Publisher: Self-Published.
Release Date: 5th November 2025. (Available now!)
Source: An eARC from the author. All opinions are my own honest opinions. I also purchased a physical copy.
Category: Christmas, contemporary, fantasy. Stand alone.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
For Claire Samson, the only way to survive Christmas this year is to escape it.
High-achieving Australian medical student Claire Samson has struggled to enjoy Christmas in recent years, but this is the first Christmas she will be all alone, with her parents overseas and her grandfather in a coma. Claire is desperate to quit med school, but medicine was Grandpa’s dream for her, and her rural hometown desperately needs more doctors—doctors which could have changed her grandfather’s prognosis.
Just when Claire thinks Christmas will be unbearable, a steam train straight out of Platform 9 ¾ appears . . . a train invisible to all but Claire. It’s the Goblin Express, run by Christmas-hating elves and full of washed-up souls from hundreds of worlds who come aboard to escape the holidays. As it turns out, humans aren’t the only species who can loathe their festive seasons.
Upon boarding, Claire befriends several of her fellow travelers, including a mysterious hooded figure who totally gives her Strider vibes and may or may not actually be a night elf. But when the Goblin Express comes under attack, Claire and her new group of mismatched friends must band together to save the train . . . and maybe even find a little bit of Christmas spirit in the process.
My Thoughts:
5 stars.
What a wild ride that was!
I have never read a Christmas story like this (my go to Christmas reads are usually contemporary or historical, but I am a huge fantasy fan). It was so fun. It had so many elements that I loved: a magical steam train, Christmas setting, mythical creatures/fairytale creatures, partially set in Australia, humour, adventure, a dash of romance, and a touch of faith. While starting out sad, it ended with a lot of hope.
With her parents overseas and her grandfather in a coma, Claire Samson wishes she could skip Christmas this year. When a magical train appears, promising it can help her escape Christmas, after some mild wondering if she has lost her mind, she climbs aboard.
The train is full of magical surprises and interesting passengers, the type you would find in fairytales. Claire finds herself drawn to a mysterious passenger named Quinn who dresses in black and may or may not be a night elf.
Everyone has their different reasons for being aboard the train, for their need to escape the holidays. Claire is struggling not only with her grandfather being in a coma, but whether or not she should let go of the medical career she has been studying for years for and once thought was her dream. The train journey helps her to see what she really wants.
Although full of all the cozy Christmas vibes, it turned into quite the adventure story, with an attack on the train which forces the passengers to work together. I was on the edge of my seat to see how it would end! It contained some of the most hilarious fight scenes I have read!
Overall, Christmas on the Goblin Express was a perfect Christmas read for fantasy lovers, and at 55,000 words it is a good size to curl up and read in one sitting. I highly recommend it. Fischer is a fantastic fantasy author and I recommend any book that she has written.
Content: This was a clean read with no swearing, kisses only and only mild violence.
You can add it to your Goodreads here.
Rochelle L. Sharpe 