The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (April 01

A delightful book with a very lovable protagonist. This is my new favorite. I want more!!! Only caveat is the names of things are long and hard to pronounce, but the story is so strong it hardly matters.

This book is wonderful. I enjoyed it more than the Southern Reach Trilogy (which is fantastic) and the Three Body Problem (which was most interesting when it focused on the cultural revolution). The fantasy setting is a device to highlight divisions and the alien without stepping on toes or invoking stereotypes - it is well used but do not expect magic and dragons. This book is a kindness that left me feeling hopeful and inspired without agenda.

This is actually the first review I have ever written. I decided to write it not because it is my favorite, but because it was completely unlike my usual tastes in fantasy. I generally love either the heavily plot driven epics, or gritty and brutal close ups with morally ambiguous characters. This protagonist is not particularly brave. He is intelligent without being a genius. This guy is just a genuinely good person thrown in a situation way over his head. I was enthralled from beginning to end and have very rarely sympathized with a character more. My one complaint is that I had some difficulty keeping some of the supporting character's names straight. This wasn't a big issue, just be sure to pay close attention early on in the novel. I highly recommend this book and have already suggested it to multiple friends!

Another excellent book by an excellent writer, although I didn't love it quite as much as I love her work as Sarah Monette. I'm hesitant to write a review, since I'm a writer of fantasy myself. I didn't think the store wanted writers in the same genre to write reviews for each other. However, I'll offer this much, which the store can post or take down, as they see fit.

Fantastic. A great character portrayed well through great dialogue. If there's a sequel I'll definitely go for it. Like others here I had trouble remembering the convoluted names and then discovered there is a key to these at the end of the book. I realize it's difficult to put these at the front for Kindle readers, because too much of the Look Inside This Book detail would be taken up with lists of names etc. However, a note at the front or a link would have helped. But this is down to the publisher, not the author. Anyway, well done Katherine Addison.

I really bought into the hype that I kept hearing about the Goblin Emperor, and I think it exaggerated my expectations for the book a bit too much. I thought it was a solid narrative, if a little dry, which did an interesting job aping some traditional fantasy tropes in an eastern-inspired fantasy world. Personally, I didn't find Maia, the protagonist, particularly compelling, but I can see how he could really speak to other people's experiences.

First off, I appreciate the way the author brings the reader into the story alongside the main character. As he learns unadjusted so does the reader. There were a few interesting plots but these were often too brief and behind the scenes. There were also too many names (difficult to pronounce to begin with) to keep up with. Other than the main character and the aforementioned plot characters the others had little substance.

Loved, loved, loved this book. Finished it and immediately started reading from the beginning again.
Yes, the complex naming convention is a challenge, but otherwise the book is an utter delight.
I hope the author can be prevailed upon to write a sequel as it will very disappointing to not see these characters and their world at least one more time.
Pretty please!

I had trouble starting this book. New words, new titles, but that problem quickly abated. Poof you're the emperor! No foot dragging here. The story continues at an easy to read pace.

In the end, it was pleasant read, I kept expecting Game of Throne complications and was so happy to not have them.

-fun read, would recommend to others

While I typically read fantasy novels geared toward action and adventure, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Maia was a very sympathetic character, and his thoughts and emotions were so well written that rather than identifying with him, it was more a case of experiencing his thoughts and emotions as if I were him. Achieving that result in a reader is the mark of a very skillful author.

A richly imagined world and sizable cast of characters suitable for a Tolkien epic, harnessed to a smaller, more personal story of an unlikely ruler doing his best to do a job he was never meant to have. Lively, thoughtful prose and vividly rendered characters made for a delightful read. I particularly enjoyed the author's careful attention to Maia's inner emotional life and his struggle to be the best version of himself. It put me forcibly in mind of Machiavelli's "The Prince", as a considered exploration of what constitutes good leadership and the many temptations that come with authority.

The Goblin Emperor is one of my favorite books, ever. It's a great coming of age story, letting us discover a fun and fantastical world through the eyes of a narrator shoved in the middle of it. The Ethuveraz is a glittering, steampunk hive of scum and villainy, where politics and plots abound, and navigating the court through Maia' eyes gives the reader a unique and fascinating point of view.

Maia's story is wonderful. The plot sometimes fades to the back because the characters are so prominent, but Maia's voice and storytelling ability are wonderful. I'm making this my book club choice, and fervently hoping for a sequel novel announcement.

"The Goblin Emperor" immediately draws us into a world both similar and very different from our own timeline. An interesting fusion of Victorian technology, medieval mores, and creatures from our mythologies, this book is full of sympathetic characters, foremost Maia himself. Even the villains are fully fleshed, and while we don't like them, their motives are presented in such a way as to make them somewhat sympathetic.

This is the best work I have read in a long time, in any genre

A unique fantasy world with interesting and sympathetic characters, complicated backstory and history. Not a lot of plot action, but enough to keep plowing on. Very nicely written, I'm hoping for a sequel with a bit more action. Still, recommend.

A very entertaining fantasy novel with a fresh approach. The protagonist is unusual and endearing. The plot is well-crafted. The book varies from funny, dramatic, sad, and action-packed. It all takes place in an usual world that is clearly thought through. An enjoyable, easy read that I recommend.

I loved this book! I did find the court sequences and all the names a bit confusing but the heart if this book and the character development was fantastic. I am only sad that there is no sequel because I would like to see much more of the story and would love to see the budding relationship between uncle and nephew and learn more about the people and customs outside of the court intrigue. Highly recommend this book!

I liked this book immensely. About halfway through, I began to look for a hoped-for sequel, and am sad one does not exist at this time. I note some reviewers mentioned a confusion of character names. I did not notice this issue, but there is an appendix which includes some helpful information on nomenclature.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The story is great, and even kind of inspiring to me. Watching the growth of the main character was good, but even better was watching the growth of how hw was seen by others.

Hopefully, if there is not already a book in this line (I'm about to check), there will be soon. I look forward to reading it.

I had seen recommendations for this book from authors I enjoy and it totally lived up to my expectations. Excellent writing, great characters and believable world-building. The author does an excellent job of letting her character grew into the situation he was thrust in to by the death of his father and brothers. A great read!

Fantastic characters, incredibly engaging story and an interesting, well-realized world. I was riveted from the get-go, and I was incredibly sad when it ended, if only because it meant I couldn't spend any more time in the company of these people. Highest recommendation, and one of the finest books I've read in years.

This book magics a world which draws you in through its great central character and world development. Once you get into the book, you will whisk through the pages and wish that there were more. Hopefully there will be.

I really enjoyed this book -- liked the main character, liked the world the author created, liked it all. The names kept tripping me up, and I wish I'd noticed the glossary in the back before I got to the end, but overall this was a great read for me.

Came out of the first chapter a little annoyed with the thees and thous but by a third of the way in I was enthralled and ended up finishing it in a day. The language is a little dense and terms are a little obscure but the story is engaging in a way I can't really even describe. I loved the book and wanted to know what happened next but couldn't tell you why I was that taken in. Which I think is a fairly good thing for a book.

Loved this book. Very different, engaging read. Character development and development of the society was excellent. I only wish the author intended to write more in this vein but I understand it is a one off. I highly recommend this book

Despised and mistreated, Maia becomes Emperor when his father and half-brothers are killed in an accident. Now, he must learn how to negotiate court politics, make new alliances and ensure the succession - with absolutely no training or support. A welcome antidote to the grimdark fantasy tropes that swamp bookshelves all too often at the moment.

An unloved and unwanted mixed-race fourth son of an emperor suddenly finds himself on the throne, surrounded by people who neither like nor trust him. His quiet yet self-effacing command and true compassion for his subjects win him allies, but also make him some real enemies. The story is compelling, but left me feeling like it wasn't over. Perhaps this was meant to be the first in a series? I also kept feeling like more should be happening. So, that's why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. I'm ready to read what this author next writes.

This book was on the Locus 2015 reading list, and well deserved. It paints a picture of elves and goblins far from the Tolkien standard; goblins are known for innumerable tiny courses and candlelit mysticism that has echoes of Japan; elves are not given to nature-worship in any particular way, and are ritualistically formal. The titular character is a young Emperor, thrust into the position in the first chapter, and his growth from frightened lad to confident and warm ruler is sometimes obvious but never pat.

Solid, enjoyable work. I liked the governance aspect. I would have liked a little more depth and complexity at times, but the world was well-drawn and interesting (I'd love more books set in this world). I was a little sad that I didn't realize that there was a glossary in my Kindle edition until I was finished, as I could have used help remembering names!

Not at all what I expected. No battles or bloodshed but still subtly and surprisingly good. I suspect it would be difficult to turn into a series because most of the interesting challenges for the main character are already overcome in this book but if the author has more tricks up her sleeve she'll be worth keeping an eye out for...

Part of my Hugo reading list, this book grabbed me and didn't let go until the end. The late emperor's unwanted son, who has never been taught anything about court, finds himself on the throne. Best 'tossed in the deep end' story I've ever read.

This was a great fantasy story and an especially good read for those of us preoccupied with Tudor history, because of the similarities in court politics.

I felt sad when the book ended and I hope this is the beginning of a series based around this character, or at least this kingdom.

I'd also love to see some art depicting the world as the author envisions it.

An interesting read. I wish a little more background had been given in the story, and the names had been easier to remember, but a fine book about a neglected 4th son who learned how Not to act from his childhood experiences, and who became a good emperor. You like and empathize with Maia.

The Goblin Emperor is an engaging book about a young half-Elf, half Goblin, the youngest son of the Emperor of the Elflands, who suddenly and unexpectedly is forced to assume his father’s throne after what at first appears to be an accident causes the death of his father and all three of his older (and more favored) brothers at the same time. From being a scorned, neglected, and abused outcast, Maia Drazhar is suddenly thrust into the position of supreme power in his country.
The book is the story of how he learns to cope with his new position and with the stresses and dangers that go along with it. Indeed, in the beginning it looks as if he will have almost nothing but opposition primarily because of his Goblin mother (her marriage with his father was a political thing, hardly a love match, and she was sent off with her son to a remote corner of the Empire within a few months of it). But whether because he is descended from several generations of Emperors on both sides of the family or from some other cause, Maia appears to have a talent for governing despite the fact that his education in these matters has been somewhat lacking. And, no doubt owing to the sufferings of his childhood, he starts in at once to institute a kinder, gentler government that his father’s. By the end of the story, you can see that he will make an excellent Emperor. We should all be so fortunate in our rulers.
An interesting element is the impact on the tone of the story is the use of formal grammar in the court. Not only does the Emperor have to use the imperial “We” extensively, almost everyone else uses the formal forms of address almost exclusively except when they forget, or when deliberately making a point of being personal. In a culture where the formal and informal pronouns have very nearly merged – we use the old formal second-person plural “you” when speaking to almost anybody else, formally or not, and the old informal first-person singular “I” when referring to ourselves no matter what the context, unless we actually mean more than one of us, that the consistent use of one or the other is a little strange-sounding, but revealing of a different sort of culture.

An engaging central character and a good story well told, if rather slowly paced. I did find the misappropriation of elf and goblin quite disruptive and intrusive - as well call them Byzantine and Khazar - but putting that aside, I'd still be interested in any sequel

Maia, half-goblin unwanted-son of the Emperor of the Elflands, ascends to emperor when his fathers and brothers all die in an airship accident. The novel mingles court intrigue and political wrangling, builds it on the back of a dense but deftly-realized fantasy world, and wraps all of this around an extremely sympathetic and human central protagonist.

It's a great fantasy, and a pretty decent mystery, but it works strongest as all as an exploration of a young guy's coming-of-age -- as he faces past abuse, immense responsibilities, and the daunting specter of a life of isolation. It's compulsively readable and lingers long after you've finished reading. Very recommended.

this is well written in that I quickly became emotionally involved with the characters. The pace is quick and entertaining. There is nothing cliché about it. I was sorry to see it end. I read hundred and hundred fantasy books and it was a joy to find this new writer.