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Goblin Reign #1
Goblin
Spicy never wanted anything more than to spend his days in the goblin library as the sage’s apprentice.
But his sister Thistle already had the job.
All Spicy’s dreams are shattered when a human warband burns his village. His sister is abducted and the sage vanishes.
Forced to leave the ashes of his home behind, he must abandon the only place he has ever known and venture into the land of humans and monsters.
Saving his sister will mean uncovering what the raiders were after.
For some things are worth more than gold, and goblins, as it turns out, have secrets of their own.
A fast-paced dark fantasy series. Grab a copy and join the adventure!
But his sister Thistle already had the job.
All Spicy’s dreams are shattered when a human warband burns his village. His sister is abducted and the sage vanishes.
Forced to leave the ashes of his home behind, he must abandon the only place he has ever known and venture into the land of humans and monsters.
Saving his sister will mean uncovering what the raiders were after.
For some things are worth more than gold, and goblins, as it turns out, have secrets of their own.
A fast-paced dark fantasy series. Grab a copy and join the adventure!
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2019
192 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Gerhard Gehrke
35 books88 followersGerhard Gehrke is the author of several science fiction novels including the best seller Refuge and The Minder’s War series, Nineveh's Child, A Beginner's Guide to Invading Earth, and the Supervillain High series.
He's written and produced for local TV and currently creates story content for a video game company.
You can keep up with him at gerhardgehrke.com.
When not writing, he can be found hiking the hills and trails of Northern California with his wife, looking for snakes, insects, and raptors to annoy, and poking dead things with a stick.
He's written and produced for local TV and currently creates story content for a video game company.
You can keep up with him at gerhardgehrke.com.
When not writing, he can be found hiking the hills and trails of Northern California with his wife, looking for snakes, insects, and raptors to annoy, and poking dead things with a stick.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 14, 2019
Goblin
Goblin Reign, Book 1
By: Gerhard Gehrke
Narrated by: Gareth Richards
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. I really enjoyed this book! This poor goblin, Spicy, is bullied by his peers, then disasters happen and Spicy is alone to face so many of them and bullied all the way. But as the book progresses, Spicy continues to try, and try!
There is so much in here but I can't say much without spoiling it. Just that the book is a non-stop adventure, great characters, wonderful world building, has humans, goblins, trolls, and more!
Made for teen or young adult due to a few gore scenes ( probably seen worse on regular tv) otherwise it would be great for middle grade too! Adults would like it too!
The narration was good too!
Goblin Reign, Book 1
By: Gerhard Gehrke
Narrated by: Gareth Richards
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. I really enjoyed this book! This poor goblin, Spicy, is bullied by his peers, then disasters happen and Spicy is alone to face so many of them and bullied all the way. But as the book progresses, Spicy continues to try, and try!
There is so much in here but I can't say much without spoiling it. Just that the book is a non-stop adventure, great characters, wonderful world building, has humans, goblins, trolls, and more!
Made for teen or young adult due to a few gore scenes ( probably seen worse on regular tv) otherwise it would be great for middle grade too! Adults would like it too!
The narration was good too!
November 13, 2019
Spicy is a Goblin with a big dream. He wants to become an apprentice to the Sage, but his sister is already his apprentice, plus Spicy doesn't read as good or as quick as her. Spicy must become a hunter, but his heart isn't in it. That is until the day that the Humans invade his village in search of their Sage. Spicy and a handful of others are all that's left and Spicy takes it upon himself to pretend to be the Sage's apprentice but his sister stops him and she is taken. It's up to Spicy to try to rescue her and the others before it's too late.
There are numerous books out there that portray Goblins as mindless beasts, so it was such a pleasure to read a book that's different. Here we have a below average Goblin who quickly has to become the hero, but it's not all that hard for him because he has such an amazing heart, and the drive to do it. It's so nice to read a book like this with the POV that of a non human and for it to be such a fun and entertaining read.
Spicy was easy to like and I've become invested in his story. I loved his interactions with the troll and his determination to do whatever was needed. The plot was fast paced and held my attention right from the start. I loved the world building too. It's rich in detail and does a great job of setting the tone for the rest of the series. I'm excited to read the rest and can't wait for them to come to audio.
Gareth Richards read this well. He has a good range of tones and voices, but I just felt like his tones for the females need work. He did do an amazing Spicy though!!
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
There are numerous books out there that portray Goblins as mindless beasts, so it was such a pleasure to read a book that's different. Here we have a below average Goblin who quickly has to become the hero, but it's not all that hard for him because he has such an amazing heart, and the drive to do it. It's so nice to read a book like this with the POV that of a non human and for it to be such a fun and entertaining read.
Spicy was easy to like and I've become invested in his story. I loved his interactions with the troll and his determination to do whatever was needed. The plot was fast paced and held my attention right from the start. I loved the world building too. It's rich in detail and does a great job of setting the tone for the rest of the series. I'm excited to read the rest and can't wait for them to come to audio.
Gareth Richards read this well. He has a good range of tones and voices, but I just felt like his tones for the females need work. He did do an amazing Spicy though!!
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
May 23, 2019
Part of me wishes I hadn't read Goblin yet so I could enjoy reading it for the first time all over again.
Author Gehrke creates an intricate world (though as I read more I wondered if it was fantasy or future). Following a goblin, Spice, readers get a look from a goblin point of view, what happens when humans go questing. Usually, in recent books, goblins appear as monsters or humorous caricatures. While that can be enjoyable, I was caught up in Spice's character development and the glimpses of goblin society.
Goblin was a fun and exciting book. The pacing was grand, and the story line contained detailed descriptions of the world.
This book can be read complete in and of itself, I'm happy to see that there will be another book following it. I don't want to leave Spice's world just now.
I read an advanced copy of the book and have chosen to review it.
Author Gehrke creates an intricate world (though as I read more I wondered if it was fantasy or future). Following a goblin, Spice, readers get a look from a goblin point of view, what happens when humans go questing. Usually, in recent books, goblins appear as monsters or humorous caricatures. While that can be enjoyable, I was caught up in Spice's character development and the glimpses of goblin society.
Goblin was a fun and exciting book. The pacing was grand, and the story line contained detailed descriptions of the world.
This book can be read complete in and of itself, I'm happy to see that there will be another book following it. I don't want to leave Spice's world just now.
I read an advanced copy of the book and have chosen to review it.
April 12, 2022
DNF - about an hour and a half in to the audio book
I tried. I listened to this for nearly an hour and a half but as I startedy commute this morning I realized it was going to put me to sleep (as it did on Sunday sitting in the car listening to it while parked for the baby's nap).
I just can't do it anymore.
I don't know if the writing is bad, or if it was just the narrator. The narrator is definitely bad. But I'm not sure if the story thus far was good enough to make me want to try reading it.
Either way... I'm done.
I tried. I listened to this for nearly an hour and a half but as I startedy commute this morning I realized it was going to put me to sleep (as it did on Sunday sitting in the car listening to it while parked for the baby's nap).
I just can't do it anymore.
I don't know if the writing is bad, or if it was just the narrator. The narrator is definitely bad. But I'm not sure if the story thus far was good enough to make me want to try reading it.
Either way... I'm done.
May 30, 2019
A new fantasy world from Gerhard Gehrke that combines Goblins, humans, and other creatures!.. Friend & Foe.
September 12, 2024
NOTE: I listened to an audio book but as that edition isn't listed on Goodreads.com I am placing my review here.
I only made it 23% of the way through. The writing isn't terrible but the author makes some unappealing story choices. First being goblins are humanized to the point where they could have been humans, for example, city folk heading out into the hills to victimized unwashed, uneducated hillbillies could have provided essentially the same story.
Also the author doesn't do a particularly good job with the MC. Absolutely everyone tells the MC he needs to learn how to hunt but the MC obstinately refuses resulting in the MC being unable to feed himself in the near future. This could have been presented as the MC having a calling towards scholarship, or some such, but it is not. As a result the MC is immediately shown as short-sited and selfish.
The story is: goblins are living a peaceful life away from humans for years. For some unknown reason a human noble takes it upon himself to change this. The noble is apparently looking for goblin magic but fails to catch any goblin wise men. As a result the noble takes a goblin apprentice, the MC's sister, and forces her to lead the noble to the wise men. The MC is also taken to insure his sister's good behavior. The MC escapes, befriends a troll also following the noble because the noble took her mate. The MC then goes looking for pretty much any other goblin to take care of things for him but finds everyone is dead (or otherwise unable to help). So the goblin and the troll go after the noble, catch up to him on water whereupon the troll abandons the MC to attack the noble's boats. The troll fails and possibly dies while the MC is recaptured, but not killed because the noble's men see him as lucky. The noble does, however, kill the troll's mate to remove her reason for attacking, just in case the troll survived.
It was at this point I realized I didn't care about any of the characters or story lines so I stopped reading.
Bottom line: generally not worth the read.
I only made it 23% of the way through. The writing isn't terrible but the author makes some unappealing story choices. First being goblins are humanized to the point where they could have been humans, for example, city folk heading out into the hills to victimized unwashed, uneducated hillbillies could have provided essentially the same story.
Also the author doesn't do a particularly good job with the MC. Absolutely everyone tells the MC he needs to learn how to hunt but the MC obstinately refuses resulting in the MC being unable to feed himself in the near future. This could have been presented as the MC having a calling towards scholarship, or some such, but it is not. As a result the MC is immediately shown as short-sited and selfish.
The story is: goblins are living a peaceful life away from humans for years. For some unknown reason a human noble takes it upon himself to change this. The noble is apparently looking for goblin magic but fails to catch any goblin wise men. As a result the noble takes a goblin apprentice, the MC's sister, and forces her to lead the noble to the wise men. The MC is also taken to insure his sister's good behavior. The MC escapes, befriends a troll also following the noble because the noble took her mate. The MC then goes looking for pretty much any other goblin to take care of things for him but finds everyone is dead (or otherwise unable to help). So the goblin and the troll go after the noble, catch up to him on water whereupon the troll abandons the MC to attack the noble's boats. The troll fails and possibly dies while the MC is recaptured, but not killed because the noble's men see him as lucky. The noble does, however, kill the troll's mate to remove her reason for attacking, just in case the troll survived.
It was at this point I realized I didn't care about any of the characters or story lines so I stopped reading.
Bottom line: generally not worth the read.
January 7, 2024
I really enjoy non human and less humanoid protagonist in fantasy which this does have but the plot got tiresome. The main character gets captured and recaptured 3-4 times by the same people.
April 3, 2025
There’s this book called Goblin. It’s about a goblin.
I don’t mind telling you, I’m awfully keen on goblins.
Spicy is a young hunter in a goblin tribe. He’s not much of a hunter, especially after making a hash of the last hunt. He’d rather learn books with the local sage, but it’s Spicy’s sister Thistle who’s destined to be the sage’s apprentice.
But after a party of human marauders lay waste to his village, it seems like more than a goblin kid can handle.
Reading Goblin, one quickly finds that the writing is a bit staid. It’s soundly put together and doesn’t drag, but it also never really lights up or stirs grand emotion. It can be best put as “efficient.”
A certain grim tone permeates the plot. When it begins with the protagonist being taken prisoner while his village is wiped out, that’s perhaps expected. But Spicy’s own trials throughout the narrative lays on his difficulties pretty thick, and it never really becomes hopeful or allows extended levity. Mostly, the character’s triumphs come from not being dead yet.
The characterization of the cast also seems vaguely ill-tempered. Everyone acts in such a way as to suggest selfish intent, but events then don’t play out that way. It creates a certain unease in the reader. It’s most pronounced with Spicy: his actions seem motivated by different amounts of self-preservation, opportunism, and cold pragmatism. There’s a faint undercurrent of courage about him, but it’s inexpertly expressed when most of his interactions are him disagreeing with people and trying to order them around.
In spite of all that, it’s an appealing adventure. Spicy makes allies on his quest, does his best for his loved ones, and the stakes escalate reasonably as it goes on. The fantasy elements stay restrained and digestible, and the story is well-paced. Spicy is an appealing protagonist, and it feels like he goes stronger by his own wit and effort, which is rare in this genre.
The start is a bit wobbly and doesn’t take many chances, but for any goblin enthusiast, it’s a promising opener.
I don’t mind telling you, I’m awfully keen on goblins.
Spicy is a young hunter in a goblin tribe. He’s not much of a hunter, especially after making a hash of the last hunt. He’d rather learn books with the local sage, but it’s Spicy’s sister Thistle who’s destined to be the sage’s apprentice.
But after a party of human marauders lay waste to his village, it seems like more than a goblin kid can handle.
Reading Goblin, one quickly finds that the writing is a bit staid. It’s soundly put together and doesn’t drag, but it also never really lights up or stirs grand emotion. It can be best put as “efficient.”
A certain grim tone permeates the plot. When it begins with the protagonist being taken prisoner while his village is wiped out, that’s perhaps expected. But Spicy’s own trials throughout the narrative lays on his difficulties pretty thick, and it never really becomes hopeful or allows extended levity. Mostly, the character’s triumphs come from not being dead yet.
The characterization of the cast also seems vaguely ill-tempered. Everyone acts in such a way as to suggest selfish intent, but events then don’t play out that way. It creates a certain unease in the reader. It’s most pronounced with Spicy: his actions seem motivated by different amounts of self-preservation, opportunism, and cold pragmatism. There’s a faint undercurrent of courage about him, but it’s inexpertly expressed when most of his interactions are him disagreeing with people and trying to order them around.
In spite of all that, it’s an appealing adventure. Spicy makes allies on his quest, does his best for his loved ones, and the stakes escalate reasonably as it goes on. The fantasy elements stay restrained and digestible, and the story is well-paced. Spicy is an appealing protagonist, and it feels like he goes stronger by his own wit and effort, which is rare in this genre.
The start is a bit wobbly and doesn’t take many chances, but for any goblin enthusiast, it’s a promising opener.
August 1, 2019
Here we have a BRILLIANT non-human fantasy with a phenomenally slightly-below-average main character and some awesome things going on!
Gareth Richards gives a pretty solid narration. I personally feel the goblin voices sounded too human, but apart from that his voices are great and his vocal inflections were spot on. His main weakness is the whole thing was pretty close to the same tempo throughout and, like most narrators, he struggles to create believable opposite-gender voices.
Now, anyone who follows my reviews should be aware that I LOVE non-human POV characters, but am frequently disappointed by how they are portrayed.
But fear not! Such is not the case here. I can't say I personally agree with every culture decision made by the author, but he definitely made the goblins feel like non-human characters that were interesting to read about.
The references are mostly pretty vague until a blatant one close to the end, but this is clearly meant to be a post-apocalyptic world where humans have lost almost all technology and rather than feeling gimmicky like so many post-apocs do, this was brilliantly done and makes for a fascinating world.
Now, there are a few hiccups in the writing, but nothing show stopping.
I really enjoyed his the ending came together. My one disappointment is that the TROLL largely disappears without trace for a rather large chunk of the story. I really enjoyed her part in the story.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one!
Gareth Richards gives a pretty solid narration. I personally feel the goblin voices sounded too human, but apart from that his voices are great and his vocal inflections were spot on. His main weakness is the whole thing was pretty close to the same tempo throughout and, like most narrators, he struggles to create believable opposite-gender voices.
Now, anyone who follows my reviews should be aware that I LOVE non-human POV characters, but am frequently disappointed by how they are portrayed.
But fear not! Such is not the case here. I can't say I personally agree with every culture decision made by the author, but he definitely made the goblins feel like non-human characters that were interesting to read about.
The references are mostly pretty vague until a blatant one close to the end, but this is clearly meant to be a post-apocalyptic world where humans have lost almost all technology and rather than feeling gimmicky like so many post-apocs do, this was brilliantly done and makes for a fascinating world.
Now, there are a few hiccups in the writing, but nothing show stopping.
I really enjoyed his the ending came together. My one disappointment is that the TROLL largely disappears without trace for a rather large chunk of the story. I really enjoyed her part in the story.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one!
August 6, 2019
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is the first book in the Goblin Reign series. It is a standalone book with no cliffhanger ending. It does set up the premise for next book in the series.
Here, Spicy is a goblin who dreams of becoming an apprentice for the Sage, but his sister already has the job. Spicy must learn to become a hunter - something for which he is an underachiever. Suddenly, the humans overrun his village - killing many and kidnapping others. It's now up to Spicy to figure out how to rescue his sister and determine what the humans want.
This was an enjoyable read told from Spicy's POV - I really enjoyed the growth of his character and his resiliency throughout. I particularly enjoyed Spicy's interactions with Hog, the troll - very humorous. I was disappointed when Hog disappeared for half the story. The book was a really fun story and I look forward to Spicy's next adventure.
I listened to this book - the narrator did a great job - providing different voices for multiple characters which were distinct. I felt his enthusiasm for the book - especially with Spicy and his trials.
This is the first book in the Goblin Reign series. It is a standalone book with no cliffhanger ending. It does set up the premise for next book in the series.
Here, Spicy is a goblin who dreams of becoming an apprentice for the Sage, but his sister already has the job. Spicy must learn to become a hunter - something for which he is an underachiever. Suddenly, the humans overrun his village - killing many and kidnapping others. It's now up to Spicy to figure out how to rescue his sister and determine what the humans want.
This was an enjoyable read told from Spicy's POV - I really enjoyed the growth of his character and his resiliency throughout. I particularly enjoyed Spicy's interactions with Hog, the troll - very humorous. I was disappointed when Hog disappeared for half the story. The book was a really fun story and I look forward to Spicy's next adventure.
I listened to this book - the narrator did a great job - providing different voices for multiple characters which were distinct. I felt his enthusiasm for the book - especially with Spicy and his trials.
June 11, 2019
In a world where humankind has lost its technological advances, goblins, trolls, and other creatures have inherited the earth. One such goblin is Spicy, who loves to read. Unfortunately, he failed his test to become an apprentice sage and is now stuck with learning how to hunt. And he's not very good at it. Not sure what to do or where he belongs, his world is upended when a large band of humans attack his village killing everything and everyone. Taken hostage, he's faced with trying to rescue his sister and a few surviving goblins while trying to figure out why the humans have appeared now and what to do about it.
Told from Spicy's POV, this is an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read. The story moves along briskly and I loved Spicy's character arc as well as the organic conflict. This is a much darker tale than what you might think and its dystopian undertones serve it well. The author sneaks in some references that give you hints as to what happened to the humans, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
I definitely look forward to reading the sequel.
Told from Spicy's POV, this is an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read. The story moves along briskly and I loved Spicy's character arc as well as the organic conflict. This is a much darker tale than what you might think and its dystopian undertones serve it well. The author sneaks in some references that give you hints as to what happened to the humans, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
I definitely look forward to reading the sequel.
September 22, 2019
I really loved the different perspective in this story. It's from Spicy's point of view and tells the story of the evil humans that come raid and kill most of his village and the surrounding villages. He's so determined to save his sister and try to free the other captured goblins that he even seeks the help of a giant troll. There's magic and adventure and you really do cheer Spicy on as the story develops. The narration was great and I really enjoyed his take on the voices and the overall acting -- it was a fun listen.
As a parent reviewing, I would warn that this is a pretty graphic book in terms of the violence and descriptions of the massacred villages. There is also mention of troll mating habits so if your kids haven't had "the talk" you probably don't want them reading this book as it may bring it on sooner then you'd like. Personally, I would place it as a middle school and up read.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
As a parent reviewing, I would warn that this is a pretty graphic book in terms of the violence and descriptions of the massacred villages. There is also mention of troll mating habits so if your kids haven't had "the talk" you probably don't want them reading this book as it may bring it on sooner then you'd like. Personally, I would place it as a middle school and up read.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 26, 2019
Goblin is a coming of age story told from the perspective of the youth undergoing the process. What makes this story dramatically different is that the youth, Spicy, is not human, but a goblin. Humans lost their technology, and goblins, trolls, and other creatures have inherited the earth. The author does a marvelous job of creating the goblin society so that the reader immediately is caught up in the comings and goings of Spicy’s people.
Spicy loves to read and wishes to become a Sage, but life has other plans so that he becomes a Hunter instead. When humans attack his village, most are killed, and Spicy is taken hostage. He must find a way to rescue his sister and several survivors. This is what forms the backbone of this delightful story.
Goblin is well written and well-edited. I did not find any POV problems or other distractions. This is definitely worth 5-stars.
Spicy loves to read and wishes to become a Sage, but life has other plans so that he becomes a Hunter instead. When humans attack his village, most are killed, and Spicy is taken hostage. He must find a way to rescue his sister and several survivors. This is what forms the backbone of this delightful story.
Goblin is well written and well-edited. I did not find any POV problems or other distractions. This is definitely worth 5-stars.
December 7, 2024
This is the best kind of YA.
Spice is young, he's clumsy, he is intelligent but not wise, he takes stupid risks, he isn't considerate enough, he has a strong moral compass that hasn't been beaten down by life and responsibilities.
Because of narrative armor he is also successful despite the hard realities of his world. This makes him a compelling character despite his annoying traits.
The focus on the value of knowledge is also appealing to those who love reading.
I was looking for a book with orcs, trolls or goblins as part of the r/fantasy reading challenge on The Story Graph but didn't want to go back to Tolkien style fantasy or RPG style novels. Goblin was recommended by a friend and was a grate take on the fantasy world from a none human perspective.
Spice is young, he's clumsy, he is intelligent but not wise, he takes stupid risks, he isn't considerate enough, he has a strong moral compass that hasn't been beaten down by life and responsibilities.
Because of narrative armor he is also successful despite the hard realities of his world. This makes him a compelling character despite his annoying traits.
The focus on the value of knowledge is also appealing to those who love reading.
I was looking for a book with orcs, trolls or goblins as part of the r/fantasy reading challenge on The Story Graph but didn't want to go back to Tolkien style fantasy or RPG style novels. Goblin was recommended by a friend and was a grate take on the fantasy world from a none human perspective.
July 2, 2019
I was so surprised by this book, from the look of the cover I thought it was going to be a light sci-fi maybe fantasy piece. NOPE. From the beginning you could tell that this was going to be a more mature piece.
The author paints a world full of goblins, trolls, and other mystical characters along with the humans. The humans of course attack and now Spicy has to find away to beat a foe thought unbeatable.
I found that I was rooting for Spicy the whole way and was finished with the book before I knew it. Story line move along swiftly and I was never left with any dull moments. I would for sure recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great read about mythical creatures.
The author paints a world full of goblins, trolls, and other mystical characters along with the humans. The humans of course attack and now Spicy has to find away to beat a foe thought unbeatable.
I found that I was rooting for Spicy the whole way and was finished with the book before I knew it. Story line move along swiftly and I was never left with any dull moments. I would for sure recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great read about mythical creatures.
August 1, 2019
This delightful, engaging story centers around a Gobling named spicy who loves to read and whispers to become a Sage but life has other plans in the form of him becoming a Hunter. Humans attack his village and most of his tribe is murdered. His sister is taken hostage and Spicy must now become the hero and save those that have survived. My son and i listened to this on a car ride to Seattle and it really made the time fly by. The pacing of the story is quite interesting and though some of the fight against the humans at times was gruesome i did not detract me from continuing with the story.
September 5, 2019
We’re treated to a fun read of a unique adventure. Our protagonist Spicy is a young Goblin who wants to become a sage. The adventure is a unique point of view from a goblin’s perspective. We follow Spicy through his trials and tribulations with the humans as he and his sister Thistle become deeply involved in a quest to find treasure. The characters are imaginative and the story quite interesting. The tale gives one a whole new light on goblins. Definitely a recommended fun romp. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
November 18, 2019
Great fantasy
Spicy the goblin seems to have trouble with everything. He loves to read, but is forced to train as a hunter. His love of knowledge and his lack of hunting skill has made him the object of bullying by other goblins. When his village is attacked, his sister taken, and none of the survivors willing to help him, he uses his wits and the stolen lessons he has learned to take on a troll, humans, and a dragon. Well written and entertaining. I am now invested in the trilogy!
Spicy the goblin seems to have trouble with everything. He loves to read, but is forced to train as a hunter. His love of knowledge and his lack of hunting skill has made him the object of bullying by other goblins. When his village is attacked, his sister taken, and none of the survivors willing to help him, he uses his wits and the stolen lessons he has learned to take on a troll, humans, and a dragon. Well written and entertaining. I am now invested in the trilogy!
October 6, 2019
Not quite what I was expecting...
I dont want to give out spoilers, but if you are expecting a story about a goblin who's journey of self discovery involves him learning magic or defeating some evil being you will be disapointed. The main character is an everyman who doesnt excel in any one thing and survives largely due to luck and more powerful/skillful allies. Think less the Hobbit and more Dune. Not my cup of tea but well written and interesting.
I dont want to give out spoilers, but if you are expecting a story about a goblin who's journey of self discovery involves him learning magic or defeating some evil being you will be disapointed. The main character is an everyman who doesnt excel in any one thing and survives largely due to luck and more powerful/skillful allies. Think less the Hobbit and more Dune. Not my cup of tea but well written and interesting.
August 29, 2020
The protagonist of this story is a goblin and a below-average one at that. It was fun to read a fantasy work whose main character isn't an epic, unstoppable hero, and who made bad decisions because he thought they were the best ones to make. The concept for the world was a bit of a twist, and the setting, goblin cultures, and characters were interesting and well-written.
June 13, 2021
Misery and despair without much hope
There's not much joy in this book, makes for a difficult and depressing read, it only gets interesting at the very end. I may read more to see if the revelations develop into something interesting, and I'm hoping the main character continues to have some agency in his own life that only came toward the end.
There's not much joy in this book, makes for a difficult and depressing read, it only gets interesting at the very end. I may read more to see if the revelations develop into something interesting, and I'm hoping the main character continues to have some agency in his own life that only came toward the end.
October 29, 2021
I enjoyed this story. I really liked Spicey. His desire to be able to read the words was what sent him on his journey. I loved his dialog with Hog it was hilarious. I knew when Spicey was sent into the darkness his life was going to change. The author did a great job creating very likeable characters. I also loved the narrator. Perfect voice for the story. I can't wait for book 2.
June 16, 2019
OMG OMG OMG. This is the most outstanding read ever, its magnificent.
Gerhard is one amazing talented author creating this. The writing is wonderful, clear n clean, making it an extremely quick read. I can just picture this as a TV series.
Gerhard is one amazing talented author creating this. The writing is wonderful, clear n clean, making it an extremely quick read. I can just picture this as a TV series.
June 21, 2019
As usual with this author, I am captivated and held throughout the book, and even on to the sequels. I love this story and cannot wait for second and subsequent reads. I highly recommend this book!!!
July 7, 2019
Kind of boring and the MC and his people weren't very goblin-like. I had so little caring for any of the characters that when they died I was all ho-hum. Not bad world building or descriptions, just not anything interesting story.
August 1, 2019
Strange friendships
The story's universe is well crafted but should unfold with further volumes.
Our hero suffers from being too heroic but despite doing everything, his motivations are clear and honourable.
A complete story but more to come.
The story's universe is well crafted but should unfold with further volumes.
Our hero suffers from being too heroic but despite doing everything, his motivations are clear and honourable.
A complete story but more to come.
August 18, 2019
Fantasy
Interesting story, reminds me a bit of planet of the apes. Nothing has really been said but hints of mankind's downfall are discussed. The break glass in case of emergency was the part that made me think of planet of the apes
Interesting story, reminds me a bit of planet of the apes. Nothing has really been said but hints of mankind's downfall are discussed. The break glass in case of emergency was the part that made me think of planet of the apes
June 17, 2019
Great Read!
Fast paced, excitingly heart thumping adventure in a coming of age fantasy story....Spicy is my new hero!
This is a hard to put down little book!
Fast paced, excitingly heart thumping adventure in a coming of age fantasy story....Spicy is my new hero!
This is a hard to put down little book!
July 20, 2019
Goblin 1
Captured my attention at once! I love a mystery and to have such wonderful characters in the book is truly wonderful!
Captured my attention at once! I love a mystery and to have such wonderful characters in the book is truly wonderful!
July 21, 2019
Goblin
A grea book in the fanasty genre. An interesting and wonderfully written story. I loved it! Get your copy today.
A grea book in the fanasty genre. An interesting and wonderfully written story. I loved it! Get your copy today.
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