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displacedcactus's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Don't start your Kingfisher journey with this one -- it's 10 years old and it shows. The depiction of goblins draws on some Indigenous imagery (tribal markings and coup counters), and the depiction of wizards combines mental illness and what felt like autism in a not particularly enlightened way. It's still an enjoyable book in other ways, and you can see a lot of the elements that Kingfisher has honed over the years to become the author she is today, but it is NOT her best work.
Like most of Kingfisher's work, this one is simultaneously light and dark. The goblins are silly and loveable, our veterinarian is the James Herriot of the elven world, and yet, there's a really dark sequence involving what happened to the nearby village.
Like most of Kingfisher's work, this one is simultaneously light and dark. The goblins are silly and loveable, our veterinarian is the James Herriot of the elven world, and yet, there's a really dark sequence involving what happened to the nearby village.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
Moderate: Ableism and Child death
Minor: Violence
The unicorn birthing scene is literally like something out of All Creatures Great and Small. If you know, you know.
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