T. Kingfisher's NINE GOBLINS is a delightful and ultimately serious allegory about war and tension between creatures of different races told through the eyes of a troop with nine incredibly unique goblins led by Sergeant Nessilka. Put aside anything you knew or assumed about goblins prior to reading this novel as the contents of the story are extremely eye-opening.

The Goblin War has begun, pitting goblins primarily against humans, with the fate of every creature in the world at stake. The goblins who comprise the Nineteenth Infantry, also known as the Whinin’ Niners, fully and proudly embody the description that refers to them as stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep stealers, henhouse raiders, obnoxious, rude and violent. Goblins, of course, generally agree with this and probably would add lazy and cowardly to the list.

"NINE GOBLINS is a fun thrill ride through a place that is vastly different from yet oddly similar to our own world."

Even though their plight is quite serious, it's difficult not to love the Whinin’ Niners and their personalities, which provide much-needed humorous moments throughout the tale. Sergeant Nessilka definitely has her hands full and relies mostly on the well-versed Murray to navigate the ways of the world as they march into a battle they don't really want to be a part of.

As the human population has grown, the forests and wooded areas have diminished in order to supply things they need to exist and build a life. This has had a negative impact on the denizens of the forest, especially the goblins, who have lost the most land as a result of human expansion. Elves are quite adept at life in the forest, and trolls really have no opinion, leaving the goblins on their own in this battle.

Once the goblin troop finally comes upon a band of humans, they are shocked to find a wizard in their midst. He is in the middle of casting an escape spell, and the Whinin’ Niners are swept up in the portal he creates. They wake up in an unchartered part of the forest many miles away from the nearest village. They are not sure how to navigate from here and eventually will need to rely on a helpful elf, Sings-to-Trees. Murray is the first to be able to communicate with the elf, who cares for all the forest creatures and lives a peaceful existence.

Once they finally come upon a town, they are surprised to find it completely deserted, as if the human inhabitants left suddenly in the middle of the night. When they enter a building that looks like a church, they find a girl there, and she wonders why the goblins have come for her. Nessilka and her colleagues soon discover that she is not who she appears to be, and the danger they have found themselves in is very real and quite unexpected.

NINE GOBLINS is a fun thrill ride through a place that is vastly different from yet oddly similar to our own world. I was most impressed by the complexity that Kingfisher adds, along with the humor, which makes for an insightful and rewarding story. She discusses in the Author’s Note that this was the first novel she ever self-published. She alludes to the influences of Terry Pratchett and James Herriot, which is quite a diverse literary reference, as well as the fact that Sings-to-Trees is clearly based on her husband.