BBNYA Spotlight - Jester by Tim Carter

About BBNYA and the Spotlight Tours

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (18 in 2026) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. 

Book Summary

In a realm ruled by idiots, their only hope is the Fool.

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 take on many roles… jester, detective, spy, and political fixer. But his most challenging role—especially after a lifetime spent cleaning other people’s toilets—is as a confident secret agent 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. 

Author's fun fact about the book: It's inspired by the anti-goblin prejudices of my covid D&D group. 

Author Bio

Tim Carter writes fiction, video games, and movies. He draws inspiration for his fiction and movies from a lifelong love of strategy and role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons.

He lives with his wife and two dogs in Vancouver, Canada. He is best known for writing the novels Jester and Majordomo, the console game Sleeping Dogs, writing and producing the Dead Rising movie series, and producing the digital series Mortal Kombat: Legacy.