She’ll have to prove to all of them first that she’s not an assassin or an inspector sent by the king and that she’s most definitely not crazy for wanting to sail through the deadly Crimson Sea to get to the Midnight Sea and face the fearsome Sorceress.Īuthor Brandon Sanderson’s worldbuilding is on full display in this standalone novel, the first from his well-known Kickstarter campaign. As Tress gets to know the captain and the crew, she realizes the voyage might be the only viable way to find Charlie and rescue him. Tress finds herself on the ship of smugglers with a talking rat named Huck and a crew bent on becoming the most feared pirates around. Her trip turns into an adventure of its own.

Even though she’s never left the Rock, Tress has to bring Charlie back. There’s no telling what kind of condition the Sorceress might be keeping him in…if he’s even still alive. Until the day the duke comes home with his nephew as his new heir, and news spreads that Charlie has been handed over to the Sorceress in the Midnight Sea. Charlie promises to convince every girl he meets not to marry him, and Tress believes they might have a chance after all. When the duke decides to put a stop to their budding romance by taking Charlie on a voyage to find a bride, Tress is heartbroken. They’re perfect for each other, except that Charlie is the son of a duke and Tress a commoner. Charlie understands Tress’s love for beautiful cups Tress knows Charlie needs someone to listen to his chatter. Charlie is kind and fair in fact, he calls himself the gardener so Tress doesn’t feel bad about washing windows.Īs they grow up, Tress and Charlie form a close friendship that transforms into unspoken love. Tress knows better Charlie is the duke’s son and nothing like him. In her job as a window washer, Tress has visited the duke’s mansion many times where she’s gotten to know Charlie who calls himself the gardener. The Rock has salt mines that form the main industry of the town, which is overseen by a duke.

The residents refer to their island home as simply the Rock, and the Emerald Sea around it is made up of green spores that, when touched by water, turn into vines that can kill. Tress has lived her entire life on Diggen’s Point in the middle of the Emerald Sea. Author Brandon Sanderson offers the first of his famous multi-million dollar Kickstarter projects with the delightfully charming although occasionally odd book Tress of the Emerald Sea. Along the way, she’ll have to become a pirate and learn how to conquer her fears. A young woman on an island goes on a sailing adventure to rescue the boy she loves.

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards