Goblin Quest

Philip Reeve's Goblin Quest is a funny fantasy for 9 year olds that begins with a prince falling out of the sky and landing on a goblin.

What happens

Skarper is only out looking for mushrooms. Then THWUMP. A man drops out of the sky right on top of him, and it's lucky the ground is boggy!

The man is Prince Rhind of the Woolmark, a land of sheep lords. He's handsome, very pleased with himself and on a quest. He got a lift from a cloud full of cloud maidens who are all madly in love with him (they write his name on walls with icicles).

What Rhind wants is the Elvenhorn, a magical horn hidden somewhere in Clovenstone. Nobody there has ever heard of it. Then Grumpling, the biggest bully of a goblin, spots its picture on an old scroll. That's his back scratcher!

This carries on from earlier adventures at Clovenstone. These days the goblins make a very smelly cheese. Skarper's human friend Henwyn, a cheesewright, is trying to keep the peace. Your reader will pick things up as they go, though meeting the gang first definitely helps.

The best bit is the humour. The narrator keeps popping in with little asides, like how goblins are messy eaters who hate doing housework. Prince Rhind's frown grows "fifteen per cent frownier". And the goblins' language is brilliant. Who doesn't love a word like "scratchbackler"?

There's plenty of peril and a few scuffles, but it's mostly played for laughs. There's a proper quest shaping up too, with elves who may or may not exist and a drowned kingdom under the sea.

It's a great one for a child who loves big fantasy worlds but wants to giggle rather than be scared. If your reader would secretly root for the monster in a fairy tale, Skarper is their goblin.

What to read next

If they'd like to go back to where Skarper's story began, the first Goblins book is in the library too. It opens with him being catapulted off the top of Blackspike Tower.