The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge

This one is off the beaten path. It's aimed at middle graders, but can be thoroughly enjoyed by adults. It's the story of an unlikely Elfin emissary, Brangwain Spurge, on a mission to the Goblin kingdom. His counterpart is the goblin Archivist Werfel. The cultures clash in amusing fashion. Brangwain is also tasked to be a spy by the spymaster Ysoret Clivers. Clivers is an obsequious, silly, and casually cruel Elf. The story zips along and gives off strong fairytale and fable vibes in a satiric vein. Interspersed within the text, is a series of illustrated and wordless pages of illustrations which also help tell the tale (not just an accompaniment to the text). These illustrations are gorgeous (as is the book). It's a clever story and I read through it quickly.