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bkwrm1317's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really solid read. I’m glad I dug this one out from the innards of my TBR.
Some of the Elvin/Goblin names and
honorifics are a bit challenging (guide at the end of the book), especially at first, but context clues will provide most of the needed information.
Sweet half-goblin Maia, youngest son of the emperor, unexpectedly has to take the throne after the death of his father and elder brothers. What ensues is full of politicking, class difference, xenophobia, and other adventures as Maia gets acquainted with court.
While not a traditional coming of age tale, Maia does come into himself in his time at court, and becomes much more confident in his knowledge and abilities.
Re: racism and xenophobia - these are directed negatively towards Goblins in the novels due to Elvin racism and sense of racial superiority.
Some of the Elvin/Goblin names and
honorifics are a bit challenging (guide at the end of the book), especially at first, but context clues will provide most of the needed information.
Sweet half-goblin Maia, youngest son of the emperor, unexpectedly has to take the throne after the death of his father and elder brothers. What ensues is full of politicking, class difference, xenophobia, and other adventures as Maia gets acquainted with court.
While not a traditional coming of age tale, Maia does come into himself in his time at court, and becomes much more confident in his knowledge and abilities.
Re: racism and xenophobia - these are directed negatively towards Goblins in the novels due to Elvin racism and sense of racial superiority.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Xenophobia
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism
meadowlarks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Violence and Colonisation
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Obsessed does not begin to describe it. I will be reading everything Katherine Addison has ever written or ever will write. Csevet supremacy forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse
seforana's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
blewballoon's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
My boyfriend read this book to me at night to help me fall asleep, and it's great for that. If you need an example of a fantasy book with excessively convoluted names, this is the book for you. If want a painfully slow and dry story with a vague sense of political intrigue but nothing too intriguing, this book is an excellent choice. How much you enjoy this book will depend on how much you enjoy the main character. I personally thought he was.. fine? Not a bad person, but not an exceptional one either in the grand scheme of things. I was much more interested in his close staff, such as his personal assistant who arguably did the most, his rotating bodyguards, and even his royal dressers who picked out his clothes. (Notice how I'm avoiding using anyone's name because I have absolutely no hope of trying to spell them.) I think this book would have been vastly improved by having more perspectives, like the staff members I mentioned, and a female character perspective would have been great as well. The emperor arguably does the bare minimum in terms of treating women decently, at least from a modern viewpoint. I am glad this is a book where "Good" people have good things happen to them and "bad" people don't get away with doing a lot of bad stuff for very long. If this were a more pessimistic book, I think the snail's pace and difficult to grasp world-building would have been even harder to wade through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Racism
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
The names of the elves and goblins were very complicated to learn, and there was a lot of characters, people to know, political entities, religious figures etc.
While it is written very well line by line, I think it was a bit too dry for my tastes. I don’t think I could make it through more of the book, because I’d be lost.
While it is written very well line by line, I think it was a bit too dry for my tastes. I don’t think I could make it through more of the book, because I’d be lost.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia
flyingryndeer's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, and Physical abuse
cdonegan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia and Rape
freesiaelect's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I struggled a lot remembering who was who, as many characters had several names/titles they might be called. But the story pulled me in and kept me turning pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault