As I indicated on my Facebook page I really liked this book.  Primarily because it was a character study and I read for the people not for the problem.  Katherine Addison evokes the insecurities of an 18 year old who is suddenly thrust into the role of ruler when his father and half-brothers are all killed.  The elven/goblin culture is fascinating with a mix of swords and airships and there is enough touch of archaic language to ground you in the world without making it difficult to read.

There are two things in particular that I truly appreciated in this book.  The first is Maia’s acceptance that he must marry and he must marry a woman of appropriate birth and rank.  The search for a bride is handled by his secretary without any sentimentality.  Addison is willing to ignore modern conventions and attitudes when presenting her culture and the duties of a ruler.

SPOILER!!!!!!!

 

 

I also loved the fact that the big win in the book is managing to build a bridge.  That’s it.  The kingdom is not threatened by a great evil, the world isn’t about to end if Maia doesn’t get up to speed and become a warrior king.  There are threats against the emperor because he is viewed as unworthy and unprepared (which is true), but he doesn’t save himself by turning into an action hero.  In one instance he is clever  and in the other he is saved by his guard.

Ever since Thor: The Dark World I’ve become ever more disgusted with the need to ramp up the stakes to outlandish levels.  In The Dark World the Dark Elves want to destroy the whole damn universe.  So where do you go from there?  Would it be so terrible to tell a small, simple story with deeply personal stakes that doesn’t require New York, the planet, the galaxy or the universe to be threatened?