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marenkae's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
I have to be honest, there were approximately 400 characters in this book and I had a firm grip on about... three of them. I feel like there was so much that went over my head. I had very little emotional attachment to this novel beyond quite liking Maia, who made an excellent protagonist. Usually that's a quality that really detracts from a book but this time I didn't mind too much because this book was just pleasant to read. The writing is exquisite and something about the way this book flows kept me contentedly fascinated throughout the entire 16.5 hour long audiobook. If you are interested in fantasy novels that focus on world-building and court politics (something I never thought I would be into but I actually really, really am,) then I can definitely recommend this because that is what this book really excels at.
I have to be honest, there were approximately 400 characters in this book and I had a firm grip on about... three of them. I feel like there was so much that went over my head. I had very little emotional attachment to this novel beyond quite liking Maia, who made an excellent protagonist. Usually that's a quality that really detracts from a book but this time I didn't mind too much because this book was just pleasant to read. The writing is exquisite and something about the way this book flows kept me contentedly fascinated throughout the entire 16.5 hour long audiobook. If you are interested in fantasy novels that focus on world-building and court politics (something I never thought I would be into but I actually really, really am,) then I can definitely recommend this because that is what this book really excels at.
cellardoor10's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! It's a little tough in audiobook b/c a lot of the names and titles are the same, but the author gives decent cues to help recall who they are, a lot of the time, which I deeply appreciate (Looking at you Robert Jordan).
It makes sense in the text because the protagonist is a newcomer who is also learning everyone. I was so excited any time he found someone he could actually trust and depend on. And I appreciated the handling of his relationship with his cousin. It felt very deftly done.
It makes sense in the text because the protagonist is a newcomer who is also learning everyone. I was so excited any time he found someone he could actually trust and depend on. And I appreciated the handling of his relationship with his cousin. It felt very deftly done.
bombycillacedrorum's review against another edition
4.0
Reread! (Haven’t touched this since it first came out.) Really enjoy the worldbuilding and glorious for hair/jewelry fans. Very gentle overall but if you like soft court antics and abused folks struggling not to become their abusers, it’s a good read.
winterbinding's review against another edition
5.0
The surest way to convince me to read a book is to say that it focuses on the characters. Character-drive fiction is some of my favorite and I think it shows in my favorite books. You could build a complex world and an elaborate plot, but if you don't put in the effort to make me connect with your characters, I'm not going to find it memorable.
The Goblin Emperor connects you to Maia right from the start and within 80 pages I was already incredibly invested in what happened to him and his nohecharai. There's something incredibly soothing about the way this book is written, even when the plot itself may not be exactly relaxing. It has a pleasant cadence to it that's supported well by Addison's lovely prose, making this just an overall enjoyable reading experience.
And it really is an enjoyable reading experience. When I say that this book is beautiful, I really mean it. Each word and scene was precisely placed, and nothing in this book felt unnecessary. The Goblin Emperor follows Maia as he stumbles his way through suddenly becoming the emperor of the elflands. His young, naive mentality and constant struggles to learn court life and etiquette were at the forefront of the conflict in this novel. I connected with this extremely well, more so, I think, because of how relatable it was to me. Having just started a new job in a drastically different industry, I understand this feeling oh-so-well. The struggle between knowing what you think is the right way and what others insist is the established way is a core conflict both in this novel and starting a new job, I've found, and I think this endeared me to this book faster than I might've been otherwise.
The courtly intrigue of this novel is not as impenetrable as I feared it might be based on the cover blurb by author Scott Lynch. It's just the right amount of deep politics and character development, and no part was overwhelming (except, perhaps, the intimidating and difficult to pronounce elfish names). It's such a soft, soothing read - which may seem strange considering it is a book about assassinations and politics - and I really cannot stress enough how much Addison's writing blows me away.
In The Goblin Emperor, Addison is presenting us with a world which is beginning to face a large amount of change. Opening trade routes, alliances that were otherwise unlikely, and perceptions of women and their place in society are themes found time and time again in Maia's interactions with his new empire. It ends on a lovely, hopeful note regarding each theme, and I think each topic was handled exceptionally well by Addison, making this world feel very real.
This book has definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, character-drive fiction, and beautiful prose.
The Goblin Emperor connects you to Maia right from the start and within 80 pages I was already incredibly invested in what happened to him and his nohecharai. There's something incredibly soothing about the way this book is written, even when the plot itself may not be exactly relaxing. It has a pleasant cadence to it that's supported well by Addison's lovely prose, making this just an overall enjoyable reading experience.
And it really is an enjoyable reading experience. When I say that this book is beautiful, I really mean it. Each word and scene was precisely placed, and nothing in this book felt unnecessary. The Goblin Emperor follows Maia as he stumbles his way through suddenly becoming the emperor of the elflands. His young, naive mentality and constant struggles to learn court life and etiquette were at the forefront of the conflict in this novel. I connected with this extremely well, more so, I think, because of how relatable it was to me. Having just started a new job in a drastically different industry, I understand this feeling oh-so-well. The struggle between knowing what you think is the right way and what others insist is the established way is a core conflict both in this novel and starting a new job, I've found, and I think this endeared me to this book faster than I might've been otherwise.
The courtly intrigue of this novel is not as impenetrable as I feared it might be based on the cover blurb by author Scott Lynch. It's just the right amount of deep politics and character development, and no part was overwhelming (except, perhaps, the intimidating and difficult to pronounce elfish names). It's such a soft, soothing read - which may seem strange considering it is a book about assassinations and politics - and I really cannot stress enough how much Addison's writing blows me away.
In The Goblin Emperor, Addison is presenting us with a world which is beginning to face a large amount of change. Opening trade routes, alliances that were otherwise unlikely, and perceptions of women and their place in society are themes found time and time again in Maia's interactions with his new empire. It ends on a lovely, hopeful note regarding each theme, and I think each topic was handled exceptionally well by Addison, making this world feel very real.
This book has definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, character-drive fiction, and beautiful prose.
broken_antenna's review against another edition
4.0
This book is like a fresh wind. Absolutely wonderful and excellent use of language.
juushika's review against another edition
5.0
After the sudden death of his father and his father's first three heirs, Maia, youngest son, half-goblin, and relegated to a backwater estate, suddenly becomes the emperor of elfland. Similar to Monette's Doctrine of Labyrinths series, this is a second world fantasy of manners; unlike those books, the focus here is on goodness. The worldbuilding tends towards steampunk but its aesthetic doesn't overrun plot; the court intrigues are only complex because of the confusing names. (For that and other reasons, the appendix is useful.) Perhaps the best bit of worldbuilding is the use of first and second person formal and informal, because--despite the fantasy setting, despite the intrigue--the true focus is interpersonal.
Maia begins the book uneducated, outcast, and traumatized, but he possesses a stubborn goodness. As he attempts to do right with the power he's been granted, he's rewarded with respect and friendship. That process is transparent but utterly satisfying--in the slow, intimate pace of the book's first half; in the heartstring-yanking interactions near the end. If the book has a flaw, it's that it's too good--the villains incompetent, Maia's luck superb, too many decent people in the cast--but that's a flaw I will happily accept, because makes for a welcome break from convention which is consistently delightful to read. I recommend it with enthusiasm, and will return to reread it.
Maia begins the book uneducated, outcast, and traumatized, but he possesses a stubborn goodness. As he attempts to do right with the power he's been granted, he's rewarded with respect and friendship. That process is transparent but utterly satisfying--in the slow, intimate pace of the book's first half; in the heartstring-yanking interactions near the end. If the book has a flaw, it's that it's too good--the villains incompetent, Maia's luck superb, too many decent people in the cast--but that's a flaw I will happily accept, because makes for a welcome break from convention which is consistently delightful to read. I recommend it with enthusiasm, and will return to reread it.
ljcarey011's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book for two reasons:
#1 it won a Hugo and the general consensus was that, despite the extreme shittiness of certain people over the Hugo's, this book stood out and deserved it's award
#2 certain shitty people wanted Tor boycotted, so you better believe I bought about 6 Tor books in one day.
I started it a little hesitantly. I'm always nervous when a book has such good reviews. I either love it, or more likely hate it. For all that I am a main stream reader I have very set things I want and I recognize I kick a bunch of much loved books off my reading list within the first 10 pages of reading them. Thankfully there was no need to fear with this book.
I loved this book. I thought at first it was going to go down that gritty "realism" (such huge air quotes there) road that everybody seems to be on thanks to his majesty GRRM. This book did something different and I really appreciated the opportunity to just read a book and enjoy it. Yes, there is plenty of plotting and even violence but overall the main character is just kind. The author allowed me to root for him, to enjoy him and want good things for him and then didn't go f*** it up and ruin my day by being "realistic."
I read for pleasure and this book is a pleasure book. It is a book about building things, about rising up from being cast aside and still being a good person. It's a book that doesn't play annoying games with you.
Want to read a book you'll actually like, and not in that "morally questionable, oh so 'deep'" way certain lexicons have taken us in? This is it.
The only reason it took me a week to read this is because I put it aside for 2 days to save it for a little longer. You only get to read a book for the first time once and I wanted to savor.
I will say there are a lot of weird names here, but each character is fleshed out enough that even when I didn't recognize their names I knew exactly who I was dealing with. (On that note I struggle with names, so maybe it's just me. I can't even remember my own character's names when I write.) That is literally the only thing in this book that gave me a little trouble. Even the fantasy terms are quickly caught on to and the government factions are quickly and easily grasped.
Overall rating: read this book. ASAP
#1 it won a Hugo and the general consensus was that, despite the extreme shittiness of certain people over the Hugo's, this book stood out and deserved it's award
#2 certain shitty people wanted Tor boycotted, so you better believe I bought about 6 Tor books in one day.
I started it a little hesitantly. I'm always nervous when a book has such good reviews. I either love it, or more likely hate it. For all that I am a main stream reader I have very set things I want and I recognize I kick a bunch of much loved books off my reading list within the first 10 pages of reading them. Thankfully there was no need to fear with this book.
I loved this book. I thought at first it was going to go down that gritty "realism" (such huge air quotes there) road that everybody seems to be on thanks to his majesty GRRM. This book did something different and I really appreciated the opportunity to just read a book and enjoy it. Yes, there is plenty of plotting and even violence but overall the main character is just kind. The author allowed me to root for him, to enjoy him and want good things for him and then didn't go f*** it up and ruin my day by being "realistic."
I read for pleasure and this book is a pleasure book. It is a book about building things, about rising up from being cast aside and still being a good person. It's a book that doesn't play annoying games with you.
Want to read a book you'll actually like, and not in that "morally questionable, oh so 'deep'" way certain lexicons have taken us in? This is it.
The only reason it took me a week to read this is because I put it aside for 2 days to save it for a little longer. You only get to read a book for the first time once and I wanted to savor.
I will say there are a lot of weird names here, but each character is fleshed out enough that even when I didn't recognize their names I knew exactly who I was dealing with. (On that note I struggle with names, so maybe it's just me. I can't even remember my own character's names when I write.) That is literally the only thing in this book that gave me a little trouble. Even the fantasy terms are quickly caught on to and the government factions are quickly and easily grasped.
Overall rating: read this book. ASAP
connorbookinit's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Okay, getting into this book was a task for me. The use of the formal first person along with the complicated names and number of characters was difficult for me to deal with even well into the story. HOWEVER once I became attached to Maia and became invested in his life, I was totally hooked and kept bringing the book with me when I left the house even if I knew I wouldn't be able to read it. Maia is a truly wonderful character that anyone can love. I thoroughly enjoyed the world Addison created with all the history and culture she managed to fit into one book. A fantastic read. I'll be reading anything else she writes.
spinning_gold's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sajina's review against another edition
5.0
It took me way too long to read. It's one of those books that is excellent, but it's slow, and I have to be in the headspace for it. But you know, I wanted my tightly packed court politics book and I did get my tightly packed court politics book.
One of the reasons it took me so long were the names. I loved the names, I loved the naming conventions, the politics behind for Maia's choice of name. But I usually read late at night before bed, around 2 or 3 am, and after one chapter, the names turned into keysmashes. It got better by reading more and soon one chapter a night became two chapters became three. But that's a me (my brain) problem.
The book absolutely lived up the hype I got from other people, and I will be recommending it to others all the time.
One of the reasons it took me so long were the names. I loved the names, I loved the naming conventions, the politics behind for Maia's choice of name. But I usually read late at night before bed, around 2 or 3 am, and after one chapter, the names turned into keysmashes. It got better by reading more and soon one chapter a night became two chapters became three. But that's a me (my brain) problem.
The book absolutely lived up the hype I got from other people, and I will be recommending it to others all the time.