For her Tenacity blog, Janet Sketchley declares Brandon Sanderson’s Hugo winning novella The Emperor’s Soul as "Definitely a satisfying read.“

There’s so much in this short novella. Shai is a person of integrity, an artist and a shrewd observer. Why does she Forge instead of creating original art? The ruling council who control her need the Emperor alive to prevent a power shift and thus maintain their own positions. What might they try for personal gain? And how much forbidden magic will they need to allow?

The ending grows organically from the story, yet I didn’t anticipate it. And the time spent with Shai and her counterpart, Gaotona, feels like time spent with friends. Definitely a satisfying read, and it won the 2013 Hugo Award for best novella. 

For more on The Emperor’s Soul, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art © 2009 by Alexander Nanitchkov. Design by Elizabeth Story.