Weekend Reads #104: Goblin Emperor Readalong, Ch. 27-end

🙂 / 😥 I don’t know how to feel. This is my last (for now) Wyrd & Wonder readalong post for the Weekend Reads series.

I’m so… I don’t know. I finished the book and I love it so much because Maia is one of my favorite, all-time characters. The Goblin Emperor was a great book, and I’m glad it was selected for the Wyrd & Wonder readalong, but I’m sad the readalong and the book has ended. The Goblin Emperor is a standalone novel (a unicorn in fantasy publishing, lol!), and it made me realize even more that I prefer series, although I never complete them. I want more Maia! 😥

Well, here are Lisa’s questions (and my answers) on the latest chapters. Lisa, from Dear Geek Place, is the moderator for the readalong on Goodreads and is a co-host of the Wyrd & Wonder fantasy celebration event.

Goblin Emperor Readalong Questions for Chapters 27-the end:

Now that I’m at the end, I realize that I kept forgetting to warn about spoilers. Well, better late than never, I guess, SPOILERS!!

Let’s start with Maia’s grandfather! What do you think of the Avar, and his budding relationship with Maia?

He was a delight. I was expecting something else from him. I was expecting someone seeking to use the opportunity (discarded grandson suddenly an emperor) for self-serving reasons, probably to gain a hold on the elf kingdom. I was expecting him to be mean… Basically I was expecting him to be like Maia’s late father, but I love how the Avar is. 🙂

He’s a large goblin, tall and broad, yet so graceful on the dancefloor. I love that he cares about Maia’s wellbeing and tries to communicate that. I do wonder if this is a recent change in him because Maia became emperor. Would he still have shown interest in his grandson if Maia’s father was still alive or if Maia’s father was dead but Maia did not become emperor? Would he still want Maia to be his heir? I think the real reason for his visit is to assess Maia to see if Maia could be (is worth being named) his heir. But I really liked the old dude and I like Maia’s aunts too and that one of them disguised herself as a boy and became a sea captain.

Another plot against Maia is foiled… Were you surprised by the reveal of Tethimar as the one behind the late emperor’s murder? And what are your thoughts on this reveal, in light of the way this part of the story played out?

I wasn’t surprised at all. After a while, he became my suspect #1 (I think after Csevet recounted his experience with Tethimar. That’s when I was like “I bet it’s that mofo.”). I also found it suspicious that he kept trying “help” Maia while also trying to intimidate him. I was always suspicious of the dude.

I was a little disappointed by how Tethimar exposed himself by attempting to kill Maia so publicly. I think that was done to hurry the story along… but maybe Tethimar was also growing impatient and didn’t care to be cautious. Still, I assumed it would be gradually revealed that he’s the mastermind behind the airship plot. I thought that there would be an attempt on Celehar’s life and more clues would lead to Tethimar. Or that the attempt on Maia’s life would be better planned than Tethimar doing it at an event that has so much security. That doesn’t make sense to me. But I am glad he died and that Vedero didn’t have to marry him.

For all of the enmity that’s shown to him, our emperor has a much more hopeful nickname by the end… Looking back, are you satisfied with/pleased by the way Maia handled all of these situations in which he had to make or break relationships? Was there anything you were left questioning or that you feel should have gone differently?

Nope. I love Maia, and I think he did well, especially considering that he doesn’t have much education and experience at court. He’s lucky to have such good people around him. I think he did well, and I think “Edrehasivar the Bridge-Builder” is a fitting name.

And as always, feel free to add any other thoughts/feelings on the book in general, now that it’s over!

I like Shulivar’s character. I like his function in the story. When I read Maia’s interview with him, I kept thinking that Maia could have been him, or could have held the same beliefs if Maia was introduced to such philosophy earlier on. If so (if Maia had given into such philosophy), I think it could have driven Maia to harsh actions against his father considering the animosity there.

I love that Maia’s relationship with his proposed empress (Ceredin? Ugh, these names) has developed more positively. They seem to be growing fond of each other by the end. And so too the relationship with his nohecharei. They’re friends now! 😀 I also like that the Avar urged Maia’s staff to ensure that he gets some time for leisure. Maia sorely needs it.

I just love the story. 🙂 Can’t wait to reread it.

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What I’m currently reading:

I’m struggling with American Gods. I didn’t expect this to happen. 😦 Tempted to DNF it.

What are you reading this weekend?

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