The blurb by Scott Lynch on the cover really sums this up: "If court intrigue is your wine of choice, The Goblin Emperor is the headiest vintage I've seen in years." There is high protocol, intrigue, fashion, and deception set in a fantasy kingdom sprinkled with Renaissance and Steampunk technology. Addison has written a wonderful book that studies humanity through the characters and society of the Untheileneise Court. She touches on race, gender, and class issues with a deft hand, avoiding an overt treatise and instead relying on how the characters act and respond to others to shed light on the injustices present in a system that promotes the traditional patriarchy and the majority race. 
 This story is set in a land of Elves that is bordered by a nation of their Goblin cousins. Maia, the goblin emperor, was the undesired product of a political marriage between the elven emperor and the daughter of the goblin king. Maia's father already had the heirs he needed and banished them both to an obscure country estate until he and the heirs preceding Maia are suddenly killed in an airship crash immediately before the book opens. Maia is then pulled from obscurity to become the new emperor. 
 At court he must learn who his allies and enemies are as well as the equally important skills to actually run a country. Through missteps and an embracing of his own humility, Maia gradually learns these skills; not overnight, but in a more realistic amount of time. Through the encounters with various courtiers and factions, Maia begins bringing several egalitarian changes to what is a structured hierarchy. He questions why women are considered for little more than breeding children, when they are really as capable as men for the tasks of scholarship and ruling (specifically). He questions the divisions between classes and is often considers the feelings of those under his rule, even over what may be his own wishes or conveniences. In the end, he shows that although he is suddenly entitled to the ultimate in privilege and authority, his actions are worthless if not used in protecting and improving the lives of the people of his country. 
 The only complaint I have was in the language used for the names of people and places. Addison does provide a very useful index of names in the back of the book, and I highly recommend reading this in whatever format makes it easy for you to access the list. Once I had a good handle on who was who, the story flowed easier for me.