It was only after I put Goblin Emperor down that I realized, nothing much actually happens (aside from the occasionally attempted coup). The genius of this book is not in swashbuckling action or tightly paced plots, but rather the introspective examination of how cultural forces and personal background shape identity, and how that identity affects one's decisions. Maia, the aforementioned emperor, was an abandoned, abused, lonely child, and one sees how each decision he makes stems from that sense of self. The supporting cast is fabulous (I want a novella on a day in the perfectly managed life of Csevet, Maia's personal secretary), and it only takes a few pages to get used to and understand the naming conventions Addison's created for this world.