Goblin Hero (#2)
Previous: Goblin Quest (#1) | Next: Goblin War (#3)
After barely surviving an adventure he never wanted, the scrawny little nearsighted goblin called Jig is now known as Jig Dragonslayer, and has the power of healing, thanks to the forgotten god he worships. But being a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not when the goblin leader wants him dead, and everyone else actually expects him to keep doing heroic-and incredibly dangerous-things.
Reviews
“A pleasant and easy read. Jig is […] an entertaining protagonist. The secondary characters are interesting too, and they bring much-needed depth.”RT Book Reviews
“A genuinely exciting adventure story. I thought it was amusing, entertaining, and at times bitingly satiric. Let’s hope for more perspicacity.”Critical Mass
“One can only imagine what Joseph Campbell would have said about this most reluctant Hero attempting to survive using equal portions of cowardice and brains. Much in the spirit of Piers Anthony’s Ogre, Ogre this amusing fantasy includes plenty of humorous nods to the genre’s standard fare of questing warriors, scary monsters and evil villains for an engaging, lighthearted romp through the goblin underworld.”Monsters & Critics
“Jim C. Hines crams the narrative with great visual and verbal jokes. You’ll be laughing out loud as frequently as I did.”SF Site
“Another engaging tale of Jig the Goblin. GOBLIN HERO is a great book for young adults. [A] grand adventure. This is a great weekend read.”Bear Mountain Books
“Jim C. Hines has an uncanny ability to make his magical species co-existing inside a mountain seem plausible including residing there. With no human in sight, his characters are unique with none more inimitable than Jig. GOBLIN HERO is a wonderful fantasy quest tale with humor and wit.”Harriet Klausner
“Once again, Jim C. Hines turns the fantasy world on its ear with this insightfully hilarious look at the traditional cannon fodder of the genre. They may be small, vicious, and untrustworthy, but Hines proves there’s more than enough cunning and resourcefulness in your average goblin to carry quite the enjoyable story. Hines deconstructs the role of the epic fantasy hero masterfully, keeping things light […] If nothing else, Goblin Hero succeeds in giving us a new kind of protagonist, whose allies are as much a hazard to him as his enemies are. This is a fantasy for those weary of epic quests and seven-book-long sagas.”Green Man Reviews
“I love it when parts of a “trilogy” are self-contained. I raced through it like a man possessed. [Hines] manages to make everybody who matters a three-dimensional character with hidden depths […] all have their little story arcs, secrets, and good characterization. [T]hey’re all a lot of fun. [GOBLIN HERO] truly is funny […] It’s a straightforward adventure story that has some point to make about the human condition and what it takes to be a hero. This book is enjoyable from beginning to end. GOBLIN HERO is just the perfect tonic for those who have had too much of overly serious fantasy.”Curled Up With a Good Book
“This is a fantastical tale that will leave you laughing loudly and shaking your head in amazement […] I completely enjoyed this book and would recommend it from the teen age on up […] Now I have to go and buy the original tale of GOBLIN QUEST just to find the hilarious passages in there.”Book Fetish
“Quite entertaining. I can recommend it to fans of fantasy of all ages. I’ll be keeping my eye out for Goblin War as well.”TCM Reviews
“I enjoyed Goblin Hero even more than its predecessor. With even more laughs and excitement, Jig becomes the reluctant hero once again. Every character is unique with wonderful quirks. From the brawny goblin who pretends to be dumber than he is to the hobgoblin warrior who faints at the sight of blood, this fantasy is cleverly written from beginning to end. I can’t recommend this series enough.”SciFi Chick
“In GOBLIN HERO, as in Goblin Quest, Hines recognizes that wisdom is most often common-sense and that mouthing off to the big guy with the sword is a very bad idea.”Tanya Huff, author of the bestselling Blood series and Smoke series
“The problem with surviving your first book–your first great adventure–is that someone thinks you’re now a Hero, and can be sent on a second adventure, even greater and funnier than the first. Jim Hines gives us another side-splitting, inspiring tale of Jig the runt, Jig the most unpopular goblin in the lair. Jig the Dragonslayer. I loved this book. It has the Path of the Hero, lots of goblins who never live happily ever after, and much wry fun. Highly recommended!”Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and author of Elminster: The Making of a Mage
Awards & Accolades
USA
Scifichick.com: “Best Books of 2007”