"There are so many fantasy novels about heroic deeds, battles between good and evil, high stakes. This is not one of those books. The Goblin Emperor is something smaller, much more personal, and ultimately more hopeful.
Against a political backdrop, it's the story of how Maia, youngest son of the Elven emperor, comes to terms with suddenly being thrust into power, how he heals emotionally from childhood mistreatment, and—despite plots against him and his new title—how he attempts to be a good person. What I'm trying to say is, with everything in the news that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, this book is savory and nourishing."
Publisher Tor Books
Publication Date 2019-02-12
Section Fiction / All Staff Suggestions / Fiction Suggestions / Story B.
Format Paperback
ISBN 9781250303790
Nominated for the Nebula and Hugo awards, and a World Fantasy Award Finalist, Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor is a vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world.
Unbound Worlds 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time
Maia, 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.
