A review by localcryptid
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.0

I think there is a specific audience for this book, but unfortunately it wasn't me. 

The writing itself was a big drawback. The shift between plain English and more archaic English (thee, thou, willst, etc) felt forced and a bit jarring. I think the intent was to demonstrate a level of formality and ritual, but it didn't feel particularly well executed. It maybe would have worked a bit better if we had had more time with Maia before he was taken to the main court.

The characters also feel immensely underdeveloped. Maia is the narrative focus, and unfortunately this means that none of the other characters get much time to develop. The antagonist  stay antagonistic for exactly the reasons you expect them to. They feel very one-dimensional and boring.
The singular betrayal of the mage is a bit of a suprise, but because it is also a suprise to Maia it doesn't really feel like a useful plot point. It would've been nice to see some of his dissatisfaction foreshadowed. But his betrayal just kind of comes out of left field, is unsuccessful, he kills himself, and we get a lot of filler discussion of people being unhappy with the betrayal but that doesn't do much to really develop the character relationships.
. The supporting characters continue to like Maia for the same reasons they start off liking Maia. Some of them get a small vignette to explain why they like Maia, but there are very few characters that switch from disliking Maia to liking him. At best you will see a shift from ambivalent to care. It feels like a failure of political intrigue.

There are several plot points that feel, at best, dissappointing in the way they are treated. Spoilers for discussion of the plot, discussion of suicide, and discussion of homophobia.
Firstly, I particularly I hated the way that ritual suicide came into play in the plot. It's not a topic I care for under any circumstance, but when the mage who betrays Maia is forced to commit suicide they way he is disucssed after death is upsetting. Prior to killing himself he asks Maia to witness the event because he has no one else. The scene itself was graphic, but worse is the cleric who says he was exaggerating when he said he had no one left. It feels like an unnecessary jab at people who commit suicide. That may feel like an unkind assumption and a bit of a reach, but considering the way the singular gay relationship is handled I stand by that reading of it. Which brings me to my second big nit-pick: homophobia. It feels as though we are supposed to see Maia as benevolent for continuing to work with a gay man despite viewing his sexuality as "unnatural love" because the gay man acknowledged the relationship was wrong and chose to leave the church. Distasteful as it is, I could perhaps excuse that description in something written in 2004. In 2014? What was the point, unless it was something the author genuinely believes?
Neither of these things felt necessary for larger story. It's dissappointing so say the least that the author felt it necessary to include them.

The big "twist" of the novel is also dissappointing in that the first time it happens it's shocking. Unexpected! Exciting! And then it happens again. And then it happens *a third time*. And it doesn't feel shocking or unexpected or exciting anymore. It just feels like a waiting game to see if we get to make it to the end of the book before the another antagonist tries for another round of the same plot point. 

In all, I had friends who were excited about the book, loved the characters, and loved the plot, but for me there were just too many small issues that piled up and never let me enjoy it. I was dissappoined in the book and I was dissappointed in not being able to join my peers in enjoying it.
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