Emperor's Soul, The

I think this novella is what happens when Brandon Sanderson tries to write a short story... ;-)

I quite enjoyed this novella. It's a much smaller stage than he usually writes on, a story involving a small handful of people (three main characters, and three minor named characters) and a very limited scope of time. It's an in-depth exploration of a kind of magic that allows the practitioner to re-write the history of a thing and change it's current nature by use of intricately carved stamps. The main character is a master of this magic who gets caught in the midst of the swap of an original item for the forgery she made (though this particular part of the story evolves quite a bit during the telling), and how people who find her magic repugnant discover to their disgust they need her talents. But it's also the story of learning so much about a person that you thoroughly understand them, and how this is the real magic.

It was a short read -- it took me a couple of hours -- but a compelling one. It would be a great introduction to Sanderson's writing for anyone who isn't already familiar with this epic fantasist. It's also a showcase for something Brandon does amazingly well: the exploration of a thoroughly imaginative magic system. And, of course, if you are already a Sanderson fan, pick this one up to read while you're (patiently) waiting for his next epic tome to be published.