chriscoman's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
marklpotter's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty fun little romp. Questing, dragons, a necromancer, and an unlikely hero. I do like Hines' take on the goblins and thier culture but the focus wasn't on that. Jig makes a good hero and is fun to root for along the way.
hellojorelle's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read especially if you play DND. The character tropes are definitely there, and some things are a bit predictable and deus ex machina-y, but its a fun read.
fryguy451's review against another edition
5.0
GraphicAudio version is wonderfully done! Exciting and funny! Loved it.
tmikerx's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great book. Great story, great action, a bit generic, but I think ironically so (you'll understand what I mean when you read it). I loved reading a swords and sorcery fantasy book through the eyes of a goblin, albeit an extraordinarily forward-thinking goblin. There was no point in the story that was tedious or boring, and I greatly enjoyed every word of it.
chupacobbruh's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
csdaley's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the light hearted take on a backwards dungeon crawl. It was fun to have the Goblin Jig tell the story and the humans being the flawed bad guys. The humor is aimed at turning the D & D world upside down.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderfully entertaining comedic fantasy romp!
In Hines' typical fantasy world populated with elves and dwarves, princes and wizards, goblins are definitely at the bottom of the fantasy food chain. But in this apparently quite typical fantasy world, Jig is not your typical fantasy hero. In fact, Jig is an introverted runty little near-sighted goblin with self esteem issues and, as Rodney Dangerfield would quip, he definitely gets no respect.
When a routine Goblin patrol is attacked, Jig and his perpetually nervous pet fire spider Smudge are astonished to find themselves hijacked and pressed into guide duty by a group of adventurers. A human prince dealing with his own set of esteem issues and who feels he has something to prove, his older brother (a wizard still learning his craft), a dwarf warrior and an elven thief who doesn't seem particularly skilled in the fine art of thievery, need his guidance through the dark maze of goblin tunnels to make their way past The Necromancer and to obtain The Rod of Creation, thought to be carefully guarded by the dragon Straum.
Thus is the scene set for readers, young and old alike, to enjoy a light, easy-reading entertaining comedic adventure romp, the plights and perils of a ragtag little group as they stumble their way from one sticky wicket into another! Jig's witty dialogue and Hines' clever jokes and puns, which pile on top of one another with almost dizzying frequency, will elicit reader reaction ranging from wry grins to out loud belly laughs.
But Jig's philosophizing and deeply probing self-examination also show that Hines' possesses deeper ability as a writer, to use the device of comedy as a means to probe more serious, more difficult issues - the nature of religious faith, the worship of gods and the form of prayer; loyalty to one's comrades in arms; the juxtaposition of fear and courage in the heat of a battle; the overwhelming love that one can feel for a pet, even one as off-the-wall weird as a fire spider; and the destructive results of unseemly pride and overwhelming greed; to name only a few. That is not to suggest that Goblin Quest is a moralizing epistle in any fashion. Far from it, indeed! This is only to suggest that Hines' book goes significantly further than a mere collection of goblin runt jokes!
Well done, Jim. I've now got my eyes peeled and my breath baited anticipating the arrival of the sequel Goblin Hero.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
In Hines' typical fantasy world populated with elves and dwarves, princes and wizards, goblins are definitely at the bottom of the fantasy food chain. But in this apparently quite typical fantasy world, Jig is not your typical fantasy hero. In fact, Jig is an introverted runty little near-sighted goblin with self esteem issues and, as Rodney Dangerfield would quip, he definitely gets no respect.
When a routine Goblin patrol is attacked, Jig and his perpetually nervous pet fire spider Smudge are astonished to find themselves hijacked and pressed into guide duty by a group of adventurers. A human prince dealing with his own set of esteem issues and who feels he has something to prove, his older brother (a wizard still learning his craft), a dwarf warrior and an elven thief who doesn't seem particularly skilled in the fine art of thievery, need his guidance through the dark maze of goblin tunnels to make their way past The Necromancer and to obtain The Rod of Creation, thought to be carefully guarded by the dragon Straum.
Thus is the scene set for readers, young and old alike, to enjoy a light, easy-reading entertaining comedic adventure romp, the plights and perils of a ragtag little group as they stumble their way from one sticky wicket into another! Jig's witty dialogue and Hines' clever jokes and puns, which pile on top of one another with almost dizzying frequency, will elicit reader reaction ranging from wry grins to out loud belly laughs.
But Jig's philosophizing and deeply probing self-examination also show that Hines' possesses deeper ability as a writer, to use the device of comedy as a means to probe more serious, more difficult issues - the nature of religious faith, the worship of gods and the form of prayer; loyalty to one's comrades in arms; the juxtaposition of fear and courage in the heat of a battle; the overwhelming love that one can feel for a pet, even one as off-the-wall weird as a fire spider; and the destructive results of unseemly pride and overwhelming greed; to name only a few. That is not to suggest that Goblin Quest is a moralizing epistle in any fashion. Far from it, indeed! This is only to suggest that Hines' book goes significantly further than a mere collection of goblin runt jokes!
Well done, Jim. I've now got my eyes peeled and my breath baited anticipating the arrival of the sequel Goblin Hero.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
terapsina's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0