The Goblin Emperor cover art

The Goblin Emperor

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Goblin Emperor

By: Katherine Addison
Narrated by: Kyle McCarley
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $25.84

Buy Now for $25.84

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

"Challenging, invigorating, and unique." - Scott Lynch, bestselling author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

Maia, 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.

© Katherine Addison 2021 (P) Penguin Audio and Rebellion Publishing 2021

 Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction

Continue the series
The Orb of Cairado cover art
The Orb of Cairado By: Katherine Addison
All stars
Most relevant
The names though.. Phew. Hard to keep track of. I recommend writing them down as you meet them.

really lovely, and interesting world building

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you like books where everything is super dramatic and stuff is happening all of the time, this is not the book for you. I loved the exploration of Maya ( spelling unsure) and his character as he’s thrown into the formal and rigid world of the elven high court. The underlying plot threads held it all together without rushing the story. The names were incredibly difficult to keep in my head and I very much had to rely on context to know who the hell what who when their full names and titles were used as they were all similar- I wonder if this is problem is moreso for audiobooks readers?

Anyway I thought it was very interesting and charming

A interesting slow paced read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A light and enjoyable story which was overall very satisfying. Seeing how much of the storyline was based around politics and etiquette, I was surprised by how entertained I was by this book. The characters names were long and complex which made it hard to follow at times, but may have been easier if reading. I found the racism a bit heavy handed.... was it really necessary to constantly refer to the shame of being dark skinned?

enjoyable fantasy with political intrigue

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a great listen. I don't usually start with the narrator, but he was perfect for this book, especially since The Goblin Emperor is told entirely from the perspective of one character.
The story is a simple premise, being an unfavoured son plucked from obscurity, but also mixes in some whodunit, court politics, and intrigue.
I was really quite captivated by this book, and despite the names being quite complex and the levels of hierarchy having unfamiliar names, this was a great listen.
There are two other books that follow, but as the focus moves from this character and the narrator changes, I decided to leave it with just this one book and enjoy it for what it is.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great narrator and an okay story. But it's not edge of your seat reading - not a lot happens. Just a mild sort of a listen. Still, I'd read more if there is more.

Tolerable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.