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gardens_and_dragons's review
The names of the elves and goblins were very complicated to learn, and there was a lot of characters, people to know, political entities, religious figures etc.
While it is written very well line by line, I think it was a bit too dry for my tastes. I don’t think I could make it through more of the book, because I’d be lost.
While it is written very well line by line, I think it was a bit too dry for my tastes. I don’t think I could make it through more of the book, because I’d be lost.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Blood, Classism, Murder, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Violence, Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexism
Minor: Miscarriage, Alcohol, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, War, and Infertility
xvicesx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
This was a recommendation from Mr B's Reading Spa, which came my way by the wonderful Rhian. It was an altogether deeply enjoyable book in ways that were quite surprising. Maia was an interesting lead character, with a whole load of baggage and a mind set on not letting it guide his way as an Emperor. It made him deeply appealing, and much relatable, in the way that any of us would feel about coming into a position of great power and being unwilling to abuse it.
I enjoyed Maia's commitment to being a good Emperor, his willingness to admit his faults and his clever way with people. While he obviously comes into the story as an unexperienced ruler, he has all the hallmarks of a good ruler, and his difficult journey and embarrassments make it all the more relatable. Some very quotable scenes are owed entirely to his diamond of a fiancée, who deserves much credit for her brilliant turns of phrase!
Highly recommended.
I enjoyed Maia's commitment to being a good Emperor, his willingness to admit his faults and his clever way with people. While he obviously comes into the story as an unexperienced ruler, he has all the hallmarks of a good ruler, and his difficult journey and embarrassments make it all the more relatable. Some very quotable scenes are owed entirely to his diamond of a fiancée, who deserves much credit for her brilliant turns of phrase!
Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Bullying, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Miscarriage, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
sparkletits's review
challenging
emotional
relaxing
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? No
5.0
The Goblin Emperor is currently my all time fovorite book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Incest, and Body shaming
h4ppycupcake's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
I found the protagonist very endearing and was so pumped every time he figured out how to solve a problem. Maia deserves all the cookies in the world. Highly recommend if you can stand complicated character names and honorifics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Bullying, Grief, Racism, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
ladythana's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Child abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Dementia, Sexism, Car accident, Death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, and Racism
ellen_is_reading's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? No
5.0
This, I think, is my favourite book I have ever read. The world is convincing and full, even if we don't see very much of it. The people and politics and layers of court interactions are wonderful and engaging. Each character is lovable in their own way, and we get to deeply understand them. I love Maia more than I think I have loved any character before. I will hold this book dear to my heart for a long time .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Death, and Classism
littki's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Chronic illness, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders
saturdayreaderinpink's review
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
What an excellent book. I asked for a recommendation that would have a competent character navigating political intrigue— and I got that!
Compared to other books I’ve read as of late, I took a longer time with this. The pacing is relatively slow. But, what really struck me is the excellence of the writing. Sarah Monette has a clear and precise literary voice. Some books will linger on realizations or experienced the character has to emphasize how profound they sound. Monette has no need to do that. She has a story to tell and doesn’t waste time indulging in her own genius. Instead, this profound and clear literally voice flows austerely swift through a slow and even narrative.
I would give The Goblin Emperor five stars because it’s one of the best written books I’ve ever read but I rank based on personal experience. The slow even pacing I like so much about this book made the end drag a bit for me. Not much! But the dense descriptions and obscure fantasy name/references (which the Kindle search feature helped wonders with) could sometimes feel bothersome.
What kept me engaged was not only fondness for the lovable main character Maia, but his relationships with those around him. Particularly with his nohecharis, Idra, the Avar, Csevet, and Dach’osmin Ceredin. Watching Maia grow into a more capable and capable leader so so satisfying. I loved his internal monologue and I loved the slow, tentative, and rewarding build of his relationships.
The Goblin Emperor also goes into some detail about the impact a patent can have on you and the impact an abuser can have on you, and the lingering of both.
Compared to other books I’ve read as of late, I took a longer time with this. The pacing is relatively slow. But, what really struck me is the excellence of the writing. Sarah Monette has a clear and precise literary voice. Some books will linger on realizations or experienced the character has to emphasize how profound they sound. Monette has no need to do that. She has a story to tell and doesn’t waste time indulging in her own genius. Instead, this profound and clear literally voice flows austerely swift through a slow and even narrative.
I would give The Goblin Emperor five stars because it’s one of the best written books I’ve ever read but I rank based on personal experience. The slow even pacing I like so much about this book made the end drag a bit for me. Not much! But the dense descriptions and obscure fantasy name/references (which the Kindle search feature helped wonders with) could sometimes feel bothersome.
What kept me engaged was not only fondness for the lovable main character Maia, but his relationships with those around him. Particularly with his nohecharis, Idra, the Avar, Csevet, and Dach’osmin Ceredin. Watching Maia grow into a more capable and capable leader so so satisfying. I loved his internal monologue and I loved the slow, tentative, and rewarding build of his relationships.
The Goblin Emperor also goes into some detail about the impact a patent can have on you and the impact an abuser can have on you, and the lingering of both.
Favorite Quotes
She was not at all pretty, her nose too long and her chin too weak, but her eyes were sharp and full of light, and even of kindness.
Perhaps canst meditate with one other in the room? he offered, aware of his own doubtful tone, like a man offering a screaming child a sweet.
“Serenity,” Cala said, “you do not have to do this. No one requires it of you.”
“I do,” Maia said tiredly, and Cala retreated again.
After a time, he felt a deeper rhythm, the rhythm of the stone and water, not the rhythm of his words and heartbeat. He breathed into this deeper rhythm, let it teach him a new mantra, a wordless mantra that waxed and waned, ebbed and flowed, moon and stars and clouds, river and sun, the wordless singing of the earth beneath it all like the world’s own heartbeat. He laid his palms flat on the stone beneath him and listened in quiet rapture to the mantra of the world’s praying.
He took her hand carefully. There was nothing, he thought, that needed to be said, and he remembered from his own mother’s death that she had not wanted to speak very much in the last two or three days that she was cognizant. She had wanted to look at him, to hold his hand. To know that he was there. And he thought there was a light of relief in Osmerrem Danivaran’s eyes when she realized he wasn’t going to make her struggle either to speak or to listen. He held her hand and thought about how kind she had been to him when he was eight, and thought about Thara Celehar saying the prayer of compassion for the dead with the same attention the last time as the first. And when he could see that she was beginning to fade away from this moment of clarity, he stooped and kissed her forehead.
She folded her hands together and bowed to him across them, an old-fashioned gesture of respect and grief. “Varenechibel was like a killing frost.” They were silent a moment, in token of having survived Varenechibel IV
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
sashahc's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of the other things I did last week was re-read all of Katherine Addison's #book s in the Goblin Emperor world (Together called "The Chronicles of Osreth"). These are "Goblin Emperor," "Witness for the Dead," and "The Grief of Stones." I really really really like these books. They are more vibe than plot, but the main characters are so engaging and have such rich inner lives, and the world building is fantastic. The first centers an unlikely young emperor who is dropped head first into court politics. The second and third are intertwined murder mysteries solved by a queer depressed cleric who can hear the dead. It was great to read them one after another because the lead right into each other. Highly rec'd.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent