The Goblin Emperor

by Katherine Addison

paperback, 448 pages

Published Feb. 12, 2019 by Tor Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-30379-0

(175 reviews)

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend... and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

7 editions

unicorndeburgh reviewed The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (The Goblin Emperor, #1)

Review of 'The Goblin Emperor' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I heard raves for this book when it was published 4 months ago, but didn't get around to reading it until now. I loved it. Couldn't put it down. Unless I am very surprised (and delighted) by books over the next months, I will be nominating this for a Hugo.
It's kinda classic fantasy -- there are elves and goblins, an emperor, castles -- but it subverts a lot of the usual. There are no big battles. The ignored, youngest son who is thrust suddenly into the throne has to deal with the burden of being a king, including boring meetings, and not just with plots to overthrow him. In one of those plots, he's saved by the fact that he's treated people decently, rather than by wielding a magical sword.
The world building never seems heavy -- I didn't notice any info dumps. I absolutely ADORE the fact that …

johnny dangerously. reviewed The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (The Goblin Emperor, #1)

Review of 'The Goblin Emperor' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is an excellent book, completely unlike anything I've read before, and in the best possible way. It almost seems wrong to deem it 'fantasy', for surely a book with no human characters should be 'speculative fiction'? Regardless of its classification, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in well-written court politics, sympathetic characters, and a reading experience they won't get anywhere else.

Of all the things I would praise most about the book, I would have to consider its treatment of childhood abuse a huge and ambitious success. Too often, characters with abusive or traumatic backgrounds are treated in the most salacious and dramatic fashion possible. In this book, the main character's abusive past is treated with gentle respect, neither leering nor dramatic. The details are never focused on, and instead the most important thing is how it effected the abused character, and how they grow and heal. In this fashion, the entire book uses the metaphor of moving forward, growing past pettiness and cruelty, and-- most notably-- building bridges, to great effect.

The worldbuilding was similarly an ambitious success, though I found myself at times confused by the byzantine nature of naming conventions and pronunciation among the Goblins and Elves. I was pleased to find a guide at the back of the book explaining my confusion; I only wished I'd found it sooner, or that it had perhaps been at the beginning of the book. At times, all the unfamiliar Elvish and Goblin names bled together, and I would have appreciated knowing sooner that there was a guide. That said, the worldbuilding was still excellent and fascinating, even if I wished it was imparted in a fashion that didn't necessitate a guide quite so much.

If I had to seriously critique anything in the book, it would be how some of the female characters seemed underused. I understand that this is a function of the worldbuilding-- they are an oppressively sexist society-- but at the same time, the female characters were fascinating, and when they did appear, they shined. I was sad that altogether they only got a handful of scenes, and the subplots involving them and their struggles (in some cases, the collective struggle of all the female characters for more rights and freedoms) were very subtly and quietly dealt with. I would have liked to see them integrated more into the overall plot.

However, overall, I found the novel a tremendous success. I adored all of the characters, the quiet (but never slow) movement of the plot, and the subtle development of the protagonist and his relationships with others. It's a book I'll be rereading in the near future, because there's simply so much life and wonder crammed into it. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in high fantasy.

I was sent a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.