ALN Monthly Book Club: The Goblin Emperor (Old Town)

For our April Monthly Book Club, we will be reading Katherine Addison's "The Goblin Emperor!"

We will be hosting this event IN PERSON, outdoors, at Presidio Park in Old Town! Attendees must be vaccinated; vaccination cards WILL be checked. In addition, we recommend (but do not require) that attendees wear masks and maintain social distance.

We typically meet at the picnic tables in the shade at the end of the loop made by Cosoy Way. Please see the embedded map below for more details.

Content warning: Murder, Violence, Racism. Details not given here to avoid spoilers. Contact an organizer if you have concerns about the book's content.

After tragedy strikes, the distant youngest son of the emperor must now take the throne. We follow his journey learning the politics of court, developing self-confidence, creating a found family of sorts, and coming into his own. Oh, and everyone's a goblin.

We hope to see you there!

Questions:

1. Intro: What is your name, and would you rather have to speak in the royal “we” for the rest of your life, or have someone watch you sleep for the rest of your life?
2. We are introduced to Maia at the very beginning of the novel, thrust into chaos in his new role as emperor. What was your first impression of him? Would you have done anything differently during your first day as emperor?
3. In this novel, the land of the Ethuveraz has its own unique naming system for titles, places and names. How did this affect your experience with the book? Do you like fantasy novels that develop their own naming conventions for everything?
4. The author has made the main races of the characters in this novel elves and goblins. How did this affect your expectations and experiences with the book?
5. The world of The Goblin Emperor featured many careers, some of the most prominent being secretary, courier, nohecharei, and witness for the dead. Given the novel does not shy away from the reality of these jobs, which of these would you least like to do?
6. Maia spent ten years prior to the novel living under the abusive care of Setheris. Even after becoming emperor, he still struggles to deal with him physically and mentally. What did you think of this depiction of abuse?
7. What was your initial reaction to the coup staged by Shevean and Chavar? Did you expect the outcome? Do you think they deserved stricter punishment?
8. One of the major plot lines of this book is a murder mystery, and Maia survives several assassination attempts throughout the book. Yet one of the common criticisms of this book is that “nothing happens.” Do you agree with this statement? If you do, is it a bug or a feature?
9. For all of the enmity that’s shown to him, Maia has a positive nickname by the end of the book. Looking back, are you satisfied with the way Maia handled his interactions? Was there anything you were left questioning or that you feel should have gone differently?

Upcoming Events:
May: The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune
June: Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer
July: The Book Eaters, by Sunyi Dean
August: Forging Hephaestus, by Drew Hayes
EPIC: Jurassic Park & The Lost World, by Michael Crichton
September: 2025-2026 ALN Book Selection!