The Emperor's Soul

This was absolutely amazing. This tightly crafted character study barely leaves a single room and muses on the nature of character itself. The interplay between the characters is supremely subtle, and profoundly endearing. Already being a fan of Sanderson's, I expected to like it, but I was gobsmacked at how much I loved it; I was sure I'd be disappointed by its length (it's only a novella, after all), and read it to basically tide me over until one of the next sequels comes out. That wasn't how it turned out at all. It's the perfect length, a tiny morsel as exquisitely crafted as a master pastry chef's signature creation. I almost think that another book with Shai's further adventures would be detrimental, though I'm sure Mr Sanderson has the skill to prove me wrong, should he choose to build upon this story.