Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment meets All Creatures Great and Small in this quirky novella from Nebula and Hugo award winner Kingfisher (Hemlock & Silver), originally self-published in 2013. The Nineteenth Infantry of the Goblin Army, also called the Whinin' Niners, are not exactly a crack team. Led by Sergeant Nessilka, their slogan is, "Too dumb to desert. Too smart to die." When they face off with a wizard mid-battle, he transports the squadron deep behind enemy lines. The hapless band aren't well equipped to make it back to Goblinhome without being caught--especially not when one of them is kidnapped by perpetually exhausted elf Sings-to-Trees, a magical animal veterinarian. Elves and goblins are technically at war with each other, and with humans, but Sings-to-Trees is more interested in tending to trolls than fighting. Meanwhile, all the humans (and their farm animals) in the area are mysteriously absent, having followed a strange siren call, the source of which the Whinin' Niners and Sings-to-Trees must band together to defeat before it gets them too. Though the uneven pacing marks this as one of Kingfisher's early works, her trademark humor is on full display. Fans will have fun delving into the archive. (Jan.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Sergeant Nessilka of the Goblin Army is trying to get her squad of misfits out of another losing battle when a scared wizard transports them 50 miles behind human lines, into a heap of trouble. They find an ally in an elven veterinarian who prefers goblins to either humans or his own people. But for Nessilka and her squad to get home, she needs to run into someone on the human side who's just as tired of the war as she is and convince them to help in the middle of a village massacre. It's not their fault, but proving it is going to be an uphill climb for a squad that can't manage to stay in formation to save their lives. Originally self-published in 2013, this novella (narrated in the wry, self-deprecating, frequently sarcastic voice of Nessilka) exemplifies what cozy fantasy was like before its more recent wave of popularity, while still offering all the sly humor and thought-provoking writing that readers have come to expect from Kingfisher (Hemlock & Silver). VERDICT Fans of Mary Gentle's Grunts, or Jonathan French's The Grey Bastards seeking cozy fantasy from the POV of the monsters will love this.--Marlene Harris
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