Month: June 2023

The Goblin Emperor (The Goblin Emperor, #1) by Katherine Addison

The Goblin Emperor (The Goblin Emperor, #1) by Katherine Addison

After an unexpected tragedy, Maia, the youngest son of the emperor, takes his throne. He grew up far from the court and has no idea who anyone is or how he should behave.

While trying to piece together the proper etiquette, he also has to be aware of those who want to depose him for their own various reasons.

Will Maia survive to become the emperor he is destined to be?

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“The Elflands have been ruled by the family Drazh for more than two thousand years, although it must be confessed that the continuity of this dynasty is in some ways a politic fiction due to strategic adoptions by the emperors of their chosen heirs.” pg 11, ebook

Adding to his woes, Maia’s mother was a goblin and he little resembles the court he rules over. This is another hurdle he has to overcome and it threatens his sense of belonging at every turn.

The genius of The Goblin Emperor is in the world Katherine Addison has created. She has crafted a multi-layered system of address and factions for her fictional realm.

That being said, sometimes these intricacies get in the way of the story. I found myself tripping over unfamiliar words and occasionally forgetting who was who in the crowded court of the Goblin Emperor.

I enjoyed Maia’s efforts to embrace his heritage and his struggles to rule over his realm. Most of the action of this book takes place in meetings, which were interesting for the greater part of the book.

Recommended for fantasy readers who enjoy mammoth world building and a slow burning plot.

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

“You still have much to learn,” he agreed. “But you already carry a power in you that I can’t match.” pg 31, ebook

Omat is learning to become an angakkuq, a shaman for her tribe. This is a role that is traditionally filled by a male, so Omat considers herself a man for a long time.

“I drifted into dreams and visions for much of those three days, and soon I could not tell reality from imagination. Perhaps, I reasoned, in the end they are one and the same.” pg 70, ebook

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After repeated tragedies strike her tribe and Omat is captured by a vengeful hunter, her world changes. She goes on a quest to save her brother and best friend as well as herself.

This quest brings her into contact with gods and goddesses as well as the spirits of various arctic animals.

“Stories are ever changing, just like the gods. Assuming you understand either is a grave mistake.” pg 295, ebook

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I very much enjoyed this adventure tale. The main character, Omat, is quite complex in the way she communicates with others and grows throughout the story.

In the afterward, the author talks about the research into Inuit culture she completed to write this book and her work shows. I felt like Omat’s shamanistic journeys and methods could have actually happened the way she described- it’s that well written.

There is darkness in this story and I nearly stopped reading at first because I was afraid it was going to be too depressing. But I kept on and I’m so very glad I did.

“That which is dead can always come back. Men live in many worlds at once. So do gods.” pg 431, ebook

I enjoyed the fantasy elements of the gods and goddesses in this book. It reminded me of The Odyssey in some ways. The supernatural tries to control the world of humans and it results in a grand adventure.

Highly recommended for readers who like their historical fiction mixed with fantasy elements.

The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman

The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman

Quentin is miserable in the real world, but he’s unsure why. When he is suddenly recruited for a secret school and realizes magic is real, he thinks it will bring him happiness.

“… you will be a magician, Quentin. It is not the obvious career path, I know. … No one will know what you’re doing here. You would be leaving all that behind.” pg 37, ebook

When his training, new friends, and experiences fails to bring Quentin joy, he looks even further into magical theory and stories. What he discovers, the existence of other worlds, is more fascinating and terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

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“Most people carry that pain around inside them their whole lives, until they kill the pain by other means, or until it kills them. But you, my friends, you found another way: a way to use the pain. To burn it as fuel, for light and warmth.” pg 216, ebook

This was my second time reading The Magicians. I first read it about ten years ago and loved it then.

It stood up to the test of time for the most part, but I think I enjoyed it more the first time around because of the small reveals written into the story.

“Nobody wanted to admit they were frightened, so they took the only other option, which was to be irritable instead.” pg 298, ebook

I still loved Lev Grossman’s homage to The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I also loved his magic system.

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The magical students all have different strengths and that affects how they are able to use magic to change the world around them.

The worlds Grossman has created are both fascinating and scary to explore. As you move through the book, you have a sense of uneasiness because you have no idea what is going to come next.

And when you juxtapose that feeling with reading The Chronicles of Narnia or the Harry Potter series, this story becomes something else.

Some readers have shared they couldn’t connect with Quentin. He was too moody and unlikeable for them.

I liked Quentin because he feels authentic like someone I could possibly know in the real world. Don’t we all sometimes wish there was more to life than there appears to be on the surface?

Don’t we all wish some of our favorite stories were real?

Highly recommended for fantasy readers. It doesn’t get much better than The Magicians.