The Goblin and the Dancer tells the story of a goblin named Grik who works as a janitor at a fancy theater run by elves. The elves and the goblins don't have much respect for each other, although they do work together at times. But Grik has fallen in love with a beautiful elvish ballerina, Rosanna. Rosanna is kind, but sad. A handsome elvish soldier named Paul begins courting Rosanna, much to Grik's dismay. Grik envies Paul, then resents Paul.
One thing leads to another, sending Grik, Rosanna, and Paul on a dangerous journey through the goblin underworld. They confront various monsters and villains, but their biggest challenges come from inside themselves. Repentance, contrition, and forgiveness all take turns at the center of the story until all three characters have been healed and renewed.
This is my favorite thing of Allison Tebo's that I have read yet! I love The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and her retelling hit all the right notes for me. My kids kept asking me if they could read this when I finished it, and I am happily handing it off to them. It's a clean, bright, and lovely story!
It's also part of an anthology series called A Villain's Ever After that multiple authors have contributed to. I haven't read any of the other entries, but I have my eye on several!
Particularly Good Bits:
He let the rose drop into the gutter and jumped after it, because that was where goblins belonged (p. 11).
He simply wanted to be different without being wrong (p. 16).
Redemption didn't have to be found in death, but it could be gained through forgiveness. True love did change how someone saw another... and how one felt about oneself (p. 157).
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for scenes of peril and danger, references to war and injuries, and some very thrilling monster fights.
This has been my 44th book read from my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2021.
"Redemption didn't have to be found in death, but it could be gained through forgiveness." <--- This! As much as I love a good, dramatic, tearjerking redemption-through-death for a villain/fallen character, sometimes the harder (and more interesting) road comes with having to live with your mistakes and seek forgiveness. Really enjoyed the themes in TGatD!
ReplyDeleteEva, YES! The harder road can be so much more interesting, and I loved how Tebo brought that to the fore.
DeleteGreat review, Rachel! <3 I love the quotes you included!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie! Such an excellent book.
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