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Lays of the Hearth-Fire #0.6
The Game of Courts
The Cavalier Conju enazo Argellian an Vilius—Conju to his friends, or he would be if any of them had survived the Fall of Astandalas—survived the cataclysmic destruction of the Empire of Astandalas in perfectly good health, thank you very much. If he spent the year (or hundred years) afterwards partying while the world burned ... well, he has always considered himself a man of fashion, and that was very definitely the fashion.
Until the Emperor woke up. At which point Conju wondered whether he might conceivably want to consider the other options. Even if cataloguing storerooms is a bit of a pain when you don't actually know what anything is. Sadly, neither perfumery nor fashion are particularly useful skills after a magical apocalypse. Unless you can finesse your way into attending said Emperor, that is...
The Game of Courts is a companion novella to The Hands of the Emperor. It is set concurrently to Petty Treasons.
Until the Emperor woke up. At which point Conju wondered whether he might conceivably want to consider the other options. Even if cataloguing storerooms is a bit of a pain when you don't actually know what anything is. Sadly, neither perfumery nor fashion are particularly useful skills after a magical apocalypse. Unless you can finesse your way into attending said Emperor, that is...
The Game of Courts is a companion novella to The Hands of the Emperor. It is set concurrently to Petty Treasons.
67 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2023
38 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Goddard
43 books780 followersI walked across England in 2013, fulfilling a long-held dream. I'm currently the sexton of an Anglican church in Nova Scotia, which means I am keeper of the keys and opener of doors (and shutter-off of alarms). I have a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Toronto, looking at poetry and philosophy in the works of Dante and Boethius -- both the poetry and the philosophy come into my stories a great deal (and occasionally the Dante and the Boethius).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
May 11, 2025
There's just something about Goddard's writing that I love. She seems to really cherish her characters, like Lois McMaster Bujold does. And Conju most definitely is lovable, his whole personality, with his little quirks, passion for perfume and clothing and his unwavering love for the Emperor.
I'm glad Goddard wrote these novellas to give us more insight into the characters close to Kip and the Emperor.
So far this is aiming to gain a top spot among my most loved fantasy series.
I'm glad Goddard wrote these novellas to give us more insight into the characters close to Kip and the Emperor.
So far this is aiming to gain a top spot among my most loved fantasy series.
October 15, 2023
So good, and so short, it’s practically a tease. I would devour an entire book just filled with random vignettes about Conju’s life with Kit and His Radiancy.
March 5, 2024
Another short story (less than 100 pages) explaining the background of the Emperor's ("Lays of the Hearth") attendant/groom/servant. Lots of diversity in the characters.
I take exception to some of the tags Amazon/Goodreads places on some books and stories in the one word descriptions. The tags to me seem blatant. They reflect very little on the tales.
I take exception to some of the tags Amazon/Goodreads places on some books and stories in the one word descriptions. The tags to me seem blatant. They reflect very little on the tales.
October 22, 2023
love this view of Kip!
It’s so funny to see a young conju and Kip in the early days. Conju is so strict and Kip so arrogant, having read all of the other books I know those traits will be mellowed by age and friendship, but it’s enjoyable to see the. At the forefront here. And always with adoration for his radiancy.
Do yourself a favor and pick up the hands of the emperor if you haven’t already. It’s more than well with the commitment.
It’s so funny to see a young conju and Kip in the early days. Conju is so strict and Kip so arrogant, having read all of the other books I know those traits will be mellowed by age and friendship, but it’s enjoyable to see the. At the forefront here. And always with adoration for his radiancy.
Do yourself a favor and pick up the hands of the emperor if you haven’t already. It’s more than well with the commitment.
April 10, 2025
One of those short stories that you wish was much, much longer. Goddard does an amazing job of drawing out the beautiful and redemptive qualities of friendship, especially in times of trial. I think Conju may be my most beloved character of this series, so it was delightful to catch a glimpse of his interior life. I especially love how Conju shows his love for the Emperor through his work, and in retrospect it makes his scenes in The Hands of the Emperor all the more touching.
December 30, 2024
Am so glad this exists. Reading about the background character - an attendant to the king, that's always existed in the periphery, is pretty nice.
November 3, 2025
Sensacional a habilidade dessa autora de me prender nas histórias. Amo ver o Cliopher mudando a vida de todo mundo.
March 16, 2024
Wtf Conju is so lovable. Giving him and Kip a coworkers-to-friends slow burn with a little miscommunication trope thrown in slaps so hard. Goddard really knows how to character.
October 30, 2023
Can we PLEASE talk about how much I adore Conju. Aside from Kip, obviously, he's my favourite member of the imperial household, and I really liked this novella about Conju's early days after the Fall. It's such a striking contrast, the Conju we see in HOTE and this young Conju, foppish courtier, deeply lost, despairing, and yet coming into his own against this backdrop of both personal tragedy of loss and substance abuse and intermundial crises of The Worlds Falling Apart. It maybe made me weep a bit. Conju finds purpose beyond himself, finds use for his finnicky temperament and anxious tendencies, falls in love with an Ideal but then learns to love the man beneath it. He /needs/ to be needed. (Also TEREC but I can't bear to think of that yet).
Aside from Conju's own past, this novella gave us a much better view in to the practical realities in the palace after the Fall (the time distortions, the lack of contact with the outside world, all the magical weirdness). The terror of it all doesn't come through the same way in Petty Treasons, perhaps because Kip is so immediately practical, even as he suffered terrible in the Fall's aftermath. It also gives a clearer picture about His Radiancy after the Fall, and the priest-wizards, and how the imperial fiction of the divinity of the emperor became reality after the Fall (and how this eventually leads us to the events of HOTE).
And of course, it's always a delight to see Kip from an outsiders perspective. I understand Kip's temperament and goals so deeply, so to see him as this widely disliked rural commoner upstart from Conju's perspective is both funny & endearing because we know they go on to be such good friends, but also a little heartbreaking when we consider the isolation and loneliness Kip experienced early in his career, those innumerable years he just glosses over as 'no big deal' in HOTE.
Aside from Conju's own past, this novella gave us a much better view in to the practical realities in the palace after the Fall (the time distortions, the lack of contact with the outside world, all the magical weirdness). The terror of it all doesn't come through the same way in Petty Treasons, perhaps because Kip is so immediately practical, even as he suffered terrible in the Fall's aftermath. It also gives a clearer picture about His Radiancy after the Fall, and the priest-wizards, and how the imperial fiction of the divinity of the emperor became reality after the Fall (and how this eventually leads us to the events of HOTE).
And of course, it's always a delight to see Kip from an outsiders perspective. I understand Kip's temperament and goals so deeply, so to see him as this widely disliked rural commoner upstart from Conju's perspective is both funny & endearing because we know they go on to be such good friends, but also a little heartbreaking when we consider the isolation and loneliness Kip experienced early in his career, those innumerable years he just glosses over as 'no big deal' in HOTE.
December 10, 2023
conju you sassy prissy little man you are so gay i love you
May 13, 2024
Really loved the detail in this lovingly crafted tale about one of Cliopher's colleagues.
December 10, 2025
Loved getting more insight into Conju!
October 21, 2023
bought this the second it came out and was not disapointed. it was fascinating seeing things through Conju's point of view, which were absolutely NOT how Cliopher would have us believe. That said, it's more of explanatino of everything that happened than an actual story, most things are described than actually taking place. Still loved it and worth the read.
3rd person.
3rd person.
September 30, 2024
i’m so very fond of conju
October 19, 2023
I was wondering…
It always seemed interesting to me that Kip and Conju got along, considering how different they are. This is the story of how Conju came to court, and how it all happened! Totally works this way, too — I feel like if the introduction had been different, they never would have spoken, or at least not for quite a while.
It always seemed interesting to me that Kip and Conju got along, considering how different they are. This is the story of how Conju came to court, and how it all happened! Totally works this way, too — I feel like if the introduction had been different, they never would have spoken, or at least not for quite a while.
October 28, 2023
Did not want that to end.
December 10, 2023
Good. Read the hands of the emperor before this one.
November 28, 2024
I’ve enjoyed all of Goddard’s books so far. The early ones are lovely romps, but the latest ones have such a beautiful maturity. This is Conju’s story, and his journey to his position and also his friendship with Cliopher. It’s almost heartbreaking but also uplifting in the same way as Hands or Sun.
February 20, 2024
Another interesting little Nine Worlds / Lays of the Hearth-Fire prequel novella that sheds light on a minor character from The Hands of the Emperor -- in this case, his Radiancy's esteemed personal valet Conju an Vilius -- but isn't quite robust enough of a story to stand fully on its own. Instead, we get an abbreviated look at the cavalier's arc in the wake of the Fall: losing himself in empty debauchery, realizing his life could still have purpose despite its losses, entering the Emperor's staff, working his way up to his desired position, and unexpectedly befriending his lord's idealistic new secretary Cliopher, whom he initially mistrusts and looks down upon. It's a tale with the same cozy fantasy vibes as most of this series, and I love how the protagonist dedicates himself to an ideal of competency and then goes about steadily achieving it, almost like those great wordless montages on Better Call Saul. It's also amusing to see a more skeptical perspective on how Kip's early bureaucratic reforms would have appeared from the outside, after getting to know them so intimately in Hands.
This plot runs roughly simultaneously with the book Petty Treasons, and a few scenes even repeat, albeit from our new POV. I think the title probably works best in conjunction with prior releases like that for readers seeking a deeper understanding of how certain interpersonal dynamics originally came into effect, although I can't yet speak for how it's informed by the volume Terec and the Wild, which tracks the hero's younger days and his ill-fated romance with a boy from his homeland. That composite feel for this saga can sometimes make it a challenge to assign ratings to individual entries, but this one ultimately seems a worthy addition to the rest. I'll give it three-and-a-half stars, rounded up.
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This plot runs roughly simultaneously with the book Petty Treasons, and a few scenes even repeat, albeit from our new POV. I think the title probably works best in conjunction with prior releases like that for readers seeking a deeper understanding of how certain interpersonal dynamics originally came into effect, although I can't yet speak for how it's informed by the volume Terec and the Wild, which tracks the hero's younger days and his ill-fated romance with a boy from his homeland. That composite feel for this saga can sometimes make it a challenge to assign ratings to individual entries, but this one ultimately seems a worthy addition to the rest. I'll give it three-and-a-half stars, rounded up.
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
October 27, 2023
Diving into this Nine Worlds novella was a pleasure! (This one is set before the events of The Hands of the Emperor and there is a crossover with Petty Treasons.) I really enjoyed Conju’s POV – I hadn’t quite connected with this character before, to be honest. It was unexpected and refreshing.
I am really impressed by how well Victoria Goddard creates distinct voices for her POV characters in all her books.
The beginning is mesmerising, with Conju sitting at his work table, thinking of his family that is gone forever. The old heartbreak mentioned in the other books is so vividly and achingly described here.
“let himself remember the bright summer mornings and the cozy winter afternoons, and all the whispered promises that would never be fulfilled.”
There is so much character growth in these 80 pages (too short!). After the magical apocalypse of the fall, Conju is broken, handling his trauma in predictable ways. But then there is the Emperor, who is… interesting. Might it not be a good idea for the Emperor to have “a stable core of people loyal to him”? Conju gains ambition because he wants to somehow help someone he admires from a distance. This is awesome. Dear book, can I hug you?
And I didn’t even know that I wanted a delightful, delicious story of Conju and Cliopher meeting and getting to know each other. Yet here it is, and it makes me happy.
I am really impressed by how well Victoria Goddard creates distinct voices for her POV characters in all her books.
The beginning is mesmerising, with Conju sitting at his work table, thinking of his family that is gone forever. The old heartbreak mentioned in the other books is so vividly and achingly described here.
“let himself remember the bright summer mornings and the cozy winter afternoons, and all the whispered promises that would never be fulfilled.”
There is so much character growth in these 80 pages (too short!). After the magical apocalypse of the fall, Conju is broken, handling his trauma in predictable ways. But then there is the Emperor, who is… interesting. Might it not be a good idea for the Emperor to have “a stable core of people loyal to him”? Conju gains ambition because he wants to somehow help someone he admires from a distance. This is awesome. Dear book, can I hug you?
And I didn’t even know that I wanted a delightful, delicious story of Conju and Cliopher meeting and getting to know each other. Yet here it is, and it makes me happy.
January 29, 2024
That the Emperor was their sun was metaphorical, a statement of political fiction or theology: that he would burn or blind those who got too close simple fact. [loc. 299]
Another Goddard novella, focussing on Cavalier Conju enazo Argellian an Vilius and his life before he became the Emperor's Groom of the Chamber. The story begins with Conju having survived the catastrophic Fall of Astandalas, and spending the year, or century, afterwards -- the period during which the Emperor was in a magical sleep -- drinking his way through the supplies in the palace, and hanging out with a bunch of disreputable and debauched fellow survivors. (All his actual friends are dead.) Then the Emperor wakes, and Conju sobers up and discovers an ambition: to become one of the inner circle who tend to His Radiancy, a man notoriously particular -- like Conju himself -- about his attire and appearance. And does not care for mindless obedience, or for the prison of etiquette.
Woven through that story is Conju's grief for his lost love Terec; his occasional dalliances; his skills as a perfumier and arbiter of fashion, and and his growing friendship with a quiet fellow at court, who is only later revealed to be the Emperor's new secretary. And it becomes obvious that Conju has quietly manipulated circumstances -- a rumour here, a choice there, a morsel of gossip -- to the benefit of his lord.
This was a delight to read: I love the way that Goddard brings secondary characters to life, and her depiction of the beginnings of friendship between Conju and Kip (and the beginnings of something more rareified between Conju and His Radiancy) is understated. Especially good to see Conju discovering that in fact he does have a sense of humour.
After reading this I dipped into The Hands of the Emperor to see how Conju had matured. But one does not just 'dip into'...
March 31, 2025
This is another small prequel novella to The Hands of the Emperor which explores how one of the honestly fairly minor side characters got to where he did. It is....fine? Nothing terrible, especially. I do quibble that somehow he's the only person to realise that it's a good idea to become friendly with the new secretary that the emperor seems to adore? I'm not also not really convinced by everyone at our court hates the new secretary but he's such a diplomatic genius that he gets a landmark treaty signed -- if he's such a diplomatic genius he'd be able to get stuff done at home without making literally everybody his enemy.
It's fairly slight and far from essential reading even for fans of Goddard's series.
It's fairly slight and far from essential reading even for fans of Goddard's series.
December 30, 2024
3.5 rolled up to 4.
Short and sweet, it is so interesting to see Conju from his own POV and how he didn't initially buy into the myth of his radiancy but become more earnest as he got to interact with him.
I enjoyed seeing how some of the lords dealt with the fall and realise that Conju was trying, within the constraints of what he knew, to meet his radiancy's wishes.
I also liked seeing his impression of Kip and how snobby Conju can be just because he is a lordling and despite not having a family or a land, it is hard to shake those initial beliefs.
Short and sweet, it is so interesting to see Conju from his own POV and how he didn't initially buy into the myth of his radiancy but become more earnest as he got to interact with him.
I enjoyed seeing how some of the lords dealt with the fall and realise that Conju was trying, within the constraints of what he knew, to meet his radiancy's wishes.
I also liked seeing his impression of Kip and how snobby Conju can be just because he is a lordling and despite not having a family or a land, it is hard to shake those initial beliefs.
January 5, 2025
I'm tidying up some of the novellas and short stories between the main volumes of this series. I think they are delightful, providing colour, depth and background to the stories we already know. This one explains Conju - what he was doing before and after the Fall, and how he got his position with the Emperor. And, like all these stories, why he loves the Emperor and our other friends (Cliopher, the guards etc.) Don't read these if you are not familiar with the series, it will not make a whole lot of sense.
January 4, 2024
lovely short novella, enjoyed Conju's change from shock-induced revelry to strict but passionate dressing/caretaking of his Emperor. also enjoyed his rampant gay flings! was hoping for more court intrigue and working his way up the ranks--the story could have benefitted from more complexity in this (and other) areas. I understand it was probably just meant as a cute character study but I can't help but yearn for more intrigue and complexity!
December 11, 2024
shelving this in place of the bonus content for ATFOS (which is 73 pages to this books 67) bc i want to shelve smth on goodreads…
anyways i’ll probably read this one too so i’ll have to shelve it twice😭💔
also the bonus chapters were SO GOOD. THE END AHHHH
…
okay i read this for real now and it was pretty good!! conju is an interesting pov and there’s a lot of character growth in this story. i also like seeing how sweet kip is from his pov🥺🥺🥺🥺
anyways i’ll probably read this one too so i’ll have to shelve it twice😭💔
also the bonus chapters were SO GOOD. THE END AHHHH
…
okay i read this for real now and it was pretty good!! conju is an interesting pov and there’s a lot of character growth in this story. i also like seeing how sweet kip is from his pov🥺🥺🥺🥺
January 7, 2025
If you liked The Hands of the Emperor, you’ll definitely want to read this. If you haven’t, I’m not sure this will make much sense, since it’s a short side-story and the world building happens in the main novel. This is the story of how Conju comes to work for His Radiancy and how he makes friends with Kip. It’s enjoyable, but too short for me to completely love it. However, I enjoyed Conju’s perspective and the opportunity to see more of events that were only briefly touched on in the novel.
October 18, 2023
Wonderful
Another delightful vignette about the early days of establishing the Emperor's household after the fall of Astandalas.
Conju, a minor courtier has lost his family in the Fall and for a long time loses himself in debauchery. When the emperor wakes from his coma, Conjunction starts to find a new focus.
Another delightful vignette about the early days of establishing the Emperor's household after the fall of Astandalas.
Conju, a minor courtier has lost his family in the Fall and for a long time loses himself in debauchery. When the emperor wakes from his coma, Conjunction starts to find a new focus.
December 30, 2023
I have found every single other book in the Lays of the Hearth-Fire to be compulsively readable, basically literally unable to put them down, reading them obsessively to get to the hearts of the stories and the characters.
And this... was really not like that. But it was a very quick read that enhances a character, at least.
And this... was really not like that. But it was a very quick read that enhances a character, at least.
January 15, 2024
A fun little diversion into Conju's world, and a nice companion to the main series books. As with many of these novellas (novelettes?) it's more of an amuse-bouche than a meal, and I do wish there had been more to it, but still fun for fans of the series. Definitely read at least The Hands of the Emperor before reading this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews