Nine Goblins
Author: T. Kingfisher
Published: 2026 by Tordotcom
I have long been aware that T. Kingfisher is both a prolific and well-respected (Hugo Award-winning) author, but Nine Goblins is my first read by her.
This is a novella, and at only 150 pages, I’ll start by saying I wish the story had been 300 pages long. It was so good that I didn’t want it to end.
Secondly, although it was originally written in 2013 as one of the author’s earliest tales, it’s now more than a decade later, and I have one request: please, T. Kingfisher, sit down and write a sequel.
I loved that the elf veterinarian, Sings-to-Trees, felt like a direct descendant of James Herriot from All Creatures Great and Small. My grandmother loved the books, and my wife counts the current British TV adaptation among her favorite shows. I enjoy it too.
The story is an adventure cloaked in danger—sort of.
“No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in ‘cowardly’ and ‘lazy’ too for good measure.
But goblins don’t go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.
Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures… a human being.”
There are nine goblins in the wayward troupe, each with distinct quirks, and it’s fun that you can identify who’s who in the cover art.
This is cozy fantasy—think along the lines of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, which made me a fan of the genre—with plenty of humor and wonderfully entertaining characters.
A quick read—and as entertaining as any book I’ve read this year—Nine Goblins was the perfect companion for a midsummer Saturday holiday.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
Nine Goblins
Author: T. Kingfisher
Published: 2026 by Tordotcom
I have long been aware that T. Kingfisher is both a prolific and well-respected (Hugo Award-winning) author, but Nine Goblins is my first read by her.
This is a novella, and at only 150 pages, I’ll start by saying I wish the story had been 300 pages long. It was so good that I didn’t want it to end.
Secondly, although it was originally written in 2013 as one of the author’s earliest tales, it’s now more than a decade later, and I have one request: please, T. Kingfisher, sit down and write a sequel.
I loved that the elf veterinarian, Sings-to-Trees, felt like a direct descendant of James Herriot from All Creatures Great and Small. My grandmother loved the books, and my wife counts the current British TV adaptation among her favorite shows. I enjoy it too.
The story is an adventure cloaked in danger—sort of.
There are nine goblins in the wayward troupe, each with distinct quirks, and it’s fun that you can identify who’s who in the cover art.
This is cozy fantasy—think along the lines of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, which made me a fan of the genre—with plenty of humor and wonderfully entertaining characters.
A quick read—and as entertaining as any book I’ve read this year—Nine Goblins was the perfect companion for a midsummer Saturday holiday.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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