The Empror's Soul (2013)

The Emperor's Soul is a 2013 novella that takes place in the world of Elantris, but in a very different region. Sa-nderson notes that the reader does not need to read Elantris to understand the plot. An audiobook version of the book was released on November 2, 2012 by Audible.com, read by narrator Angela Lin.

Synopsis
"A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.""Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.""Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.""Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit."

Postscript
"Brandon began forming ideas for 'The Emperor's Soul' during a trip to the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. The tojang, or red stamps that adorned much of the artwork, stood out to him. In addition to the stamps of the artists who created the work, scholars and nobility who particularly liked the work would add their stamp to it, as well. From these stamps came the idea of Soulstamps, capable of rewriting the nature of an object's existence."-Arcanum Unbound

Plot
"It tells the story of a woman named Shai, a thief and a Forger - a person capable of rewriting the pasts of objects in order to change their present.""She starts off in prison, but instead of being executed, she is offered an opportunity. The emperor has been wounded in the head by assassins, and has become a vegetable. His attendants have hidden this from the empire and will trade Shai her life in exchange for creating a Forgery of the emperor's soul, hopefully making it seem like the attack on his life never happened."-Post from Brandon Sanderson's Website ]

Shai is a thief and practitioner of magical forgery who has been arrested and sentenced to death. The Emperor's corrupt advisors offer to free her if she agrees to forge a new soul for the Emperor, who has been left brain dead by an assassination attempt. She agrees, but plans to escape. She is given 100 days to forge the soul, given only official histories, the Emperor's diary, and Gaotona, the only non-corrupt advisor, a task even she deems impossible. As the two research the Emperor's past together, Gaotona learns more about forgery, a generally detested practice, and the two develop a grudging respect for each other. During this task, Shai realizes the Emperor had once been idealistic, but a life of leisure resulted in his recent indulgence, and resolves to create and tweak the soul as her masterpiece, setting him on a better path. Though many opportunities present themselves, Shai puts off escaping until the work is done, whereupon Gaotona helps her win her freedom against his colleagues' treachery. The Emperor, with the forged soul, resumes his rule.

Main

 * Wan ShaiLu : A master forger; also known as "Shai"
 * Gaotona : An Arbiter of the Heritage Faction in the Rose Empire
 * Ashravan : The Emperor of the Rose Empire
 * Frava : An Arbiter of the Heritage Faction in the Rose Empire
 * Zu : Captain of the guard in the Rose Palace

Minor

 * Unnamed Bloodsealer (Nicknamed Weedfingers by Shai's guards): Employed by the Arbiters to make sure that Shai does not escape
 * Han ShuXen: A painter of the Rose Empire who hired Shai
 * Imperial Fool: Shai's accomplice who later betrayed her

Setting
The Emperor's Soul is set in the Rose Empire, a nation on the shardworld of Sel. This is the same world in which Elantris was set, though few connections are made to that book within The Emperor's Soul. In the postscript, Sanderson explains that he was inspired to write this story after visiting the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and also by memories from the two years he spent in Korea as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Publication
The US version was released on October 10, 2012 by Tachyon Publications. Later that year on December 1, 2012 it was published by Gollancz in the UK.

Reception
The Emperor's Soul won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella. Strange Horizons called it "thoughtful yet exciting" and "difficult to put down," and judged that it deserved its award because of the questions it raises about the nature of art.

The A.V. Club described Forgery as "one of (the) more intriguing (magical systems that Sanderson has created)", but noted that the magic is "far more developed than any of the characters"—while conceding that "the tale is never dull". Tor.com similarly described the work as "enjoyable" and "a worthy addition to Sanderson’s bibliography", and recommended it to "readers who enjoy getting into the intricacies of a magic system", but faulted it as "abbreviated and a bit unbalanced", positing that it would have worked better as a full-length novel.

Trivia

 * Hoid was written into the original prologue, as the Imperial Fool who set up Shai to be caught stealing the Sceptre. The scene was removed due to Brandon's alpha readers not liking it.
 * The god which Shai worships has some relevance to the whole cosmere.