Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Jim C. Hines. His first novel, Goblin Quest has just been released by Daw Books. I’m not a fan of fantasy, but I truly enjoyed this book.

In Jim’s world, goblins are the lowest form of cave life, getting beat up by Hobgoblins, Human adventurers, even Lizard-fish. The protagonist, Jig, is an unlikely hero even by goblin standards. He’s small, nearsighted and clumsy. Despite (or maybe because) of these handicaps, Jig succeeds, much to his surprise.

Goblin Quest doesn’t take itself too seriously, but avoids the all-out self-parody of say, Zena. The author’s sly humor shines through, and leads to an enjoyable read. Although aimed at adults, children from junior high on would enjoy it, and there’s nothing in the book that their parents would find objectionable.

All in all, a great read, and I’m looking forward to Jim’s next book