• Author: Brandon Sanderson
• ISBN:
• Format: ebook
• Start: 2025-11-04
• Finish: 2025-11-09

This novella is the first of Brandon Sanderson’s work I read, so it was a fun re-read when I didn’t know what I wanted to read next and wanted something short. A prisoner whose magic practices are considered ugly and barbaric by her captors is tasked with learning the emperor’s entire life to craft a copy of it. It’s really interesting, especially after having read the Stormlight Archive so I can see how the magic fits into the Cosmere. I still think this is a good intro to his work if you want something short rather than diving right into Mistborn or The Way of Kings.