Goblin Hero

Jig is a shy, retiring, runty, near-sighted goblin, anything but a fierce goblin warrior, who wishes to quietly live an ordinary goblin life - out of sight, out of mind and below everyone else's radar. But, having earned the moniker "Jig Dragonslayer" by surviving his adventure with the Necromancer and the Dragon in "Goblin Quest", Jig finds himself unwillingly in the spotlight and under everyone else's magnifying glass. Kralk, the current goblin chief, wants nothing more than to kill Jig because she sees him as a threat to her authority. Veka, another goblin in Jig's tribe who sees herself as a rising sorceress, follows Jig incessantly seeking his advice and guidance on how to be a hero and how to increase her abilities in the use of a hero's magic. The neighbouring ogres, usually bitter rivals of the goblins, have arrived seeking Jig's help eliminating a dangerous unknown threat that is slowly killing ogres one by one and seems capable of wiping out the entire tribe. The conniving Kralk sees this as an opportunity to rid herself of Jig once and for all so she sends him off on a quest to help the ogres - a mission she firmly believes Jig will fail and see him killed. His companions on the mission will be Grell, an aging, decrepit goblin scarcely able to hobble along with the help of a cane; Braf, a bumbling goblin warrior well known to be slightly dumber than a bag of dirt; and, of course, Smudge, Jig's pet fire spider! Another reviewer categorized Jim Hines' "Goblin Hero" as a fractured fairy tale. It's certainly true that humour and off-the-wall cartoonish versions of typical fantasy characters form an important part of Hines' most entertaining story. But underlying the wit, the humour, the sarcasm, not to mention the hilarious antics and escapades is a true tale in the finest tradition of the fantasy genre. Hines reminds us through Jig that leadership, success and courage often derive from other simpler things - loyalty, common sense, a strong moral compass, a good heart and an instinct for survival in the face of difficult odds and adversity. If you're a fan of fantasy literature and can see the value in a good laugh now and then, then Jim Hines' "Goblin Hero" will suit you perfectly. Don't forget to read "Goblin Quest" first. There's a definite story line to the development of the characters and many of the references in the story will blow right over your head without being familiar with the first novel in his series. Great humour! A great story and great fantasy! Thanks very much, Mr Hines. Highly recommended. Paul Weiss

Second in the "Jig the Goblin" fantasy series, featuring the reluctant hero: runty, heavily bespectacled Jig the Dragonslayer. I like this series because it's different--Goblins aren't usually a fantasy race that you think of being the hero of a story, but the author pulls it off very well, baldly admitting to the faults of the goblin race in general and Jig in particular, but using those foibles to make Jig all the more endearing. In this book, Jig once again has to set out on a dangerous mission at the behest of Kralk, the new goblin chief, when an ogre breaks into the goblin's lair to seek Jig's help in fighting 'something' that has charmed the ogres. He takes with him just a few cohorts--Grell, an ancient goblin who has been in charge of the nursery; Braf, a big and especially stupid warrior; and Veka, a wanna-be heroine and wizard who is jealous of Jig's notoriety. Along the way, they meet other characters of other races who feature in the story, too, and help them in their battle against what turns out to be pixies from another dimension! A humorous and well-told story, Goblin Hero manages to dispel that `second book curse' in which the middle book of a trilogy often fares poorly and ends up being a rather ho-hum setup for the finale. This book stands on its own very well, and I enjoyed it just as much if not more than the first in series. Looking forward to Goblin War!

When a large, nasty ogre comes into the goblin lair, demanding to see Jig Dragonslayer, Jig realizes that he is about to have yet another adventure. However, when he realizes that the ogres are scared, and are turning to him for help, he realizes just how dangerous this adventure is going to be! To make matters worse, he soon learns that his fellow travelers will be a old hobbled nursemaid, an exceedingly stupid warrior (and for goblins, that's saying something!), and a slightly mad gobliness with delusions of wizard-hood. Something sinister and dangerous is loose in the mountain, and if the goblins are going to survive, Jig and his band are going to have to work miracles! As a confirmed fan of your traditional sword and sorcerer, elf and dwarf type fantasy, I really enjoy this fractured fairytale. The characters are all quite different than the fantasy heroes you are used to seeing, but the storyline is pure...well, magic. Overall, I found this to be a fun and very interesting book. I liked the story, and really liked the very interesting characters who populated it (especially the goblins). If you are a fan of fantasy literature, then you will enjoy this wacky, off-beat addition to the genre. I highly recommend it!

This is a great sequel to the first book, Goblin Quest, taking us further into the life and adventures of our Goblin hero Jig and his wonderful firespider, Smudge. This time he's joined by some of his goblin family, as well as other denizens of the mountains in which they live. This time, they're fighting against an invading horde of nasty pest-like faeries from another world. Jig continues on his reluctant path of heroism, yet continues to prove what a big hero he is! This is a hugely delightful story, one which young adults and grownups won't be able to put down. Excellent fantasy!

GOBLIN HERO returns to the story of Jig, the runty goblin who got kidnapped by adventurers, killed a Necromancer, defeated a dragon and returned to tell about it. While Jig is useful to his fellow goblins for his healing ability, he's viewed as a threat by the goblin chief. So when an ogre shows up looking for Jig the Dragonslayer to battle a new threat to their mountain home Jig has two choices: go and face somewhat certain death, or stay and face much more certain death at the hands of his deceitful fellows. Going and getting killed will at least free him from having to watch his back, so off Jig goes. GOBLIN HERO is an enjoyable follow up to GOBLIN QUEST. Hines has managed to create a world and characters that keep the reader guessing. Instead of heroes-with-a-capital-H his characters are just trying to stay alive and (with one exception) have no delusions of grandeur. This is a world where one could as easily be stabbed by one's companions as by the enemy (and friendly-stabbing happens more than once in the novel). The book takes a lot of stabs at heroism-with-a-capital-H, adventurers in general, notions of fair play, and who someone is and who someone pretends to be. At one point a hobgoblin who has no compunction eating another hobgoblin, goblin or ogre (cannibalism isn't really a matter of ethics in this world as one of survival) complains about adventurers bringing their pets into the mountain only to be killed leaving their pets to fend for themselves. The real strength of the book, however, is the gradual revealing of each character as more than just your typical fantasy monster. From the amorphous concept of goblin Hines pulls out individuals. They are cowardly and sneaky and backstabbing, to be sure, but they also have interests that involve more than just self-preservation. Over the course of the book the characters grow from roughly sketched stereotypes into finely drawn personalities. And it all takes place through the characters eyes, as they come to realize there's more to each other than meets the eye. It's a delightful realization.