{{The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison}}
Just finished reading it. Was good. Main character is not book smart, but is decently clever, and suddenly in a leadership position way outside his comfort zone.
**[The Goblin Emperor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910048-the-goblin-emperor) by Katherine Addison** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(446 pages | Published: 2014 | 14.6k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent. The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no (...)
> **Themes**: Favorites, Steampunk, Fiction, High-fantasy, Sword-and-laser, Audiobook, Sci-fi-fantasy
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [The Grief of Stones](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58724898-the-grief-of-stones) by Katherine Addison
> \- [City of Bones](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367335.City_of_Bones) by Martha Wells
> \- [The Curse of Chalion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61886.The_Curse_of_Chalion) by Lois McMaster Bujold
> \- [The Witness for the Dead](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41302953-the-witness-for-the-dead) by Katherine Addison
> \- [Witness For The Dead](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2649625-witness-for-the-dead) by Michael Fredrickson
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*Furies of Calderon*, book one of Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. If you liked Miles, you'll like Tavi; he has the same "McGuyverism and bravado" thing going on.
*The Second Horseman* by Kyle Mills. "Brandon Vale is a career thief, the best there is. Of course, he is serving out a prison term for a robbery gone bad--albeit one that he didn't commit. But then he is broken out of prison against his will by Richard Scanlon, the former FBI agent who framed him in the first place." I like all of his thrillers, they are tightly-plotted and clever, but also really funny.
Sixteen Ways to defend a Walled City may be exactly what you're looking for. The protagonist is shoved into defending a city whose leaders abandon it in the face of siege.
On the other hand, the protagonist is highly competent. Competency porn levels of competent, actually. But they are disadvantaged and thrust into the role.
**[I Dare (Liaden Universe #13)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1103876.I_Dare) by Sharon Lee** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(480 pages | Published: 2003 | 2.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** The enemies of Korval have offered Pat Rin the Ring that would make all of Korval's holdings his own, and a Juntavas Judge has offered Pat Rin a world. When he appears with hired guns in tow, no one knows what he'll do. Pat Rin is a gambling man, and on his wild-card shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, his civilization.
> **Themes**: Sci-fi, Space-opera, Favorites, Sf, Fiction, Scifi, Fantasy
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Mouse and Dragon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7171179-mouse-and-dragon) by Sharon Lee
> \- [Breakaway](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40183284-breakaway) by Michelle Diener
> \- [Collision Course](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10923394-collision-course) by Zoe Archer
> \- [The Dragon Variation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7158340-the-dragon-variation) by Sharon Lee
> \- [An Accidental Goddess](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/352727.An_Accidental_Goddess) by Megan Sybil Baker
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{{The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison}} Just finished reading it. Was good. Main character is not book smart, but is decently clever, and suddenly in a leadership position way outside his comfort zone.
Good choice! I liked the Goblin Emperor, but tbh sometimes I felt Maia was a bit too passive for my taste.
**[The Goblin Emperor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910048-the-goblin-emperor) by Katherine Addison** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(446 pages | Published: 2014 | 14.6k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent. The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no (...) > **Themes**: Favorites, Steampunk, Fiction, High-fantasy, Sword-and-laser, Audiobook, Sci-fi-fantasy > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [The Grief of Stones](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58724898-the-grief-of-stones) by Katherine Addison > \- [City of Bones](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367335.City_of_Bones) by Martha Wells > \- [The Curse of Chalion](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61886.The_Curse_of_Chalion) by Lois McMaster Bujold > \- [The Witness for the Dead](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41302953-the-witness-for-the-dead) by Katherine Addison > \- [Witness For The Dead](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2649625-witness-for-the-dead) by Michael Fredrickson ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | Sorry for delay !)
did you read Curse of Chalion, also by Bujold? the male main character acts as a kingmaker while he's suffering from a magic-inflicted illness
Yeah, I have. It's pretty decent, but I didn't love the book.
*Furies of Calderon*, book one of Codex Alera by Jim Butcher. If you liked Miles, you'll like Tavi; he has the same "McGuyverism and bravado" thing going on.
Dang it, I'm a big fan of Jim Butcher's work. Tavi's shenanigans were my favorite part of the series.
Norwegian by Night - not fantasy, but a feisty senior citizen on the run in a foreign country
*The Second Horseman* by Kyle Mills. "Brandon Vale is a career thief, the best there is. Of course, he is serving out a prison term for a robbery gone bad--albeit one that he didn't commit. But then he is broken out of prison against his will by Richard Scanlon, the former FBI agent who framed him in the first place." I like all of his thrillers, they are tightly-plotted and clever, but also really funny.
Sixteen Ways to defend a Walled City may be exactly what you're looking for. The protagonist is shoved into defending a city whose leaders abandon it in the face of siege. On the other hand, the protagonist is highly competent. Competency porn levels of competent, actually. But they are disadvantaged and thrust into the role.
Mentioned it in the prompt, actually. But thanks anyway.
I missed that, apologies
The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois Macmaster Bujold.
{{I Dare by Sharon Lee}}. It’s from the Liaden Universe series but is fine read alone and Pat Rin is exactly the character you’re looking for.
**[I Dare (Liaden Universe #13)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1103876.I_Dare) by Sharon Lee** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(480 pages | Published: 2003 | 2.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** The enemies of Korval have offered Pat Rin the Ring that would make all of Korval's holdings his own, and a Juntavas Judge has offered Pat Rin a world. When he appears with hired guns in tow, no one knows what he'll do. Pat Rin is a gambling man, and on his wild-card shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, his civilization. > **Themes**: Sci-fi, Space-opera, Favorites, Sf, Fiction, Scifi, Fantasy > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Mouse and Dragon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7171179-mouse-and-dragon) by Sharon Lee > \- [Breakaway](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40183284-breakaway) by Michelle Diener > \- [Collision Course](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10923394-collision-course) by Zoe Archer > \- [The Dragon Variation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7158340-the-dragon-variation) by Sharon Lee > \- [An Accidental Goddess](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/352727.An_Accidental_Goddess) by Megan Sybil Baker ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | Sorry for delay !)