The Emperor's Soul

Oh, I loved it.
I was immediately transported to an Asian setting by the names, even reading in Kindle and not having the cover to look at all the time, and I'm pretty sure I got the pronunciations right from my Mandarin classes.

I loved how simple and yet full of detail and emotion the story was. It all happens in the course of a hundred days, in only one or two settings, with as few as half a dozen characters, and yet it feels complete.
I like how by now I can pick up on the similarities and differences between world settings and characters by Sanderson, how Shai strongly reminds me of both Vin and Shallan, as she's constantly impersonating a character, how many of his characters revolve around lying, faking, pretending, to make them stronger, but later find that they really have it all in them somewhere, somehow.
The magic system was another very pleasing element. It does remind me of the one of Stormlight Archive, but manages to be different enough. All being from the same universe, I'm guessing the similarities may come in handy and be explained as all being part of how the universe works.

I very much liked Shai and how she set about to both perform her task, plan her escape, make her life more comfortable and study and manipulate the people around her. It was delightful to learn her story and see her passion for the Emperor grow as she worked. The ending was also very satisfying.
I wonder if Hoid figures here...

Brandon's end note made me smile when he described the history and culture of stamps in Asia, as not a month ago my Mandarin teacher taught us the exact same thing. How the artist would place his stamp, then the buyer would place his, and then his child, and their children, and how you can trace back the origin, lineage and heritage of a piece by those stamps.