A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent 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 … 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.
Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor is an exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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I love the realism of the politics presented in this book. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is I felt it droned on a bit at times. The author could have been a bit more to the point when explaining or describing some things. I think there were portions of the book that could even have been taken out as they added little to the overall arc of the story.
Some additional character relationship development would have been nice too.
But, for someone who is always looking for realistic books to read, especially within the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre’s, this one ticks the box.