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    The Emperor's Soul
    The Emperor's Soul
    The Emperor's Soul
    Audiobook3 hours

    The Emperor's Soul

    Written by Brandon Sanderson

    Narrated by Angela Lin

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson is widely celebrated for his Mistborn Trilogy and contribution to the final three books of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. In The Emperor's Soul, a Forger named Shai can copy and re-create any item by using magic to rewrite its history. After being condemned to death for attempting to steal the emperor's scepter, Shai is given one final chance. She' ll be allowed to live if she can create a new soul for the emperor, who hovers near death.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateNov 2, 2012
    ISBN9781470328375
    The Emperor's Soul
    Author

    Brandon Sanderson

    Brandon Sanderson is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author, who writes for both adults and younger readers. Amongst others, he's known for his Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series, the latter including The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. He's also completed the final books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, based on Jordan's notes and material. Sanderson teaches writing at Brigham Young University and lives in Utah.

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    Reviews for The Emperor's Soul

    4.5/5

    338 ratings49 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Deserves its Hugo award. An especially intricate magic, and even more intricate psychological study. 

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Interestingly, while Sanderson loved this piece, I actually didn't think it was nearly as strong as his other short fiction. The structure was interesting and I certainly enjoyed it, but he feel into one of his weaknesses: too much expository internal monologue. I found Shai an interesting character, but I found her constant explanations to the reader of how the magic system worked disruptive in terms of identifying closely with her as a character. In other contexts, Sanderson has been able to use the interaction of multiple characters to explain the magic system, and when he did that here it worked best. Too often, though, Shai "thought" things she just didn't have any reason to think about at this point in her long career, and it was too-obviously expositional material for the reader, and it pulled me out of the story. I actually think Legion was much better in this regard, and on the whole a much stronger piece of short fiction for it.
    • 5/5
      Loved this story, complex, yet simple, and just so intriguing.
    • 5/5
      Holy crap that was good.
    • 4/5
      Really not in the vein of what I usually read, and I loved it :) Nice characters, interesting story and very, very well written. very enjoyable(and sadly short) read.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful short story. It presents a marvelous soft magic system that gradually unfolds throughout the narrative. Shai takes her craft seriously, and must race against the clock to save her life.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic. I want to know more!
    • 5/5
      This novella was a knock out. Well written and an interestingly thought out concept. I had always meant to read Sanderson but hadn't gotten around to it. I was definitely missing a treat!excellent story that I highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      An imaginative fantasy novella about an imprisoned talented forger who must replicate the soul of a vacant emperor in a 100 days or die. The Emperor’s Soul is an engaging story with an intriguing magic system and interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed the underlying commentary on artistry and the human condition.
    • 5/5
      This is a fantastic novella set in the Elantris world. Despite it’s short length this story was complex, intriguing, and just absolutely magical and engaging.Shai was caught attempting to Forge the emperor’s scepter. Shai is a Forger who can copy or re-create anything by rewriting its history and letting it be what it wants to be. Forging takes a lot of skill and magic to do. Shai has been condemned to death because of her attempt on the scepter, but she is allowed a chance to redeem herself. It ends up that the emperor has been grievously wounded, his skilled physicians were able to heal his body but his mind remains unresponsive. Her captors wants Shai to do the unthinkable, they want her to Forge a new soul for the Emperor.This was a fantastic novella. I loved the plot, the unique magic system and how real and wonderful all of the characters were. I am always amazed at what such a wonderful and complex story Sanderson can pack into such a short space.Shai is obviously a genius at Forging. The concept that things and items have memories and want to be better is a main driver behind how she Forges them and this is an interesting concept. Shai is obviously upset at being forced to help her captors, but at the same time she is eager to unravel a challenge that no one has faced before. Shai has Forged her own soul, but no one has ever Forged a new soul for someone else.In preparation to Forge the Emperor’s soul Shai must become familiar with every small thought the Emperor ever had and every small thing that happened in his life. This has to be believable and so Shai must understand the Emperor and his motives completely before attempting the Forging. It is fascinating to watch as Shai unravels the Emperor’s life.Shai is so smart and so accomplished at what she does. I enjoyed reading about her struggle between wanting to be free and wanting to do something spectacular that has never been done before. Really this was a fantastic read, it was completely gripping and very hard to put down. You are trying to guess through the whole book what Shai will do. Will she complete the Forgery of the Emperor’s Soul? Will she alter it in anyway? She really has all of the power here and the ability to change the future of the nation.Overall this was just a fantastic little book. Highly recommended if you like fantasy. As with most of Sanderson's books it features a rich world, a very unique magic system, and characters that are easy to engage with and love. I absolutely loved it.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Only complaint? Too short. Sanderson's epics are great. I feel it's a format he should stick to.
    • 5/5
      a stand alone book . thought provoking and fun .great way to get immersed in Sanderson.s writing
    • 5/5
      The second of the novella's that Sanderson released this year, this one is by far the better of the two (it's also longer at 175 pages). Of course, this one is fantasy whereas the other one had a modern setting that I was not as fond of.
      Though the physical copy was on the pricey side, it was well worth the money spent. In a handful of pages, and a setting that is basically static, Sanderson creates a wonderfully complex world and magic system (a trait that we all have come to love about his work). The majority of the novella takes place in the single room that Shai is contained to, yet the story is still rich and the worldbuilding is real. It was actually stunning how much detail was injected into the world in such a short story.
      The magic system set up is one of Forging which is a great deal more complex than can be summed up; a great deal of my favourite passages were those in which Shai is describing how Forgery works at its base. I do admit that i felt the sense of urgency that was supposed to be in the novella was a bit lacking - but that was likely a problem that could be chalked up to length. I found myself wishing that this was a full length novel because Shai is a protagonist that i would adore reading more about (she reminded me a bit of Vin from Mistborn. Sanderson does seem to love his thieving types which I appreciate because I love them too). As a whole though, it was a wonderful read that only took about an hour and a half. It's definitely a must buy for those who are in for the long wait for the next Stormlight book.
    • 4/5
      Shai, a forger and a thief, is caught in the act of switching an important artifact for a copy. Rather than being executed outright, she is given the task of creating a copy of the emperor's soul, him having been left incapacitated by an assassination attempt. She has a hundred days to create this miracle, the time of mourning allowed for the emperor to retreat to mourn the death of his wife. And it's immediately clear that at the end of the task death waits for her.

      This is a short tale, very much focused. Nearly all of it takes place in one room where she works on her task under close supervision. Interesting concept of magic and what it takes to make a good forgery.

      Though set in the same world as Elantris, there is really no connection between the two books.
    • 5/5
      Say what you will about Brandon Sanderson, he is not afraid to write from a female perspective and he does it well. In this case, the protagonist is Shai, and she is a thief and a forger. In the world that Sanderson has created, a forger doesn’t just recreate the surface appearance of a work of art, they use stamps to recreate the soul of that object. It’s a mind-boggling concept, but somehow the author, in just 157 pages, gets the reader to a place where they get it. After being caught in an act of thievery, Shai faces the impossible choice between execution and using her forgery skills to rebuild the soul of the emperor, whose mind has been irreparably damaged in an assassination attempt. In learning what it is she does, and how she feels about rebuilding the emperor, the reader discovers that Shai, while a criminal, has a moral compass that many of those who judge her should strive to attain.The Emperor’s Soul is an excellent novella, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the fantasy genre.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun, incredibly fast-paced novella, set in the same world (if a very different time) as ELANTRIS, with a fascinating reinterpretation of that book's magic system. The protagonist was quite enjoyable, and the the plot sustained high tension throughout. I do wish, though, that the story had been fleshed out more into a proper novel -- shown more of Shai's interactions with minor characters, let the reader get more attached, etc. -- and though I understand why Brandon Sanderson chose to publish it in this shorter format, I can't help thinking he would have let it sit for some time and given it more of an in-depth rewrite if he hadn't felt such pressure to churn out more 2012 publications. For that, a bump down to four stars.
    • 4/5
      This is a stand alone novella which I thought would be a great start for me to try out Brandon's writing since the last one I tried but didn't get too far into was over one thousand pages. A Forger is caught in the Emperor's palace with a forged painting and instead of being put to death she is given the task of forging a new soul for the Emperor, who is unresponsive after a assassination attempt. The magic system is very interesting and if there is ever more stories in this universe I would certainly look for them to read.
    • 4/5
      All Brandon Sanderson's books are amazing, my only problem with this one was that it was too short!
    • 5/5
      Spellbinding description of true art even in the hands of a master forger
    • 4/5
      Shai is a Forger and she already knows that being bested is a rule of life. So when she finds herself in a dungeon she can't escape, Arbiter Gaotona's command to Forge the emperor's soul in a mere 98 days is a window of opportunity. But of course, if she fails in 98 days, execution awaits. Death threats and execution and deception surrounds her task, and Shai will have to use all her skills to get out of this alive.

      I flew through this book in about an hour. It's such an easy read, but the meaning behind it is much more than it seems.

      Sanderson is just a master of magic systems! I cannot emphasize that enough. A new world, a new system, new possibilities. I would love to explore this world a little more. I wanted to read more about power plays and the dynamics of the court. I wanted to see the past works of other Forgers and know more about Shai's past.
      This book had the potential to extend much beyond 70 pages because of the potential of this world. But I'm glad it was a novella. It made the urgency more powerful.

      The characters were not really fleshed out, but that is to be expected in a novella. For 70 pages, the amount of understanding we were able to glean into these characters's lives is fairly astounding. Sanderson writes the essence of characters very well.

      But in the end, the reason I'm giving it four stars instead of 3.5 is that it takes the concept of creation and forgery and makes you wonder what is the true meaning of "masterpiece". When a copy is better than the original, which is the masterpiece? It is for this type of thought exploration that I love reading.

      Four stars for being so beautifully written even in 70 pages, tugging a few heartstrings, but still managing to invoke deeper questions.
      Highly recommended for anyone who loves a bit of magic and a new world. If you like anything else by Sanderson, you'll definitely like this one too. Also would probably recommend for someone who likes a bit of art.
    • 5/5
      Wow. Just wow. I try to review most of the books I read. Sometimes I don’t. Usually it’s because I have nothing to say. Very rarely it’s because I loved the book so much I couldn’t put my love into words. This is one of those cases, but I’ll give it my best shot.

      Sanderson’s trademark of unique magic systems is on full display here, and it’s called forging. Basically it’s all about historical research. Sounds boring, I know, but just hold on. A forger can use a “soul-stamp” to change an object’s history, which changes it physically in the present. A once beautiful table that has been neglected and forgotten can have its history changed so that it was taken good care of, instantly becoming beautiful again. The more plausible the change is, the longer the stamp will “stick.” A door can be stamped to make it rotten and easy to break, but if there’s no historical precedent for it to end up like that then the stamp will only last for a moment, but that’s enough to break the door. You see? Good.

      Okay, so the story. Basically it boils down to this. An exceptionally skilled forger is captured and imprisoned. She’s offered a deal to reforge the emperor, who has been rendered brain-dead by a failed assassination attempt, in exchange for her freedom. It’s something that’s never been attempted before, nobody really knows if it’s possible, and she has three months to do it. In those three months the main character learns more about the emperor than anybody, and comes to believe that he could have been a great man—a man that could change the corrupt empire for the better—if only he had made different decisions.

      What follows is a story about compassion, the nature of art, and the small decisions that can totally change a person’s life. I read this novella in one sitting, and after I was done I just sat quietly on my couch…thinking about it, for a very long time.
    • 4/5
      Not my favorite Brandon Sanderson book but still very enjoyable to listen to.
    • 5/5
      This is the book I needed to jump-start my love of reading again. Very short, it is a small work of art focusing on a woman who is imprisoned for using her talents as a Forger. Her captors want her to pursue her forbidden craft for a "good" purpose, and they have promised her wealth and freedom if she does. Inspired by the Chinese culture and their use of seals as signatures, Sanderson has created a very nifty world of magic where carefully carved seals can find the true nature of a substance and mold it to be that which it wishes to be. I loved the suspense in this story, the dynamics between Shai and her captors and her struggle with her own soul as she seeks to survive.
    • 5/5
      Sim, realmente uma verdadeira obra artística. he he he he
    • 5/5
      Brandon Sanderson writes the most intriguing magic systems. Once again, I find that I've come across something I haven't ever before. Even though this was only a novella, I really loved this story. The pacing was spot on for the short length it was. I've been told this can stand as a prequel to Elantris; if that is true then I can't wait to get my hands on that book. Give me more Sanderson :)
    • 3/5
      Very interesting. An odd twist - in general, I really dislike stories where everyone's plotting, where what I the read knows may be flat-out false, because it was presented in the story by a character with a reason to lie. In this one, everyone's plotting - but the twistiest plotter of them all (who is also the primary viewpoint character) discovers that her best hope of getting through the mess she's in is being pretty much honest. With certain people, admittedly - she does plenty of lying, directly and by omission, to others. But she declares internally that she's lying and what the truth is, most times. And what she's pretty sure the truth is when someone else is lying to her. So I the reader have solid ground in this morass of plots and lies, and I found it quite comfortable. That aside - a fascinating magic structure (which is apparently used in another book/series as well - I haven't read nearly enough Sandersons), an equally fascinating social structure, well-developed and interesting characters, a highly complex situation resolved not merely neatly but beautifully. I'm not sure I'll want to reread - on the other hand, I may find the story and characters sneaking into my brain at odd hours, which usually calls for a reread. In either case, I'm very glad I read it.
    • 3/5
      I'm a huge Brandon Sanderson fan because he's rapidly becoming the king of imaginative magic systems in the fantasy realm while also maintaining a rigorous attention to characterization and story. He's truly a wonder to behold in his passion and dedication to the art of writing. However, even with these things going for him there's still room for improvement, especially with Emperor's Soul. It is a short novella detailing Shia's captivity and artistry in the craft of forgery. The novella itself explores identity in short facets but not enough detail. Plus, the ending feels rushed and sliced haphazardly leaving the reader wanting more. ...... and yet, that might be his game plan all along. Fantasy fans that are yearning for a quick, fun read need not look further for time well spent.
    • 5/5
      It may be only novella length, but this is the best of Sanderson I have read since the Mistborn trilogy. here he has the pacing just right to fill out the story with a satisfying ending.
    • 5/5
      Oh, Brandon Sanderson, how I love thee. Here's the thing, when I read a book like The Way of Kings, I'm not surprised in the least that he can capture me so completely with his characters, story and world building. After all, that tome is more than a thousand pages long. No, what really amazes me is that Sanderson can write a book like The Emperor's Soul that's no more than 175 pages, and still manage to do the same thing. This short story took me less than two hours to read, but encompassed everything I like about his works, including a new and unique magic system.I held off on reading this until I finished Elantris, since I'd heard that it takes place in the same world, but in the end it didn't matter at all. The Emperor's Soul features a whole new cast of characters, set in another place, perhaps in another time. In fact, only passing mentions of certain geographic locations in the story's world reminded me that it was the same universe.Anyway, I'll admit that maybe being an artist, especially one who is familiar with Chinese brush painting and the use and significance of artist seals, made me like this novella even more. So much of the narrative resonated with me. Brandon Sanderson may be a writer, though in a way he is an artist himself, his medium being his words. Certainly this book shows he thinks like an artist, or at least knows how one feels. This is a brilliant short novel, with a powerful message.
    • 5/5
      The Emperor's Soul is set on Sel, the same world as Elantris (but in an empire far away and unrelated to those events.) Shai is a master of the art of Forging - mutating an object's history to change its appearance in the present. However, she's been caught trying to steal the nation's most famous relic, and now she awaits execution... unless she can forge the emperor a new soul in just over three months. An impossible task, but Shai will take any chance she gets.Brandon Sanderson is in top form as usual, despite the shortness of this novella. Shai is a thief and has no compunctions about being opportunistic, but her driving force is her pride in her art. She's proud and tenacious - almost to a fault. I wouldn't exactly say she's lovable, but who doesn't love a good noble thief? The supporting characters, with the exception of Gaotona and Emperor Ashravan, don't really have enough time to be developed, but that's understandable for a book less than 170 pages long.I loved the examination of identity in this book. In order for Shai to be such a good Forger, she has to be extremely good at observing both people and objects - the little things that influence them, their motivations, how they can be manipulated. She needs to be able to produce her desired changes with the minimum of effort required for it to appear natural (think about the complexity of planting an idea via a dream in Inception - it's the same concept.) Shai does this instinctively, and it greatly adds to the complexity of the plot and the world building. Of course, she also does it deliberately, and how she pieced together Ashravan's life from notes and interviews is fascinating.I was slightly dissatisfied at the end because it was over too quickly and I wanted more! More of the characters, more plot, more of the world. I can't really complain about that, though - this is a novella, and I knew that going into it, and Sanderson does a great job with it. The only thing that felt rushed was Shai's task [SPOILER WARNING] - she said it would ordinarily take her two years at least, but she manages to complete it in three months - why was she able to do it so much faster? I would've liked some sort of explanation. [END SPOILERS]I hope Sanderson writes more books featuring Shai and the Empire - perhaps even coming into contact with characters from Elantris.