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How to Train Your Goblin King
Floss is most definitely NOT marrying the Goblin King, even if it saves her a trip through the labyrinth.
Floss, an aspiring law student, has enough troubles to ruffle anyone’s bustle. Her school of choice won’t let her in because of her gender, her equal rights league is hopelessly ineffective, and there aren’t enough calming tonics in the world to stave off her panic attacks.
Now her niece is missing, the roguish Goblin King keeps proposing, and sinister forces threaten Floss’s city. She’ll have to brave a dangerous labyrinth and question everything she believes in to save not only her family, but an entire kingdom down below.
If only the Goblin King wasn’t quite so distracting, she might actually be able to do it.
If you like sensible heroines, ridiculously handsome heroes, fantasy creatures, and dreadful puns, you’ll love this romantic gaslamp romp by Erin Vere.
Grab How to Train Your Goblin King, the first standalone in a series of hilarious fairy tale retellings.
Floss, an aspiring law student, has enough troubles to ruffle anyone’s bustle. Her school of choice won’t let her in because of her gender, her equal rights league is hopelessly ineffective, and there aren’t enough calming tonics in the world to stave off her panic attacks.
Now her niece is missing, the roguish Goblin King keeps proposing, and sinister forces threaten Floss’s city. She’ll have to brave a dangerous labyrinth and question everything she believes in to save not only her family, but an entire kingdom down below.
If only the Goblin King wasn’t quite so distracting, she might actually be able to do it.
If you like sensible heroines, ridiculously handsome heroes, fantasy creatures, and dreadful puns, you’ll love this romantic gaslamp romp by Erin Vere.
Grab How to Train Your Goblin King, the first standalone in a series of hilarious fairy tale retellings.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2022
100 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Erin Vere
7 books29 followersAlso writes under Erin Grey.
Erin lives in South Africa with her pet husband and Evil Cat Overlord. Her personal experience with mental health issues and her obsession with neurodiversity inspires her writing. She laughs at things in the hopes they’ll go away, which is why she writes humorous novels with neurodivergent characters facing ridiculous situations. The goal dearest to her heart is to eat chocolate cake without getting fat.
Erin lives in South Africa with her pet husband and Evil Cat Overlord. Her personal experience with mental health issues and her obsession with neurodiversity inspires her writing. She laughs at things in the hopes they’ll go away, which is why she writes humorous novels with neurodivergent characters facing ridiculous situations. The goal dearest to her heart is to eat chocolate cake without getting fat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
October 9, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you so much booksirens for sending me a copy of "How to train your goblin king"
I have to admit that the main reason why I was so excited to read this book was the absolutely gorgeous cover. A beautiful cover that matched the perfectly written plot.
I am struggling to find words that describe how this book made me feel. It was a rollercoaster,and I'm pleased to say that it managed to successfully portray issues such as privilege and prejudice and mental health while remaining humorous and loyal to its fantasy plot.
The characters were complexed and beautifully written and the romance between the MC and The goblin king was extremely well crafted, considering that it managed to successfully happen in a correct pace, and throughout the courting that led up to it, the characters remained true to their already established personalities.
Overall an excellent book that I cannot recommend enough.
Thank you so much booksirens for sending me a copy of "How to train your goblin king"
I have to admit that the main reason why I was so excited to read this book was the absolutely gorgeous cover. A beautiful cover that matched the perfectly written plot.
I am struggling to find words that describe how this book made me feel. It was a rollercoaster,and I'm pleased to say that it managed to successfully portray issues such as privilege and prejudice and mental health while remaining humorous and loyal to its fantasy plot.
The characters were complexed and beautifully written and the romance between the MC and The goblin king was extremely well crafted, considering that it managed to successfully happen in a correct pace, and throughout the courting that led up to it, the characters remained true to their already established personalities.
Overall an excellent book that I cannot recommend enough.
March 14, 2022
If you love the movie Labyrinth, Princess Bride, or even Stardust, you'll love this book. I was in a book slump before this book. I started 4 different books and nothing caught me until I read this one. At the beginning I was a bit confused with the intros to the chapters, but then I really liked the quirk. This book is a journey like the all movies I mentioned but more specifically this is a story variation from Labyrinth. The Goblin King is definitely worthy of being a book boyfriend. The story and world was really good, and I dont think there's a single character I didn't like. I'm sad this story ended. I could stay in it for several books more. As I understand there's a separate tale in this world and I will definitely be looking into it. This is a book I plan on rereading very soon. I loved it so much! I think it's now one of my favorites.
March 31, 2022
If you don't find this book delightful you might be dead inside.
I adored every page of this funny, sweet, magical, romantic romp. Asterion made me swoon. Floss was intelligent and relatable. Scenes with Siri made me snort-laugh. I cheered for Floss and Asterion from their precious meet-cute on. I want to read books written about all of the side characters, they were all so well done. The dialogue and banter are excellent. How to Train Your Goblin King is a new favorite of mine. Erin Vere's style and humor reminded me fondly of Gail Carson Levine and Douglas Adams. Stop scrolling reviews and read this.
I adored every page of this funny, sweet, magical, romantic romp. Asterion made me swoon. Floss was intelligent and relatable. Scenes with Siri made me snort-laugh. I cheered for Floss and Asterion from their precious meet-cute on. I want to read books written about all of the side characters, they were all so well done. The dialogue and banter are excellent. How to Train Your Goblin King is a new favorite of mine. Erin Vere's style and humor reminded me fondly of Gail Carson Levine and Douglas Adams. Stop scrolling reviews and read this.
February 13, 2023
We don’t need you elf-splaining life to us, thank you very much.
I'm honestly not sure if this book was cringey or funny. It was probably both...
My thoughts are all over the place, so I'm going to take the easy way and do this one in points...
1. What I actually think was done well is the mermaid character - Lorelei. Are you asking how this kind of road-trip by the land fantasy can have a mermaid character? She has a wheeling-tub. I kid you not, she is amazing, she is resilient and sassy and she wheels the whole way on her own (well there is one exception). The (un)accessibility is a big theme here, but kind of naturally woven into the story. Thumbs-up!
2. This book is also colonial critique, I believe and this... was less well done, but it was okay. I just felt like some of the issues were really complex and the way they were solved here was a little too... easy?
Our heroine also is - from the beginning - a fighter for equal rights, but it takes her a really long time to fully get and more importantly emphatise with the goblin situation. You could probably say that it's only natural that it took her some time, but... it was uncomfortable to read and not in the good way.
3. Which takes me to the fact that this was supposed to be - apparently - a Minotaur (Theseus and Ariadne) retelling. First, even though I LOVE this angle on the story (I actually written a short-story with a similar point, now that I'm thinking about it...) it was kind of redundant in the narrative. It was a good point about storytelling, but is some places it felt really forceful.
Especially, considering Asterion's past. (Marking this as spoilers to be safe, but... those aren't big story spoilers.) In this bit we also get to learn that he's older than he looks like and that goblins have longer life-spans than humans... Why are we doing this??? Again? Floss is nineteen! That's young if you can't count and we never get to learn how old Asterion really is which honestly kind of ruined the romance for me, because.... This trope again! (It could have been so easily avoided or made acceptable, but the author just threw it out there and never done anything with it again...)
4. Also, can we talk about the fang thing? Like... on one hand, I'm so happy we are doing untraditional love interests and so on. But the fang? We are really finding it sexy? Okay... I didn't say anything, I just... it just cracked me up every time, Floss mentioned his fang XD (It also seems kind of impractical, but... you know... that's their business, I guess...)
5. I think the author mentioned somewhere that if you loved Terry Pratchett or Howl’s Moving Castle you would love this too... egh... well, talk about aiming high. This book has nothing to do with the nuances of Pratchett's humour that's for sure and the only thing it has in common with Howl's Moving Castle is the style of naming the chapters... But the reason I actually started to talk about this are the "How to train your goblin" passages after each chapter title. What was their purpose again? Because at the beginning, I thought they were kind of funny, but... they weren't they were about treating humanoid creatures like pets... and in some dimension this might be funny, because ha ha, you know that they are actually smart! But... you know, the whole thing is stupid and considering some dark historical themes it's just way too close to reality of some people for it to be funny.
6. The book had some pretty clever footnotes, but they were all at the end of each chapter, so that was pretty useless.
This is nice and very diverse tale, there is a lot of poc characters (the protagonist is poc, the queen is poc - does being green makes you poc? well, the goblins are green...), there is also mental health/neurodiversity(?) rep (it's never really explained, but it seems like either some sort of anxiety disorder or neurodiversity) either way this part of the story was also well handled I would say. It had all the right ingredients, but in the end it just all felt a little disjointed, idk...
Those are a very solid three stars, I enjoyed it very much, but some of the parts of the story just were a little frustrating...
October 24, 2022
This book surprised me with how cute and witty it ended up being. I really fell in love with Floss and the goblin king. And the little caterpillar. And the author’s voice was absolutely hilarious: so much tongue in cheek. I laughed the whole way through. The politics felt a little heavy handed at times, but I find politics very stressful so this may very well just be personal taste. The story and characters were absolute perfection.
April 1, 2022
I received this as an ARC from Booksirens and this is my honest review.
Florence “Floss” wants to become an advocate but the stodgy old principal at the university opposes her because she is a woman.
Incented she decides to write a letter explaining why this is utter ridicilousness but then when she is to deliver the letter to him in person but is rebuffed at the gates by the guards until another student throws his cape over her allowing her to enter through logically sidestepping the guards. Its hard to explain but its very cleverly done in the book.
The student wich is an elf insists to accompany her to her weekly meeting with the society against species discrimination. A wellmeaning but somewhat inept endeavor.
While Floss babysitting her niece she gets frustrated and says “the goblins will take you” and the next thing she knows is that her niece is gone and the only thing left is a piece of paper
When he is transformed into a goblin in front of her she is alarmed. He explains to her that while he didn’t abduct her niece she is now bound to a) either marry him or b) find her way through his labyrinth. He apologizes but neither have much choice in the matter.
So off they (Floss,her sister and her mermaid friend) go with the goblin king to his underground kingdom.
I was contacted by the author herself after I had expressed some interest in the book and I mean who doesnt like Goblin kings and plucky young women?
The title takes its name from a deameaning household guide how to train your goblin slaves.
There were some moments where the plot stalled but for the most part it proceeded at a brisk pace. I feel awful for saying this but the part when they are in the underground kingdom and they start to discuss the social injustices I felt were a bit too much info dumping
You can see where the author has taken inspiration from the movie Labyrinth but if you think this is a ripoff you would be mistaken. A child is kidnapped,the heroine falls down an oubliette,she meets a worm well you can see things you recognize but its completely different. The Goblin king is not very evil for one.
The feel of the book is humorous and the he book is scattered with footnotes explaining certain aspects of the world like the Holy Grater and other things.
The gang meet a worm named Siri that get things cluelessly wrong and it did take me a bit to realize OH its based on THAT Siri. There are also things like Floss having to to find her way down in the labyrinth by using a ball of yarn Position String G….P…S *dies*
The people of this world. communicate through sylphs (cellphones) and Goggles (do I have to explain?)
Floss is a likeable character and you can really feel her motivation for becoming an advocate. She also has a condition wich at first I thought it was asthma and then epilepsy but I imagine its panic attacks.
She and her sister were (are very close) but since her sister became a wife and a mother things have not exactly been the same. Their shared quest to find the baby starts to bring them closer together.
There is also a romance between the Goblin king. He does does try to help Floss get through the labyrinth and he is much nicer than Jareth.
I would recommend this book to fans of quirky historical fantasy and especially to readers of of Charlotte E. English and Olivia Atwater.
Florence “Floss” wants to become an advocate but the stodgy old principal at the university opposes her because she is a woman.
Incented she decides to write a letter explaining why this is utter ridicilousness but then when she is to deliver the letter to him in person but is rebuffed at the gates by the guards until another student throws his cape over her allowing her to enter through logically sidestepping the guards. Its hard to explain but its very cleverly done in the book.
The student wich is an elf insists to accompany her to her weekly meeting with the society against species discrimination. A wellmeaning but somewhat inept endeavor.
While Floss babysitting her niece she gets frustrated and says “the goblins will take you” and the next thing she knows is that her niece is gone and the only thing left is a piece of paper
When he is transformed into a goblin in front of her she is alarmed. He explains to her that while he didn’t abduct her niece she is now bound to a) either marry him or b) find her way through his labyrinth. He apologizes but neither have much choice in the matter.
So off they (Floss,her sister and her mermaid friend) go with the goblin king to his underground kingdom.
I was contacted by the author herself after I had expressed some interest in the book and I mean who doesnt like Goblin kings and plucky young women?
The title takes its name from a deameaning household guide how to train your goblin slaves.
There were some moments where the plot stalled but for the most part it proceeded at a brisk pace. I feel awful for saying this but the part when they are in the underground kingdom and they start to discuss the social injustices I felt were a bit too much info dumping
You can see where the author has taken inspiration from the movie Labyrinth but if you think this is a ripoff you would be mistaken. A child is kidnapped,the heroine falls down an oubliette,she meets a worm well you can see things you recognize but its completely different. The Goblin king is not very evil for one.
The feel of the book is humorous and the he book is scattered with footnotes explaining certain aspects of the world like the Holy Grater and other things.
The gang meet a worm named Siri that get things cluelessly wrong and it did take me a bit to realize OH its based on THAT Siri. There are also things like Floss having to to find her way down in the labyrinth by using a ball of yarn Position String G….P…S *dies*
The people of this world. communicate through sylphs (cellphones) and Goggles (do I have to explain?)
Floss is a likeable character and you can really feel her motivation for becoming an advocate. She also has a condition wich at first I thought it was asthma and then epilepsy but I imagine its panic attacks.
She and her sister were (are very close) but since her sister became a wife and a mother things have not exactly been the same. Their shared quest to find the baby starts to bring them closer together.
There is also a romance between the Goblin king. He does does try to help Floss get through the labyrinth and he is much nicer than Jareth.
I would recommend this book to fans of quirky historical fantasy and especially to readers of of Charlotte E. English and Olivia Atwater.
March 21, 2022
How to Train Your Goblin King was a charming, clever, sweet, and captivating retelling. Anyone who loves The Labyrinth will adore it. Asterion is positively precious and utterly swoon-worthy, and the merry band of travelers were hilarious and fun, and heart-warming. Definitely a re-read.
January 3, 2024
I really wanted to like this. It had all the ingredients I usually like: the witticisms of Terry Pratchett, the absurdist humour of Douglas Adams, and a Brooksian instinct to entirely restructure a conversation just to fit in a cheap laugh. What's not to love?
The problem was that the author didn't know how to pace herself or when to stop. (For example, Terry Pratchett doesn't pepper every paragraph with a cheeky footnote. Hell, even Mel Brooks balances cheap low-brow laughs with sharp, high-brow jabs.) When two of her characters are having a serious conversation about systems of oppression, she undercuts herself with another footnote and another joke. It's hard to read about "the profound sadness" reflected in the romantic lead's eyes with any degree of seriousness afterward.
The main character made reading fantasy discussions about systemic oppression, the fight for equality, and the underpinnings of privilege a struggle in and of itself. I think the author wanted us to examine our own privilege, but instead we watch a privileged character just... continue to reap the benefits of her privilege all the way to the very end.
So, to translate: instead of reading about a white woman who comes to grips with the ways in which she has led a life that has lacked the obstacles that others face arbitrarily due to their [fantasy] race through exposure to the lived experiences of others and through a hearty dose of introspection, she is spoon-fed knowledge of her own blindspots by the very gracious, incredibly patient people of this marginalised group (the goblins). The romantic lead (the titular Goblin King) spends an inordinate amount of time comforting the weepy white woman as the white woman experiences chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome amongst the goblins.
After a while, it became a book about fantasy white tears and fantasy white guilt. And, yes, the white tears and white guilt were served with hefty doses of self-flagellation from the main character (e.g., she is a horrible person, she is a bully, she is the worst, she doesn't deserve this that or the next thing), which then put other characters in a position of constantly comforting her. Because this was a pattern of behaviour in the book, it began to feel emotionally manipulative. The fact that this is titled "How to Train Your Goblin King" when the heart of the book is about the oppression of the goblins just gives me the ick. I just don't think the author really thought this one through. In any case, by the end, I was rooting for the villain and for the bombing of fantasy England.
The problem was that the author didn't know how to pace herself or when to stop. (For example, Terry Pratchett doesn't pepper every paragraph with a cheeky footnote. Hell, even Mel Brooks balances cheap low-brow laughs with sharp, high-brow jabs.) When two of her characters are having a serious conversation about systems of oppression, she undercuts herself with another footnote and another joke. It's hard to read about "the profound sadness" reflected in the romantic lead's eyes with any degree of seriousness afterward.
The main character made reading fantasy discussions about systemic oppression, the fight for equality, and the underpinnings of privilege a struggle in and of itself. I think the author wanted us to examine our own privilege, but instead we watch a privileged character just... continue to reap the benefits of her privilege all the way to the very end.
So, to translate: instead of reading about a white woman who comes to grips with the ways in which she has led a life that has lacked the obstacles that others face arbitrarily due to their [fantasy] race through exposure to the lived experiences of others and through a hearty dose of introspection, she is spoon-fed knowledge of her own blindspots by the very gracious, incredibly patient people of this marginalised group (the goblins). The romantic lead (the titular Goblin King) spends an inordinate amount of time comforting the weepy white woman as the white woman experiences chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome amongst the goblins.
After a while, it became a book about fantasy white tears and fantasy white guilt. And, yes, the white tears and white guilt were served with hefty doses of self-flagellation from the main character (e.g., she is a horrible person, she is a bully, she is the worst, she doesn't deserve this that or the next thing), which then put other characters in a position of constantly comforting her. Because this was a pattern of behaviour in the book, it began to feel emotionally manipulative. The fact that this is titled "How to Train Your Goblin King" when the heart of the book is about the oppression of the goblins just gives me the ick. I just don't think the author really thought this one through. In any case, by the end, I was rooting for the villain and for the bombing of fantasy England.
April 6, 2022
Picked it for the cover. Stayed for the wit.
I picked this for the cover and had absolutely no idea what to expect.
Was certainly not expecting an alternate fae realm retelling of the Labyrinth (the one with David Bowie), strong Victorian England steam-punk vibes, a feminist heroine with dreams of being the first female lawyer and an oppressed goblin nation.
But I absolutely loved it. So much!
In fact, this book hooked me in from the first chapter with its witty commentary and dialogue. Highly recommend!
I picked this for the cover and had absolutely no idea what to expect.
Was certainly not expecting an alternate fae realm retelling of the Labyrinth (the one with David Bowie), strong Victorian England steam-punk vibes, a feminist heroine with dreams of being the first female lawyer and an oppressed goblin nation.
But I absolutely loved it. So much!
In fact, this book hooked me in from the first chapter with its witty commentary and dialogue. Highly recommend!
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June 19, 2022Such fun
If you're a fan of Labyrinth, anything by Terry Pratchett, Howl's Moving Castle, or Ella Enchanted, this story is for you.
If you're a fan of Labyrinth, anything by Terry Pratchett, Howl's Moving Castle, or Ella Enchanted, this story is for you.
April 7, 2022
Firstly I’d like to thank the author and Book Sirens for the e-arc 🥰❤️
I really enjoyed reading this book!! It’s a very deep, meaningful and yet fun and light book ❤️❤️ The subject matter is super important and I really feel that the author has intertwined serious social current and past events with fantasy romance beautifully.
I love Floss, she’s the perfect MC in a fantasy YA novel!! She’s a strong female who wants change for all people and she certainly meets her match in Asterion. Their chemistry is wonderful, it’s very well written and it kept me fully engaged throughout the book.
I found the book perfectly delightful ❤️❤️ It was a little bit predictable and did remind me very much of the storyline from Labyrinth. I do, however, really like Labyrinth so I really enjoyed this book. It seemed to lack a little bit of imagination and there were several parts especially at the beginning where I felt like I knew what was going to happen next. The second half of the book, however, really did take on a story of its own and I absolutely adored it. Four stars for sure!! 🥰❤️
I really enjoyed reading this book!! It’s a very deep, meaningful and yet fun and light book ❤️❤️ The subject matter is super important and I really feel that the author has intertwined serious social current and past events with fantasy romance beautifully.
I love Floss, she’s the perfect MC in a fantasy YA novel!! She’s a strong female who wants change for all people and she certainly meets her match in Asterion. Their chemistry is wonderful, it’s very well written and it kept me fully engaged throughout the book.
I found the book perfectly delightful ❤️❤️ It was a little bit predictable and did remind me very much of the storyline from Labyrinth. I do, however, really like Labyrinth so I really enjoyed this book. It seemed to lack a little bit of imagination and there were several parts especially at the beginning where I felt like I knew what was going to happen next. The second half of the book, however, really did take on a story of its own and I absolutely adored it. Four stars for sure!! 🥰❤️
January 22, 2025
Admitting upfront that this was a DNF for me, but I think that was more a case of it just not being a good fit.
HtTYGK is a gaslight retelling of the movie Labyrinth: in a moment of frustration, our heroine Floss accidentally summons goblins, who whisk away her baby niece to the Underground realm. To rescue her, Floss must either marry the Goblin King, or visit the Underground and solve his labyrinth.
I liked the author’s spin on the story: Floss is an aspiring lawyer, whose efforts are consistently stymied by society’s certainty that the career is too much for a lady’s delicate sensibilities. When she’s not petitioning the university to accept her application, Floss and her group of largely non-human friends are searching for ways to peacefully protest the unequal treatment of various groups and species in the country. Floss’ sometimes single-minded approach of sticking to the rules and the law, while sometimes frustrating, certainly felt like an improvement to film-Sarah’s “it not fair” speeches.
Overall, the book keeps a lot of the sometimes-charming nonsensical-ness of the film, and frequently leans into what feels like a satirical analysis of both its own genre and larger social issues. The writing is well done, and I appreciated the attempt to create a diverse character cast.
However, I found this retelling a little too sweet and fluffy for my taste; it somehow didn’t feel like there was any real urgency or conflict to the plot. I’d still recommend giving this a shot if you’re looking for some light-hearted and low-stakes fantasy.
HtTYGK is a gaslight retelling of the movie Labyrinth: in a moment of frustration, our heroine Floss accidentally summons goblins, who whisk away her baby niece to the Underground realm. To rescue her, Floss must either marry the Goblin King, or visit the Underground and solve his labyrinth.
I liked the author’s spin on the story: Floss is an aspiring lawyer, whose efforts are consistently stymied by society’s certainty that the career is too much for a lady’s delicate sensibilities. When she’s not petitioning the university to accept her application, Floss and her group of largely non-human friends are searching for ways to peacefully protest the unequal treatment of various groups and species in the country. Floss’ sometimes single-minded approach of sticking to the rules and the law, while sometimes frustrating, certainly felt like an improvement to film-Sarah’s “it not fair” speeches.
Overall, the book keeps a lot of the sometimes-charming nonsensical-ness of the film, and frequently leans into what feels like a satirical analysis of both its own genre and larger social issues. The writing is well done, and I appreciated the attempt to create a diverse character cast.
However, I found this retelling a little too sweet and fluffy for my taste; it somehow didn’t feel like there was any real urgency or conflict to the plot. I’d still recommend giving this a shot if you’re looking for some light-hearted and low-stakes fantasy.
June 24, 2022
DNFed.
I wanted to love this book. I really, really did. Such a pretty cover! And such a very promising blurb! But it just tried too hard...to be funny, romantic, fantastical, and everything else. In the end, it ended up being prosaic and preachy and none of the nice things.
The politically correct comedy and tangential references to stuff like Buzzfeed articles were too obvious and incongruous in the fantasy setting.
The high-and-mighty self-righteous protagonist Floss was just plain annoying. I think she was more annoying than book-Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone) which is saying something. She was whiny, ungrateful (also not graceful about anything) and her reasons for being such an idiot were simply not convincing.
Overall, while I would have loved to give this a positive review, I didn't really like the book at all. And my threshold for mediocre was pretty low when I read the book.
I wanted to love this book. I really, really did. Such a pretty cover! And such a very promising blurb! But it just tried too hard...to be funny, romantic, fantastical, and everything else. In the end, it ended up being prosaic and preachy and none of the nice things.
The politically correct comedy and tangential references to stuff like Buzzfeed articles were too obvious and incongruous in the fantasy setting.
The high-and-mighty self-righteous protagonist Floss was just plain annoying. I think she was more annoying than book-Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone) which is saying something. She was whiny, ungrateful (also not graceful about anything) and her reasons for being such an idiot were simply not convincing.
Overall, while I would have loved to give this a positive review, I didn't really like the book at all. And my threshold for mediocre was pretty low when I read the book.
June 20, 2022
How to Train Your Goblin King was quite delightful. I really enjoyed the Gaslamp vibe. The footnotes are just THE BEST and frequently made me laugh. The book is a an interesting take on goblin stories and the tales of labyrinths with plenty of sass and fairytale endings. Still, it also dealt with a lot of the issues we don't always think about so much in the Gaslamp-ish settings--the effects of empire on anyone besides the ruling country.
I did get a little annoyed with Floss towards the end, but it worked out. Although, I do wish the ending hadn't been quite so quick. It felt a little too abrupt, honestly. Still, I'm all for a sweet happily-ever-after.
I did get a little annoyed with Floss towards the end, but it worked out. Although, I do wish the ending hadn't been quite so quick. It felt a little too abrupt, honestly. Still, I'm all for a sweet happily-ever-after.
April 15, 2023
I literally don’t know how I finished this book. The MC was prejudiced, spoiled and a complete self centred and entitled prat that I couldn’t get behind or cheer for. Would not recommend.
April 4, 2022
Erin Vere has written, in essence, what I think is a love letter to Labyrinth. She has taken the main ingredients of the movie and rewoven them into something new.
She has sprinkled plenty of Easter eggs along the way that lovingly bows in respect to the wonderful cult classic, Labyrinth.
There have been many books written that have been inspired by the story of Labyrinth but for some reason I felt that they missed the mark—either they’re too serious with none of the silliness that made the movie so much fun or took away the independent agency of the heroine making the romance the central theme of the story.
One of the things that attracted me to this story wasn’t just that it was an homage to Labyrinth but that Floss was nuerodivergent. Being nuerodivergent myself I was overjoyed to read a book whose main character was just like me—right down to her having panic attacks and frequently overwhelmed by anxiety.
The heroine, Floss, is fiercely independent, intelligent, empathetic and stubborn to a fault. Yet she’s still able to see reason when presented with enough logic for her neurodivergent brain to process.
I found myself invested in the story almost immediately. As someone who sees the silly side of most situations I found Erin’s humour relatable and it had me giggling to myself nearly every third page. The footnotes, in particular, had me chuckling out loud and reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels.
Also, if you love David Bowie you’ll find you’ll be tickled pink by the chapter headings, as some of them are named after a few of his most popular songs—including the Labyrinth soundtrack.
The supporting characters were just enough to enhance the plot without overpowering Floss’s journey and self discovery. I absolutely loved her best friend, Lorelei, a feisty no nonsense mermaid who wheeled her tub around like a wheelchair.
I found this story not just incredibly sweet but could also see it as an allegory on how society views the disabled, the disenfranchised and the neurodivergent.
If you’re a hardcore fan of David Bowie and Labyrinth I highly recommend this story. It’s silly and cute and lots of fun to read.
She has sprinkled plenty of Easter eggs along the way that lovingly bows in respect to the wonderful cult classic, Labyrinth.
There have been many books written that have been inspired by the story of Labyrinth but for some reason I felt that they missed the mark—either they’re too serious with none of the silliness that made the movie so much fun or took away the independent agency of the heroine making the romance the central theme of the story.
One of the things that attracted me to this story wasn’t just that it was an homage to Labyrinth but that Floss was nuerodivergent. Being nuerodivergent myself I was overjoyed to read a book whose main character was just like me—right down to her having panic attacks and frequently overwhelmed by anxiety.
The heroine, Floss, is fiercely independent, intelligent, empathetic and stubborn to a fault. Yet she’s still able to see reason when presented with enough logic for her neurodivergent brain to process.
I found myself invested in the story almost immediately. As someone who sees the silly side of most situations I found Erin’s humour relatable and it had me giggling to myself nearly every third page. The footnotes, in particular, had me chuckling out loud and reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels.
Also, if you love David Bowie you’ll find you’ll be tickled pink by the chapter headings, as some of them are named after a few of his most popular songs—including the Labyrinth soundtrack.
The supporting characters were just enough to enhance the plot without overpowering Floss’s journey and self discovery. I absolutely loved her best friend, Lorelei, a feisty no nonsense mermaid who wheeled her tub around like a wheelchair.
I found this story not just incredibly sweet but could also see it as an allegory on how society views the disabled, the disenfranchised and the neurodivergent.
If you’re a hardcore fan of David Bowie and Labyrinth I highly recommend this story. It’s silly and cute and lots of fun to read.
April 7, 2022
Sometimes, at the end of a stressful semester, all you need is a fluffy, yet thought-provoking, fantasy book that suits your fancy in every way.
Honestly, I don’t even know where I heard of this book first, but I do remember loving the cover and loving the description.
I can’t write a full review because at this point in the semester, I have about 4 or 5 other assignments to finish so here’s the stuff I loved.
—Floss was a wonderfully relatable character, with faults and tendencies, and yet, with it all the ability and willingness to learn and say that she was wrong.
—Asterion
—The lovely commentary, not only on women’s rights and unfair and corrupt political treaties, but on the possibility that someone’s future doesn’t have to be one set thing. It doesn’t have to be what anyone else wants it to be and it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. Having said that, one is always able to change their mind about what they want out of life and that is perfectly fine.
This is such a gem and I greatly look forward to reading other books by this author.
Honestly, I don’t even know where I heard of this book first, but I do remember loving the cover and loving the description.
I can’t write a full review because at this point in the semester, I have about 4 or 5 other assignments to finish so here’s the stuff I loved.
—Floss was a wonderfully relatable character, with faults and tendencies, and yet, with it all the ability and willingness to learn and say that she was wrong.
—Asterion
—The lovely commentary, not only on women’s rights and unfair and corrupt political treaties, but on the possibility that someone’s future doesn’t have to be one set thing. It doesn’t have to be what anyone else wants it to be and it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. Having said that, one is always able to change their mind about what they want out of life and that is perfectly fine.
This is such a gem and I greatly look forward to reading other books by this author.
April 12, 2022
Fun romp!
This is a fun gaslamp fantasy romance--definitely a subgenre that highly appeals to me. This one is filled with tongue-in-cheek humor, a well-flawed but lovable heroine, a roguish yet kind goblin king, and lots playing around with fairy tale tropes and creatures. It's a fun and diverting read with serious themes to ground it: like equal rights and marginalized communities, following the law versus acting outside the law to create change, etc. I definitely recommend this book!
This is a fun gaslamp fantasy romance--definitely a subgenre that highly appeals to me. This one is filled with tongue-in-cheek humor, a well-flawed but lovable heroine, a roguish yet kind goblin king, and lots playing around with fairy tale tropes and creatures. It's a fun and diverting read with serious themes to ground it: like equal rights and marginalized communities, following the law versus acting outside the law to create change, etc. I definitely recommend this book!
April 4, 2022
Charming and fun
This is a retelling of the Labyrinth, with more gas lamp Victorian prose, a mermaid, a fight for justice for minorities and the fight to top a war between the Anglish and the Goblins.
It was great.
Hilarious, charming. Tongue in cheek humor and an imperfect heroine were all spot on.
Floss is trying to become the first female Lawyer when he runs into a hunk of an elf. When her niece is stolen, she must then go through the labyrinth to recover her, but frankly, to grow herself and expand her perspectives.
It was lovely! Highly recommend.
This is a retelling of the Labyrinth, with more gas lamp Victorian prose, a mermaid, a fight for justice for minorities and the fight to top a war between the Anglish and the Goblins.
It was great.
Hilarious, charming. Tongue in cheek humor and an imperfect heroine were all spot on.
Floss is trying to become the first female Lawyer when he runs into a hunk of an elf. When her niece is stolen, she must then go through the labyrinth to recover her, but frankly, to grow herself and expand her perspectives.
It was lovely! Highly recommend.
March 24, 2022
This was such an entertaining fantasy novel with interesting characters and a great storyline. The the story is fast paced and quite funny at times. I especially liked the character of the Goblin King. The different fantasy characters are quite different and their interactions are well narrated. I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
April 28, 2022
Terry Pratchett writes Labyrinth
A truly adorable story for fans of the Labyrinth and fairytales.
Labyrinth is my favourite film of all time and this was like reading a delightful retelling. Despite the author's description of Asterion as green skinned and fanged, in my head he was David Bowie.
There were so many subtle and not so subtle nods to the film that kept me grinning all the way through. Even lines that could have been plucked straight from Jareth's sexy mouth.
Floss even reminded me somewhat of Sarah, with her childish belief in fairness and justice. But she had great character growth throughout and the ending was perfect.
Highly recommended.
A truly adorable story for fans of the Labyrinth and fairytales.
Labyrinth is my favourite film of all time and this was like reading a delightful retelling. Despite the author's description of Asterion as green skinned and fanged, in my head he was David Bowie.
There were so many subtle and not so subtle nods to the film that kept me grinning all the way through. Even lines that could have been plucked straight from Jareth's sexy mouth.
Floss even reminded me somewhat of Sarah, with her childish belief in fairness and justice. But she had great character growth throughout and the ending was perfect.
Highly recommended.
March 31, 2022
I'm in love with the Goblin King!
I loved it, loved everything about it. Asterion and Floss are two of the most amazing characters I've ever read. They have flaws, they have huge dilemmas and yet, they grow with the story and it gets to a point where it's 3 am and you need to know what happens next. The Goblin King will charm you, and Floss will have you wanting to fight for justice and what’s right. So, if you like good stories with meaning and very well done slow burn, this is the book for you.
I loved it, loved everything about it. Asterion and Floss are two of the most amazing characters I've ever read. They have flaws, they have huge dilemmas and yet, they grow with the story and it gets to a point where it's 3 am and you need to know what happens next. The Goblin King will charm you, and Floss will have you wanting to fight for justice and what’s right. So, if you like good stories with meaning and very well done slow burn, this is the book for you.
March 19, 2022
TL;DR: Cute, fluffy and fun fantasy romance, but with a few caveats.
A fluffy confection of a romance with fantasy, while I enjoyed the meandering journey through the Politically Correct fantasy-splaining labyrinth, I couldn't help but feel like if it were a cake the batter would have been slightly under-mixed; lumps of romance here, comedy there, PC banter clumping in places... The ending too didn't quite seem to add up after the book's strong and certain beginning, going off on a romance-centric tangent. I'd assumed the core message would be something along the lines of changing both others' and your own perceptions and forging your way in a world stacked against you because of your "other-ness" (be that gender, race, or whatever else gets held against you by society), but the ending wasn't quite what I'd expected.
Our story starts with Floss, a 19 year old aspiring advocate of the law living in a gaslamp fantasy city where being female is a bit of a drag for one with academic aspirations. As in, you aren't really allowed to have any. Having spent years corresponding with tutors and omitting to tell them she was actually female, now they're refusing her entry to their college because "reasons". The cheek! Full of bluster (and fortified by anti-anxiety coping techniques), she charges on in, only to have the mysterious handsome student Asterion come to her aid. Of course, Mister Chaotic Good-Looking isn't quite all he appears. Circumstances conspire against Floss, and suddenly her niece is snatched away and she's forced by ancient law to travel the goblin labyrinth alongside the Goblin King... Who she might have met earlier. Of course, she could marry him and save herself a trip, but a headstrong Floss isn't one to be forced into anything as long as her precious law will let her get away with it. Time to get her girls together, because they're got a long trek ahead into a bizarre magical-political stew...
The world created is such a great deal of fun. Full of silly knowing humor that pokes fun at real life as well as some utterly Douglas Adams level absurdities hidden away in foot notes, it's a fantasy land of orcs, elves, goblins, fae; basically if it's been dreamed up, it lives there. Floss may be human, but she has a set of unusual friends, not least Lorelei the snippy mer-lady who's method of transportation puts her in the same position any wheelchair-user will recognise (uneven pavements? "Step-free" access? Ha!) There's plenty of overlaying our own societal problems with the fantasy beings in various different ways. It's weird and wonderful and super-creative; just the ticket for this kind of fluffy tale.
The plot and pacing is where things got a little confused for me. It seemed to take a very long time to get to the labrynth section, taking a rather meandering detour via all of the PC societal issues that while interesting didn't always seem to further the plot or foreshadow anything. The same could go for some of those humor for the sake of it scenes that I didn't always get (basically Siri). The sweet romance that becomes the core of the story is indeed sweet enough, but could feel a little stop-start On the most positive side it's not a romance of attrition or triangles; less romantic tension, more gentle ride.
The ending didn't feel quite like the one I'd been expecting from the outset, and felt like it was in a hurry to tie everything up. The villain of the piece is barely there, then incredibly easily dealt with. It went down the romance route, and while I'm fine with romance being part of the plot I wondered what happened to all that societal stuff .
Overall a fun story, but one that felt to me like it was a tad unfocused. A little editorial polish and narrative tightening to this sweet treat of fantasy imagination and fluff would really make it shine all the more. One for fans of proximity fantasy romance and silly humor.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A fluffy confection of a romance with fantasy, while I enjoyed the meandering journey through the Politically Correct fantasy-splaining labyrinth, I couldn't help but feel like if it were a cake the batter would have been slightly under-mixed; lumps of romance here, comedy there, PC banter clumping in places... The ending too didn't quite seem to add up after the book's strong and certain beginning, going off on a romance-centric tangent. I'd assumed the core message would be something along the lines of changing both others' and your own perceptions and forging your way in a world stacked against you because of your "other-ness" (be that gender, race, or whatever else gets held against you by society), but the ending wasn't quite what I'd expected.
Our story starts with Floss, a 19 year old aspiring advocate of the law living in a gaslamp fantasy city where being female is a bit of a drag for one with academic aspirations. As in, you aren't really allowed to have any. Having spent years corresponding with tutors and omitting to tell them she was actually female, now they're refusing her entry to their college because "reasons". The cheek! Full of bluster (and fortified by anti-anxiety coping techniques), she charges on in, only to have the mysterious handsome student Asterion come to her aid. Of course, Mister Chaotic Good-Looking isn't quite all he appears. Circumstances conspire against Floss, and suddenly her niece is snatched away and she's forced by ancient law to travel the goblin labyrinth alongside the Goblin King... Who she might have met earlier. Of course, she could marry him and save herself a trip, but a headstrong Floss isn't one to be forced into anything as long as her precious law will let her get away with it. Time to get her girls together, because they're got a long trek ahead into a bizarre magical-political stew...
The world created is such a great deal of fun. Full of silly knowing humor that pokes fun at real life as well as some utterly Douglas Adams level absurdities hidden away in foot notes, it's a fantasy land of orcs, elves, goblins, fae; basically if it's been dreamed up, it lives there. Floss may be human, but she has a set of unusual friends, not least Lorelei the snippy mer-lady who's method of transportation puts her in the same position any wheelchair-user will recognise (uneven pavements? "Step-free" access? Ha!) There's plenty of overlaying our own societal problems with the fantasy beings in various different ways. It's weird and wonderful and super-creative; just the ticket for this kind of fluffy tale.
The plot and pacing is where things got a little confused for me. It seemed to take a very long time to get to the labrynth section, taking a rather meandering detour via all of the PC societal issues that while interesting didn't always seem to further the plot or foreshadow anything. The same could go for some of those humor for the sake of it scenes that I didn't always get (basically Siri). The sweet romance that becomes the core of the story is indeed sweet enough, but could feel a little stop-start On the most positive side it's not a romance of attrition or triangles; less romantic tension, more gentle ride.
The ending didn't feel quite like the one I'd been expecting from the outset, and felt like it was in a hurry to tie everything up. The villain of the piece is barely there, then incredibly easily dealt with. It went down the romance route, and while I'm fine with romance being part of the plot I wondered what happened to all that societal stuff .
Overall a fun story, but one that felt to me like it was a tad unfocused. A little editorial polish and narrative tightening to this sweet treat of fantasy imagination and fluff would really make it shine all the more. One for fans of proximity fantasy romance and silly humor.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 4, 2022
***Side note as of 4/30/22— I NEED a physical copy of this book for my personal library. This is now one of my favorite books of all time. Seriously....read it!***
This book was simply captivating and such an enjoyable adventure! If you enjoy classics such as Labyrinth or The Princess Bride, you're going to adore this retelling. The author has a wonderful imagination and is very successful at pulling you through the pages into the incredible fantasy world that she has created. I cannot go without mentioning how absolutely stunning the cover art is! The first thing I noticed right off the bat was how beautiful the design was and it immediately made me want to jump right into this book. I feel that this will be one of my go-to comfort reads from now on! Thank you so much to BookSirens for sending me an ARC for my honest review. I cannot wait to enjoy more works from Erin in the future!
This book was simply captivating and such an enjoyable adventure! If you enjoy classics such as Labyrinth or The Princess Bride, you're going to adore this retelling. The author has a wonderful imagination and is very successful at pulling you through the pages into the incredible fantasy world that she has created. I cannot go without mentioning how absolutely stunning the cover art is! The first thing I noticed right off the bat was how beautiful the design was and it immediately made me want to jump right into this book. I feel that this will be one of my go-to comfort reads from now on! Thank you so much to BookSirens for sending me an ARC for my honest review. I cannot wait to enjoy more works from Erin in the future!
September 2, 2022
This was rather adorable -- a light-hearted, pun-filled fantasy romance heavily inspired by the movie Labyrinth. The characters were a delight, and there was plenty of heart -- A nice balm to a stressful week at work!
May 6, 2022
I really enjoyed this fun read! It's obviously very heavily Labyrinth-inspired, which is what sold me on it in the first place, but I liked that it felt more like a wealth of references than an attempt to follow the film's plot too closely - it's got more than enough of its own original plot and world to really feel like a satisfying read. The interpretation of the labyrinth and the magical, slightly steampunky world was delightful!
I did find that the humour sometimes leaned too far into being twee and ended up feeling try-hard - in particular, not all funny fantasy needs or can sustain footnotes, and I found that they really detracted from my experience in the first few chapters, as my attention kept being pulled out of the story when I needed to be getting a feel for the characters. They lessened in both frequency and tweeness as the book went on, so I'm hoping this is just the author getting a feel for the world herself, and the try-hard feel will settle down in future books! A couple of tech jokes were slightly belaboured, too, like the GPS string, which it felt like the book kept saying "see? SEE? It's a GPS!" when the initial mention was more than enough to get the joke. Again, though, this just feels as though it's a slightly newer author who doesn't quite trust their audience yet. I think the insistence on how funny it is will smooth out over time, leaving a nice lighthearted feel to the world.
I also think it feels a little uneven in terms of how well the themes are blended in - quite often the characters drop everything they're doing to make heavy-handed points about social issues. The inclusion of the themes isn't a problem at all - I loved that the characters wanted to make the world better - it's just that they don't come up quite as smoothly or in-character as they could, which can at times feel a little preachy. I think if this was a little more subtly woven-in, the message would be more powerful.
The characters are a real strength here, and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Floss and her sister and brother-in-law, and the depiction of the Goblin King, who is very un-Jareth-like! There's quite a large cast to juggle, but I feel like we got just enough time with each of the side characters to enjoy them, and Floss and Asterion's growing relationship is lovely.
I feel like this review sounds overly negative for a four star, so let me repeat that I did have a really great time reading - it's a very fun and cute story with some clever worldbuilding. There are just a few things that could have been smoother, but I do still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fluffy gaslamp fantasy!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I did find that the humour sometimes leaned too far into being twee and ended up feeling try-hard - in particular, not all funny fantasy needs or can sustain footnotes, and I found that they really detracted from my experience in the first few chapters, as my attention kept being pulled out of the story when I needed to be getting a feel for the characters. They lessened in both frequency and tweeness as the book went on, so I'm hoping this is just the author getting a feel for the world herself, and the try-hard feel will settle down in future books! A couple of tech jokes were slightly belaboured, too, like the GPS string, which it felt like the book kept saying "see? SEE? It's a GPS!" when the initial mention was more than enough to get the joke. Again, though, this just feels as though it's a slightly newer author who doesn't quite trust their audience yet. I think the insistence on how funny it is will smooth out over time, leaving a nice lighthearted feel to the world.
I also think it feels a little uneven in terms of how well the themes are blended in - quite often the characters drop everything they're doing to make heavy-handed points about social issues. The inclusion of the themes isn't a problem at all - I loved that the characters wanted to make the world better - it's just that they don't come up quite as smoothly or in-character as they could, which can at times feel a little preachy. I think if this was a little more subtly woven-in, the message would be more powerful.
The characters are a real strength here, and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Floss and her sister and brother-in-law, and the depiction of the Goblin King, who is very un-Jareth-like! There's quite a large cast to juggle, but I feel like we got just enough time with each of the side characters to enjoy them, and Floss and Asterion's growing relationship is lovely.
I feel like this review sounds overly negative for a four star, so let me repeat that I did have a really great time reading - it's a very fun and cute story with some clever worldbuilding. There are just a few things that could have been smoother, but I do still recommend this book to anyone looking for a fluffy gaslamp fantasy!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 21, 2022
How To Train Your Goblin King was kind of like a mix between the movie Labyrinth and the story of the Minotaur. I got the setting easily and the relationship with the main protagonist, Floss, was established with me as a reader within the 1st or 2nd chapters. She developed throughout the story and was very multilayered. I believe that many would empathize with and enjoy her, though it would be a lie to say she wasn't quite frustrating at times. I also liked the romantic relationship she developed. It was beautifully symbiotic, unlike the parasitic garbage that’s being produced right now.
I appreciated that the romance was PG (possibly as high as TV14 US rating scale) and that the profanity was kept to a minimum. These being two things that will cause me not to finish a book.
I caught the little nuances suggesting the stories that gave birth to this recreation and liked all the characters, Lorelei was probably my favorite. Her Slavic like accent, hostile resting face, and general antagonism, recommending her highly to this reader. I enjoyed the freshness provided and believe wholeheartedly that anyone who loves these genres would love the book.
My only qualms was the use of modern day ‘social justice’ language in the beginning. It had an immersion breaking effect, it could have used some romanticizing in word selections. Also, I felt the story could have easily supported 1 or 2 more chapters giving a bit more to the antagonist’s development. However, this would not stop me from suggesting the book or reading another from this author. All and all this was a lovely use of time!
I appreciated that the romance was PG (possibly as high as TV14 US rating scale) and that the profanity was kept to a minimum. These being two things that will cause me not to finish a book.
I caught the little nuances suggesting the stories that gave birth to this recreation and liked all the characters, Lorelei was probably my favorite. Her Slavic like accent, hostile resting face, and general antagonism, recommending her highly to this reader. I enjoyed the freshness provided and believe wholeheartedly that anyone who loves these genres would love the book.
My only qualms was the use of modern day ‘social justice’ language in the beginning. It had an immersion breaking effect, it could have used some romanticizing in word selections. Also, I felt the story could have easily supported 1 or 2 more chapters giving a bit more to the antagonist’s development. However, this would not stop me from suggesting the book or reading another from this author. All and all this was a lovely use of time!
April 13, 2022
A girl fighting to be an advocate ("lawyer") in a Bowie's Labyrinth + a Pratchett-like world of comedy, magic, and satirical mischief. Loved it all!
This review will be all in gifs. Because. (No big spoilers, so scroll on!)
Floss lives in a world reminiscent of Old England, except also with goblins, sprites, ogres, mermaids, & such, and she's wants to be an advocate to fight for the equality of every one of them.
Like this girl, and fighting for lots of girl power (except women aren't allowed to be advocates):
When she eventually meets this clever fellow who begins to help her on her way:
Character art by Artist Alta Riff
Yet when her niece is taken to the Underground by goblins (because who can resist a cute baby?):
Then Floss must fall, tumble, and crawl her way through the labyrinth to get her niece back, with her friends & the Goblin King at her side, looking more handsome all along the way, though she can't quite tell how much of him is secretly a monster or how much of him is a dashing chap who just might do anything for her 😏
Now I know what you're thinking ... is there a ball?
Yes. Yes, there is a ball in the labyrinth for surprise reasons later, & it is fabulous. Like this, but better:
But more importantly...
Why, you're damn right it is.
Go read it now. I'll wait right here.
Then come back & tell me how much you loved it.
This review will be all in gifs. Because. (No big spoilers, so scroll on!)
Floss lives in a world reminiscent of Old England, except also with goblins, sprites, ogres, mermaids, & such, and she's wants to be an advocate to fight for the equality of every one of them.
Like this girl, and fighting for lots of girl power (except women aren't allowed to be advocates):
When she eventually meets this clever fellow who begins to help her on her way:
Character art by Artist Alta Riff
Yet when her niece is taken to the Underground by goblins (because who can resist a cute baby?):
Then Floss must fall, tumble, and crawl her way through the labyrinth to get her niece back, with her friends & the Goblin King at her side, looking more handsome all along the way, though she can't quite tell how much of him is secretly a monster or how much of him is a dashing chap who just might do anything for her 😏
Now I know what you're thinking ... is there a ball?
Yes. Yes, there is a ball in the labyrinth for surprise reasons later, & it is fabulous. Like this, but better:
But more importantly...
Why, you're damn right it is.
Go read it now. I'll wait right here.
Then come back & tell me how much you loved it.
April 6, 2022
I think readers would like this who want:
* a safe and relaxing read that won't stress you out (because we know Daisy will be rescued, so your blood pressure is safe with this one :-) )
* you don't mind that the character is very young with a narrow, sometimes frustrating perspective of the world
* you're a fan of Monty-Python-type humor (I've also read reviews comparing it to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I can't confirm or deny because I haven't read the Guide).
* you love humor directed at other humans (I'm adding this because while I found the excerpts from the household guide on how to train your goblin slaves to be extremely de-humanizing and demeaning, my friend found them hilarious, so I think this book, in general, hits a certain type of humor, so make sure it's your type!)
* you want an Alice-in-Wonderland-like quirky retelling of Labyrinth (only with an open, laughing Jareth who seems to have no control over his subjects :-) )
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
* a safe and relaxing read that won't stress you out (because we know Daisy will be rescued, so your blood pressure is safe with this one :-) )
* you don't mind that the character is very young with a narrow, sometimes frustrating perspective of the world
* you're a fan of Monty-Python-type humor (I've also read reviews comparing it to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I can't confirm or deny because I haven't read the Guide).
* you love humor directed at other humans (I'm adding this because while I found the excerpts from the household guide on how to train your goblin slaves to be extremely de-humanizing and demeaning, my friend found them hilarious, so I think this book, in general, hits a certain type of humor, so make sure it's your type!)
* you want an Alice-in-Wonderland-like quirky retelling of Labyrinth (only with an open, laughing Jareth who seems to have no control over his subjects :-) )
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 23, 2022
This story was truly just lovely! It was very creative and quite different than books I’ve read before, but in the best way possible. There were so many fun, quirky aspects to this and it was very enjoyable to read, I absolutely tore through it.
Steampunk, regency, fantasy, feminism, all rolled into one??? Fantastic world building??? Adorable romance but still a strong female protag??? Asterion??? In love. I would say that this is definitely suitable for an upper middle grade audience as well as young adult (or anyone who likes the movie/novel The Labyrinth, really). I’m very much looking forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Truly just a whimsical and highly enjoyable read.
Thank you to BookSirens, the author, and the publisher for sending me a free e-ARC of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily and very willingly.
Steampunk, regency, fantasy, feminism, all rolled into one??? Fantastic world building??? Adorable romance but still a strong female protag??? Asterion??? In love. I would say that this is definitely suitable for an upper middle grade audience as well as young adult (or anyone who likes the movie/novel The Labyrinth, really). I’m very much looking forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Truly just a whimsical and highly enjoyable read.
Thank you to BookSirens, the author, and the publisher for sending me a free e-ARC of this novel. I am leaving this review voluntarily and very willingly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews