What I'm reading

Finished The Goblin Emperor, and yes, it was just as satisfying as the beginning.

Except for one minor detail which is totally my fault: I'd thought the sequel was already out. Went looking for it, only to realize that Katherine Addison is still writing it. Damn. I wish I'd figured that out before I reached the end of book 1.

There was a danger of this book becoming a pity parade: protagonist is exiled to a remote outpost, loses his mom, is dumped into a role he's not prepared for, hated by most, experiences an assassination attempt. But Addison is deft enough to thread that process. Maia loses his temper occasionally, but perceives in the reactions of his subjects how afraid they are of an emperor's anger. He's isolated, but learns to cultivate what relationships are available to him, even while acknowledging which ones aren't. He feels the weight of responsibility, while learning the boundaries of his helplessness.

Still looking forward to book 2 in this universe.