SPFBO XI Finalist Review and Score: Jester by Tim Carter

Blurb:

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?

A comic tale of politics, friendship, and found family for fans of Nicholas Eames, Terry Pratchett, and J. Zachary Pike.

Review:

SFF Insiders is here to provide you with our official rating for the finalist book, Jester by Tim Carter! Check out what our SPFBO judging team had to say below.

Amanda

Jester was a true pleasure to read. I had such a good time listening to this cozy story. The writing has been amongst my favorites in this competition, the prose more akin to a litRPG in style and cadence than the classics of the cosy fantasy genre. And even though there was no game in sight, I loved the world we jumped into. 

Our discontented goblin slave, Shelly, has all the jokes as he stumbles into an opportunity and scrounges up some wit to utilize it. I loved how human his thinking felt, pulling himself from his mundane latrine work, through his convenient use, into something that resembled a hero. There was a depth behind his feisty thoughts I really enjoyed through the story. Buckingham, Rose, and the rest of the cast, both for better or for much worse, were really fun to be with for my long car rides.

The world was both visceral and fantastical, borrowing from all realms of the mythic lores we've come to love. With everything from vampires to fae, goblins or zombies, there were fun explorations of their world structure, cultural and political circumstances, amidst or quick paced action. Ever wonder what it's like to be in the bowels of a castle sewer? Neither have I and I'm no better for knowing. But through the grit and grim of this lowly slave’s rise to influence, we uncover a clever world with fairly satisfying political intrigue.

This is what the story was built off of, and I did really enjoy the plot at first. The castle politics, background war moves, and overall compliant pawn feel was intriguing as we tried to solve the current mysteries with the company of some creative and thoroughly entertaining characters. As the plot evolved, however, as we shifted into a bigger world and new problems, the story shifted in a way I was less captivated by. In the end, though, I was invested in Shelly and he carried me through.

I think that was mostly because of the writing. Like I said in the beginning, the prose was the real hero of this story. The quick witted fast pace of the first person delivery paired with the sheer mayhem of the character himself was well balanced with quieter moments and pleas for self preservation that really made his story a delight to read. It was a bit far on the edgy/brash side of things for my old lady sensibilities, but alas so is the world and it doesn't stop me from living in it. I wouldn't let the trigger warnings scare you, but heeding them isn't a mistake either.

All in all there's no surprise to why this book was chosen as a finalist and I was grateful to have enjoyed it. If you pick it up, you shouldn't be disappointed.

Jon

My first thought opening this book was, "wtf". My second thought, after the first page, was also, "wtf". "Jester" takes the fantasy worlds we know and love, with elves, orcs, goblins and undead and goes into overdrive creating a world where instead of all the other races being a problem for the humans, it's often the humans own fault for why the things are the way they are.

If I had to describe the main character, Shelly, in one word... it'd be stubborn. He is stubborn to the point of it being a detriment to his health. So much of "Jester" only happens because Shelly is stubborn. Stubborn enough to do things no human would expect a goblin to do. And that weird subversion of the fantasy genre with the protagonist just yoloing it as he stumbles around the castle trying to solve something he was in no way a part of in the first place, works.

The plot of the story follows the murder of a king, leading to political shenanigans with a goblin trying his very best to not get himself killed. Not all parts of the plot where as straightforward as I first thought, leading to me staring at the pages of later chapters with a look of bewilderment at what was happening on the page. Will I elaborate upon that point further? No. Go read the book, this is just you reading someone's thoughts on a book, not a summary of everything that happens.

What about the world building? In a prior paragraph I mentioned a subversion of the fantasy genre. Beyond that though it is a generic world with various races duking it out with weapons and spells to gain dominance over one another with the humans leading the charge due to how unusually cruel they are to each other and to everyone who doesn't look like them. Beyond that, there is the undead threat that is just there. Doing something. Mostly going after everyone else because yes why not and also (probably) something the humans did. Allegedly. Not that it could be because someone else angered the Queen of the dead, but most likely it is something a human did.

Although the novel was great, there was one thing I have to gripe about. Some parts of the book felt very contrived. Very coincidenty that they happened. Not to say that it is something that absolutely ruins the book, but some parts make one go, "how convenient for this to happen".

Altogether though, if you want a cozy fantasy that wanders into the realm of grimdark at some point and then back into cozy fantasy again, with a premise that sounds like a feverdream, "Jester" by Tim Carter is for you.

Grady

A delightful story of Shelly the goblin, a humble latrine slave whose observational skills and steady deductive thinking led him to be unintentionally enmeshed in a web of court intrigue and danger. He never wanted to be the main character, but sometimes if no one else steps up, you’d rather try to help than die an otherwise grisly death.

It’s not just a zero-sum utilitarianism that leads Shelly to be a reluctant hero. He has a moral compass he tries to live by, and as humble as his ambitions are, he does try to aim for a better future than his past may have otherwise portended. For someone who’s been beaten down so consistently and thoroughly, this refreshingly hopeful outlook gave me a strong, endearing thread to guide me through the fast-paced story.

Shelly’s actions and maneuverings see him unwittingly promoted to the eponymous court jester, but the joke is he's not actually very funny. He’s more-so scared, knowing he’s too far in over his head. Yet despite his fear and lack of intentional comedic virtue, the story itself is consistently wry and witty throughout, forming a reliable pillar of our tone.

I don’t consume as much cozy fantasy as I’d like, but I generally savor the sub-genre’s comforting qualities, and “Jester,” despite the danger and intrigue, is no different, consistently nailing an atmosphere akin to a warm hug. Carter’s prose had a natural style, approachable and poignant, but let’s give our audio narrator his flowers as well. Aubrey Parson’s delivery in the audiobook lent a rich, almost lyrical quality that worked extremely well. For a narrative so heavily anchored by a more mature, world-weary protagonist like Shelly, this humble but undeniable gravitas fit the character perfectly.

While it was all quite fun, the pacing did take a small turn as the scope expanded beyond the intimate political intrigue. We left the familiar stone walls of the castle for more conventional open field battle-fare, and while the execution was clean, this slight incongruity didn’t quite line up for me like I had hoped. 

For a tidy book of this manageable size, it shouldn’t be a shock the cast wasn’t nearly as fully fleshed as our central character. However, I didn’t find this disappointing; if anything it fit the tone nicely enough and allowed us to stay tightly fixed on Shelly and his unshakable focus to the task at hand. A well-scoped and fabulously executed story is just the tincture to cure a slump sometimes, and in the case of “Jester,” I was both surprised and delighted. I look forward to seeing more from Tim Carter.

Khan

Going into Jester by Tim Carter, I genuinely had no idea what to expect. From the title, premise and overall feel of the book, I initially thought I was stepping into a light-hearted fantasy filled with slapstick comedy, ridiculous situations and a story that wouldn’t take itself too seriously. While there is certainly plenty of humour throughout, what surprised me most was discovering just how much more there was beneath the surface.

At the centre of the story is a goblin who begins his journey as a slave, living in a world where power, status and politics have a huge influence over the lives of those within it. Rather than being physically powerful or someone destined for greatness, he has to rely on something far more interesting: his intelligence. His wit, observations and ability to understand the people and situations around him quickly became one of my favourite aspects of the story. There was something incredibly entertaining about watching him navigate a world where he is so often underestimated.

I was also surprised by how much political back-and-forth there was throughout Jester. There are different personalities, ambitions and interests constantly at play, and I enjoyed seeing how these elements gradually became intertwined with our goblin protagonist’s journey. It gave the story more depth than I initially expected, particularly because the humour never completely disappears. Instead, it sits alongside the more serious aspects of the story and gives the book its own distinctive personality.

What really made Jester stand out for me, though, was its exploration of friendship and belonging. As the story progressed, I found myself becoming far more emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships than I ever expected to be when I first picked up the book. There is a genuine warmth behind many of these interactions, and I loved seeing the different connections that develop throughout the journey. The idea of belonging became particularly important to me while reading. Our protagonist begins in a position where so much of his life and identity has been determined by others, and the story gradually explores questions of worth, freedom and what it actually means to have somewhere, or someone, that makes you feel like you belong. I wasn’t expecting those themes to resonate as strongly as they did, especially from a book I had initially assumed would primarily be a comedy.

That was ultimately my biggest surprise with Jester. Yes, it can be funny, and there are moments where the humour absolutely shines, but underneath all of that is a story with considerably more heart than I expected.

I went into Jester expecting a funny fantasy adventure. I came away far more intrigued by its characters, friendships and exploration of belonging. Sometimes the books you know the least about end up surprising you the most, and Jester was definitely one of those for me.

Kristen

Our story revolves around Shelly, a downtrodden goblin latrine slave who finds himself becoming an unlikely hero thanks to his keen ability to watch, listen, and observe human behavior… and perhaps a healthy dose of sheer dumb luck thrown into the mix. Shelly is the kind of character you can’t help but root for. Despite the circumstances he has been forced to endure, he has an incredible amount of heart and simply wishes for the opportunity to live a better life, far removed from the slavery and servitude he has known under humans.

What begins as an unusual and humorous premise soon takes an unexpected turn when Shelly finds himself in a unique position to help solve a murder within the castle he calls home. His ability to remain unnoticed, coupled with his observations of the people around him, proves to be far more valuable than anyone initially realizes. Before long, Shelly is promoted to the position of court jester, giving him an even greater opportunity to become the kingdom's eyes and ears as the investigation unfolds. It is a clever setup that allows the story to balance humor, mystery, and fantasy.

Going into this book, I truly expected a classic cozy fantasy comedy. While there are certainly plenty of lighter and humorous moments, Jester surprised me by delving into much deeper emotions and incorporating some more serious undertones. Beneath the humor and absurdity, there is a story about oppression, survival, belonging, and the desire to be seen as more than the circumstances into which you were born. Shelly is a surprisingly multilayered character. He isn't perfect, and there are certainly moments when he makes questionable decisions, but those imperfections ultimately make him feel more genuine and relatable.

Although I have only read a handful of cozy fantasy novels, this book definitely delivered when it came to world-building. Despite being on the shorter side, I felt that the author did an excellent job of crafting his setting. Additionally, Carter's prose is well crafted and perfectly suited to the tone of the story. The dialogue, in particular, was one of my favorite aspects. The banter between the characters feels natural, lighthearted, and easy to follow, which helps keep the story moving at a steady pace.

Overall, Jester provides a fast-paced and entertaining adventure. It was the kind of book I found myself looking forward to throughout the day, eager to open it back up and spend a little more time with Shelly. It is truly one of those books that makes you think you have everything figured out, only to turn around and surprise you. Just when I thought I understood where the story was heading, another unexpected development would pull me in a different direction. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future work from Tim Carter, and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

SFF Insiders Rating: 7.9/10