Not a new story, but an old story well done. The unexpected and unprepared heir to a great empire suddenly finds himself on the throne. This story has some steampunk elements, so the emperor and all his first choice heirs die in an airship accident (?), propelling young Maia to the throne. There appear to be no humans in this fantasy world and this new emperor of an Elven empire is half-goblin.

Naturally, he is a good person, which surprises many and leads to great loyalty by some, while others resent him for his (minor, in my opinion) upsetting of apple carts.

One nice touch: he is not preternaturally gifted at politics. He is frequently in over his head and does not act too much wiser than his eighteen years.

Looking forward to the sequel.