The Goblin Emperor

This Hugo and Nebula nominee goes outside the realm of traditional fantasy in a blend of steampunk and dark magic. All too often, fantasy focuses on human protagonists, or half-elves/faeries. Maia is a little more exotic, the subject of an arranged marriage between human and elf. He's considered an abomination, but unfortunate circumstances lead to the young prince reluctantly taking the throne. What follows is a book of politics, intrigue, and friendship. Maia isn't the usual perfect, arrogant protagonist. He's kind and extremely likable. As he's thrust into having more responsibilities, he has to learn many things. Social skills, dancing, ruling, and, importantly, his own worth. There's no huge scale battles here, no needless action sequences, and that's what makes it special. Addison manages to weave an entertaining story of political intrigue and mystery through her characters alone. There's little romance, little magic. It's entirely about the personal journey. Read if you like: Steampunk, political fantasy.

Booklists having this book

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Top 50 Best Coming of Age Fantasy Books

Coming of age stories are one of the oldest themes in fiction, providing a sense of progression and growth that can't be rivaled. This is a theme that's as old... Read more

Top 25 Best Fantasy Books by Female Authors

In the fantasy genre, female authors are notoriously underrepresented, and although a few of their names have become well-known, these are in the minority, especially when compared to their male... Read more

Other books by Addison, Katherine

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The Goblin Emperor

A powerful coming of age tale about a rejected half-goblin, half-elven prince who comes unexpectedly to power when an accident kills his father, the emperor, and half brothers. It's a... Read more

The Goblin Emperor

This Hugo and Nebula nominee goes outside the realm of traditional fantasy in a blend of steampunk and dark magic. All too often, fantasy focuses on human protagonists, or half-elves/faeries.... Read more

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