's name, come to her with a proposition, she has little choice to accept.

The Emperor has been attacked in an assassination attempt, and though his wounds have been healed, his mind is gone, empty, like a blank slate. Shai is given the task of making a forgery of the Emperor's soul to replace the one that was lost in the attack, and she must finish within one hundred days. Additionally, she must find some way to escape in that time, because it is doubtful that she will be allowed to keep her life with the knowledge that the Emperor himself is a creation of hers.

As she delves deeper into her work, it begins to consume her. She puts her all into it, though her life is in danger, because she needs to find out if she is capable of such an awesome task, unable to leave without finding out if her forgery will work or not, not even to save her own life.

The Good? This book is short and sweet. It doesn't waste any time getting into the story and the characters. Sanderson has done a very good job of developing Shai as a person through her studies of the Emperor's life, and her philosophical discussions with those who hold her captive. The book is also has a very clever and well hidden message that I believe is a very important one. I'll allow you to find it on your own, if you are able to.

The world feels real, the characters feel real, and they do things for very real motivations. The forgery magic system, and the religion of the Empire that teaches that it is an abomination are both very interesting, and allow for some very interesting discussions on morality and points of view.

Shai's motives and desire to do what no one has ever done before are very well explained in her actions, and her diving deeply into the the task that has been placed before her makes for a very interesting and entertaining character.

The Emperor's Soul is very well written. One of Sanderson's biggest criticisms is that his writing feels very stiff and sometimes lacking in emotion or passion. And though I do enjoy many of his books, I can see where that criticism's roots lie. But this book had none of that in it. It flowed along perfectly, and with the right emotional connections at the right places. Another of his greatest criticisms is that his stories are basically vehicles to show off his ingenuity with magic systems. While a great deal of this book deals with the magic system, and it's morality, the story itself is more about Shai and her motivations as a character this time around. And as such, I found this book to be a lot more entertaining than a lot of Sanderson's previous works.

The Bad? This is actually a first. I don't have anything bad to say about this book. There isn't anything I can complain about. I might count its short length as a negative, except for the fact that the story was exactly the length it needed to be. Adding in more scenes would have been unnecessary and would have clogged the story up with things that the plot just didn't need.

In conclusion, though this book was short, it was very good. It has an excellent message in it, and a great climax at the end. I very much enjoyed the discussion on morality that this book brings up, and found the dialog to be witty and clever. There is very little external action, but the book is no less entertaining for it. It's a great book for its size and I think anyone who likes the Fantasy Genre will highly enjoy this.

Check out my other reviews.

**It has come to my attention that Brandon Sanderson has won a Hugo Award with this book. It is well deserved, and I offer him my congratulations on such a prestigious award.**

[Haïfa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novella in the Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection along with my fellow brigdemen (and bridgewomen?) : Celeste, Petrik, Sarah and Mary

No matter how good you were, someone was better. Live by that knowledge, and you would never grow so confident that you became sloppy.

This is a re-read of the Emperor's Soul and while it was just good the first time I read it, this time I found it to be an exceptional masterpiece!! I'm truly speechless and I never experienced this feeling before! But this time I truly took my time, savored every word, paid attention to every detail and put the book down from time to time to ponder some retorts or deep thoughts. This was one of the most quotable books I've ever read ! With his simple, yet elegant writing, Brandon Sanderson delivered a remarkable reflection on the complexity of human nature, on the passions that stir; forge or define a person, on the passing of time and how it changes us, remodel us and stifle the fire and dreams of our youth.

There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person’s life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn’t take one step, then find yourself in a completely new location.

In a little over 100 pages, Sanderson created a new Empire, a new magic system, new complex and compelling characters, and managed to include a brilliant philosophical reflection and detailed explantations and links to the Cosmere. My only complaint about this book is that it is short ! Too short ! And I think my frustration at its length was what made me give it 4 stars the first time I read it. But if you can write 100 pages and include this amount of information, details, complexity, thoughts and feels, than you deserve all the stars, and all the praise that can be given !!

“I suspect,” Gaotona said, “that a life full of lying makes reality and falsehood intermix.

I don't want to say more about the magic or the characters lest I spoil the surprises of the novella but really if you're fan of Sanderson and his Cosmere, this is an absolute must! And if you love philosophical reflection in your Fantasy, or if you're fond of Fantasy with complex and original magic system, this book is for you!!

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5/5 stars] Mini Review: As my second time through this novella by Sanderson (this time experienced via graphic audio for a professional review), I liked the reread just as much. The basic premise is rife with authentic Sanderson creativity and world-building – a magic system using detailed stamps to reforge items into something new. I love reading about any magic element that requires a lot of skill, so the craft descriptions throughout the story were my favorite sections. I also thought the main character had a lot of interesting dualities. There were a few moments where her decisions surprised me, and I love that. Overall, of all the shorts from Sanderson (I think I’ve read them all), this is a top 3 for me. It’s worth adding to your list if you haven’t gotten to it yet. :)

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leer esta novela corta es como quedar con la miel en los labios.

En realidad un 3.5

El alma del emperador sigue la historia de Shai, quien es cautiva y está a punto de recibir un juicio luego de hacerse pasar por una noble de alta alcurnia, falsificar unas pinturas y robar algo del Imperio Rosa. Sin embargo, recibe una propuesta por parte de los árbitros (quienes manejan parte del trono y la política del imperio) que será la única oportunidad para salvarse el pellejo y a su misma vez beneficiarlos a ellos con el mantenimiento del orden y el poder sobre el imperio. A cambio de su libertad, la misión de Shai es hacer una falsificación del alma del emperador luego de que este mismo hubiera recibido un atentado que lo dejó inerte e inservible mentalmente y en el que murió su esposa, la emperatriz. Para ello, debe copiar cada aspecto de la vida del emperador Ashravan, desde sus gustos más sencillos hasta lo más particular como sus actitudes y comportamientos para que absolutamente nadie sospeche de que es una copia exacta o al menos, casi perfecta.

Pero Shai tiene los días contados, exactamente tres meses para hacer su trabajo mientras idea un plan para poder escapar y salir victoriosa por miedo a que la traicionen y no cumplan con la parte del trato. Y eso me gusta porque efectivamente la protagonista no es tonta y sabe que no debe confiarse, y además de ser inteligente y tener a su favor algo que la hace útil, también es capaz de pelear en situaciones que la llevan al borde. Es un gran personaje femenino y compruebo que Brandon sabe hacerlos sin esa pátina de paternalismo o machismo con ella utilización de un narrador extradiegético. Es bastante interesante y cumple su papel de comienzo a fin rodeado de algunos secundarios que no se desarrollan del todo pero tienen su personalidad.

Y en cuanto al sistema de magia me resultó interesante lo que proponen los sellos y los tipos de falsificaciones que juegan en el plano físico y en el plano mental y espiritual de un objeto y de una persona. Interesante el poder reescribir o reinventar la naturaleza y la existencia de una cosa y de un ser vivo. Y aunque se siente como probar un bocado de algo que podría dar para cosas interesantes de momento me doy por satisfecho, creo que la historia cierra muy bien la trama y el crecimiento de la protagonista y aunque da para más tampoco es que me impaciente esperando una trama más intrincada y extensa sobre el mundo y el sistema de magia propuesto. No hay prisa alguna viendo lo prolífico que es Sanderson.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review can be found on Booknest.

I am an unapologetic Sandersonite. I’m completely in love with the Cosmere Brandon Sanderson has created, and so far I’ve adored every story he’s crafted that is part of that greater whole.

One of the things I love so much about his writing is the size of the books, and the knowledge that he’s a prolific writer, so I never have to wait too terribly long for more of the story. And yet, somehow, this tiny novella is now one of my favorite things he’s written, right after The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. It was beautiful and profound and made me think deeply. I just wish there had been more of it. This is going to be less of a review than a “deep thoughts inspired by a story” session, so bear with me.

Shai is a Forger, a woman who can “flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic,” according to the synopsis. And she is the very best at what she does. The story follows Shai as she attempts an impossible task. It made me question everything I believe about what makes art worthy of praise and what defines a person or object.

Is a skillful forgery any less lovely and awe-inspiring simply because it isn’t an “original”? It requires just as much talent and even more attention to detail, along with research and study that the original artist never had to consider. King Solomon claimed that “there is nothing new under the sun,” so what constitutes originality? Art has always been incredibly important in my life. Should I not sing or write or play guitar unless I have something entirely new to say? The most we can hope for as artists is to say something that’s already been said countless times but in some new way. Because nothing is ever said quite the same way twice. There can be no perfect forgeries, not really. When you pour yourself into something, when you give your art everything you are, your blood and sweat and tears and heart and soul, there will be some originality there, in spite of what critics may say. There has to be, because you are an original. There has never been and never will be a copy of you, and thus everything you create bears the unique imprint of your fingertips, your soul, your self.

These were the tears of a man who saw before him a masterpiece. True art was more than beauty; it was more than technique. It was not just imitation. It was boldness, it was contrast, it was subtlety. In this book, [he] found a rare work to rival that of the greatest painters, sculptors, and poets of any era. It was the greatest work of art he had ever witnessed.

Without getting into the story itself (because it’s a tiny thing and everyone should read it. If you’ve never tried Brandon Sanderson before, here is a fantastic place to dip your toes in the waters of his writing.), Shai’s power comes from her understanding of the three different Realms: the Physical, the Cognitive, and the Spiritual. Everything exists in all three realms. In order to influence an object in the Physical Realm, you must understand how it views itself in the Cognitive Realm. Following this line of thinking, all things have some sort of self-awareness, whether animate or inanimate. This fascinated me. I’m a Christian, and as such I believe that God created us in three parts as He Himself is Triune. We are body, soul, and spirit, our own self-contained imitation of the Holy Trinity. Thus, in order to truly understand ourselves, we must understand all of our components. If I’m physically as in shape as an Olympic athlete but am depressed and suicidal, am I completely healthy? No! I have to have my mind and my body and my heart all working as one to be happy and healthy and at peace. Sanderson has taken that idea and applied it to everything in Shai’s world. Others in that world find this belief system pagan and disturbing, but their opinions don’t shake Shai’s views. She’s quite possibly my favorite character Sanderson has created so far. At the very least, she’s in my top five. She’s an artist who sticks to her beliefs and cannot be swayed, which I respect immensely.

There were so many other deep questions that vied for my attention as I read. What makes us who were are? Are we just the sum of our experiences, or are we more? Is a person’s personality and soul quantifiable? How well do you know those around you? Do you pay attention only to what benefits you, or do you observe people for their own sake? Do you admire art for what it is, or simply because it’s popular at this moment? Sanderson crafted a beautiful addition to his Cosmere with Shai’s story. And, though this is set in the same world as Elantris and not The Way of Kings, it helped me understand Soulcasting much better, even if it’s not quite the same magic system. There’s a lot to love in this novella, whether you’re already a hardcore Sanderson fan or if you’ve never read a word he’s written. Give this a try, and let Shai’s story leave her stamp your soul.

Read in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection as a huge buddy read with Sarah, Petrik, Haïfa, Mary, and Tweebs.

[Deborah Obida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each person was a puzzle.

My first official read of 2018, read this first cause I know I'll love it and I wanted to start the year with something I'll love.

This book is perfect, am still marveled by the fact that its even a novella, the way the plot unravels, and that ending, I did not see that coming, then again its Brandon Sanderson, I shouldn't be surprise, he is a genius.


World building and Writing
Once again Brandon Sanderson wowed me, the world is so well depicted even though its a novella of just a few pages. I love the magic system in this book so much, its a but similar to soulcasting. But with this, runes or symbols are carved on stones then stamped on the object to be changed, or on someone to change personality, past, get abilities and the like. The writing is explicit and easy to understand, the book is written in third person multiple POV, but 80% is in Shai’s POV.

Characters
Shai is just the perfect female protagonist, she is smart, intelligent, confident, manipulative and also a forger.

what we have before us is a master trickster, liar, and thief. Your best guards would eventually become clay in her hands.”
“Thank you,” Shai said.
“It was not a compliment.

Despite her career of choice, she is also kind and a great artist that makes people wonder why she forgers instead of making her own art.

Gaotona was a mystery for 80% of the book, I had no idea what side he is but am glad for what I found out.

I also like Ashravan the emperor, Frava and Uru got exactly what they deserve.

[Luna. ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

“Her aunt Sol had once told Shai to smile at the worst insults and snap at the minor ones. That way, no man would know your heart.”

I know this quote is so over-used however it is my favorite quote from this book and quite possibly one of my favorite book quotes ever.

One of my favorite short stories by Brandon Sanderson. It's literally only 105 pages long so it is very short. I can remember reading it for the first time and loving every second of it, on the reread I noticed a few things I had missed and it was exceptional to read again. I seriously can't recommend this story enough. One of my all time favorite books. The feels are real and this story is filled with raw emotion.



"If you were the wall, what would you rather be? Dreary and dull, or alive with paint?"
"Walls can't think!"
"That doesn't stop them from caring.”

Shai is fucking awesome. I love her.

Image from Tor hardcover edition of Arcanum Unbounded

The writing is everything you would expect from a Sanderson, it's mind blowing and full of beautiful vivid imagery. The magic system is unique and different from his normal type, I love the whole concept of making a 'new soul'. I swear I just love Sanderson so much. And I love this book. Please everyone go and read it! It's so wonderfully glorious. side note: this book is set in Sel (same world as Elantris, you do not need to read Elantris first)

“He found himself weeping.

Not for the future or for the emperor. These were the tears of a man who saw before himself a masterpiece. True art was more than beauty; it was more than technique. It was not just imitation.

It was boldness, it was contrast, it was subtlety.”

Funnily enough I find myself weeping at the end of Sandersons novels for the exact same reasons.

Recommended to all fans of Sanderson. You do not need to read his other books before this one, unless you buy Arcanum Unbounded then I suggest reading Mistborn 1-6 first and also Stormlight Archive 1-2. Read in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection anthology.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
This was an engrossing story that will almost certainly please any Sanderson fan. The magic system was well designed and absolutely fascinating to learn about. I loved the themes and discussions surrounding forgery and authenticity.

The novella length fit the size of this story. While this was technically set in the Elantris world, it was completely self-contained and could be read first without spoiling the novel.

This is easily one of my favourite stories by Sanderson and would be an excellent jumping off point for someone wanting to experience his work.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating this book is difficult, especially because it's a short novel, so I'll break it down into a few points:

Characterization – The book focuses on two main characters, which likely made it possible to portray them so well. The characterization is superb! Sanderson even managed to develop these two characters in a very believable way throughout the book. Considering the novel's length, he did an excellent job. Just don't expect humor, as there’s no funny character here, unlike in some of Sanderson’s other books. However, there are plenty of witty dialogues.
Definitely 5 stars here.


Magic-System – This book features a unique and highly imaginative magic system.
The first half includes many explanations about how forgery works, and there are additional insights into its mechanics in the second half. Forgery is a relatively complex magic system (more so than Allomancy or Feruchemy, for instance), and it would have benefited from being explored in a longer novel. With only 170 pages, Brandon wasn’t able to develop it as much as he could have in a full-length book.
4.5 stars. (It’s a 5-star magic system, and most other authors would get the full 5 stars for its originality, but considering what Brandon could have achieved with more room to expand, I deducted half a star.)


Plot - Since it’s a short novel with a relatively complex magic system, the plot is understandably limited in scope. That said, the storyline is good.
Most of the book takes place in a single room, so don’t expect much action. The story has a fully closed ending (unlike Legion), and it’s a very satisfying one.
4–4.25 stars here.

The Verdict – This story is more about characterization than anything else, and it’s exceptionally well-written.
It’s unmistakably a Sanderson book—I’d have easily recognized it even without knowing who the author was. Overall, it’s a fantastic short novel and highly recommended for any Sanderson fan.

4.25/5

[Library of a Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was beautiful!

Okay, everyone seems to give this novella 5/5. I think this was a beautiful read but that is mostly due to the last 2 pages. Most of the novella was good but those two last pages made this novella go from a 3 star read to a 4 star read. I love the analysis of the beauty of art!

Definitely worth a read and you can read this without any knowledge of Sanderson's other work.

4 / 5

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There are . . . times when one must accept the aid of darkness in order to contain a greater darkness.”



Brandon Sanderson's The Emperor's Soul is a short but wonderfully crafted and satisfying novella. Yet again, Sanderson provided a new system of magic that played out in interesting ways. What happens when you change the history of an object? It turns out that such a transformation can have huge consequences. Sanderson says the idea for this system came from ancient rulers putting their stamp on objects, what in Korean is called tojang. That seemed really fascinating to me. In addition to the magic system, I very much liked the main character, Shai.

“There was rarely an obvious branching point in a person's life. People changed slowly, over time. You didn't take on step, then find yourself in a completely new location. You first took a little step off a path to avoid some rocks. For a while, you walked alongside the path, but then you wandered out a little way to step on softer soil. Then you stopped paying attention as you drifted farther and farther away. Finally, you found yourself in the wrong city, wondering why the signs on the roadway hadn't led you better.”