The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Synopsis: A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent.

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

This exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

Review: I have a weakness for goblins, I will confess. So yes: the mention of a half-goblin hero made me want to read this book, even though I feared the story might be a bit too dry for my usual tastes.

This turned out to be a beautiful read though!

Maia (the lead character) turns out to be half goblin and half elf. The goblins in this book are another kind of goblin than I hoped for, but that was about the only disappointment I encountered, and there was lots of good stuff to counter that disappointment.

Maia has been living secluded – with a mentor who despises him – for most of his life, when at nineteen he is suddenly pushed in the role of emperor, because his father and older brothers all die in a terrible accident. I liked Maia from the start. He’s young, unworldly, and has no clue how to be an emperor. He does know he doesn’t want to be like his father, so he tries hard to find his own way to be what people expect him to be.

I will confess I hadn’t expected to love this book as much as I did. I’ve read my share of court intrigues, and they can be boring if the author isn’t careful. The Goblin Emperor didn’t bore me for one second though. I was totally gripped by Maia’s struggles to learn how to rule, figure out who to trust, and keep holding on to his ideals in the process.

I was surprised by how much emotion there was in this story. I must admit I shed more than one tear while reading this book. Of course there’s lots of politics and back-stabbing going on, but at the heart this story is about Maia,  his search for who he is, and where he belongs. After a lonely childhood, Maia longs for friends, and his attempts at reaching out are heart-breaking at times. I rooted for him to find people he could rely on, and to succeed in becoming the emperor he wants to be.

All in all this is a wonderful read that moved me and drew me in. I was sad when I finished it, because I didn’t want to say goodbye. I will most certainly reread this pearl in the future.

5


Pearls Cast Before A McPig

24 thoughts on “The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

  1. You have a weakness for goblins?! Hee hee, I never would have guessed it. This isn’t normally something I’d be drawn to just based on the synopsis, but after seeing your reaction, I’m very curious. I love emotional reads, especially in unexpected places like UF.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

  2. I’ve not heard of this book before, but the last book I read which featured a goblin I loved (Greta and the Goblin King), so thanks for putting this book on my radar! Lovely review Melliane! 🙂

  3. A bit tired of the whole supernatural genre, of fairies, vampires and werewolves etc, I do however find this one very appealing. I don’t know if its the cover, that its about a half-goblin, the synopsis or your review but there is definitely something about this one that makes me want to add it to my wish List.

    Thanks for dropping by Pen and Paper. Its been lovely meeting you.

  4. GOBLINS?! YES! I read Stolen Songbird just a little while ago and it featured trolls, so I’m kind of in the mood for goblins now. YA fantasy books have been so thoroughly impressing me lately, I just can’t get enough of them. I’m so glad you put this one on my radar Melliane!

  5. I think the only series I’ve read that had goblins was The Immortal Empire by Kate Locke. I’m glad to see that you gave this 5 stars because the first review I read for it was a negative one and it made me less enthusiastic about reading it. Now you’ve changed my mind 😉

  6. I love goblins and trolls and ALL things monster. Hence I totally picked this one up. I haven’t read it yet but I am worried like you said about the court intrigue. Sometimes those can bog me down and bore me a bit. But you say you love it so that gives me hope.

  7. Goblins have always been portrayed as ugly, evil beings so I think kits fantastic that the hero is a half goblin! I’m so glad you loved this, I do surprisingly awesome read the most! Lovely review 🙂

  8. Wow, I’ll have to add this one to my TBR. Totally not something I would read at first glance but the synopsis is intriguing and after your review, how could I resist? I like the sound of it being somewhat emotional too, that’s the sign of a great read 😉

  9. oh wow, yeah some books can definitly surprise us! Glad you gave this one a shot despite, cause it seemed like you found a little treasure. I like goblins as well, thought it sounds abit different. I feel sorry I missed out on this one.

  10. Is the half-goblin cute, Melliane? I’m glad this turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, and that you enjoyed the story so much. I may have to give it a try, UF reads are among my favorites, and even if I don’t have a weakness for goblins, I do enjoy them 🙂

    I hope you’re doing great! Happy reading.

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