This book is not what I originally expected. For one thing, the goblins aren't evil. Okay, fine, maybe a tiny bit. But it's not like they would kill you.... unless you insulted them. So yeah, they are kinda evil. But not as evil as I expected. Another thing, the elves are basically Victorian, except, well, more barbaric. (there's this whole chopping-fingers-off thing with the king and one of his subjects) So basically, neither side is all that great. Add in the fact that there has recently been a goblin-elf war, and a bunch of people were killed, and you get a LOT of prejudices. Both sides think the other is totally evil. So when Brangwain Spurge is sent to bring a gem to the goblin king, things do NOT go smoothly. Then Spurge goes spying, and is caught. Spurge finds himself running away with his former enemy, whose life he has just ruined.
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
By M.T. Anderson, Eugene Yelchin
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 5 - 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Subverting convention, award-winning creators M. T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin pair up for an anarchic, outlandish, and deeply political saga of warring elf and goblin kingdoms.
Uptight elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is on a mission: survive being catapulted across the mountains into goblin territory, deliver a priceless peace offering to their mysterious dark lord, and spy on the goblin kingdom — from which no elf has returned alive in more than a hundred years. Brangwain’s host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is delighted to show Brangwain around. They should be the best of friends, but a series of extraordinary double crosses, blunders, and cultural misunderstandings throws these two bumbling scholars into the middle of an international crisis that may spell death for them — and war for their nations. Witty mixed media illustrations show Brangwain’s furtive missives back to the elf kingdom, while Werfel’s determinedly unbiased narrative tells an entirely different story. A hilarious and biting social commentary that could only come from the likes of National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin, this tale is rife with thrilling action and visual humor . . . and a comic disparity that suggests the ultimate victor in a war is perhaps not who won the battles, but who gets to write the history.
Uptight elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is on a mission: survive being catapulted across the mountains into goblin territory, deliver a priceless peace offering to their mysterious dark lord, and spy on the goblin kingdom — from which no elf has returned alive in more than a hundred years. Brangwain’s host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is delighted to show Brangwain around. They should be the best of friends, but a series of extraordinary double crosses, blunders, and cultural misunderstandings throws these two bumbling scholars into the middle of an international crisis that may spell death for them — and war for their nations. Witty mixed media illustrations show Brangwain’s furtive missives back to the elf kingdom, while Werfel’s determinedly unbiased narrative tells an entirely different story. A hilarious and biting social commentary that could only come from the likes of National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin, this tale is rife with thrilling action and visual humor . . . and a comic disparity that suggests the ultimate victor in a war is perhaps not who won the battles, but who gets to write the history.
Publisher: Candlewick
ISBN-13: 9781536213096
ISBN-10: 1536213098
Published on 4/14/2020
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 544