Goblin Quest (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. Jig's only true friend is his pet fire-spider, Smudge, who has accidently burnt off Jig's hair. When Jig is sent to scout the tunnels for danger, he ends up getting captured by a small group of adventures. The group is in search of the Rod of Creation which is said to be hidden deep within the mountain and protected by Straum, a dragon. They insist that Jig be their guide. But before they can confront the dragon they must battle their way through deadly traps, a necromancer, untold minions, and more. Yet while Jig is wandering around lost with a dwarf, an elven child, an arrogant prince, and a wizard teetering on the edge of madness, Jig learns much from the group. By watching them fight Jig realizes just how stupid goblinkind is. Goblins were incapable of working together or devising strategies. All goblins would do was charge into battle and get themselves killed.
Jig also learns about many gods from the dwarf, Darnak. Darnak's god is too busy to give the dwarf much help, but after witnessing Darnak heal the wounds of his team, Jig decides that a god would be handy to have around. But Jig needs a god with few worshippers, who would not be busy answering other prayers. One who could devote his full attention to people like Jig. One who might be grateful even for a goblin follower. Jig chooses to become a follower of a god who has been all but forgotten, Tymalous Shadowstar, God of the Autumn Star. And surprisingly, Tymalous agrees.
***** FIVE STARS! This author has a winner on his hands. Because Jig is the runtiest goblin, he has to use his brain in order to simply survive. I guess the motto of this story could be "brains over brawn...or magic". When Jig is given a choice on any situation, none of the choices are good. But Jig is used to choosing the lesser of the evils. The goblin seems to always end up between a rock and a hard place. (Hmm, should he try to battle the undead warrior or jump into the lake where fish are waiting to eat him?)
Jim C. Hines has created a hard-core fantasy world with lots of dangers, traps, and creatures and then turned everything topsy-turvy by making the hero a tiny, fragile, and cowardly goblin. The results are beyond outstanding. Un-freaking-believable! In fact, I cannot recommend this story highly enough. *****
Favorite Quote: I guess there's a bright side to every flaming corpse.
Goblin Hero (Book Two)
Jig the Goblin is no warrior. Jig is still the scrawny, half-blind runt he was before he survived his adventure with Straum the dragon. But he had emerged from the dragon's lair with one potent gift: the ability to heal various injuries. Given the nature of a goblin, Jig is kept busy healing others because - to put it bluntly - goblins are stupid. The new goblin chief, Kralk, is under the mistaken impression that Jig wants her position as leader. After all, songs have been written about Jig's battles with wizards, a necromancer, a dragon, and such. But all Jig wants is for everyone to forget he survived those things. Those stupid songs are making it hard for him to keep his head down.
When the ogres come to the goblin's lair and request the help of Jig Dragonslayer, Kralk sends a couple of others with Jig. Braf is a goblin warrior. Grell is an elderly goblin who just wants a break from nursery duty. Of course, Jig realizes that both Braf and Grell have orders from Kralk to kill him once he finishes helping the ogres, but Jig would deal with that later. Following the group at a distance is Veka, a fat goblin female who loves magic and wants to become a Hero. With Veka is Slash, a hobgoblin.
Pixies and their young queen have been exiled from their world and are striving to build a hive in this new world. Their queen is everything to the pixies and all they care about is eliminating every possible threat to her safety. The ogres would eventually be defeated, causing the pixies to turn their attentions to wiping out the goblins. Jig has no choice but to somehow beat the invading pixies and anything their fairy magic throws at his small, pitiful group. Jig's biggest problem is that the pixies have brought a little bubble of their world into this one and the god that Jig follows cannot aid whenever Jig enters that bubble-world. So Jig is pretty much on his own. However, unlike most other goblins or hobgoblins, Jig uses his small brain to overcome or evade whatever is trying to kill him at the time. Hopefully that intelligence - or sneakiness or whatever you want to call it - can help him live through the assassins and pixies that are headed his way.
**** FOUR STARS! Jig the Goblin is one of the most reluctant heroes I have ever seen. Having no height or muscle means that Jig has had no choice but to use his head to figure out ways to live through each day. If Jig ever learns who wrote the stupid song about his adventures, Jig would find a way to make the goblin sorry. That song has made it impossible for Jig blend into the background and be forgotten.
Author Jim C. Hines has another winner on his hands with this (second) adventure of Jig's. Almost all readers will be able to connect with Jig's character somehow. Jig may be a goblin runt, but he deals with many of the same problems we (humans) do in our lives: bullies, peer pressure, etc. This time around, Jig is not only trying to keep himself alive, but also to protect all the goblins in the lair. The author seems to be slowly changing the way Jig thinks so that Jig actually considers how his actions could help or harm others. This is definitely NOT how a goblin should think. Yet maybe, just maybe, Jig and his god can change that. I, for one, have become thoroughly ensnared by this goblin runt and am eager to begin the third story of the trilogy. ****
Favorite Quote: Goblins are a grubby, selfish, violent race, but they have their moments.
Goblin War (Book Three)
It has been two years since Jig the Goblin had been captured by Prince Barius Wendelson, his wizard brother, Ryslind, and a dwarf named Darnak. Two years since Jig had gone on his involuntary quest. Two years that Jig has been a follower of a god who's been forgotten for good reason. Despite impossible odds, Jig the Goblin is still alive.
Relka is a kitchen drudge. Previous the goblin had attempted to assassinate Jig. Now she follows Jig around singing and praising him and his god, Tymalous Shadowstar, non-stop. When the goblin lair is invaded and Jig is one of the goblins taken out of the mountain as their prisoner, he thinks that his ears may at least get a rest from Relka's chatter. Unfortunately, Relka insists the invaders take her too. Jig soon learns that the leader of the human invaders is the sister of the adventurers from a couple of years ago. And by her side is a familiar dwarf. Darnak.
Genevieve Wendelson, Princess of Adenkar, has been charged by her father to restore the city of Avery and see to its defense. The humans are preparing for war. Coming their way is an army consisting of thousands of monsters. The creatures are led by an orc, Billa the Bloody. Genevieve has her prisoners rebuilding and fortifying Avery.
Fleeing his captors and reaching the other army is no better for Jig. When Jig meets Billa, he comes to understand that he is not the only one with a forgotten god by his side. Jig's god and Billa's goddess have a rocky history together. The real danger to Jig's people is not from the humans and elves. If Billa's goddess succeeds in her pans, everyone will die - no matter their species.
***** FIVE STARS! In this, the last story in the Goblin Trilogy, readers will finally have all their questions about Tymalous Shadowstar answered. At the beginning of each chapter, a little more of the god's past is revealed. Not only did I find these sections intriguing, but the author managed to surprise me once or twice.
By this story's middle, everything was a mess of epic proportions! I could see no (believable) way possible for our pint-sized goblin hero to save goblinkind from extinction, much less for Jig to overcome all obstacles begin tossed his way and continue breathing. But Jim C. Hines is a wily author who forged his reluctant goblin hero through fire and all sorts of chaos, causing Jig to become very resourceful. (I'm sure Jig could come up with some interesting tortures should the goblin ever get his hands on the author.) Jim Hines has an incredible storytelling talent and it shines through on every page. *****
Favorite Quote: "We're going to teach Billa the Bloody a lesson about goblins," somebody said.
"But she has thousands of monsters," Jig said. "She'll slaughter every one of you."
"See?" said the same goblin. "General Jig, he tells it like it is! No lies from this one." They cheered yet again, idiots to the last.
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
