Jennavier Recommends: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Every time I try to recommend the Goblin Emperor to someone I come out sounding like a gibbering lunatic. I talk about it’s ‘sweetness’ and how it’s ‘tense without having much plot escalation’. The longer I go on the more people get the look in their eyes that says ‘crazy alert’.  Needless to say, that’s not how you get people to read an awesome book. So let's just start with the blurb, shall we?

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.
Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.
Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne—or his life.

The Goblin Emperor’s cover is drenched in author recommendations. It deserves every single one. It deals with difficult topics without being dragged down by them or making light of them. The character grows so well. Instead of making the hero “edgy” Addison takes the harder path- his flaws are ones that would prevent him from becoming the person he could be, not the things that cause him to hurt others. I loved this book, and I loved the hero Maia. Watching him stand up for himself and his people was a real pleasure. I loved how reading it made me feel good about the characters and the world I live in. After a little too much gritty storytelling The Goblin Emperor was a welcome relief.

I’ll be picking up a copy of this book as soon as I can find one and suggest you do the same. This is one book you don’t want to miss.