The Goblin Emperor

This Hugo and Nebula nominee goes outside the realm of traditional fantasy in a blend of steampunk and dark magic. All too often, fantasy focuses on human protagonists, or half-elves/faeries. Maia is a little more exotic, the subject of an arranged marriage between human and elf. He's considered an abomination, but unfortunate circumstances lead to the young prince reluctantly taking the throne. What follows is a book of politics, intrigue, and friendship. Maia isn't the usual perfect, arrogant protagonist. He's kind and extremely likable. As he's thrust into having more responsibilities, he has to learn many things. Social skills, dancing, ruling, and, importantly, his own worth. There's no huge scale battles here, no needless action sequences, and that's what makes it special. Addison manages to weave an entertaining story of political intrigue and mystery through her characters alone. There's little romance, little magic. It's entirely about the personal journey. Read if you like: Steampunk, political fantasy.