Tress lives on a rock in the middle of the Emerald Sea. Except that the rock is an island where nobody (except fancy noblemen) is allowed to leave, and the sea isn't water but green spores that burst into fast-growing vines when they come into contact with liquid. Tress is happy with her life there, but when her beloved Charlie (a duke's son who pretends to be the gardener) is kidnapped by the Sorceress while traversing the many spore seas, Tress decides that she must do everything in her power to rescue him. Much derring-do and piracy ensues.
In an afterword to the book, Sanderson notes that he set out to write something akin to The Princess Bride, if only Buttercup had gone out to rescue Wesley instead of assuming he was dead. As much as I love the classic book and movie, Sanderson is on to something, and his book is a fantastic reimagining of that idea. Tress is a level-headed woman who takes on challenges one step at a time, learning a lot about herself as she searches for her beloved. Really, I aspire to Tress's level of cool competency and bravery. An excellent novel, with a great mix of adventure and whimsy. My only regret is that I read the hardcover, which doesn't have the cool illustrations (or the cover shown here) that accompany the original paperback — I would have loved to see a portrait of Hoid (a man cursed with bad taste) in all his glory.
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