The Emperor’s Soul is a novella that won the 2013 Hugo award, which it justly deserved. This story is ultra-focused on really one main character with one character in a supporting role and a handful of minor characters. The narrative also takes place over less than 90 days. This is a more serious-minded and philosophical work from Sanderson; no bantering dialogue or humor, but this does not detract from the story at all. It allows the reader to feel the intensity of the situation and the passion of Shai, the protagonist.

Sanderson’s recent young adult and lighter fantasy has been good and enjoyable, but this novel is a sharp reminder that when he is deeply invested and firing on all cylinders then his magic system architecture is a thing of beauty and there are layers and layers to peel away. The Emperor’s Soul is a highly recommended read!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: Character is scheduled for execution; character says they will enjoy killing someone; character uses a person’s blood to cast a seal (~a spell) and cuts her each day on the arm to draw blood; reference to skeletons/bones; report of an assassination attempt resulting in a death and an injury; character repeatedly thinks that she is going to be killed; character tries to kill another with sword, injuries inflicted on multiple parties; skeletal creatures hunt someone using their blood; character fights another (martial art style and with knife/sword) and severely injuries them, breaking bones, etc.; character fights skeletal creatures in a multi-page scene, injuries and mention of blood; character stabbed with a knife.

Sex/Nudity: Fleeting thought about fictionalizing a tryst as a background story.

Mature Subject Matter:

Politics, forgery/crime, executions, political corruption.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

It is observed that a character often appears hung over in the morning after a night of drinking.