--- product_id: 104368755 title: "Goblin Secrets" price: "€ 23.67" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 6 url: https://www.desertcart.fr/products/104368755-goblin-secrets store_origin: FR region: France --- # Goblin Secrets **Price:** € 23.67 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Goblin Secrets - **How much does it cost?** € 23.67 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fr](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/104368755-goblin-secrets) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Goblin Secrets: 9781442427273: Alexander, William: Books Review: A jewel of a book to share with your children - Will Alexander's debut novel fully deserves its National Book Award. At last - a children's book for actual children! Unlike some of the overly-adult offerings many "children's authors" have been publishing in recent years, this small gem honors its intended audience with enough adventure, thrills and fascinating encounters to engage them, without resorting to an overabundance of violence and death. With a subtle hand, it teaches lessons of humanity, without letting them take precedence over the storytelling. The reader is therefore free to focus on the journey of our young protagonist. Rownie experiences danger almost throughout. His doggedness, thoughtful choices, and tendency to follow his heart as well as his quick instinct, aid him through many perilous twists and turns. We are kept eager to know what happens next. The author writes in a spare, lean prose, that manages to create a complete, imaginative world by showing it to us, rather than allowing the story to stagnate in description. Magic is treated with dignity and delicacy, never pointed at, but experienced as a natural consequence of the world. I'm a teacher of the mask, and the authors' marvelous words about these entities resonated with me, especially the directive to "let the mask tell you how to move." Wonderful visual and aural elements, as well as characters that surprise us, populate a world so intricate and tangible, we can almost hear the whirring and clicking of the clock- and gear-work that permeates Rownie's environment. I expect Tim Burton will get a hold of the novel soon! At its core, this is a tale about a boy truly alone and looking for "home," as are too many children living on the fringe of society, or lost in its well-meaning but often inadequate systems of alternative care. It's about how loyalty is earned, and how familial bonds endure or are newly made. It asks us the true meaning of family. It invites us to discover what does and doesn't make a home. Review: It is easy to see why this book received a National Book ... - In this day and age, with the book world as oversaturated as it is, finding a fantasy book that has magic, a hero’s quest, and a prophecy is almost commonplace – but that’s not what you’ll get in William Alexander’s Goblin Secrets. This book has familiar elements from all of those tropes but in Zombay, even with the threat of a prophesized flood, nothing is as it seems. The main character, Rownie, is a little boy who doesn’t even have his own name, and yet, he is plucky and tough. It is easy to see why this book received a National Book Award as William Alexander’s quality of writing, narrative style, and structure is easy to follow and his characters are both charming and brave. In the city of Zombay, Tamlin (the politically correct term for goblins) believe in hope and magic and prophecy, and need Rownie’s help to make it come to pass. They accept Rownie as one of their own and tell him to “Stand and move with purpose. Move the way the mask would prefer you move” (103) because what they do for Zombay is mysterious… something “ancient and grand” (101). ​This book, originally written for middle grade readers, is full of steampunk, action, and questing for them to enjoy. Rownie, an orphan running from the witch that is his caregiver, Graba, is looking for his missing brother throughout the town of Zombay. Rownie, while on the run from Graba, comes upon a band of goblins (Tamlin) whose home, despite their social status, is Zombay. Born and raised in Zombay, but changed – the term used for people who become goblins – are not seen as real citizens even in their hometown. In this, Alexander does something clever – he introduces social commentary into the novel without seeming to be on a soapbox. He does this in little ways, for instance he writes, “UnChanged folk do not touch Tamlin, as a rule. They seem to believe that it would give them freckles” (106). Without being political, Alexander introduces inequity and discrimination into a novel meant for preteens. The story is told from a 3rd person point of view which allows the reader to enter Rownie’s mind throughout the book. Alexander writes in the main character’s emotions and thoughts in a way that lends itself to its readership. Rownie “does not run” (60) from his problems – although he does run from the Guard – but instead, faces them as a hero who is on a quest must. Alexander’s style posits for strong truths and deeper meanings into the hero’s quest. Semele, the Tamlin who takes Rownie in, says, “We are always using masks and a lack of facts to find the truth and nudge it into becoming more true” (95). In a city full of liars, Rownie realizes that actors, who “pretend” because “It’s kind of [their] job” (95) are the only ones who can help him find his brother and save Zombay from the prophesized floods. into Rownie’s journey with simple, yet beautiful prose. It isn’t Graba or his brother who “gather beside Rownie” (219) throughout this journey through the flood and back, it’s the Tamlin. Alexander’s book, written in Acts and Scenes, like the drama it is, is a journey for the truth. Rownie, an orphan and a misfit, goes on a quest for his brother, but ends up finding out what he’s truly made of in the process. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #2,323,376 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,712 in Children's Performing Arts Fiction #2,970 in Children's Siblings Books (Books) #19,870 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (126) | | Dimensions | 5.13 x 0.7 x 7.63 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | Grade level | 3 - 7 | | ISBN-10 | 1442427272 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1442427273 | | Item Weight | 6.4 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 256 pages | | Publication date | July 23, 2013 | | Publisher | Margaret K. McElderry Books | | Reading age | 8 - 12 years | ## Images ![Goblin Secrets - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Vmk3v+V5L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A jewel of a book to share with your children *by D***F on March 21, 2013* Will Alexander's debut novel fully deserves its National Book Award. At last - a children's book for actual children! Unlike some of the overly-adult offerings many "children's authors" have been publishing in recent years, this small gem honors its intended audience with enough adventure, thrills and fascinating encounters to engage them, without resorting to an overabundance of violence and death. With a subtle hand, it teaches lessons of humanity, without letting them take precedence over the storytelling. The reader is therefore free to focus on the journey of our young protagonist. Rownie experiences danger almost throughout. His doggedness, thoughtful choices, and tendency to follow his heart as well as his quick instinct, aid him through many perilous twists and turns. We are kept eager to know what happens next. The author writes in a spare, lean prose, that manages to create a complete, imaginative world by showing it to us, rather than allowing the story to stagnate in description. Magic is treated with dignity and delicacy, never pointed at, but experienced as a natural consequence of the world. I'm a teacher of the mask, and the authors' marvelous words about these entities resonated with me, especially the directive to "let the mask tell you how to move." Wonderful visual and aural elements, as well as characters that surprise us, populate a world so intricate and tangible, we can almost hear the whirring and clicking of the clock- and gear-work that permeates Rownie's environment. I expect Tim Burton will get a hold of the novel soon! At its core, this is a tale about a boy truly alone and looking for "home," as are too many children living on the fringe of society, or lost in its well-meaning but often inadequate systems of alternative care. It's about how loyalty is earned, and how familial bonds endure or are newly made. It asks us the true meaning of family. It invites us to discover what does and doesn't make a home. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It is easy to see why this book received a National Book ... *by C***U on April 14, 2018* In this day and age, with the book world as oversaturated as it is, finding a fantasy book that has magic, a hero’s quest, and a prophecy is almost commonplace – but that’s not what you’ll get in William Alexander’s Goblin Secrets. This book has familiar elements from all of those tropes but in Zombay, even with the threat of a prophesized flood, nothing is as it seems. The main character, Rownie, is a little boy who doesn’t even have his own name, and yet, he is plucky and tough. It is easy to see why this book received a National Book Award as William Alexander’s quality of writing, narrative style, and structure is easy to follow and his characters are both charming and brave. In the city of Zombay, Tamlin (the politically correct term for goblins) believe in hope and magic and prophecy, and need Rownie’s help to make it come to pass. They accept Rownie as one of their own and tell him to “Stand and move with purpose. Move the way the mask would prefer you move” (103) because what they do for Zombay is mysterious… something “ancient and grand” (101). ​This book, originally written for middle grade readers, is full of steampunk, action, and questing for them to enjoy. Rownie, an orphan running from the witch that is his caregiver, Graba, is looking for his missing brother throughout the town of Zombay. Rownie, while on the run from Graba, comes upon a band of goblins (Tamlin) whose home, despite their social status, is Zombay. Born and raised in Zombay, but changed – the term used for people who become goblins – are not seen as real citizens even in their hometown. In this, Alexander does something clever – he introduces social commentary into the novel without seeming to be on a soapbox. He does this in little ways, for instance he writes, “UnChanged folk do not touch Tamlin, as a rule. They seem to believe that it would give them freckles” (106). Without being political, Alexander introduces inequity and discrimination into a novel meant for preteens. The story is told from a 3rd person point of view which allows the reader to enter Rownie’s mind throughout the book. Alexander writes in the main character’s emotions and thoughts in a way that lends itself to its readership. Rownie “does not run” (60) from his problems – although he does run from the Guard – but instead, faces them as a hero who is on a quest must. Alexander’s style posits for strong truths and deeper meanings into the hero’s quest. Semele, the Tamlin who takes Rownie in, says, “We are always using masks and a lack of facts to find the truth and nudge it into becoming more true” (95). In a city full of liars, Rownie realizes that actors, who “pretend” because “It’s kind of [their] job” (95) are the only ones who can help him find his brother and save Zombay from the prophesized floods. into Rownie’s journey with simple, yet beautiful prose. It isn’t Graba or his brother who “gather beside Rownie” (219) throughout this journey through the flood and back, it’s the Tamlin. Alexander’s book, written in Acts and Scenes, like the drama it is, is a journey for the truth. Rownie, an orphan and a misfit, goes on a quest for his brother, but ends up finding out what he’s truly made of in the process. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rivers and Masks *by K***S on January 19, 2013* This book is a National Book Award Finalist, and it's got people talking. I'm always a bit dubious about that sort of thing. However, Goblin Secrets lives up to the hype--it's beautifully told and has some wonderful world building, not to mention a nicely melodic theme of masks. Goblin Secrets is that rare creature, a steampunk novel for middle grade. Alexander's genius is that he simply wraps the steampunk elements into the story, melding them so fluidly (or so clockworkedly) into the world he creates, which also has fantasy elements, that the whole thing feels complete and of a piece. So: Rownie is one of the children who lives with and serves a version of Baba Yaga--if the witch and her house had clockwork legs and chicken feet, respectively. In a city where the king won't let anyone wear a mask and act in plays except maybe a troupe of goblins, Rownie's older brother Rowan has gone missing. And he's an actor. Rownie runs away from the witch Graba and joins the goblins, searching for his brother. Everything just gets more complicated from there, with plenty of magic, plotting, and a river threatening to flood. I liked Rownie, and I liked this book. Alexander's characters with their masks and secrets roam the fresh fantasy world he's created like actors on a stage: the author has even titled the sections of his story Act I, Act II, etc. That stage is definitely one of Alexander's strengths. The use of the clock tower and a train station are especially good. I highly and happily recommend Goblin Secrets. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.fr/products/104368755-goblin-secrets](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/104368755-goblin-secrets) --- *Product available on Desertcart France* *Store origin: FR* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*