| Author: Jim C. Hines | |
| Rating: 8 | Reviewer: Damon |
| Genre: Fantasy | Publisher:Five Star |
| Pages: 339 | Orig Pub Date: 2004 |
| Binding: Hardcover |
Dalerone is back with a review of some more bubblegum fantasy novels. Now when I say bubblegum fantasy it is not a put down by any stretch of the imagination but rather just a genre within a genre of literature. GoblinQuest by Jim Hines fits this bill perfectly as a wonderful romp in a fantasy world following not only a group of adventurers but a goblin community where we interface with a single goblin named Jig as he comments on things we always think in our head while we read fantasy, play a fantasy video game, or sit down for a session of our favorite Role Playing Game. Why do goblins attack one at a time, or why do goblins never overrun an area, why are goblins cowards etc… We learn Jib’s take on all this and more as he plays servant to the adventures that come down into his mountain for glory and treasure.
This book plays out like a dungeon crawl through a classic RPG with random encounters, sub bosses and bosses, magic items and the like that make this an enjoyable experience even though we do not see anything our of the ordinary. There are a few clever twists through this story, none of which I will give away, but magic items always turn up in the most unexpected places as well as getting a glipse on how certain evil entities seem to live forever, even when they are not what they seem. Jim puts everything in place though and we learn why things are the way they are in this mountain environment that is a microcosm of different types of intelligent/non intelligent monsters.
I really felt I could get a good grasp of each character from the spoiled noble adventurer leading the party, to the typical dwarf, and even Jig’s fire spider pet Smudge (who is an integral part of the adventure mind you). Jim did a good job of showing us the dynamics of the two princes (too far down in the family tree to worry about becoming the next king) to the dwarf that maps everything in sight even if it puts his party in more danger. It does not feel cliché though as each member is diverse enough to give us a original feel. Jig though is a little bit of an anomaly though as even though he is a coward goblin he accomplishes many great things in this adventure he is thrust into unexpectedly. He semi-befriends the elven thief rogue that the adventures have coerced to join them (to avoid jail) and with the luck usually reserved for the adventurers finds a way to not only contribute but far surpass his own expectations and those of the adventurers. Jig becomes the hero of the story and the adventure through a series of luck, knowing his environment, cowardice, and a nice bit of praying to a long dead entity.
There is just enough humor here to make this a fun adventure with a nice sprinkle of originality that makes you want to continue to read to the end. All in all I found this another good example of a humorous bubblegum fantasy novel with some good original ideas.
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