The Goblin Emperor (The Goblin Emperor, #1)

by Katherine Addison

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 favour with the naive 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 spectre 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.

• ISBN10: 0765365685
• ISBN13: 9780765365682
• Publish Date: 3 March 2015 (first published 1 April 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Starscape
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[amira_95]

Mon premier livre audio !
J'ai énormément apprécié la narration de Kyle McCarley. Très immersive, intonation assez claire pour comprendre sans s'aider du texte. J'ai commencé toutefois à l'aide du ebook que j'avais à disposition mais petite à petit je m'en suis détaché et par la suite c'était juste un bonheur d'écouter.
Concernant, l'histoire nous suivons tout simplement un jeune homme mi goblin mi elfe qui se voit attribuer, à sa grande surprise, la tâche difficile d'Empereur. Il essaie de s'accommoder à son nouveau rôle et à faire sa place dans une Cour qui lui est étrangère ayant grandi loin de tout cela. Donc dans ce roman, l'histoire tourne essentiellement autour d'intrigues politiques et pour ceux qui aiment ça apprécieront. Tout est tellement bien exécuté par K Addison que l'on est très vite pris par l'histoire.
Je conseille très fortement !

[Ashley]

Well that was disappointing. I only made it 24 pages before I had to stop.

I thought this book was going to be a guaranteed great read. It gets amazing reviews and it's constantly recommended on /r/Fantasy. Objectively it was exactly what I wanted: court intrigue, standalone, ruling a kingdom, bit of a murder mystery… It sounded AMAZING!

What no one seemed to mention was the writing. I saw this on page one and was immediately concerned:

“Get thy clothes on.”

Thy, thyself, thou, canst, the royal we.

I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stand the dialogue at all. It was way too jarring.

I would have liked to have given the book more of a chance, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Just not for me.

[smartflutist661]

It is occasionally nice to consider that there may be more good than evil in the world. This is a book about a powerful man who is deeply concerned both with what is right and what is good. A tale of court intrigue with culture masterfully crafted out of sparse description, with a strong Chinese influence and flavors of Japan and Russia, my only complaint is that it’s over.

[arronkau]

I don't know how she does it—almost nothing "happens" in this book, yet I enjoyed it immensely. As Maia enters the court and learns to become a grown-up—and an emperor at the same time—I found myself rooting for him and always eager to read the next chapter.

[g2pro]

Way to long.