Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Book Review: Goblin War

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The third book in Jim C. Hines' Goblin series, Goblin War, was just released a couple of weeks ago. Having enjoyed the first two novels, Goblin Quest and Goblin Hero, I had pre-ordered the third from Amazon. The latest book is a fast, fun read, so I worked through it in just a few days.

Here's what I liked:
  • The story is written mostly from the viewpoint of the goblin protagonist, Jig, so it shares his distinctly goblin-y outlook. This approach makes it quite different from most other works of fantasy.
  • The book is filled with dark and slightly twisted humor, which I often enjoy.
  • The new book isn't just a regurgitation of material from the first two. The story is bigger, there are probably more major characters, and one storyline follows conflict between gods. Neat.
  • One or two new "monster" species are included.
Here's what I didn't like:
  • I'd like to see Hines broaden his storytelling even further. In the second book, perhaps a third of the story was told from a another goblin's perspective. In the new book, only a small fraction of the story is told from any perspective other than Jig's. I'd like to see through some non-goblin eyes. Perhaps a dwarf's or an elf's.
Overall, I give this book 7.0 out of 10. It's a fun ride.

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