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Goblin Market
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Expected 20 Oct 26Win a free kindle copy of this book!
5 days and 21:59:15
50 copies available
U.S. only
A goblin changeling caught between the human and fey worlds must find a way to save her home in this warm and heartfelt fantasy from the author of Toto and the Hell’s Library series.
Being a changeling is hard enough, but Toast was older than most changeling children when her goblin parents stole her back from her human family and returned her to the harsh, bustling world of the Goblin Market, where anything from your fondest dream to your strongest talent can be bought—or sold.
Nearly a decade later, Toast has grudgingly cobbled together a life there as the Market’s guide for mortal visitors. But when the next arrival is her long-lost sister and the ancient beast whose magic the Market depends on disappears under strange circumstances, everything starts falling apart.
Now the Market itself is dying. With the Summer Court of noble fey plotting to claim the weakened Market for themselves, Toast, her friends, and an infuriatingly charming fey knight with an agenda of her own must negotiate their differences to make the trade of a lifetime and win back the Market's future. To do so, Toast will have to decide what home--and the flawed community within--is ultimately worth.
Being a changeling is hard enough, but Toast was older than most changeling children when her goblin parents stole her back from her human family and returned her to the harsh, bustling world of the Goblin Market, where anything from your fondest dream to your strongest talent can be bought—or sold.
Nearly a decade later, Toast has grudgingly cobbled together a life there as the Market’s guide for mortal visitors. But when the next arrival is her long-lost sister and the ancient beast whose magic the Market depends on disappears under strange circumstances, everything starts falling apart.
Now the Market itself is dying. With the Summer Court of noble fey plotting to claim the weakened Market for themselves, Toast, her friends, and an infuriatingly charming fey knight with an agenda of her own must negotiate their differences to make the trade of a lifetime and win back the Market's future. To do so, Toast will have to decide what home--and the flawed community within--is ultimately worth.
368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
A.J. Hackwith
13 books1,541 followersA. J. Hackwith is (almost) certainly not an ink witch in a hoodie. She's a queer writer of fantasy and science fiction living in the Pacific Northwest, and writes sci-fi romance as Ada Harper. She is a graduate of the Viable Paradise writer's workshop and her work appears in Uncanny Magazine and assorted anthologies. Summon A.J. at your own peril with an arcane circle of fountain pens and classic RPGs, or you can find her on Twitter and other dark corners of the Internet.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Berkley for a chance to review this arc! So happy I got this one.
Goblin Market follows a goblin changeling - Toast - in her adventures to save said market. Changelings are usually left with humans until they turn 6yo, but Toast was left there until she was 11yo… meaning her attachment to the human world was pretty grand. She never felt like she belonged and the Goblin Market is not an easy one for someone whose more human than most.
This was honestly a sweet read and I loved Klüm the most. I just never felt like we had full access to the fmc (Toast) and her sister Sam. I thought the reveal would hold a higher emotional impact than it did, leaving me wanting more out of it. There’s a lot of information about the market & the other characters but Toast felt out of reach for me. The sapphic romance was the element I was the most excited about and while it was cute, it also left me wanting for more.
The worldbuilding was honestly really well done and so was the found family element. I recommend this cozy fantasy for these aspects. It’s very unique & was a cute read.
Goblin Market follows a goblin changeling - Toast - in her adventures to save said market. Changelings are usually left with humans until they turn 6yo, but Toast was left there until she was 11yo… meaning her attachment to the human world was pretty grand. She never felt like she belonged and the Goblin Market is not an easy one for someone whose more human than most.
This was honestly a sweet read and I loved Klüm the most. I just never felt like we had full access to the fmc (Toast) and her sister Sam. I thought the reveal would hold a higher emotional impact than it did, leaving me wanting more out of it. There’s a lot of information about the market & the other characters but Toast felt out of reach for me. The sapphic romance was the element I was the most excited about and while it was cute, it also left me wanting for more.
The worldbuilding was honestly really well done and so was the found family element. I recommend this cozy fantasy for these aspects. It’s very unique & was a cute read.
September 15, 2026
started out really strong but kinda fumbled the ending
still 3.5 stars cause i love fae lesbians
still 3.5 stars cause i love fae lesbians
October 3, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This story well surpassed my expectations, but it is not without its flaws. I would weirdly say that this falls under cozy fantasy/romance. It reminded me a lot of The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan in that the narrative centers on found family in a darker setting. The romance, in my opinion was done well, even if it was mostly pining after one another. The only thing that detracts from this narrative significantly for me, is that a non-negligible amount of the plot hinged on The Backrooms. Not like, the backrooms of the market, but THE Backrooms. The analog horror/creepypasta that got a movie in 2026. It's outright declared to be the same thing, and just kinda, shouldn't be there? Like, you have the equivalent to inter-dimensional travel already via the goblin market and the existence of Fey realms. Why not just use the Feywild or some other alternative, why did The Backrooms have to get shoehorned in?
Some other reviews complained about very modern references being in the book. Things like ChatGPT and Interstellar; however, I can let those pass as those references came from a character who lived in our world until she entered the market. I did get confused a few times because I thought the references came from our main character, who got brought to the market 10 years ago. (So 2016, before The Backrooms and ChatGPT was even invented) Unless this book was meant to be taking place in the future, I am assuming I misidentified the speaker in those instances and they weren't just plot holes.
If you can get past the odd road-bump in narrative flow, this is a worthwhile read.
This story well surpassed my expectations, but it is not without its flaws. I would weirdly say that this falls under cozy fantasy/romance. It reminded me a lot of The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan in that the narrative centers on found family in a darker setting. The romance, in my opinion was done well, even if it was mostly pining after one another. The only thing that detracts from this narrative significantly for me, is that a non-negligible amount of the plot hinged on The Backrooms. Not like, the backrooms of the market, but THE Backrooms. The analog horror/creepypasta that got a movie in 2026. It's outright declared to be the same thing, and just kinda, shouldn't be there? Like, you have the equivalent to inter-dimensional travel already via the goblin market and the existence of Fey realms. Why not just use the Feywild or some other alternative, why did The Backrooms have to get shoehorned in?
Some other reviews complained about very modern references being in the book. Things like ChatGPT and Interstellar; however, I can let those pass as those references came from a character who lived in our world until she entered the market. I did get confused a few times because I thought the references came from our main character, who got brought to the market 10 years ago. (So 2016, before The Backrooms and ChatGPT was even invented) Unless this book was meant to be taking place in the future, I am assuming I misidentified the speaker in those instances and they weren't just plot holes.
If you can get past the odd road-bump in narrative flow, this is a worthwhile read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Goblin Market was one of my most-anticipated reads of the year, and I was so, so excited to get an early copy, but it fell pretty flat for me on execution. I wanted a lot more from the setting, the romance, and most especially the writing.
A goblin market provides such fertile ground for storytelling, and it should feel like a character in its own right. That's not the market we get here. Disappointingly, it's just not particularly otherworldly or dangerous. Its primary feature seems to be that it's not very settled in space or time. There's talk of it feeding on desires and having all sorts of strange offerings, but we never really see any of that. The efforts to shoehorn the Backrooms - yes, those Backrooms - into the mythology of the market do not help matters.
This is related to the larger issue I had with the writing - it relies a lot on telling without showing, and to me it just reads pretty clunky on the whole. There are a lot of modern references - they make sense with the premise, but complaints about AI, jokes about McDonald's, and references to ChatGPT and "getting Interstellar'd" (???) pulled me out of the story jarringly and are going to date this book very quickly. For further clunkiness, see also the heavy-handed approach to a romance between two side characters - by the twentieth unsubtle hint that those two are more than mere acquaintances, I was ready to put the book down permanently. (That side plot is an enjoyable one, though.)
The main romance really lacks chemistry, maybe because love interest Valora doesn't get much in the way of characterization. I also didn't really care for Sam or that whole dynamic/plot. However, Toast makes for a compelling, easy-to-root-for main character. I genuinely enjoyed her worldview and would've liked to learn more about her unique relationship with the Market (that is to say: I'd liked to have *seen* more of it, rather than just hear about it secondhand.) Same goes for side characters Henry and Finn - both have very interesting backstories that happily are granted some solid pagetime. I think I'd have really enjoyed a story purely about Toast, Henry, and Finn's adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!
A goblin market provides such fertile ground for storytelling, and it should feel like a character in its own right. That's not the market we get here. Disappointingly, it's just not particularly otherworldly or dangerous. Its primary feature seems to be that it's not very settled in space or time. There's talk of it feeding on desires and having all sorts of strange offerings, but we never really see any of that. The efforts to shoehorn the Backrooms - yes, those Backrooms - into the mythology of the market do not help matters.
This is related to the larger issue I had with the writing - it relies a lot on telling without showing, and to me it just reads pretty clunky on the whole. There are a lot of modern references - they make sense with the premise, but complaints about AI, jokes about McDonald's, and references to ChatGPT and "getting Interstellar'd" (???) pulled me out of the story jarringly and are going to date this book very quickly. For further clunkiness, see also the heavy-handed approach to a romance between two side characters - by the twentieth unsubtle hint that those two are more than mere acquaintances, I was ready to put the book down permanently. (That side plot is an enjoyable one, though.)
The main romance really lacks chemistry, maybe because love interest Valora doesn't get much in the way of characterization. I also didn't really care for Sam or that whole dynamic/plot. However, Toast makes for a compelling, easy-to-root-for main character. I genuinely enjoyed her worldview and would've liked to learn more about her unique relationship with the Market (that is to say: I'd liked to have *seen* more of it, rather than just hear about it secondhand.) Same goes for side characters Henry and Finn - both have very interesting backstories that happily are granted some solid pagetime. I think I'd have really enjoyed a story purely about Toast, Henry, and Finn's adventures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Rating: 3.5 stars
The first chapter of this really pulled on my heartstrings and I was surprised by how compelled I was through the first 50% of the book. A changeling goblin was taken from her human family and now a decade later, she's struggling to make a life for herself in the harsh reality of the Goblin Market. Cue a journey of self discovery, found family, and community building. Plus there's a sweet sapphic romance.
The story's momentum definitely waned, elements became too convoluted, and though I read a finished copy, some editing mistakes added to my confusion.
I would probably rate the first half of the book 4 stars and the second half 3 stars, hence the 3.5 rating. But I liked the concepts, the world felt unique, and overall I'd recommend if you're looking to dive into a world of misfit creatures, fae, and adorable bear cub-like ancient spirits.
The first chapter of this really pulled on my heartstrings and I was surprised by how compelled I was through the first 50% of the book. A changeling goblin was taken from her human family and now a decade later, she's struggling to make a life for herself in the harsh reality of the Goblin Market. Cue a journey of self discovery, found family, and community building. Plus there's a sweet sapphic romance.
The story's momentum definitely waned, elements became too convoluted, and though I read a finished copy, some editing mistakes added to my confusion.
I would probably rate the first half of the book 4 stars and the second half 3 stars, hence the 3.5 rating. But I liked the concepts, the world felt unique, and overall I'd recommend if you're looking to dive into a world of misfit creatures, fae, and adorable bear cub-like ancient spirits.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a fun book, and I really enjoyed it.
The worldbuilding was fantastic, and it was interesting to see the world from a goblin's side of things instead of the human like we usually do. I love Toast to bits, and she is so sweet with a whole boatload of sass mixed in. She has a lot of trauma, and with her unusual upbringing she has some issues working through her identity and who she is now compared to when she was human.
The pacing was fairly quick, but there were a few spots where it slowed to a crawl. At times it felt like we had too many different plots tangled up with each other, but I really liked watching them all weave around each other and slowly unfold. It was a bit lighter on the romance that I expected though. There is also a very strong found family vibe too. The ending could have been better, but it was still satisfying and I was happy with how everything played out.
Overall was a fun romp through a world full of interesting creatures and characters.
This was a fun book, and I really enjoyed it.
The worldbuilding was fantastic, and it was interesting to see the world from a goblin's side of things instead of the human like we usually do. I love Toast to bits, and she is so sweet with a whole boatload of sass mixed in. She has a lot of trauma, and with her unusual upbringing she has some issues working through her identity and who she is now compared to when she was human.
The pacing was fairly quick, but there were a few spots where it slowed to a crawl. At times it felt like we had too many different plots tangled up with each other, but I really liked watching them all weave around each other and slowly unfold. It was a bit lighter on the romance that I expected though. There is also a very strong found family vibe too. The ending could have been better, but it was still satisfying and I was happy with how everything played out.
Overall was a fun romp through a world full of interesting creatures and characters.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 2.5 stars
A. J. Hackwith’s Goblin Market is a dungeons and dragons inspired fantasy novel following a goblin named Toast and her crew of friends. All goblins are changelings, given to human families to raise for their youngest years, but Toast was kept in the human world longer than most and never feels like she belongs in the Market, a lower fae space where bargaining is common and everyone must survive alone. When Toast’s human sister Sam arrives, she is accused of hurting the Market’s central spirit, and a high faerie uses this to seize power.
This story was very fun and engaging, with an interesting world building. The Market itself functioned as both setting and character, creating interesting challenges and compelling problems. There are two queer romance subplots, both of which were well done without overpowering the plot.
I think that the central conflict of the story is too disjointed. There’s a sister seeking a human who no longer exists, there’s a fae court trying to infiltrate the Market, and the spirit who maintains the Market is missing or unable to perform their duties. None of these are treated as subplots, unlike Henry the human’s goblinfruit addiction, the number of bargains that Toast enters into, or Toast’s revelations about her identity and history. There’s a lot happening in this book, and much of it feels disjointed. Removing one of the main plotlines or reducing it to a subplot would have gone a long way in making this book feel a little more coherent.
The ending of the book makes a real effort to retcon the previous suffering experienced by our main character, but I did not find the experience satisfactory. The book tries to rewrite our character’s experiences of suffering as less painful than they experienced. The explanation itself worked for me, but I expected there to be restitution. Our main character’s life improves at the end of the story, but it does not erase years of suffering and manipulation or restore any of the things that were unjustly taken. Every time our character’s name appears on page, we are reminded that her human name was taken from her in exchange for basic sustenance, her identity erased forever. I understand that the author wants us to see this suffering in a better light, but there’s no restoration of all that was taken or explanation that can erase Toast’s years of hunger and homelessness.
This book was a lot of fun, with interesting worldbuilding and a fun host of characters. But there are too many primary conflicts to follow comfortably and the final retcon of Toast’s life was unsatisfying. I wish the story had been pared down a little and worked a little harder to show remorse for our character’s suffering.
Thank you to Ace Publishing, Berkley Publishing Group, A. J. Hackworth and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
A. J. Hackwith’s Goblin Market is a dungeons and dragons inspired fantasy novel following a goblin named Toast and her crew of friends. All goblins are changelings, given to human families to raise for their youngest years, but Toast was kept in the human world longer than most and never feels like she belongs in the Market, a lower fae space where bargaining is common and everyone must survive alone. When Toast’s human sister Sam arrives, she is accused of hurting the Market’s central spirit, and a high faerie uses this to seize power.
This story was very fun and engaging, with an interesting world building. The Market itself functioned as both setting and character, creating interesting challenges and compelling problems. There are two queer romance subplots, both of which were well done without overpowering the plot.
I think that the central conflict of the story is too disjointed. There’s a sister seeking a human who no longer exists, there’s a fae court trying to infiltrate the Market, and the spirit who maintains the Market is missing or unable to perform their duties. None of these are treated as subplots, unlike Henry the human’s goblinfruit addiction, the number of bargains that Toast enters into, or Toast’s revelations about her identity and history. There’s a lot happening in this book, and much of it feels disjointed. Removing one of the main plotlines or reducing it to a subplot would have gone a long way in making this book feel a little more coherent.
The ending of the book makes a real effort to retcon the previous suffering experienced by our main character, but I did not find the experience satisfactory. The book tries to rewrite our character’s experiences of suffering as less painful than they experienced. The explanation itself worked for me, but I expected there to be restitution. Our main character’s life improves at the end of the story, but it does not erase years of suffering and manipulation or restore any of the things that were unjustly taken. Every time our character’s name appears on page, we are reminded that her human name was taken from her in exchange for basic sustenance, her identity erased forever. I understand that the author wants us to see this suffering in a better light, but there’s no restoration of all that was taken or explanation that can erase Toast’s years of hunger and homelessness.
This book was a lot of fun, with interesting worldbuilding and a fun host of characters. But there are too many primary conflicts to follow comfortably and the final retcon of Toast’s life was unsatisfying. I wish the story had been pared down a little and worked a little harder to show remorse for our character’s suffering.
Thank you to Ace Publishing, Berkley Publishing Group, A. J. Hackworth and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
TL;DR: This was okay, a bit clunky but okay.
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Plot: A sapphic romance mingled with a ‘save the sister/market’ plot. It was an interesting setup.
Characters: They were about as deep as you can assume you’d get from a standalone with a lot going on (not very).
Setting: The Goblin Market had some potential but I just couldn’t get excited for this setting ultimately.
Fantasy: A great start but it felt like the magic and setting just took a backseat.
Thoughts:
There was a lot of potential here, and I had some high hopes for this but ultimately I was disappointed with this one. It wasn’t bad by far, it was okay. However the writing felt clunky and everything was very tell and not show which made for a bland reading experience overall.
We have a lot going on here. Toast is surviving off the basically the commission of bargains within The Goblin Market. A young woman arrives seeking her sister, who Toast knows but cannot take her too or tell her about. At the same time a contingent of powerful fae arrive and Toast happens to save one. Then the spirit of the Market goes missing, and the young human is captured. Additionally we have some side characters and a romance that is repeatedly pointed out, and at this point it gets a little messy – I’m not going to lie. There are a lot of plots going on here and through it all we’re told a lot. Told about Toast’s relationship to everything and everyone. Told how we should probably feel. Told what others thing. And while that’s dandy for a younger audience, I was hoping this would lean more into the magical and adult and give us a bit more nuance or show us more than simply tell us.
Toast herself was interesting enough, I actually quite liked her story. Unfortunately she was the only character with good depth, and consequently I couldn’t fully connect with the others in the story. One good character won’t hold up an entire story of this type.
So ultimately this one was just okay. I was bored, and very ready to move on by the half way mark. I think we needed to be shown far more than we were told. And the magic of what should have been a very magical place was a bit lost for me. It could work for you though, I’d recommend a sample or check other reviews!
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Plot: A sapphic romance mingled with a ‘save the sister/market’ plot. It was an interesting setup.
Characters: They were about as deep as you can assume you’d get from a standalone with a lot going on (not very).
Setting: The Goblin Market had some potential but I just couldn’t get excited for this setting ultimately.
Fantasy: A great start but it felt like the magic and setting just took a backseat.
Thoughts:
There was a lot of potential here, and I had some high hopes for this but ultimately I was disappointed with this one. It wasn’t bad by far, it was okay. However the writing felt clunky and everything was very tell and not show which made for a bland reading experience overall.
We have a lot going on here. Toast is surviving off the basically the commission of bargains within The Goblin Market. A young woman arrives seeking her sister, who Toast knows but cannot take her too or tell her about. At the same time a contingent of powerful fae arrive and Toast happens to save one. Then the spirit of the Market goes missing, and the young human is captured. Additionally we have some side characters and a romance that is repeatedly pointed out, and at this point it gets a little messy – I’m not going to lie. There are a lot of plots going on here and through it all we’re told a lot. Told about Toast’s relationship to everything and everyone. Told how we should probably feel. Told what others thing. And while that’s dandy for a younger audience, I was hoping this would lean more into the magical and adult and give us a bit more nuance or show us more than simply tell us.
Toast herself was interesting enough, I actually quite liked her story. Unfortunately she was the only character with good depth, and consequently I couldn’t fully connect with the others in the story. One good character won’t hold up an entire story of this type.
So ultimately this one was just okay. I was bored, and very ready to move on by the half way mark. I think we needed to be shown far more than we were told. And the magic of what should have been a very magical place was a bit lost for me. It could work for you though, I’d recommend a sample or check other reviews!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Vibes: 🧚✨🐻
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Titan Books for the free eARC. This was a very anticipated read for me and I was so happy to get an ARC!
Goblin Market blew me away in the best way. A (very loose) retelling of Christina Rossetti's famous poem "Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters", in this one we follow a sister who's been stolen by the goblins... because she's a changling child and actually a goblin herself. Now, a decade or so later, Toast is working as a tourist guide for humans in the Market. But the human sister she left behind is still looking for her, a bunch of Summer court royals have turned up and are causing trouble, and the Market's mysterious giant bear of a guardian has gone missing. There's also a remarkably bloodthirsty redcap and a whole host of other fae denizens to enjoy, as well as a very charming high fae lady knight.
This book has so much going for it! Parts of it reminded me a little bit of The Cruel Prince (the maniacal but also weirdly loveable redcap may explain that), and while I don't want to promote the author of this next book I'm going to mention, the Market itself gave me strong Neverwhere vibes. The plot is fast paced and action packed and I wish it had been a little longer to give a tiny bit more attention to the romance. I will say that one of the side characters really stole the show for me, possibly because they got more page time than was necessarily warranted for a side character in a 300 page book, but I'm not going to complain. The found family aspect of this book was on point and I loved all the characters so much.
There are a few places where a more careful eye was perhaps needed in the editing department (e.g. a character appearing in an exchange when they're meant to be somewhere else) and the ending was a bit rushed, but none of that detracted from my enjoyment of this romp of a story. I would definitely recommend it if you like stories featuring the morally dubious and occasionally grubby kind of fae.
Also, did you know that a group of moths is called an eclipse? I did not and I am grateful this book informed me of such a wonderfully whimsical factoid.
Pub date: 20 October 2026
Thanks so much to Netgalley and Titan Books for the free eARC. This was a very anticipated read for me and I was so happy to get an ARC!
Goblin Market blew me away in the best way. A (very loose) retelling of Christina Rossetti's famous poem "Goblin Market: A Tale of Two Sisters", in this one we follow a sister who's been stolen by the goblins... because she's a changling child and actually a goblin herself. Now, a decade or so later, Toast is working as a tourist guide for humans in the Market. But the human sister she left behind is still looking for her, a bunch of Summer court royals have turned up and are causing trouble, and the Market's mysterious giant bear of a guardian has gone missing. There's also a remarkably bloodthirsty redcap and a whole host of other fae denizens to enjoy, as well as a very charming high fae lady knight.
This book has so much going for it! Parts of it reminded me a little bit of The Cruel Prince (the maniacal but also weirdly loveable redcap may explain that), and while I don't want to promote the author of this next book I'm going to mention, the Market itself gave me strong Neverwhere vibes. The plot is fast paced and action packed and I wish it had been a little longer to give a tiny bit more attention to the romance. I will say that one of the side characters really stole the show for me, possibly because they got more page time than was necessarily warranted for a side character in a 300 page book, but I'm not going to complain. The found family aspect of this book was on point and I loved all the characters so much.
There are a few places where a more careful eye was perhaps needed in the editing department (e.g. a character appearing in an exchange when they're meant to be somewhere else) and the ending was a bit rushed, but none of that detracted from my enjoyment of this romp of a story. I would definitely recommend it if you like stories featuring the morally dubious and occasionally grubby kind of fae.
Also, did you know that a group of moths is called an eclipse? I did not and I am grateful this book informed me of such a wonderfully whimsical factoid.
Pub date: 20 October 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for the free book.
Goblin Market is a fun fantasy adventure that tries to do a few too many things at once.
The protagonist, Toast, is goblin with stronger ties to the human world than most of her kind. Most of the strengths of the story are thanks to Toast, who I found the most interesting and compelling of the characters, even when the narrative seemed to unfairly paint her as having an unjustified chip on her shoulder (her bitterness seemed rightly earned to me!). One thing I struggled with however was all the contemporary references to the human world, many of which didn’t seem to make sense for the timeline, or just felt gimmicky… I really don’t need to think about bitcoin in my fantasy escapism.
I also enjoyed the many other goblins in the market, but the remaining central characters were less compelling, and just didn’t feel fleshed out enough to me (except Kulm, the bear, who is of course delightful). This was especially the case for the romance side plots. While I appreciated the queer normative universe, the central sapphic romance and the additional MM side romance both felt tacked on, and didn’t add anything to the plot or the depth of the characterizations. The relationships could have just have easily been friendships, and the story would have been essentially the same.
I really enjoyed the world building and exploration of the goblin market itself, and the way it was essentially alive, with its own rules and behaviours that no one fully understands. Unfortunately it sometimes felt like the plot was doing this as well - there’s a lot of competing plot lines in this story, and I lost track of several of them by the end. There is also a villain in this story, but he was probably the least interesting part, and barely worth a mention.
Tldr: An enjoyable if sometimes chaotic fantasy story of found family, and barely there romance in a queer normative universe. It was a fun, with lots of heart and some interesting mechanics, but lacking a little in substance.
Goblin Market is a fun fantasy adventure that tries to do a few too many things at once.
The protagonist, Toast, is goblin with stronger ties to the human world than most of her kind. Most of the strengths of the story are thanks to Toast, who I found the most interesting and compelling of the characters, even when the narrative seemed to unfairly paint her as having an unjustified chip on her shoulder (her bitterness seemed rightly earned to me!). One thing I struggled with however was all the contemporary references to the human world, many of which didn’t seem to make sense for the timeline, or just felt gimmicky… I really don’t need to think about bitcoin in my fantasy escapism.
I also enjoyed the many other goblins in the market, but the remaining central characters were less compelling, and just didn’t feel fleshed out enough to me (except Kulm, the bear, who is of course delightful). This was especially the case for the romance side plots. While I appreciated the queer normative universe, the central sapphic romance and the additional MM side romance both felt tacked on, and didn’t add anything to the plot or the depth of the characterizations. The relationships could have just have easily been friendships, and the story would have been essentially the same.
I really enjoyed the world building and exploration of the goblin market itself, and the way it was essentially alive, with its own rules and behaviours that no one fully understands. Unfortunately it sometimes felt like the plot was doing this as well - there’s a lot of competing plot lines in this story, and I lost track of several of them by the end. There is also a villain in this story, but he was probably the least interesting part, and barely worth a mention.
Tldr: An enjoyable if sometimes chaotic fantasy story of found family, and barely there romance in a queer normative universe. It was a fun, with lots of heart and some interesting mechanics, but lacking a little in substance.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this so much!! This is the first book I've read by AJ Hackwith, and it definitely won't be the last.
Toast was such an endearing character, as were the motley crew of fey and humans she gathered around her throughout the course of the book. I loved all of them and I so enjoyed every moment spent in their company.
The worldbuilding was excellent. The market felt alive and real and tangible. It was also very dynamic and almost like a character itself.
I love love loved the whole idea of it. A changeling left longer in the human world than usual who struggles to adjust to life in the goblin market and who is far more important than she realizes. And who comes to realize, over the course of the story, just how loved she is when she thought she was alone.
The writing was excellent. I was immediately drawn into the story and remained thoroughly hooked through the last page. I dearly hope there is a sequel in the works because I need more of Toast and company.
Now, I'm a little bit biased here, because I've never met a goblin market story that I didn't immediately love, and so I went into this one with a very strong inkling that I would like it. I just didn't realize quite how much. It's shot up to one of my favorite reads of the year so far.
I will be looking up Hackwith's entire backlist. now because I need more.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an advanced copy for review.
Toast was such an endearing character, as were the motley crew of fey and humans she gathered around her throughout the course of the book. I loved all of them and I so enjoyed every moment spent in their company.
The worldbuilding was excellent. The market felt alive and real and tangible. It was also very dynamic and almost like a character itself.
I love love loved the whole idea of it. A changeling left longer in the human world than usual who struggles to adjust to life in the goblin market and who is far more important than she realizes. And who comes to realize, over the course of the story, just how loved she is when she thought she was alone.
The writing was excellent. I was immediately drawn into the story and remained thoroughly hooked through the last page. I dearly hope there is a sequel in the works because I need more of Toast and company.
Now, I'm a little bit biased here, because I've never met a goblin market story that I didn't immediately love, and so I went into this one with a very strong inkling that I would like it. I just didn't realize quite how much. It's shot up to one of my favorite reads of the year so far.
I will be looking up Hackwith's entire backlist. now because I need more.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an advanced copy for review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had a great time reading Goblin Market. It ticked all the boxes that I wanted to see. Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market is one of my favourite poems (I say this as a former poem-hater) so I was unbelievably excited for this book! I loved seeing the Goblin Market come to life on the page, and to drink in its history. I loved the found family dynamic and the adventure that had a dash of sapphic romance.
I loved all the members of our ragtag group, but, of course, baby Külm took the cake. I mean, he's an adorable bear cub! I felt for Toast from the first chapter, and I quickly became quite protective of her. I really liked Val and how she's so different from the typical fae love interests: patient, genial and not at all broody.
I actually went on a side quest in the middle of reading to re-read Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market, and it was enlightening to see its inspiration on this book, especially for the goblinfruit addiction. Even though Hackwith's Goblin Market tells a different tale, there are still themes of sisterhood and family, as well as self-acceptance and belonging.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advanced reader’s copy.
I loved all the members of our ragtag group, but, of course, baby Külm took the cake. I mean, he's an adorable bear cub! I felt for Toast from the first chapter, and I quickly became quite protective of her. I really liked Val and how she's so different from the typical fae love interests: patient, genial and not at all broody.
I actually went on a side quest in the middle of reading to re-read Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market, and it was enlightening to see its inspiration on this book, especially for the goblinfruit addiction. Even though Hackwith's Goblin Market tells a different tale, there are still themes of sisterhood and family, as well as self-acceptance and belonging.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advanced reader’s copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Toast is a changeling. A goblin child left with humans to be raised for the first six years of life. But for Toast, she was with the humans for eleven years. The reasons she was left for so long aren’t known to her, but it made her feel outcast from both the humans and the goblins. Nearly a decade later Toast has cobbled together a life as the Market’s guide. Things are manageable, nearly tolerable, that is until her human sister comes through the Door.
Tropes to look forward to:
Found family
Enemies to lovers (kind of)
I love when books include the Goblin Market in a way that works well. Having a whole book dedicated to the Market and all the chaos that goes into it was a treat. I enjoyed Toast. She is fully realized, a great blend of goblin and human personalities. The eclectic cast of characters that become Toast's companions were fun to follow through the story. It is a great story for someone looking for a cozy-ish adventure through the unexpected.
Tropes to look forward to:
Found family
Enemies to lovers (kind of)
I love when books include the Goblin Market in a way that works well. Having a whole book dedicated to the Market and all the chaos that goes into it was a treat. I enjoyed Toast. She is fully realized, a great blend of goblin and human personalities. The eclectic cast of characters that become Toast's companions were fun to follow through the story. It is a great story for someone looking for a cozy-ish adventure through the unexpected.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To be honest I have never heard of this author before and im so glad I got the opportunity to read her book. This book had me wanting more. A bit more than a cosy fantasy this is the kind of book that hit the mark. I like fantasy but not the over complicated magic system, name the names i can't pronounce, too many lands etc book. This was perfect......all my favourite kind of fantasy characters elves, goblins humans......a changing who gets pulled back to her natural homeland battles to fit in when her sister ends from her human world comes to find her and just when things can't get more complicated her world and the god like being begin to fall apart.
I don't think I have ever loved such a bunch of characters so much even so I can single out t a favourite character they are all so written and structured. If you want a cosyish fantasy mixed with modern day and a variety of fantsy based groups this is a book you must pick up.....a solid five star for me....
I don't think I have ever loved such a bunch of characters so much even so I can single out t a favourite character they are all so written and structured. If you want a cosyish fantasy mixed with modern day and a variety of fantsy based groups this is a book you must pick up.....a solid five star for me....
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a sweet read, but also could have been much stronger. The most rich and compelling relationships between Toast, her family, and the other goblins were sidelined for a cast of characters that I never felt invested in, which made the themes of community and belonging feel like they never lived up to their potential. The text was jam-packed with metaphors and wordplay, which was sometimes great and other times felt like fighting through rapids. I was frequently flipping back through the pages to check on inconsistencies, or to see if it was me or the book that had skipped over something important (it was usually the book). Still, I felt warm and fuzzy at the end. I just wish this had gone through a few more rounds of editing, and that there had been more space for Toast’s growth and relationships to sink in.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Berkley via NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This was so much fun! Hell’s Library was such a fascinating trilogy, and I was so excited to read A.J. Hackwith’s newest book. It's often repeated that the Market is alive, and it truly felt like it while reading. It was adventurous and whimsical, cruel and kind, capricious and steady all at once. Toast was such a lost character for a guide, and I loved reading about her and the family she creates. Kolm was my favorite. The Christina Rossetti quotes were icing on the cake. I truly enjoyed this, and definitely recommend!
This was so much fun! Hell’s Library was such a fascinating trilogy, and I was so excited to read A.J. Hackwith’s newest book. It's often repeated that the Market is alive, and it truly felt like it while reading. It was adventurous and whimsical, cruel and kind, capricious and steady all at once. Toast was such a lost character for a guide, and I loved reading about her and the family she creates. Kolm was my favorite. The Christina Rossetti quotes were icing on the cake. I truly enjoyed this, and definitely recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 2.75
This book had me at fae/goblins and lesbians. The concept was interesting, and I thought the worldbuilding was unique. It was cute, but the plot felt like it dragged a lot. I wish there was more urgency and action in the plot. The characters were alright (Kulm was my favorite) but I didn't really connect to the main characters at all. I was looking forward to the romance, but it felt a bit lacking and I didn't really feel the chemistry between the characters. It was a fun book but I hoped for more.
This book had me at fae/goblins and lesbians. The concept was interesting, and I thought the worldbuilding was unique. It was cute, but the plot felt like it dragged a lot. I wish there was more urgency and action in the plot. The characters were alright (Kulm was my favorite) but I didn't really connect to the main characters at all. I was looking forward to the romance, but it felt a bit lacking and I didn't really feel the chemistry between the characters. It was a fun book but I hoped for more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and A.J Hackwith for the ARC.
Actual rating - 3.5
This was a really fun read, but the pacing let it down a little.
I wasn't completely sold on the romance which was really unfortunate, but I did really love most of the characters individually. They were wonderful, funny, and definitely the heart of the book.
It was a decent read overall, and even though it didn't win me over completely, I'd definitely be interested in reading more by the author in future.
Actual rating - 3.5
This was a really fun read, but the pacing let it down a little.
I wasn't completely sold on the romance which was really unfortunate, but I did really love most of the characters individually. They were wonderful, funny, and definitely the heart of the book.
It was a decent read overall, and even though it didn't win me over completely, I'd definitely be interested in reading more by the author in future.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this dive into the chaos and lore of the Goblin Market. Toast was a fascinating character, and I enjoyed how the story, throughout all the adventures and trying to save the market, was really about Toast discovering who she was and what that meant. There were so many details about the Goblin Market that were fascinating, and my favorite parts were when the whole group was together. Finn was such a great character too - probably my favorite aside from Toast. A great read!
June 23, 2026
Hackwith is an automatic read for me and Goblin Market did not disappoint. Toast and her found family are so well written and endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the market. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I liked this and I think if I read it during a different time, I might even really love it. I just had a hard time staying focused on it, probably because I wanted it to be more of a romance. But there's really cool world building and fun characters!
Want to Read
May 15, 2026I'm a simple creature: I see a Charlie Bowater cover, I want to read the book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
This is a cosy, fantasy romance. I recommend this for girls who want something D&D-esque with a little chaos and a cute bear.
This book is so chaotic, but such is the way of life in the Goblin market. I loved the world building, though it was a little confusing at times due to the ever changing environment.
The characters were fun but I found that their relationships were never fully developed. That said, these characters were fun and I did enjoy their story.
This is a cosy, fantasy romance. I recommend this for girls who want something D&D-esque with a little chaos and a cute bear.
This book is so chaotic, but such is the way of life in the Goblin market. I loved the world building, though it was a little confusing at times due to the ever changing environment.
The characters were fun but I found that their relationships were never fully developed. That said, these characters were fun and I did enjoy their story.
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