Secret Project #1 - Tress of the Emerald Sea (Spoiler Free Review) 

YES! So happy you enjoyed this! This book was such a great whimsical, unique, charming, and cozy adventure. I loved everything about it. Easy 5 stars for me.

Thanks Matt. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite reviewers. You convey the experience you had so succinctly and give us reasons to either read or not read the book based on our preferences. Thanks! I loved your thirty second 2022 book ranking a ton, too.

I really loved this book, the light fairytale tone worked for me and I fell in love with these characters, while the magic was super unique. 5 out of 5 and probably my favourite standalone Cosmere novel, if I put my biased nostalgia for Warbreaker aside (after finishing the Mistborn trilogy, the first Cosmere novel I read new was when Sanderson was releasing Warbreaker chapter by chapter on his website!)

So glad to hear this as I had the same misgivings about Sanderson's work going forward being too much Cosmere tie-ins and less about telling great stories. I'm now looking forward to reading this one!

Glad to hear you enjoyed! Excited to read it soon!

I love most of Brandon Sanderson's books. I am aware his stories and writing style has its weaknesses and strengths, but overall I enjoy his work. I usually look for reviews after I finished reading each book and Matt's reviews are one of my favorites. What i like the most about Matt's relationship is the how well balanced is the analysis of the good and the bad aspects that he has identified in the book. Although sometimes my opinions differ from his, I still enjoy his explanation and arguments that justify the rating he has given to the book. I liked the book, I agreed that the narrator was too goofy, but overall the story was cute and easy to follow. I would give this book a 3.4/5

Glad to see that your faith in Brandon Sanderson is restored, even if I like the last Mistborn book enough I was kinda worried too

I look forward to reading this. I absolutely agree about twists. The best twists are the ones that surprise you, but in hindsight make you go "Of course!" and Sanderson is the master of subtly planting the seeds.

I can't wait for the book to come in! Should be soon! I know I could read the ebooks, but I want to read the real book.

So, it seems that Mr Sanderson is back on track. Good to know. The story sound like a nice refresher after Cosmervalanche last years.

I'm pumped you loved it! It should have been obvious to us all when we knew it was a seafaring book haha 😂

Glad to hear your review regarding the first secret novel. Gonna wait for my copy in the mail but a great review. I just found your channel and I see you have a review for Lonesome Dove! Outstanding!!! That is my probably my favorite read all time. I look forward to checking that out next.

Top 10 author redemption arcs in 2023

I enjoyed the books writing style if only because I think Sanderson has a extremally utilitarian writting style most of the time, and seeing a cosmer novel step out of it was gratifying, a lot of hoids 4th wall breaks were kinda annoying to be fair.

Wow glad you enjoyed this book man!!! I’ve been waiting for the reviews to come out so I’m glad to see your positive reaction!!!

Wow! I’m quite shocked after you said you weren’t enjoying it the other day, glad it turned around though :))

Glad you enjoyed it. I found the Jokes to be too much and bit too weak. The book felt very conversational (how many times does he use the word well... or extreme explosion) plot twist was very predictable and I did not feel there was any sense of danger or loss happening. It's a fun story if we cut half the jokes that are often not about context but added randomly to be funny.

41 million. 48 million if you count post commitments.

Awesome review

Agree with Sanderson's writing quality. I love his stories but the fact that all his characters nod and shrug all the time is weird

Have you read the “Blackwood & Virtue” series by Bennett R. Coles? I think you’d like them both! I love them almost don’t with book 2. They are based on a galactic sailing ship!😊 The winds of Marque Dark Star Rising

Hey I appeared in the beginning of the video!

Hi 👋 thank you for a great review! Happy reading to you!! 🎥🌿🍀

Nice review. I gave this book four stars. I found it delightful and charming, but like you I prefer more serious fantasy. I also couldn't suspend my disbelief enough on the magic system and it took me out of the story. There are too many plot holes regarding the interaction with water (e.g. spores spewed by the moons would react while moving through clouds, water vapor in the atmosphere, etc.). While I agree Sanderson's prose isn't lyrical like Robin Hobb or GGK, I think his writing is still very effective. I always feel like his books are easy to understand and follow. Other authors I sometimes trip over the words and have to reread passages. I never have that problem with Sanderson which makes me think his writing is very good, if not pretty. As long as the writing is clear and not cliche, I'm good with it. But it is a treat to get a Robin Hobb level of writing when you come across it.

I want to read that book too. But there are too many books in my BTR!!!!

I'm wondering if this book is as large of a hardcover as Edgedancer (as tall as a mass market paperbacks)? If anyone has it from the kickstarter, please let me know.

I wonder, are there certain books that I should read before thisone? I still haven't read mistborn ERA 2 and the 4rth Stormlight book.

Definitely the hardest part to read of this book was the humor

Hi Matt, you said it has some cosmere connections with what books does it? Thanks for the video!

$41.7 Million raised in the kickstarter haha

There is a common criticism of sanderson that you play into a little that i feel misses the point a bit. People often say that he is weak at prose, or that his prose isn't good, and then they start compsring him to Hobb or Rothfuss. But he isn't attempting to do that, he doesn't want his word choice to draw attention away from his story. So his prose is chosen to be unobtrusive clear and concise, this is a skill in prose that he is very good at. Saying that his prose is bad fundamentally missed the point. It is not literary or writerly it is very clear though. And if you pay attention to his in world artifacts you will see that brandon is capable of writing in a much more writerly way, he just chooses not to.

Wow, I don't understand how I can agree with your rating but disagree with every word that comes out of your mouth

Brandon is slowly letting wokeness bs into his works and boy it shows, the decline in quality is huge

Lol this book was written from the voice of hoid or how he thougt how hoid woukd have told a story. Its funny how im a no fiction person and SA is my first time fantasy. I blew through the cosmere and i dinf this okay and you all are most critical is wild.