This is a book that proves that you don't need to waste pages and pages to explain every detail of a complicated world. 

This book deserves its 5⭐ rating for the political intrigue and machinations and the minute details of the world building.   The elves and goblins are at once both familiar and new creatures. 

The main character Maia is the reader as we are thrown into the middle of a court of intrigue and danger and spectacle and politics.  But as he weaves his way through the first year of his reign making friends and alliances just by being a good person, he finds his way and learns to live, not just survive 

The narrator of the audiobook deserves a special shoutout as this is a difficult book to follow because of the number of characters and naming conventions.  I think for the sequels I will read the books as I would like to be able to see the names but I will miss the voices that the narrator created.  

The novel seems like it is a complete story in and of itself but I am excited to return to the world and I hope the story of Maia becoming a man and an Emporer continues.