The Goblin Emperor

In The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison posits that kindness and empathy are not weaknesses but formidable political tools that allow a ruler to build genuine loyalty and enact meaningful change. Maia’s unexpected ascension to the throne places him in a court that values cunning and cruelty, but his compassionate nature becomes his greatest asset. Through Maia’s gentle governance, Addison critiques cynical, power-hungry political systems and suggests that true authority is earned through integrity, not intimidation.

Maia’s compassion manifests immediately in small but significant acts that stand in stark contrast to the court’s callousness. Upon learning of his father’s and brothers’ deaths, he is thrust onto an airship, the same mode of transport that caused the tragedy. Instead of exhibiting his fear and anxiety, he expresses his confidence in the crew of the Radiance of Cairdado, an act of empathy that startles and reassures them. More significantly, his first public act is to attend the funeral for the commoners who died alongside the royal family, and he later donates a gravestone as well. Soon after, he seeks out the woman who was kind to him during his mother’s funeral, ordering coal for her apartments when he finds them cold.