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A review by rwatkins
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
4.0
I really liked it. Overall: 3.5/5 (18/25)
This is a slow-paced court intrigue focused on characterization and themes. If you like court politics or getting to know a single character really well, then give this book a read. If you enjoy heavier themes such as racism, sexism, progressivism vs conservatism, and violence vs forgiveness, this may be a good pick for you. Worldbuilding, steampunk elements and action are all light, so it won't be for everyone.
Minor Spoilers Below:
Plot: 3.5/5
Maia, a goblin ignorant of court politics, is slated to become the next emperor after an accident takes out many in the royal succession. The story follows him as he struggles to understand court politics before he is dethroned. The plot slowly unfolds and much of the interactions will appear to be mundane. These mostly payoff later, so stick with it and you will be rewarded. I am not the target audience for court intrigue and I struggled getting through, until reaching those payoffs and then I was so pleasantly surprised. It took until near the end for me to appreciate and like the main plot.
Setting: 1/5
I want imaginative fantasy worlds with creative locations that spur the imagination in my fantasy settings. This is a court drama. Most of this book takes place solely in the elven court, including the palace and a few other places. There isn't a lot of description of setting (besides robes, jewelry and ears) in this book. Addison leaves it to the reader to imagine what an airship might look like, even the palace itself. What is included of other locations is mostly through exposition, not interaction. The court of elves and begrudgingly goblins is complex, with its own terms for titles, positions, customs and religion. But I wasn't interested to learn more about any of them. The magic system is not explained or explored much. I didn't like the world-building at all.
Characters: 5/5
Maia is unprepared for this new world, wallowing in a stew of anger, anxiety and feeling inadequate. He is lonely, depressed, embarrassed, confused with moments of clarity, joy and bravery. Maia runs the gamut of human emotion, good and bad, and his vulnerabilities are fully exposed to the reader. His journey to find what type of emperor he should be, what rules and customs to follow or break, is intriguing to watch. A highlight of this book and it was amazing.
Style: 3.5/5
The pacing is gruelingly slow, with many interactions between characters that appear irrelevant to the plot. The last half of the book finally brings these boring parts together into conflict and resolution in rewarding ways.
There are many unfamiliar "elven" terms and names being used, and they detracted from the story as I struggled to remember what or to whom they referred to.
Maia has exposition dumps in his head as he often thinks about the history of the world unprovoked.
Despite the early pacing issues, strange language, and poor use of exposition, it is Addison's writing style that kept me soldiering on until the good parts arrived. There were so many things brought up that seemed so pointless, but I was lured to the end wondering if these would payoff or if I would be superbly disappointed that I kept reading. Also, the characterization and inner turmoil of Maia drew me in, wanting to know the poor goblins' fate. I was left wondering until the end if this would be a tragedy or if Maia would find his way. I ended up liking the writing style regardless of flaws.
Themes: 5/5
I'm a sucker for great themes and this book has them. The spectrum of negative emotions are examined in this book in varying degrees. Politics relevant to the world today are braved to be discussed. Compassion vs Vengeance is a major undertaking and done with delicate hands. There are so many heavy themes and human emotions (through a goblin no less) prodded and poked at in this book. Amazing job.
This is a slow-paced court intrigue focused on characterization and themes. If you like court politics or getting to know a single character really well, then give this book a read. If you enjoy heavier themes such as racism, sexism, progressivism vs conservatism, and violence vs forgiveness, this may be a good pick for you. Worldbuilding, steampunk elements and action are all light, so it won't be for everyone.
Minor Spoilers Below:
Plot: 3.5/5
Maia, a goblin ignorant of court politics, is slated to become the next emperor after an accident takes out many in the royal succession. The story follows him as he struggles to understand court politics before he is dethroned. The plot slowly unfolds and much of the interactions will appear to be mundane. These mostly payoff later, so stick with it and you will be rewarded. I am not the target audience for court intrigue and I struggled getting through, until reaching those payoffs and then I was so pleasantly surprised. It took until near the end for me to appreciate and like the main plot.
Setting: 1/5
I want imaginative fantasy worlds with creative locations that spur the imagination in my fantasy settings. This is a court drama. Most of this book takes place solely in the elven court, including the palace and a few other places. There isn't a lot of description of setting (besides robes, jewelry and ears) in this book. Addison leaves it to the reader to imagine what an airship might look like, even the palace itself. What is included of other locations is mostly through exposition, not interaction. The court of elves and begrudgingly goblins is complex, with its own terms for titles, positions, customs and religion. But I wasn't interested to learn more about any of them. The magic system is not explained or explored much. I didn't like the world-building at all.
Characters: 5/5
Maia is unprepared for this new world, wallowing in a stew of anger, anxiety and feeling inadequate. He is lonely, depressed, embarrassed, confused with moments of clarity, joy and bravery. Maia runs the gamut of human emotion, good and bad, and his vulnerabilities are fully exposed to the reader. His journey to find what type of emperor he should be, what rules and customs to follow or break, is intriguing to watch. A highlight of this book and it was amazing.
Style: 3.5/5
The pacing is gruelingly slow, with many interactions between characters that appear irrelevant to the plot. The last half of the book finally brings these boring parts together into conflict and resolution in rewarding ways.
There are many unfamiliar "elven" terms and names being used, and they detracted from the story as I struggled to remember what or to whom they referred to.
Maia has exposition dumps in his head as he often thinks about the history of the world unprovoked.
Despite the early pacing issues, strange language, and poor use of exposition, it is Addison's writing style that kept me soldiering on until the good parts arrived. There were so many things brought up that seemed so pointless, but I was lured to the end wondering if these would payoff or if I would be superbly disappointed that I kept reading. Also, the characterization and inner turmoil of Maia drew me in, wanting to know the poor goblins' fate. I was left wondering until the end if this would be a tragedy or if Maia would find his way. I ended up liking the writing style regardless of flaws.
Themes: 5/5
I'm a sucker for great themes and this book has them. The spectrum of negative emotions are examined in this book in varying degrees. Politics relevant to the world today are braved to be discussed. Compassion vs Vengeance is a major undertaking and done with delicate hands. There are so many heavy themes and human emotions (through a goblin no less) prodded and poked at in this book. Amazing job.