The Goblin Emperor

While not on a level with Tolkien in linguistics, Addison deftly builds an entire elvish culture and a significant amount of language drawing from Eastern European and French influence. The plot, and even the characters, suffer slightly as much effort was needed to make this world self consistent and vibrant, but little is lost. The story itself is quite simple, and it's never truly the focus; learning the culture and rituals a la Jane Goodall sociology is the true gem here. Fine writing rounds out a well constructed creation.

Really riveting story of court intrigue. I couldn't stop turning pages. I'm not sure if a sequel is in the works, but I would like to see what happens next. The world created is very inventive, and while there isn't a lot of time spent on setting up the more fantastical elements of the world as one might expect in a lot of fantasy novels, a lot of effort is clearly put in to creating a beleivably intricate and fleshed out society in this novel. Really love it.

Absolutely loved the protagonist and watching his growth. The characterizations were true to life and, though the world itself was a little intimidating, being thrust into it certainly gave me sympathy for the hero and his unexpected responsibilities.