Goblin Emperor [May 22, 2021]

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

This is a Buddy Read for The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison starting May 22, 2021.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I just got a promotional "arc" so count me in! :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

An arc of this?... or the sequel?... I have high hopes for the sequel

[Elizabeth]

I definitely need to reread this before the sequel, thought it would be a good idea to request both.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

It was an audio of the first one. With review expectations like an arc. They do that on occasion to generate hype. I’m hyped.

[Paula]

I'd love to reread this, I'm in

[Claudia]

+1!

[Rob]

I was hoping people would want to reread this. Hope to be in on it. 3rd book of Temeraire buddy read starts the day though!

[Elizabeth]

I may be a day or two late to start this.

[Rob]

I'm likely to be late as well. Kinda viewing this as a "as long as I get it the re-read done before the new book drops" buddyread.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I'm also going to be late haha. About a week. :)

[Elizabeth]

That sounds good to me.

[Elizabeth]

I'm starting my re-read today.

[Elizabeth]

I'd forgotten how weird the names were in this book. I listened to it the first time and reading it now I'm trying to remember how the narrator said these names.

[Rob]

I hope to start my re-read tomorrow

[Rob]

Ok, I tried reading most of the intro on elvish phrasings and then skimmed the glossary upfront. This time I have the audio to go along with the book, so it will be interesting to see how everything is pronounced. I'm only mid-way through the first chapter, but already have a sense that while I don't remember a thing really from the first read, I know at least conceptually what I"m in for as an intrigue and political maneuvering novel, so I think I might enjoy it more this time.

[Elizabeth]

That's pretty much all I remember too.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I'm starting tomorrow. I'm trying audio so we'll see how it goes. I'm prepared to concentrate on the names :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Sometimes, names don't stick with me, and I just try to ride out the story... maybe that works better for me since I don't spend long on a book... probably be even worse if I was taking a book slow and not keeping adequate track of the names...

Can't remember if this book has that issue... I mean... there's the Goblin Emperor and the attendants/advisors, and other faction heads, but I can't remember specific characters, after all this time, just the general story arc...

[Rob]

Agreed Iain. none of the characters' names stuck with me from my first read and I have difficulty as I go through it keeping track of them all. My experience thus far is the same as the first time, there is something different about this book and to use the imperial, "we" likes it. I enjoy delving into it and am glad that I don't remember much of the plot details. Kyle McClarley does a good job with the audio as well.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I've been re-reading A Memory Called Empire, so I can read A Desolation Called Peace... and I honestly feel like I only technically read the book the first time... I lost so many details, I feel like I must not have been paying attention, doing something else at the time...

My main memory was being able to call it a mashup of The Traitor Baru Cormorant and Ancillary Justice... with names reminiscent of Ninefox Gambit... at least that has been pretty accurate :D

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I get a lot of hot debate on my review of a memory called empire because I didn’t care for it. So much so that they’re making me feel like I missed something critical and need to reread it. But my retention the first time around was next to nothing and should’ve been a DNF. Are you liking it more on the reread? I feel like it was an excess of telling and explanations and no showing.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I get a lot of hot debate on my review of a memory called empire because I didn’t care for it. So much so that they’re making me feel like I missed something critical and need to reread it. But my ..."

There's definitely alot of internal monologuing about the broken memory implant... I think half the reason I liked it so much the first time might have been how little I was paying attention... because, really, there isn't much to the plot other than the MC landing on planet and constantly being shuffled around by planetary politics she's inexperienced with... which I guess leads to the ending (view spoiler)[where I think she gives the Emperor the memory implant he wanted to live on and save the galaxy from the mindless alien threat... (hide spoiler)]

Sometimes I think I really benefit from doing 2 things at once, so the audiobooks don't feel like a waste of time, if I don't love them....

I kinda regretted re-reading Traitor Baru Cormorant as well... but I at least remembered that book a bit more...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I get a lot of hot debate on my review of a memory called empire because I didn’t care for it. So much so that they’re making me feel like I missed something critical and need to reread it. But my ..."

I did see your 2.5 star review by the way, altho I didn't read it all... and I think most "lowball" reviews spark debate, if a book is popular enough... I find negative and lukewarm reviews more useful than positive ones, usually... positive ones gush about loving the book for the most part... negative reviews give me an idea if the things that are grating others might be things that grate me usually... as long as they don't rub off and ruin the experience of a book I'd otherwise have enjoyed blind...

[Paula]

this is also a reread for me and I only remember some big events and the names only vaguely but it's nice being in this world

until chapter 6
(view spoiler)[I liked how naive Maia is of the ways of the court but can be authoritative like when he extended the invitation to Csvet and that way making it impossible to setheris invite himself or when he reminded the widow empress how to call herself and that veiled threat

I was wondering why Maia behaved like setheris to that messenger when he didn't need to. Any ideas? Or was it stress and lack of sleep? (hide spoiler)]

[Rob]

Again and again, it is clear don't quite have a full grasp of what is going on it's because our pov/character is just so unreliable and that is by design. He doesn't know who or what to trust and has so many preconceived notions (no good reason given to not trust his lord chancellor for example) as to call almost everything he does into question, though undoubtedly he's generally a decent humanoid :) B

[Elizabeth]

I'm not much further than I was. I've fallen into a slump

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "I get a lot of hot debate on my review of a memory called empire because I didn’t care for it. So much so that they’re making me feel like I missed something critical and need t..."

I agree. I tend to assume that if someone is gushing, they must not have read many books to compare it too. Unless I know who's reviewing, that is. The negatives are so much more helpful. It sounds like it was still just okay on the second go, where the most interesting thing happened at the end. I swear I was completely zoned out by then trying not to DNF because I don't recall any part of that haha. Oh well.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

And yet again I prove I don't have a handle on planning out my life. This one is due on the 22nd, whereas an obligation for the third Sufficiently Advanced Magic is due by the 15th.... so I'm going to be even later than expected. Sorry to hear you're in a slump Elizabeth, that's the worst. Maybe you'll still be reading by the time I get to it lol.

I've decided that I'm tired of trying to juggle so many obligations. If I don't have time to pick up that book immediately, I don't sign up for it. Simple, but hard to implement. I also am only going to allow myself to read one book at a time. That's how I get myself into trouble..

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'm planning to re-read this, even tho I missed the 2 week BR deadline for competition points... I recently dug it out of my archives to listen again soon, with the sequel fast approaching...

@Niki: I see you're doing a bunch of older books on audio ARCs?... I assume Sufficiently Advanced Magic is floating around because book 3 just came out, I think?...

I liked the first book well enough, and think I BR'd the 2nd book, but kinda lost interest in the series... the overarching plot is taking too long to develop, and the books are super long with tons of studying, magic system infodumps, and tangents... from what I remember...

[Elizabeth]

We started late and are all still reading, so I think you could still count it.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I think if you and I agree to start in about a week it for sure counts lol.

In this case I have an audio production quality review to do for the third book of the SAM series for audiofile magazine. I usually know better than to pick the third book or even a sequel for something I haven’t read yet but it was a series I’ve been itching to start anyway and I loved Nick Podehl for the Kingkiller chronicles so I figured it would be an excellent match. I neglected to take into account time. As usual.

[Rob]

Yep, I still have about a third of the book left to go here.

[Rob]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "I get a lot of hot debate on my review of a memory called empire because I didn’t care for it. So much so that they’re making me feel like I missed something critical and need t..."

I regretted re-reading Baru as well. it had such great promise, but once again couldn't bring myself to read the second book.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I think if you and I agree to start in about a week it for sure counts lol.

In this case I have an audio production quality review to do for the third book of the SAM series for audiofile magazin..."

You seem to always have more commitments than time... I'm glad I'm not tied to deadlines (since I stopped doing 30 BRs/month)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

About done with my re-read… started yesterday, in the home stretch now, around 90%…

Liked it just as much on reread, which is great… kinda makes me sad that the 2nd book is less than half the length… 8hrs vs 18hrs…

It’s funny how calm/casual the story feels, despite the danger and high stakes for the MC… even when (view spoiler)[he’s nearly exiles/assassinated (hide spoiler)]…

The book really hits a turning point, around 50-60%, when Maia starts to gain confidence in his new role…

[Rob]

I finished last night. I enjoyed it a lot as well. I put it in the Becky Chambers realm of feel-goods. The whole book feels like an exercise in taking an inherently very decent individual with no sense of entitlement treating everyone well even when he doesn't have to and showing us the good and the loyalty and even the love that comes as a reward from that. An idealized message of "it pays to be kind and considerate"

[Elizabeth]

I'm starting to come out of my slump and am about a third of the way done.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Good summation, Rob… I like the duology near the first end of the Black Jewels series for the same reason I think… a low magic Queen that wins over a kingdom she’s given stewardship over, through hard work and caring…

I like Becky Chambers, but sometimes her books have too LITTLE purpose/direction… that was me and Nikki’s general feeling about the 3rd book in that series with the long 1st book name… Long way to a small angry planet?…

[Rob]

I think I liked the whole "life on a century ship" setting a lot and may have enjoyed it more than book 2. Still waiting to read book 4.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Good summation, Rob… I like the duology near the first end of the Black Jewels series for the same reason I think… a low magic Queen that wins over a kingdom she’s given stewardship over, through h..."

Yep, very delightful, but not enough direction in that one to leave me feeling satisfied.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

I'm starting today. Anyone still reading? (bueller?)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You know me... zoom zoom... I loved it, and can't wait to read the semi-sequel...

[Elizabeth]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "I'm starting today. Anyone still reading? (bueller?)"

I am, though out of my slump somewhat I've been super busy.

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

Hah Iain yup! I blinked…

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

Oh good! Finally get to read something with you ^_^. I think it will take me a week to get through, so I’m going to double that and say two. Take your time lol.

[Elizabeth]

Chapter 24

(view spoiler)[ I'd forgotten how horrifying Csevet's story was. (hide spoiler)]

[Claudia]

I just reached the mid checkpoint! so far it’s quite a peculiar book to me - nothing draws me back to read it but when I do I’m fully into it. It’s like a good tv show that doesn’t hook you for a binge watching night but you find pleasure in watching the show every now and then during lunch regardless. I’ll probably still take a while to finish 🙈

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

About 25% through. I'm glad y'all warned me about the names because the audiobook has been a challenge. I have to say, I've been flitting from being completely engaged to wildly distracted during this book. I think the difference is between when the MC is actually engaging with people around him vs when there's just a lot of info dumping. It is starting to improve a bit though.

[Rob]

Stick with it Niki. It grows on you.