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A.J. Hackwith | Tropes, Trinkets, and Tricksters: An Acrostic for Goblin Market

October 22, 2026

The life of a goblin changeling is one of constant trade, a fact that Toast only found out at eleven years old after growing up as a normal girl. Now she is a cynical, savvy guide for the unwary tourists that stumble into the Goblin Market. Interested in a tour? I’ve made up a trope-tastic preview. Tropes are like little bite-size samples for stories, letting you know if a book is composed of your favorite flavors. Take a chance, you never know what you’ll find in the goblin market.

G is for the Grumpy/Sunshine, where a wary, grumpy goblin Toast can never be quite sure if she can trust the warmth in the sunshine smile of fey knight, Valora.

O is for Only One Bed, wherein the bed in question is a very uncomfortable bench in a shadowy corner of the Back Rooms.

B is for Bound Together, which is a meet-cute involving magical handcuffs and running from fae law enforcement.

L is for Lovable Rogue, whether that be the cynical Henry, or the murder-happy redcap Finnegan. You can trust them. Mostly.

I is for Invisible Friend, when you are the unwilling caretaker for a magical bear cub that only you can see.

N is for Names Have Power. Toast foolishly traded away her human name long ago. She won’t make the same mistake again.

M is for Misfit Crew, because found family is sometimes the only family you get.

A is for Alliance for Convenience, which every alliance in the Market starts out as. Sometimes, just sometimes, it ends up something more.

R is for Road to Nowhere, because the Market is composed of a chaotic, liminal tangle of spaces that is always changing.

K is for Kin in Peril, when the world isn’t ending but it feels like it because you are trying to protect the sister you thought you lost.

E is for Enemies to Lovers, in which a grumpy, paranoid and ‘unlovable’ goblin grump and a tricksy, sunshiney high fey lady knight cross paths.

T is for Tricksters, because the fae never trade fair.

GOBLIN MARKET by A.J. Hackwith

goblin

A goblin changeling caught between the human and fey worlds must find a way to save her home in this warm and heartfelt fantasy from the author of Toto and the Hell’s Library series.

Being a changeling is hard enough, but Toast was older than most changeling children when her goblin parents stole her back from her human family and returned her to the harsh, bustling world of the Goblin Market, where anything from your fondest dream to your strongest talent can be bought—or sold.

 Nearly a decade later, Toast has grudgingly cobbled together a life there as the Market’s guide for mortal visitors. But when the next arrival is her long-lost sister and the ancient beast whose magic the Market depends on disappears under strange circumstances, everything starts falling apart.

Now the Market itself is dying. With the Summer Court of noble fey plotting to claim the weakened Market for themselves, Toast, her friends, and an infuriatingly charming fey knight with an agenda of her own must negotiate their differences to make the trade of a lifetime and win back the Market’s future. To do so, Toast will have to decide what home–and the flawed community within–is ultimately worth.

Fantasy | LGBTQ | Coming of Age [ Ace, On Sale: November 3, 2026, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593546598 / eISBN: 9780593546604 ]

Buy GOBLIN MARKET: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR

About A.J. Hackwith

A.J. Hackwith

A. J. Hackwith (she/they) is a cryptid of the Pacific Northwest. She’s a queer writer of speculative fiction, the acclaimed LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN fantasy trilogy, TOTO, and the up-coming GOBLIN MARKET. She is a Viable Paradise writer’s workshop alumni and her work appears in Uncanny Magazine and assorted anthologies. Summon A.J. at your own peril with an arcane circle of fountain pens, sparkly dice, and freshly spilled ink. Or you can find A.J. on Instagram, Patreon and other dark corners of the Internet.

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