Breakaway Books

Authored by Katherine Addison; Published 2014; Fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

Although elves and goblins are the only characters in The Goblin Emperor, I found myself consistently forgetting that fact. This novel was about 95% court intrigue, and 5% fantasy. While I would have liked a few more hints of the fantastical nature of it all, I’m surprised to discover that its characters worked their way into mind head like old friends.

The Goblin Emperor follows the story of Maia, the unlikely inheritor of his father’s throne to become emperor of the Elflands. Deprived of any court experience, Maia stumbles his way through his first year and discovers friends and allies along the way. Maia’s kindhearted nature is what makes this book enjoyable—the plot is not thick with tension, and it isn’t packed with events.

It is the story of a teenager starting his journey to become an emperor, and trying to keep a moral compass while he does it. In some ways, it’s a fantasy of what we want our leaders to be, even in this mundane, goblin-less world. It’s heartening, but I suppose that when I read the fantasy genre, I’m not just looking for unrealistically good rulers, but also for magic.

There was a touch of magic—the witness for the dead, who can commune with victims of a crime, was an intriguing element of this novel, and it looks like it will be a main element of the sequel. But for the most part, magic isn’t the meat of this book, and I would have liked a different balance. The characters were endearing, and it was difficult not to root for them by the end, but it wasn’t the most compelling.

All in all, if you want a court drama with a good heart, this is a good pick.