Review by Laura

Synopsis:

In a realm ruled by idiots, the Fool is their only hope.

You’d think an army of zombie trolls and undead ogres would catch the nobility’s attention. You’d be wrong. The rulers of Halfsock are deeply in denial. Besides, they have taxes to avoid, neighbors to plunder, and relatives to backstab.

With war looming, a goblin latrine slave named Shelly resolves to save Castle Halfsock from itself. He must assume many roles… jester, detective, spy, and political fixer. But his most challenging—especially after a lifetime spent cleaning other people’s toilets—is as a confident goblin worthy of trust, friendship, and maybe even love.

Can the least powerful person in the realm overcome his insecurities to depose rulers, forge alliances, and fend off an undead horde?

Review:

From the start, Jester is a lot of fun to read. Carter brings us into the POV of the most unlikely future hero, a goblin named Shelliac (Shelly). Shelly’s life has been, in a word, shitty. Subject to kidnapping, violence, and all the limitations of a corrupt system, Shelly works as a slave cleaning out the diaper cauldron and the sewers at Halfsock Castle. When an evil queen and the incompetent leaders of Halfsock threaten to make things worse for Shelly (a la genocide), he decides to seize control of his own destiny, moving up through the ranks, enacting changes, and making friends along the way.

Easily the highlight of Jester is its main character, Shelly. A goblin with a strong sense of self-preservation, Shelly takes advantage of being in the right place at the right time. While often self-conscious and doubting in his abilities, Shelly grows more confident and always manages to let hope and his heart to direct his actions. I really loved the way that Carter depicted Shelly, giving readers the ability to follow his many trains of thought no matter how awkward, uncomfortable, or gross (there is so much “poop talk” in this novel lol) the situation. Shelly is a relatable, awkward hero that I couldn’t help but root for.

The secondary characters in Jester add a lot to the story and I particularly enjoyed the seeing friendship between Shelly and Buckingham grow. Carter also provides the characters of Jester with plenty of flaws allowing the story to become more believable and the growth/pay off to feel more deserved. Tying this great character work together with some political intrigue and plenty of action, Jester kept me interested throughout and eager to keep reading.

I appreciated the humor that Carter injected into the story and never felt like it was forced, but fitting of the characters in this unique story. And although Jester is a sarcastic story about a goblin, Carter also tackles subjects of war, oppression, racism, and sexism. Carter writes in a really engaging and clever way which allows readers the opportunity to not only visualize the scenes and connect with characters, but helps to put a creative, accessible spin on these deeper themes.

I’ve now enjoyed two of Carter’s works, having recently read Majordomo, and I would highly recommend them both to other fantasy readers. Jester is a delight to read and perfect for anyone who enjoys books with lovable characters, plenty of sarcasm, and lots of…well…poop.

Many thanks to Tim Carter for providing me an eARC of Jester!! All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

–Laura-

**Jester by Tim Carter is available April 14th, 2025 wherever you find books!**