This was the third and final installment in the Jig the Goblin series by Jim C. Hines. It was my favorite book of the series and just about as perfect as it could get. I really loved it.
The books starts with Jig and company being attacked by a force (a couple) of humans while on patrol. From there things degrade. The humans show up and demand a company of goblin warriors come with them to work for them or they will slay all the goblins in the caves. Grell, the current goblin chief, agrees. Of course, Jig is included in the company of goblin warriors sent, despite his small stature. From there Jig finds himself enslaved by humans to help fortify their city against a huge hoard of monsters that is threatening to take over the human city. One thing leads to another and the result is a world-changing battle that will decide the future of the monster races; of course like normal Jig is forced into a major role despite his protests.
This was a wonderful book. Each chapter starts with a small bit that is told from Shadowstar's point of view. These bits give you background on the War of Shadows and how the God Autumnstar turned into Shadowstar. The remainder of each chapter is told mainly from Jig's perspective. Jig has unlikely companions in adventure with the very devout Relka and the brainless, but brawny, Trok. Smudge, Jig's pet fire spider, helps save Jig a number of times. We are joined by some of the characters in the first book, mainly the dwarf, who is still recovering from having been a bird for so long.
There are some especially hilarious additions to this books. The orcs incredible competitiveness lead to hilarious scenes. The huge tree Oakbottom, who loves throwing around (literally) smaller races, is also a hoot. There were many times when I was chuckling out loud and my husband was shooting me strange glances trying to figure out what was sooo funny. Most of the humor is pretty witty and is delivered with a dry sense of humor; it is never so over the top that it is tasteless or detracts from the story. Even with all the humor; there is some heartfelt seriousness in this book too. Jig has some tough decisions to make. The struggle of the goblin races to work as a group and not for their individual gain is dealt with in both serious and humorous ways.
The plot moved fast and the book was very engaging. Hines writing style is easy to read. There are some inside jokes that those people who have never played Dungeons and Dragons might not get. This is again a great adventure in the true style of Dungeons and Dragons. I loved this book. It ends perfect and is a wonderful and amusing journey.
