Jig is a scrawny little nearsighted goblin-a runt even among his puny species. Captured by a party of adventurers searching for a magical artifact, and forced to guide them, Jig encounters every peril ever faced on a fantasy quest.
Goblin Quest (GOBLIN SERIES)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"If you've always kinda rooted for the little guy, even maybe had a bit of a place in your heart for the likes of Gollum, rather than the Boromirs and Gandalfs of the world, pick up Goblin Quest - just make sure you keep well away from Golaka's stewpot." - The SF Site
From the Inside Flap
When Jig's patrol is ambushed by a group of adventurers, he does what goblins do best: throws down his weapon and surrenders. Thus begins Jig's quest, as the adventurers force him to serve as their guide through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the mountain. Led by Prince Barius Wendelson, their goal is an ancient magical artifact, hidden here ages past.
As the group moves deeper into the tunnels, Jig finds himself face to face with creatures of goblin legend: ogres, trolls, not to mention the long-dead servants of the dreaded Necromancer, all leading to one final, deadly battle.
To survive, Jig will have to find a way to combine heroism with his own goblin ideals. The result is an unpredictable adventure that will leave readers cheering this unlikeliest of heroes and questioning some of the most basic traditions of fantasy quests. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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More About the Author
Jim C. Hines' latest book is LIBRIOMANCER, a modern-day fantasy about a magic-wielding librarian, a dryad, a secret society founded by Johannes Gutenberg, a flaming spider, and an enchanted convertible. He's also the author of the PRINCESS series of fairy tale retellings as well as the humorous GOBLIN QUEST trilogy. His short fiction has appeared in more than 40 magazines and anthologies. Jim lives in Michigan with his wife and two children. He's currently hard at work on CODEX BORN, the second book in the MAGIC EX LIBRIS series. Online, he can be found at http://www.jimchines.com.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Jig the goblin in very low on the pecking order in the goblin tunnels. But one day Jig runs afoul of a group of adventurers. The group is led by a prince with too many older brothers. He wants to prove himself. So with his wizard brother, a dwarf protector, and a young elf thief, they have come to the tunnels to search for the legendary Rod of Creation. It is said to be deep in the mountain, beyond the terrible Necromancer, and guarded by an ancient dragon. Jig is impressed into service as a guide.
Jig knows little of the tunnels outside the goblin territory but leads them anyway. Along the way Jig begins to question goblin ways. He sees how the adventurers work together in crisis although they fight most of the rest of the time. He sees the value of good equipment and proper training. All a far cry from the goblin standard of rushing headlong into battle and almost certain death. Jig also learns about religion. But mostly he just tries to survive the various rants and furies from the adventurers. But Jig has untapped depths that help the party advance when hope seems lost. Dragons, necromancers, and endless treachery must be overcome if Jig can get out of this alive.
This is a wonderful little story and Jig is a very interesting character. Seeing a traditional quest fantasy from the eyes of a goblin was very refreshing. You will see many parallels with THE HOBBIT (there is even a reference to Frodo at one point). I am eagerly awaiting the sequel which will be out May 2007. Jig's actions and solutions are original and fresh. The writing is smooth and well-paced. Although billed as a comedy it is really light fantasy. Check it out.
Jig knows little of the tunnels outside the goblin territory but leads them anyway. Along the way Jig begins to question goblin ways. He sees how the adventurers work together in crisis although they fight most of the rest of the time. He sees the value of good equipment and proper training. All a far cry from the goblin standard of rushing headlong into battle and almost certain death. Jig also learns about religion. But mostly he just tries to survive the various rants and furies from the adventurers. But Jig has untapped depths that help the party advance when hope seems lost. Dragons, necromancers, and endless treachery must be overcome if Jig can get out of this alive.
This is a wonderful little story and Jig is a very interesting character. Seeing a traditional quest fantasy from the eyes of a goblin was very refreshing. You will see many parallels with THE HOBBIT (there is even a reference to Frodo at one point). I am eagerly awaiting the sequel which will be out May 2007. Jig's actions and solutions are original and fresh. The writing is smooth and well-paced. Although billed as a comedy it is really light fantasy. Check it out.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Lori L. Lake
Format:Hardcover
Jig is a goblin with little social status. He has been assigned to the lowliest muck duty far longer than others his age, and he can't help but feel shame. He also can't help that he is a clumsy, near-sighted runt, and his cousin Porak and his buddies never let him forget it. Only in his fantasies is Jig a brave and respected warrior, and he longs for the chance to prove himself.
Finally Jig is given the opportunity to guard the mountain tunnels from intruders, which is a scary proposition since so many of the tunnel guards wind up dead. He resolves to do what needs to be done in order to stay alive. Imagine his surprise when he is accosted by a party of treasure hunters made up of two humans, a dwarf, and an elf who are searching for the Rod of Creation thought to be guarded by a dragon named Straum.
Jig is forced to join them for the hunt-or die. "Jig knew what a real hero would do. A hero would scream something defiant, wrestle Darnak's club away and use it against the dwarf and the human. A hero might even slay them both before making his escape. Of course, Jig knew all the goblin songs, so he knew what happened to goblin heroes.... He had not desire to be a hero. He only wanted to go home, curl up with a hot bowl of lizard-egg soup, and feed dead cockroaches to Smudge" (p. 25).
The prospect of making such a journey successfully with his captors doesn't look good to Jig. He doesn't even know where Straum's lair is, but instead of mounting what would be a suicide attack, Jig reluctantly agrees to help the adventurers find their way around the tunnels. What follows is a series of action-filled, entertaining, and often funny adventures as they battle hobgoblins, worms, a necromancer, and various other foes.
This book will appeal to both adults and young adults. Teens will very much enjoy Jig's quest and his attempt to define himself in a world that doesn't necessarily value his skills. Adults will also enjoy the humor and the upending of various aspects of the fantasy/quest genre. Prepare to be entertained throughout and completely satisfied with Jig's journey by the time you reach the end. ~Lori L. Lake, reviewer for Midwest Book Review and author of the "Gun" series
Finally Jig is given the opportunity to guard the mountain tunnels from intruders, which is a scary proposition since so many of the tunnel guards wind up dead. He resolves to do what needs to be done in order to stay alive. Imagine his surprise when he is accosted by a party of treasure hunters made up of two humans, a dwarf, and an elf who are searching for the Rod of Creation thought to be guarded by a dragon named Straum.
Jig is forced to join them for the hunt-or die. "Jig knew what a real hero would do. A hero would scream something defiant, wrestle Darnak's club away and use it against the dwarf and the human. A hero might even slay them both before making his escape. Of course, Jig knew all the goblin songs, so he knew what happened to goblin heroes.... He had not desire to be a hero. He only wanted to go home, curl up with a hot bowl of lizard-egg soup, and feed dead cockroaches to Smudge" (p. 25).
The prospect of making such a journey successfully with his captors doesn't look good to Jig. He doesn't even know where Straum's lair is, but instead of mounting what would be a suicide attack, Jig reluctantly agrees to help the adventurers find their way around the tunnels. What follows is a series of action-filled, entertaining, and often funny adventures as they battle hobgoblins, worms, a necromancer, and various other foes.
This book will appeal to both adults and young adults. Teens will very much enjoy Jig's quest and his attempt to define himself in a world that doesn't necessarily value his skills. Adults will also enjoy the humor and the upending of various aspects of the fantasy/quest genre. Prepare to be entertained throughout and completely satisfied with Jig's journey by the time you reach the end. ~Lori L. Lake, reviewer for Midwest Book Review and author of the "Gun" series
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Judah
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book follows Jig, a stereotypical goblin in every way, except he's smart and wise. It throws in some goblin songs and God-sagas, not as many as Tolkien, but the homage is there. The setting/tone is a nice simple dungeon crawl without profanity or rude words. This is a type of book you could read to a seven-year old and they'd love it.
Personally, I wanted a little more. Jig is developed well as a wimpy disgusting goblin with pet fire-spider, but the other parts of the party of adventurers are stereotypical with little dimension. The faithful dwarf retainer, mapmaker and cleric. The arrogant royal mage who traded too much for power. The thief-girl (happens to be an elf), and finally the stuck-up and egotistical prince (party leader). I did think having the mage double as an archer was a nice touch. It clearly distinguishes the story as original dungeon crawling compared with normal D&D source material, unless they've let mages get ultra-bow proficient in 4th edition.
This book held my interest as Jig scared himself from one situation to the next. The tone was semi-serious rather than comical, though some observations are witty.
Overall the Jig-gy majority is enjoyable, and other parts meh-ish. I'm not really a fan of listening to other people talk about their D&D characters, and when the author concentrated less on the goblin and more on the adventurers or adventure, that's the vibe I got.
A fun story, but not something I'd re-read. If you like light fantasy adventure, you'll like this. Personally, I did not find it as good as Xanth; the side-characters are tedious rather than funny.
Personally, I wanted a little more. Jig is developed well as a wimpy disgusting goblin with pet fire-spider, but the other parts of the party of adventurers are stereotypical with little dimension. The faithful dwarf retainer, mapmaker and cleric. The arrogant royal mage who traded too much for power. The thief-girl (happens to be an elf), and finally the stuck-up and egotistical prince (party leader). I did think having the mage double as an archer was a nice touch. It clearly distinguishes the story as original dungeon crawling compared with normal D&D source material, unless they've let mages get ultra-bow proficient in 4th edition.
This book held my interest as Jig scared himself from one situation to the next. The tone was semi-serious rather than comical, though some observations are witty.
Overall the Jig-gy majority is enjoyable, and other parts meh-ish. I'm not really a fan of listening to other people talk about their D&D characters, and when the author concentrated less on the goblin and more on the adventurers or adventure, that's the vibe I got.
A fun story, but not something I'd re-read. If you like light fantasy adventure, you'll like this. Personally, I did not find it as good as Xanth; the side-characters are tedious rather than funny.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Goblin Quest
Silly good fun. Best for young adults or grownups who never did. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Published 23 days ago by Michael Mclean
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting hero
Who would have thought a near-sighted goblin would become the hero of the story! Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Duane De Vries
4.0 out of 5 stars
how many sword and sorcery books have any humor at all ?
and aren't written by Terry Pratchett. All the major characters have back stories, and some depth. And the author succeeds in making the main character a goblin of few redeeming... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Wachsman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great story for Fantasy/D&D Fans
Great tale with characters and action that remind me of classic Fantasy adventures. Whether you're cheering for the little guy or just looking for a finely crafted story, Goblin... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Neil O'Donnell
5.0 out of 5 stars
This series is a lot of fun.
This series is a lot of fun. Entertaining characters, references, and plot twists will keep you amused throughout the series.
Published 7 months ago by J. Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Goblin Series Review
Lots of fun with an unlikely hero. The Goblins are never the winners, they always end up as someone else's cannon fodder. but not so with Jig, the reluctant hero of this series. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Stephen H. Ziker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Fun!
Oh, my, this was such a fun, hilarious read! A fantasy adventure, complete with humans, elves, dwarves and dragons, all told from a goblin's point of view. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Cheryl Landmark
5.0 out of 5 stars
D&D as a Goblin
For those of you who currently play D&D, have played D&D, or have simply read a lot of fantasy where goblins are villains...give this book a try. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Sean Crupper
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jig the Goblin, Book One
If you believe it is hard living the life of a human, try living the life of Jig, the runtiest goblin in the caves. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Detra Fitch
3.0 out of 5 stars
This Is A Quest Fantasy Lovers Will Want To Take
THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS
Genre fiction is all about tropes, conventions, common ways of doing things that stretch from story to story. Read more
Genre fiction is all about tropes, conventions, common ways of doing things that stretch from story to story. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Loren Eaton
