Finished Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines. This is the second book in his Goblin series, which focuses on the misadventures of Jig, a goblin who’s a rather reluctant hero.

In this book, Jig is making the new leader of the goblins uneasy (given his heroic antics in the last book), so she basically sends him off on a suicide mission to find out what’s been enslaving the ogres who live lower down in the mountain. As added insurance, she sends along two more goblins with orders to kill Jig at some point. Of course, Jig eventually figures out what’s going on — and almost dies half a dozen times in the process.

While not as inventive as Goblin Quest, the first book in the series, Goblin Hero is still a fun read, especially if you like fantasy — and seeing how the “monsters” think and act for a change. Jig is still a put-upon goblin, but he’s grown up a bit, too, and uses what he’s learned to make the most of bad situations. Character growth and advancement is always good. I hate series where the characters basically stay the same and learn nothing from past experiences (Stephanie Plum, anyone?).

My only real complaint is a secondary character that Hines introduces — Veka, a female goblin who wants to be a wizard. He breaks up the action several times to devote long passages to her. I wanted more Jig and less Veka.

So, thumbs up.

Up next: ‘Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy by Leslie Langtry.