Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief by T. Kingfisher

A perfect novella for readers of Travis Baldree. Self-published in 2013, this was Kingfisher’s first book for adults. Under the pen name of Ursula Vernon, she’s published wonderful fantasies for children that are a bit on the dark side but still charming, including Minor Mage and A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. As T. Kingfisher, she’s now known for dark fantasy/horror novels including Swordheart and Nettle & Bone. I’ve enjoyed all four of these works, so I was delighted to find Nine Goblins.

Goblins don’t usually star in books. They are not much to look at, complain a lot, some are not that bright, and they tend to be smelly. But in Kingfisher’s world, they are not evil or cruel. They are, frankly, great fun to read about. Nessilka is the sergeant of the Nineteenth Infantry. She doesn’t like being in charge, though she’s very good at it, having experience as the oldest of six goblin siblings. The Nineteenth is known as the Whinin’ Niners, and includes Corporal Murray, a technical genius who likes to invent things, and Corporal Algol who is tall (59 inches!) and likes animals. The Niners are on the march, ready for battle, when they’re not complaining about the terrain or their food. A battlefield encounter with a human wizard has Nessilka, the wizard, and eight other Niners transported to the edge of a forest, near farms and a village.

In the forest lives Sings-to-Trees, a handsome elf who cares for every ill or injured animal for miles around. He is currently helping an ungrateful unicorn give birth, when not petting a coyote, feeding a gargoyle, or raising a baby raccoon. Not a big fan of unicorns, Sings-to-Trees really prefers trolls. When the goblins meet up with the elf, they find something terribly wrong in the village, and have to deal with an even more frightening wizard. This part does get rather dark, though the tragedy has already happened before the goblins arrive.

A colorful cast of goblins, the untidy elf, a clever teddy bear, a kitten, and a magical deer skeleton make for a memorable story, as the goblins seek a way to get home again. Funny, sad, dangerous, and poignant, readers will root for Sergeant Nessilka, the Niners and the elf. Some illustrations are included.

Brenda