*For my personal thoughts on The Goblin Emperor, check out my review of the book.

Author: Katherine Addison
Title: The Goblin Emperor
Category/Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre(s): none
Publication Date: March 3, 2015
Number of Pages: 482 pages of story text; plus a Handbook for Travelers in the Elflands and A Listing of Persons, Places, Things, and Gods
Geographical Setting: The Elflands in a fictional world
Time Period: n/a
Series (if applicable): This book is not part of a chronological series but the author has other works set in the same world: The Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones (forthcoming June 2022)

Plot Summary: Maia is the youngest, mostly forgotten, half-goblin son of the emperor. He was sent to live on the outskirts of the empire with his drunk and abusive uncle after Maia’s mother died when he was eight. After a tragic airship crash kills his father and brothers, no one expects Maia to come to the capital and take over as emperor, least of all Maia himself. But that is exactly what Maia does, even though he knows next to nothing about the politics of the court or how to rule. Fumbling and stumbling, Maia manages to garner trusted staff and other allies as he learns how to rule and uncovers a plot that might mean his father and brothers were murdered; could Maia be next? As Maia learns what it means to be emperor and attempts to discover his family’s murderer(s), he attempts to choose understanding and compassion every step of the way.

Slow-paced and with action that is meditative, this book takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as Maia and his allies seek to change the way people understand how a kingdom can be ruled.

Content warnings (SLIGHT SPOILER): Descriptions of past child abuse, ritual suicide (described in detail), death of family members, grief, death of a loved one in the past.
Subject Headings: Fantasy- General
Appeal/Characteristics of Fantasy (May contain SPOILERS)

Detailed settings depict another world, often located on Earth, but almost always set in out-of-time, in past times, or invisible to most people- This story does not necessarily take place on Earth but, similar to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, a rich world is built that is based on Earth-like elements and geography.
Magic frames the story- While many in the story are not magical, there are magical guards and an understanding that magic exists in the world in which the story is built.
Story line features good vs. evil. Story line also explores ways to discover one’s own potential, magical or otherwise- It is clear from the start of the novel that Maia is good and his uncle and some members of the court are bad, untrustworthy, or evil. Maia must overcome attempts to overthrow his reign from those that don’t agree he is rightfully emperor. While Maia is not a fighter, he does discover his own strengths and a strong sense of himself and how he can rule as the story progresses.
Characters, are clearly good or bad and often attain special magical gifts. Even good characters will find themselves challenged, both physically and ethically. Characters may include mythical creatures as well as more mundane human ones- Maia does not have his own magical gifts but does have the gifts of compassion and understanding which he insists on bringing to the table. He does have magical body guards. None of the creatures in the story are human, they are elves, goblins, or a mixture of the two.
Books start slowly as the author sets the scene, presents the challenge, and introduces the cast- This is a very slow-paced book that is focused on world building and is very character driven with a slew of courtly characters introduced throughout the entire book. The challenge is presented early on and there is danger, but the pace of the book never picks up.
From the stylized language to the use of jargon, language and style run the gamut. Language relates verbal pictures of characters and landscape, and illustrations sometimes enhance both adult and children’s Fantasy- Addison is descriptive in setting the scenes and creating the Elflands. Names are in a language of the author’s own making and the book features a language guide as well as a character guide in the back.
3 terms that best describe this book:
Engaging yet leisurely
Magical and complex
Thought-provoking

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Balloons and Airships: A Tale of Lighter than Air Aviation by Anthony Burton- since the events in The Goblin Emperor would not have happened if it weren’t for an airship crash, readers who enjoyed Addison’s book may also enjoy this look at non-airplane aircraft to better understand the possibilities of flight.
The Courtiers: Splendor and Intrigue in the Georgian Court at Kensington Palace by Lucy Worsley- this book explores what some consider to be Kensington Palace’s glory days of the eighteenth century during the reigns of George I and II. Worsley takes a behind-the-scenes approach as court politics, intrigue, and fashions of the time are explored. While The Goblin Emperor is not set in an historical Earth era, it is all about politics, intrigue, design, and fashion and readers will enjoy this connection to the real world.
Henry VIII: And the Men Who Made Him by Borman- this book is not only a portrait of the infamous king of England but also his advisers and members of the court that made up Henry VIII’s historic reign. The king relied heavily on his advisers and servants but no court is without its drama and that is explored here. In The Goblin King, Maia would not be able to succeed if it weren’t for his staff and other loyal members of the court. Readers who enjoyed Addison’s work will find real-life parallels learning about the court of Henry VIII.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine-In this complex novel, Mahit Dzmare discovers that the person who was ambassador before her might have been murdered. Dzmare travels to the capital of the empire to solve the crime and as she uncovers secrets, the history and culture of the world in which she lives unfolds. With a complex world, an array of characters, and a political crime that needs to be solved, there are many similar elements in Martine’s novel for readers who enjoyed The Goblin Emperor.
The Locked Tomb series beginning with Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir- sarcastic sword slinger Gideon is the one survivor of a nursery tragedy that happened when she was an infant on the failing Ninth world of the empire. The only other survivor, Harrow, is Gideon’s nemesis and a powerful necromancer. Through a series of misadventures they are forced to team up when Harrow is called to solve a mystery and prove herself to the emperor. Faster paced than The Goblin King, this complex world full of dark magic, betrayal, and politics is likely to capture the imaginations of The Goblin Emperor fans.
The Lord of the Rings beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tokien- Tolkien’s epic high fantasy follows Frodo Baggins and a growing cast of allies, The Fellowship of the Ring, on a journey to destroy an evil ring of power before a dark lord takes over the world. The stories are well known for their intricate world building and complex characters with detailed backstories. Readers who enjoyed the intricacies and complexities of Addison’s world in The Goblin Emperor are likely to enjoy this elaborate series as well.

Reading the Whole Collection

Readers who enjoyed The Goblin Emperor may enjoy the Tudors series which follows the court activities over the course of Henry VIII’s reign.

Citations

Characteristics of Fantasy novels taken from

Wyatt, N. and Saricks, J. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. Third edition. ALA Editions.