You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sarah_ls 's review for:
The Goblin Emperor
by Katherine Addison
This was one of those strange books where I kept feeling like I shouldn't like it. For one thing, it was mostly about court politics and intrigue and that is just not something that I enjoy usually. There was something about this book, however, that had me totally engrossed.
The story follows a half-goblin, half-elf, fourth and hated son of an emperor who gets himself offed at the beginning. So suddenly Maia, who is male, despite the name, is the emperor who should never have been. He's 18 and has been banished to the middle of nowhere for the last 10 years with only an abusive distant cousin as a keeper. Maia is in no way educated or trained for any future position. He's basically just left out there to rot.
The story follows his ascension to Emperor and the subsequent time as he navigates his new role and who he can trust. This is where the novel shines because Maia is a very kind and gentle person of great integrity. You see everything from his POV and he has a very clear-sighted way of seeing to the heart of people - especially for someone who wasn't raised around them. He became one of those truly endearing characters that never really leaves you. He was beautiful.
This would easily have been a five star read for me if it wasn't for the completely and totally obnoxiously frustratingly asinine way that the naming system worked. It was bloody freaking impossible to follow and I couldn't keep track of who was doing what between one scene and the next. I feel like I should have been taking notes! There is an explanation of the world at the end of the book but it would end up working more as a reference guide. It was horribly frustrating.
The story follows a half-goblin, half-elf, fourth and hated son of an emperor who gets himself offed at the beginning. So suddenly Maia, who is male, despite the name, is the emperor who should never have been. He's 18 and has been banished to the middle of nowhere for the last 10 years with only an abusive distant cousin as a keeper. Maia is in no way educated or trained for any future position. He's basically just left out there to rot.
The story follows his ascension to Emperor and the subsequent time as he navigates his new role and who he can trust. This is where the novel shines because Maia is a very kind and gentle person of great integrity. You see everything from his POV and he has a very clear-sighted way of seeing to the heart of people - especially for someone who wasn't raised around them. He became one of those truly endearing characters that never really leaves you. He was beautiful.
This would easily have been a five star read for me if it wasn't for the completely and totally obnoxiously frustratingly asinine way that the naming system worked. It was bloody freaking impossible to follow and I couldn't keep track of who was doing what between one scene and the next. I feel like I should have been taking notes! There is an explanation of the world at the end of the book but it would end up working more as a reference guide. It was horribly frustrating.