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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
medium-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
9.5/10
absolutely brilliant, my only comment is that i wish the resolutions had been swapped. spoilers ahead:
Once Maia confronts his uncle, I took a long break from finishing part four and five. That was the opening conflict and I feel it should’ve been resolved last as the closing conflict. Instead of resolving how his abuse drove him explicitly first—I would’ve wanted us to get the bridge mostly approved, then solve the murder, then solve his relationship with his Uncle and end with the builder of bridges as all three come together (not changing the last chapters much)
but wow, what an incredibly touching character driven story that explored the challenges we all face with family, friends, bureaucracy, work, everything! i would kill for maia even though he’d hate that!
absolutely brilliant, my only comment is that i wish the resolutions had been swapped. spoilers ahead:
Once Maia confronts his uncle, I took a long break from finishing part four and five. That was the opening conflict and I feel it should’ve been resolved last as the closing conflict. Instead of resolving how his abuse drove him explicitly first—I would’ve wanted us to get the bridge mostly approved, then solve the murder, then solve his relationship with his Uncle and end with the builder of bridges as all three come together (not changing the last chapters much)
but wow, what an incredibly touching character driven story that explored the challenges we all face with family, friends, bureaucracy, work, everything! i would kill for maia even though he’d hate that!
This book was a true joy to read. I can't believe it's actually been out in the world for six whole years and I didn't know about it until now.
This is a political fantasy novel where absolutely nothing outlandish happens. Things occasionally get a little crazy but everything is dealt with so calmly and with so much rationality that it's actually a breath of fresh air from other fiction (and real life, too).
I adored our Goblin Emperor, Maia, and his retinue. I appreciated each side character and the depth Addison had all of them. This novel is over 500 pages, but I got to the end and was genuinely saddened that I couldn't just flip the page and keep reading.
Imagine my glee, then, when I learned that Addison has written another book in this world, following another character I loved. You can bet your ass I'm picking that up.
Would 100% recommend the audiobook for a good time.
This is a political fantasy novel where absolutely nothing outlandish happens. Things occasionally get a little crazy but everything is dealt with so calmly and with so much rationality that it's actually a breath of fresh air from other fiction (and real life, too).
I adored our Goblin Emperor, Maia, and his retinue. I appreciated each side character and the depth Addison had all of them. This novel is over 500 pages, but I got to the end and was genuinely saddened that I couldn't just flip the page and keep reading.
Imagine my glee, then, when I learned that Addison has written another book in this world, following another character I loved. You can bet your ass I'm picking that up.
Would 100% recommend the audiobook for a good time.
What the hell did I just read? And how did I manage to get to the end?
Okay, so I'll have a look at some of the positive reviews after I finish writing this, and then maybe I'll have an answer to my second question. I enjoyed *something* about this book, but I really can't say what. The writing doesn't suck, so I guess there's that. And I suppose Addison's world-building is good--this feels like a setting crafted by a hardcore academic nerdly expert in medieval politics and life at court. But... the story? The characters? I'm having trouble finding a positive thing to say.
Boring. That's my primary complaint. Boring and yet unnecessarily complicated. They are so damned many characters, and they all have crazy names, and there's nothing much to distinguish many of them, and most of them don't even do anything, or are very sideline.
Yes, and crazy names--holy feces. Every goddamn character has a name built of title and family, plus their secret informal name. And every job has it's own invented fantasy-world title plus jargon. And every room and area of the castle on top of that. I don't mind a complicated book--I don't mind having to pay attention. BUT FOR WHAT? WHAT THE SHAT EVEN HAPPENS? NOTHING!! THERE'S IS PRETTY MUCH NOTHING AT STAKE! EVER!!
The unwanted emperor whines about how he has no friends? But he can't? People don't like him and conspire against him, but not very well? He's super keen on a steam-punkish engineering project? That's seriously the entirety of the novel, sans spoilers. Nothing else is going on here. The first half is better than the second, much better, because the reader might still be under the illusion that something interesting will eventually happen. (Nope.)
The characters..... omfg the characters. Pretty much all built on one dimension. The emperor is endearing, I guess, but his lack of confidence gets really tedious. Yeah yeah he stands up for his ideals once in awhile, but most of the time he's just pressured into letting other boring characters push the plot forward. And what's his weakness or flaw? (Except that he's unbearably dull.) He gets slightly angry once in awhile, almost raises his voice, and then immediately apologizes? Piss off.
Yeah.... so.... if you like fantasy books where there is no point to the world being fantasy, where nothing happens and no one is interesting? Check it out. Otherwise........... go read The Fifth Season or some Ursula le Guin.
Okay, so I'll have a look at some of the positive reviews after I finish writing this, and then maybe I'll have an answer to my second question. I enjoyed *something* about this book, but I really can't say what. The writing doesn't suck, so I guess there's that. And I suppose Addison's world-building is good--this feels like a setting crafted by a hardcore academic nerdly expert in medieval politics and life at court. But... the story? The characters? I'm having trouble finding a positive thing to say.
Boring. That's my primary complaint. Boring and yet unnecessarily complicated. They are so damned many characters, and they all have crazy names, and there's nothing much to distinguish many of them, and most of them don't even do anything, or are very sideline.
Yes, and crazy names--holy feces. Every goddamn character has a name built of title and family, plus their secret informal name. And every job has it's own invented fantasy-world title plus jargon. And every room and area of the castle on top of that. I don't mind a complicated book--I don't mind having to pay attention. BUT FOR WHAT? WHAT THE SHAT EVEN HAPPENS? NOTHING!! THERE'S IS PRETTY MUCH NOTHING AT STAKE! EVER!!
The unwanted emperor whines about how he has no friends? But he can't? People don't like him and conspire against him, but not very well? He's super keen on a steam-punkish engineering project? That's seriously the entirety of the novel, sans spoilers. Nothing else is going on here. The first half is better than the second, much better, because the reader might still be under the illusion that something interesting will eventually happen. (Nope.)
The characters..... omfg the characters. Pretty much all built on one dimension. The emperor is endearing, I guess, but his lack of confidence gets really tedious. Yeah yeah he stands up for his ideals once in awhile, but most of the time he's just pressured into letting other boring characters push the plot forward. And what's his weakness or flaw? (Except that he's unbearably dull.) He gets slightly angry once in awhile, almost raises his voice, and then immediately apologizes? Piss off.
Yeah.... so.... if you like fantasy books where there is no point to the world being fantasy, where nothing happens and no one is interesting? Check it out. Otherwise........... go read The Fifth Season or some Ursula le Guin.
Not the fantasy style I enjoy, otherwise it was a well written story.