The Goblin Emperor (2014)

Published under Sarah Monette's pen name Katherine Addison. Unexpectedly made emperor, Maia tries to answer a hostile court with decency instead of inherited cruelty. The comfort is in watching considerate choices acquire weight, rather than in a world without danger. Court titles and names demand patience, and assassination, abuse and bereavement are part of his situation. A reassuring reread or an absorbing escape when you have attention to spare.