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beautifuldissonance's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't enjoy this quite so much as the first book because I found the bits from Veka's perspective difficult to read at first. The last part of the book is better, though.
jinxy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
1.75
Did not enjoy this one as much as the first book in the series unfortunately.
sparklingreader's review against another edition
5.0
In shades of The Hobbit, Jig Dragonslayer is once again called upon to save his world, an onerous task when all he wants to do is relax and stay safe. But when ogres are scared, what’s a goblin to do? And to add more problems to his already heavy load, his companions are a really really stupid warrior goblin, an ancient and crippled nursemaid and a female goblin who thinks she should be a powerful wizard. In this light-hearted, sometimes disgusting tale, Jig must once again fight the powers of evil – in this case, a horde of pesky faeries from another world.
While I didn’t care for so much time being spent on Veka, the female wizard-goblin in the first half of the book, this was still an excellent read. The last half was most entertaining and read much faster than the beginning – which still read pretty fast! Even though I haven’t read the first two books in the series, I had no trouble figuring out exactly what was going on and who was whom. And you can believe that when I get the chance, I’m going to read the first two and more from this inventive author.
The characters are fun, well-developed and believable. The plot moves along at a rapid pace and the dialogue and descriptions are witty, and apropos. Don’t look for your typical human heroes here – these characters dwell in the realm of fantasy but that doesn’t make their problems less real or less fun – if anything, it’s better than if they had been human.
This is a great story and fun for teens and adults alike. If you love a good high fantasy with a twist and a shelf full of humor, definitely pick this one up – and the others while you’re at it.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
I like Hines. He writes fun light fantasy. And this one is about goblins!
And Goblins are not the best of...well, to be honest, all races here suck. They all think they are better than others, they fight each other and so on. Goblins are like the rest then.
Jig, our reluctant hero is again called to go on an adventure. His leader wants him dead so he is sent to help the ogres find who is killing them.
Two sidekicks are an elderly goblin who wants out of daycare duty, and one big stupid goblin. Not to mention the goblin who thinks she is the real hero.
Adventure, fighting, fun times :)
And Goblins are not the best of...well, to be honest, all races here suck. They all think they are better than others, they fight each other and so on. Goblins are like the rest then.
Jig, our reluctant hero is again called to go on an adventure. His leader wants him dead so he is sent to help the ogres find who is killing them.
Two sidekicks are an elderly goblin who wants out of daycare duty, and one big stupid goblin. Not to mention the goblin who thinks she is the real hero.
Adventure, fighting, fun times :)
hezaasan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I first read this series 15+ years ago when initially published by the writer (disclaimer: a friend), and it absolutely holds up. If you're a D&D player, or even merely once were, there is plenty here to entertain. Hines has a gift for laugh out loud, quirky, honest hilarity, and it's a small bit of nerdy genius at work to turn a low level farsighted goblin runt and his cute fire spider companion into adventurers and heroes worthy of celebration and song across the land. Does it help that I was a beta reader for this second installment and earned a subtle mention in the final chapter? Well, sure it does ... but I'd like to imagine that even if that weren't the case, I'd still find this to be a fine, fast, fun little read.
marklpotter's review against another edition
4.0
I'm actually surprised that I haven't read this series before now. I'm always a fan of books that take the genre and bend it over a table! If a good romp through fantasy tropes is what you need then you really can't go wrong with Jig as your hero. I mean, who doesn't love a nearsighted runt of of a goblin who'd rather be doing anything besides being a hero?
fryguy451's review against another edition
5.0
These just keep getting better! Loved it! and the Graphic Audio production was wonderful.
tmikerx's review against another edition
5.0
I *love* this series. Not a dull moment yet. I can't wait to read the third book.
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious humour and true fantasy CAN stand side by side!
Jig is a shy, retiring, runty, near-sighted goblin, anything but a fierce goblin warrior, who wishes to quietly live an ordinary goblin life - out of sight, out of mind and below everyone else's radar. But, having earned the moniker "Jig Dragonslayer" by surviving his adventure with the Necromancer and the Dragon in GOBLIN QUEST, Jig finds himself unwillingly in the spotlight and under everyone else's magnifying glass. Kralk, the current goblin chief, wants nothing more than to kill Jig because she sees him as a threat to her authority. Veka, another goblin in Jig's tribe who sees herself as a rising sorceress, follows Jig incessantly seeking his advice and guidance on how to be a hero and how to increase her abilities in the use of a hero's magic. The neighbouring ogres, usually bitter rivals of the goblins, have arrived seeking Jig's help eliminating a dangerous unknown threat that is slowly killing ogres one by one and seems capable of wiping out the entire tribe. The conniving Kralk sees this as an opportunity to rid herself of Jig once and for all so she sends him off on a quest to help the ogres - a mission she firmly believes Jig will fail and see him killed. His companions on the mission will be Grell, an aging, decrepit goblin scarcely able to hobble along with the help of a cane; Braf, a bumbling goblin warrior well known to be slightly dumber than a bag of dirt; and, of course, Smudge, Jig's pet fire spider!
Another reviewer categorized Jim Hines' GOBLIN HERO as a fractured fairy tale. It's certainly true that humour and off-the-wall cartoonish versions of typical fantasy characters form an important part of Hines' most entertaining story. But underlying the wit, the humour, the sarcasm, not to mention the hilarious antics and escapades is a true tale in the finest tradition of the fantasy genre. Hines reminds us through Jig that leadership, success and courage often derive from other simpler things - loyalty, common sense, a strong moral compass, a good heart and an instinct for survival in the face of difficult odds and adversity.
If you're a fan of fantasy literature and can see the value in a good laugh now and then, then Jim Hines' GOBLIN HERO will suit you perfectly. Don't forget to read GOBLIN QUEST first. There's a definite story line to the development of the characters and many of the references in the story will blow right over your head without being familiar with the first novel in his series.
Great humour! A great story and great fantasy! Thanks very much, Mr Hines. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Jig is a shy, retiring, runty, near-sighted goblin, anything but a fierce goblin warrior, who wishes to quietly live an ordinary goblin life - out of sight, out of mind and below everyone else's radar. But, having earned the moniker "Jig Dragonslayer" by surviving his adventure with the Necromancer and the Dragon in GOBLIN QUEST, Jig finds himself unwillingly in the spotlight and under everyone else's magnifying glass. Kralk, the current goblin chief, wants nothing more than to kill Jig because she sees him as a threat to her authority. Veka, another goblin in Jig's tribe who sees herself as a rising sorceress, follows Jig incessantly seeking his advice and guidance on how to be a hero and how to increase her abilities in the use of a hero's magic. The neighbouring ogres, usually bitter rivals of the goblins, have arrived seeking Jig's help eliminating a dangerous unknown threat that is slowly killing ogres one by one and seems capable of wiping out the entire tribe. The conniving Kralk sees this as an opportunity to rid herself of Jig once and for all so she sends him off on a quest to help the ogres - a mission she firmly believes Jig will fail and see him killed. His companions on the mission will be Grell, an aging, decrepit goblin scarcely able to hobble along with the help of a cane; Braf, a bumbling goblin warrior well known to be slightly dumber than a bag of dirt; and, of course, Smudge, Jig's pet fire spider!
Another reviewer categorized Jim Hines' GOBLIN HERO as a fractured fairy tale. It's certainly true that humour and off-the-wall cartoonish versions of typical fantasy characters form an important part of Hines' most entertaining story. But underlying the wit, the humour, the sarcasm, not to mention the hilarious antics and escapades is a true tale in the finest tradition of the fantasy genre. Hines reminds us through Jig that leadership, success and courage often derive from other simpler things - loyalty, common sense, a strong moral compass, a good heart and an instinct for survival in the face of difficult odds and adversity.
If you're a fan of fantasy literature and can see the value in a good laugh now and then, then Jim Hines' GOBLIN HERO will suit you perfectly. Don't forget to read GOBLIN QUEST first. There's a definite story line to the development of the characters and many of the references in the story will blow right over your head without being familiar with the first novel in his series.
Great humour! A great story and great fantasy! Thanks very much, Mr Hines. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss