The Goblin Emperor

I don't really know how this book works, but it does. There's very little action, and little suspense, and yet I just kept turning the pages wanting to read more. The titular character is a half-goblin teenager relegated to a far-off town in the empire. But when his father, the emperor, along with a sizable portion of his family die in an airship disaster, Maia, the half-goblin, suddenly finds himself the heir apparent. Knowing little, and somewhat shy and insecure, he's navigating the duties of emperor and all the court intrigue that goes with it. He's a great character which I think is the big reason I kept reading. I can't think of a story quite like this one. It's well-written and somehow never really gets boring. You just root for Maia to succeed.