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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
Minimal violence; the political threat is more bureaucratic than physical
Language
None
No profanity
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
The philosophical question of whether a perfect forgery of a soul is the same as the real thing is the novella's quiet intellectual center
What this book is about
Brandon Sanderson's Hugo Award-winning novella follows Shai, a master Forger imprisoned after stealing the emperor's scepter, who is given an impossible task: create a new soul for the emperor, who lies comatose after an assassination attempt. Sanderson builds one of his most elegant magic systems and tells a tightly constructed story about art, identity, and what makes a person who they are. A perfect entry point for new Sanderson readers.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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