I suffered an intense movie hangover after watching Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” so I needed to read something on the lighter side. Luckily for me, T. Kingfisher’s latest novella, Nine Goblins, has been waiting patiently on my TBR. So I decided to see what shenanigans a group of goblins got up to while I mended my broken heart.
A goblin troop known as the Whinin’ Niners is marching to battle. At the helm is their dependable captain, Nessilka, and she’s done a damn good job keeping her crew alive. When a wizard enters the fray of battle, his chaotic magic accidentally sends Nessilka and the goblins behind enemy lines into elven and human territory. There, they will discover a terrifying mystery afflicting a human village before a run-in with a veterinarian elf named Sings-To-Trees. Can the natural-born enemies find a way to combat the harmful magic infecting the area? Or will their war-fueled prejudices run too deep?
Some of you may have read an earlier iteration of this story. Kingfisher originally self-published the short story, and it has been posted and revised many times over the years. This is the first time Nine Goblins fell into the waiting arms of a publisher, giving the story a new life with a polish that fixed the charming errors and duplicate chapters that appeared in Kingfisher’s first go.
Nine Goblins is a fantasy short story centered on a group of goblins who stumble upon a strange mystery afflicting a human town. The never-ending war that the goblins find themselves in mainly serves as a backdrop for the whole affair. But the book is mostly about this loveable, strange goblin regiment out of their element as they navigate enemy territory with trepidation. Sprinkled on top of the goblins’ predicament are some horror elements that elevate this story beyond a heartfelt, adventurous tale. It can get downright gory and horrifically descriptive at times, and I shit you not, the first time you meet Sings-To-Trees, his whole arm is inside a unicorn.
The novella’s central theme deals with the prejudices that the fantasy races hold towards one another as they fight in their ongoing war. Each group misunderstands the other, and no one can see past their own beliefs long enough to get to the heart of the problem. Our main characters, Nessilka and Sings-To-Trees, serve as reminders that there is more to them and their races than the stereotypes assigned to them. Despite beliefs that all goblins share a brain cell, Nessilka is smart, strategic, and a great leader. The cadre of goblins she’s responsible for certainly has quirks, but she embraces all of their eccentricities and cares deeply for their safety and success. Sings-To-Trees sheds his kind’s ethereal beauty and grace to live a rustic, isolated lifestyle as a veterinarian. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and has a bleeding heart for every creature, from your everyday woodland animal to the fantastical.
Underneath the mystery, the horror, and the moments of levity, it may be easy to miss how Nessilka’s POV provides an upsetting, harsh account of a misunderstood goblin in a world bent on destroying her. While navigating enemy territory to find a way home, she can’t help but fear coming upon humans or elves and how quickly their discovery will lead to bloodshed. Or how, when the goblins uncover the grisly mystery, Nessilka wants to help, but also understands the consequences that will fall upon her group if they are discovered anywhere near human suffering. Kingfisher never lets us linger too long on these more poignant parts. How can we when one of the goblins will only take directions from his teddy bear? But they are there and give more weight and thought to a quick little fantasy-lite story.
I’d say mischief was indeed managed in Nine Goblins. The little green troop is endearing, and it was fun to tag along on their short adventure as they try to sort their world to rights.
Rating: Nine Goblins – 7.0/10
-Brandee
