Name: Shereen Evans's review of White Stag by Kara Barbieri
Item: White Stag
Rating: 4
Author: Shereen Evans

Kara Barbieri

White Stag, the first book in a brutally stunning series by Kara Barbieri, involves a young girl who finds herself becoming more monster than human and must uncover dangerous truths about who she is and the place that has become her home. A Wattpad break out star with over a million reads! Now expanded, revised and available in print and eBook. As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren. Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about. Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.

A Permafrost Novel

White Stag

Casey Miles

A Novel

Shereen Evans

I do appreciate that at the beginning of the book the author put a notice that there might be a trigger items through out the book and put the suicide hotline number. Anyone affected by sexual assault, whether it be you or someone you care about, can find support on the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673.)

I didn't know anything when I picked this book. The cover of the book drew me in. Janneke has served Soren for a 100 years. It is the time to hunt the White Stag to see who the next goblin king. Instead of choosing a group of people to go on the hunt with with Soren, he chooses to have Jenneke join him. Through out the hunt Soren and Jenneke's romance starts to blossom and Jenneke doesn't want to run away like she wanted to at the beginning. By the end of the story I was wanting more to the story and am glad that I don't have to wait to read it.

Laura

** spoiler alert **
           ARC provided by NetGalley for reviewing purposes.

Don’t show fear. Don’t attract attention. Don’t forget who the monsters are.

TW: Rape, abuse, torture

#1: White Stag ★☆☆☆☆

The premise for this book was great and the story itself started out with an interesting beginning: the Goblin King falls dead, the White Stag runs away, and the Hunt begins so the stag might be hunted and a new King crowned.
Once the story kicked off, though, I found a big problem that I just could not get past: the characters. Soren, while nice and charming at times, seemed to have no personality whatsoever; his uncle, Lydian, the villain of the story, seemed to be mad and evil just because the reader was told he was, and due to everything he did to Janneke a hundred years ago.
The main character herself looked sloppily written, her mood changing not because of character growth but because of the need of the writer to make the reader feel a certain way. Her maiming, torture, and rape at the hands of Lydian was used as a way of moving the plot forward whenever was needed, weather it was to make Janneke feel vulnerable, flawed and scared, or to reaffirm her as a strong woman precisely because she had survived Lydian’s abuse.
Not to mention that it was easy to forget the characters were supposed to be Goblins—not only for the fact that they behaved as if they were humans for most of the story, but also because their somehow unearthly beauty would be more suited for Faes, as if that had been what they were originally meant to be.

Carley Whitehead

I ended up liking this way more than I anticipated. It was kind of weird, but a good weird, at least for me.

Laura Kehoe

I really wanted to like this book. It had magic, a high-stakes competition and strong characters. But, I just couldn’t get into it. The idea was great, I just think the execution wasn’t the best.

I mentioned strong characters, and I definitely think this book has a plethora of fierce personalities. Which I appreciate a lot in a book. But, the character interactions - particularly the romance - just didn’t work for me. I found myself getting really annoyed at them throughout the book.

I also feel like the plot could have been fleshed out and explains better. Like I said, the concept was great, but I think more explanations could have been useful. It was hard for me to really believe in the story.

All in all, this book was ok. It’s not a terrible book by any means and I’m glad I gave it a read, but I don’t think I’m going to continue on with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Sheila Goicea

See my full review of this book on my blog along with others at: foalsfictionandfiligree.com

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.



Content Warning: Slavery, Violence/Gore, Rape, Profanity

BLURB: An exhilarating story of one girl’s journey to finding her place in a world of monsters.

  Cursed with pain upon doing any action that did not in someway fit into the power the Permafrost gave them, the goblins fittingly had the submission of the stag as the symbol of their king’s ultimate power. 

Until it runs.
 
What a delightful debut novel this was! Encounters with goblins, dragons, deities, and other magical beings leaves the reader filled with strong sentiments of otherworldliness! My first reaction upon finishing WHITE STAG was: I cannot wait to read what happens next! I definitely experienced some book hangover. The ending provides such an unusual twist in the protagonist’s journey and I am eager to know now how her new-found...situation...will pan out. 

Janneka, more often referred to as Janneke, is no stranger to the Hall of Monsters. Having lived amongst terrifying goblins for one hundred years has given her an insight unlike any other. When she was seventeen, Janneka’s town was attacked by goblins. As the only survivor, she was taken across the magical border separating human and creature--into the Permafrost.

Janneke’s upbringing luckily aided her misfortune. Having been born into a family with only girls, she assumed the role of the “son” and was raised as such in order to protect and provide for the family. The burden of her family’s demise all those years ago weighs heavily upon her conscience, as she was the only one spared. 

Spared is a relative term. For she was found by the evil goblin lord Lydian, who made it his duty to miserably humiliate and assault Janneka for years. More for his amusement than anything, Janneka suffered greatly--a pain quite tangible when she recalls her memories of the past. 

As the years pass, Janekka’s ability to survive in the Permafrost poses a challenge. Through this, she is forced to face truths about herself, and who she is to become. No matter which path she decides, there is ugliness, but also potential for beauty. 

Throughout this entire read, symbolism is intertwined with Janekka’s story. Meaning and deep introspection on one’s identity and self-worth poses more to unpack than words found on the page. The balance of good vs evil, man vs. monster, power vs. submission, and freedom vs. captivity are all strongly represented throughout. 

  You are balance and chaos. You are light and dark. It churns inside you, forcing you to choose...

Most are represented by the White Stag itself. At first, it seems that the White Stag is merely a symbol (which in lore, it has many symbols). However, as the plot thickens, this creature’s purpose poses to be much more important than anyone realizes.

Both positions on an issue are always present, and working against one another. Janekka experiences this intimately as she wars with herself both internally and externally. I really appreciated how the author depicted Janekka’s turmoil, and made her feelings tangible to the reader. 

There is a romance. While I’m not big on romances, I found elements between these two characters really interesting due to their situation. I’m actually quite curious to see how this will play out in the coming sequel…

Speaking of “relationships,” (this was NOT a relationship, mind you) Janekka (as I briefly mentioned earlier) goes through some very unpleasant things at the hand of Lydian, the antagonist. This is just another warning to keep this in mind when heading into this read, as it can be rather unpleasant. This is where I would say that this book is meant for mature readers, who can separate what is healthy and unhealthy in relationships. These awful experiences really help to reveal the goblins’ true nature, which cements the difficulty of the romance that does happen to flourish. 

I found the overall premise to be a refreshing mix on lore, with some contemplative takeaways. The only issues I had with this book, were:
1) It could be pretty graphic and unsettling. 
2) The second half felt rather rushed. I really wanted more information of the Permafrost itself, and the pace to slow down so I could enjoy more. Besides that, I’m really looking forward to the sequel, GOBLIN KING.

Vulgarity: Moderate. I came across 48 words total in the ARC provided to me.
Sexual content: Moderate. There are a few scenes which focus on the topic more, but they are not overly graphic or descriptive. It leans more towards the New Adult genre or is better suited for mature Young Adult readers.
Violence: Quite a bit. 

My Rating: ★★★★½

My Blog ¦ Bookstagram ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Facebook

Story Eater

One of the few stories I have read this year, this whole year, that actually met expectations. 

Our main character, whom I love almost the most of all the main characters I know, manages to not fall into the trap of romantic Stockholm Syndrome that many other captive, female MC’s do when part of a story such as this. She is also not a flat character, and the supporting characters around her, for the most part, are not flat either. 

After a string of reads that are full of political innuendo, preachy plot points, and horribly hypocritical stereotypes, it was nice to sit and just read a story. Aside from a few F-bombs, about three, which I don’t think fit in the age group for this genre, I did not find this wholly inappropriate for the 14 or so and up age group for which it is marketed.

I will definitely either advocate for its purchase at the local library or just buy it myself and donate it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion and review.

Nickie Mohler

After her entire village was killed, Janneke was taken by a goblin to be his thrall. After being raped, tortured, and disfigured, she was tossed to the goblin's nephew Soren. Luckily for her, he was not like his uncle Lydian. He made sure she was nursed back to health, and has taken care of her for years. She has been a thrall for 100 years to be exact. 
When Soren is summoned to the Erlking (goblin king), he decides to take Janneke with him. Knowing that Lydian might be there, she is not excited to go. One hundred years is not enough to erase the torture she endured. At least now she's not weak. Soren saw to that. 
While on their visit, the Erlking dies. Soon The Hunt will begin. Whoever gets the White Stag becomes the new Erlking. Janneke must help Soren win. Lydian cannot become Erlking. She will kill him or herself first.

This started out great, but went downhill. I lost interest fast. I didn't like the characters at all except for Soren. The world was not interesting, and I just didn't enjoy it much. It does have a beautiful cover though. I don't think I will continue the series.

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alexis 

* I received this ARC from Netgalley galley in exchange for my honest review * 

I have to say that I didn’t care much for this book. It was alright, the beginning was good then it kind of slowed down for me. I had an extremely hard time staying invested in the story. ( it might’ve just been me and not the book). I wasn’t a major fan of the writing style either.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: White Stag

Author: Kara Barbieri

Book Series: Permafrost Book 1

Rating: 2/5

Publication Date: January 8, 2019

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 18+ (sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse, torture, mutilation, so much gore, and straight up rape)

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 368

Amazon Link

Synopsis: As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.

Review: This book was okay overall. The story is a great concept and the idea of the book is very intriguing.

However, there was a lot of “wtf” from me while reading this book. First, there was so many trigger warnings that I, who doesn’t normally get triggered, had to put down the book and go to the eye bleach subreddit. The story is good, but there are so many inconsistancies with the plot. Like, is she living with these Goblins for hundreds of years? Is she really old recanting her tale? Is she still a teen? So confused by this and so many other things in the book, like the magic system. The book just didn’t sit well with me and I also didn’t think the characters were all that interesting. I managed to finish the book, but at what costs to me and my sanity?

Verdict: It was ok, but not for me.

Alexia Cambaling

TW: Rape mention

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know what I expected from this book going in, to be honest. I’ve heard there’s goblins here and I thought that sounds interesting. I’ve heard of the movie The Labyrinth but I never watched it so what I know of goblins comes from George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin really. Or Oblivion goblins. Anyway, this presented an interesting take on goblin mythology.

Honestly, I found White Stag to be okay. It’s kind of underwhelming and it does feel undeveloped at times, but it’s rather solid. It’s okay. It’s the kind of book you can pick up in the afternoon and finish in the same evening. It’s a fast read and not really a bad choice if you’re looking for something like that.

The world-building was really underwhelming. It’s set in a frosty land called the permafrost but I can’t get a feel for whether it’s set in Scandinavia or in Siberia or in a secondary world. I believe there’s Nordic mythology here but it oftentimes feels like it’s just…there. I didn’t understand clearly what time period it’s set in or how the goblins live, what their culture is like outside of the ‘beautiful and brutal’ thing. The goblins were made out to be beautiful (which totally clashes with the image I already have on goblins) and I felt like they’re kind of made out to be the new fae. They were a little too human-like for my taste to be honest and there’s not much differentiating them from the fae already presented in many YA novels.

The main character, Janneke was okay. She’s been living in the Permafrost for close to a hundred years and has managed to keep her humanity during that time. She’s also experience abuse in the hands of her old master, Lydian (see trigger warning) and it gets graphic. However, as a character, she is good as main characters go. She managed to form a dynamic of sorts with her current master Soren and I did not feel like she got the short end of the stick when it comes to their relationship. Most of the time.

Soren is also okay, as a love interest. I did feel kind of uncomfortable that he’s pushing her to accept changing into a goblin but he does mellow and learns to respect her wishes. He also kept secrets from her which I felt iffy about but he does get confronted about it. I think I liked that he was the one driving their relationship instead of Janneke chasing after him. Their dynamic was built after decades of knowing each other and it didn’t feel gross or that they have a power imbalance, despite the master-thrall relationship. Outside of his being a love interest, I didn’t get quite a good feel for what he’s like as a character, though.

The plot moves fast and mainly revolves around the hunt for a White Stag because whoever kills it becomes the new Goblin King. There’s a lot of action here and also a lot of things going on. It’s okay but I also didn’t feel like it’s very compelling. It isn’t bad either. It’s just a bit bland to me but it is pretty straightforward.

Overall, White Stag is a nice, quick read. If you want something to just help you relax a bit and not have to think much about it afterwards, it’s a good choice. Your mileage may vary, of course.

This review is also on  The Bookworm Daydreamer

Keila van der Plaat

Picked it up randomly and fell in love with the world building, the characters, the dialogue, the plot, the whole shebang - I cannot wait to buy the next books. I also thought it was a standalone so I am ecstatic to be able to explore further into Permafrost.

Jolie

Janneke is the youngest in a family that consists of all girls. As her sisters got married and had children, Janneke was raised to be the male heir. She was taught to track, hunt, and fight. Then one day, the goblins razed her village. The sole survivor, Janneke is taken prisoner by Lydian. After suffering brutal rapes that disfigured her body, Janneke is brought to Lydian’s nephew barely alive. Soren is nothing like Lydian. She is allowed liberties that none of the other thralls are allowed. That includes becoming Soren’s right-hand woman in combat. Soren and Janneke are at Court when the current Goblin King dies. Soon begins The Hunt, where the nobility of Permafrost competes to be the first person to capture the White Stag. During The Hunt, Janneke must come to terms of her family’s death over 100 years ago. When she gets wind of a plan that threatens Permafrost, Janneke must do the impossible. She must stand up to her demons and banish them to save the world that she calls home. Can Janneke do it?

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I had read a few books that were based on Der Erlkonig by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. The books before this were romances and were well written in their own way. What excited me about this book was that it wasn’t a romance. Instead, the main character was a captive in the goblin’s world. That fascinated me and was the main reason I decided to accept the invite from the publisher. I was curious.

I am glad that I did accept the review to invite this book because I was blown away. The author chose to have the goblins be humanlike instead of what people’s preconceived versions of they look like. They actually reminded me of Elves in a way. But they were able to morph into these frightening beings when angered. It was creepy to see how Lydian and Soren looked like when enraged.

I also liked that the author had this book take place in the Arctic. The other books that I have read had the books taken place in Bavaria. Which is OK but having the book set in made more sense to me. I also liked that she took a combination of Swedish, Norse and German mythology and melded them into the story. It made for an interesting read.

I thought Janneke’s storyline was heartbreaking. She suffered so much trauma that I wondered how she coped at times. She suffered insane survivor’s guilt that manifested in nightmares. My heart broke for her because up to the middle of the book, she was existing. I didn’t blame Soren for what he did to her either. If I were in his position, I would have done the same thing. I also liked that the author had Janneke deal with her issues. I cried during that scene but it needed to be done.

I didn’t like Lydian for 90% of the book. He was insane and evil. What he did to Janneke was awful. But, when Soren explained what happened to Lydian when he was younger, I felt pity for him. It didn’t excuse what he did to both Soren and Janneke but it explained a lot.

The plotline with the hunt for the White Stag was well written. I didn’t get why Janneke had such a connection to it at first. But the more I got into the book, the more the connection was explained. I was still surprised by what happened at the end of the book. I was not expecting that.

The end of White Stag was interesting. So many questions were answered. The author did a great job at ending some plotlines but leaving others open. There was a definite lead in for book 2 and I can’t wait to read it!!!

I gave White Stag a 5-star review. This is one of the best takes on the Erlkonig poem that I have read to date. I connected with each character. The plotlines were beautifully written. I couldn’t find anything to nitpick about either. A fantastic book!!

I would give White Stag an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is extreme violence. There are triggers. They would be rape and survivor’s guilt. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book. There is a graphic rape scene. There is are also several graphic battles.

I would reread White Stag. I would also recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a warning about the triggers.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review White Stag. 

All opinion stated in this review of White Stag are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Jessica Nottingham

TW: Rape, Violence, Abuse

I had to sit on this review for quite a while, because my feelings about this book were all over the place when I finished it. I absolutely adore modern fairy tales. Anything that even hints at a world beyond the veil of our own, instantly goes onto my reading list. I don't shy away from books that are dark and gritty, and I actually often praise stories that aren't full of insta-love and wilting women. So, by all rights, this book should have been an instant five star read for me. It wasn't though, and that took me a while to unpack.

First off, praise where praise is due. Barbieri does a stellar job of dropping the reader right into the fray from page one, and doling out just enough information to really keep things intriguing. From the moment I met Janneke, and realized her plight, I was completely sold on this story line. The idea of a human servant in a world of goblins, a character who is slowly losing her humanness with every decision she makes to survive, was just fascinating. I found myself rooting for Janneke and her inner fire. Here was a character who, despite all the odds stacked against her, was surviving. I wanted to see her burn everything around her, and walk valiantly through the flames.

When I finally got an opportunity to really know Soren, my heart was pretty much given to this book. I loved how he was so at odds with those around him. Any character who is equal parts compassionate and brutal pretty much instantly has my heart. I like to believe that we're all a little bit in the gray area, and Soren definitely fits that bill. As he and Janneke bantered and fought together, I couldn't help but smile that their relationship. There's no insta-love here at all. This is a relationship built on a foundation of trust, and it shows. You would think that these two paragraphs were more than enough to explain why this would be a five star read for me, but here comes the difficult part of this review.

First off, this book relies heavily on flashbacks to Janneke's repeated rape and torture at the hands of our villain, Lydian. I completely understand that the goal was to elicit sympathy for Janneke, and explain the quirks her character displays. However I also believe, strongly, that this could have been achieved by giving a one time rundown of her backstory, and moving on. The repeated flashbacks get really uncomfortable after a while. As I mentioned above, I am not squeamish in the least. I think that gritty and dark Fantasy books are the best. In this case though, I felt like it was really overdone. In fact, it started to chip away at the fierce woman who I originally fell in love with. I think the idea was a fair one, to create a back story to show Janneke rise from the ashes. Instead it almost made her seem broken to the point that Soren was her savior, and I wasn't a fan.

My other big issue with this story lies with Lydian. There's no denying that he's an absolutely loathsome character. If anything, Barbieri should be given credit for creating a character who has not a single redeemable trait. That's fairly impressive. However there is never any explanation for Lydian's madness. There is a prophecy hinted at, and talk of visions, but Lydian never really gets the backstory that he really deserves. Instead he's just a character built of madness and hatred, a completely dark individual. It almost made him feel less scary to me, simply because he didn't feel like a real person. Like I said before, the grayness of the world is what makes it fascinating. Think of the scariest villain you know of, and they probably have at least a shred of humanity in them. Lydian definitely does not.

Well, so there you have it. I apologize that this review is so long but there's even more I could discuss about this book. It really sat on that line for me, where I wanted to love it more but had to be honest about how I felt overall. Perhaps the next book, which I will very much be ready to read, will bring back the Janneke that I loved. Perhaps the next book will have a little more polish, and a little more fairy tale feel to it. If so, that will be a five star read. I can't wait.

Anyaconda

** spoiler alert **
           Wow, did I have issues with this book! First of all trigger warnings for: rape, abuse, torture, violence and self-harm.
We're looking at a mix between "The Beauty and the Beast" and "The Cruel King" by Holly Black with Goblins.
I read up to 65% of the book and hoped it would get better (or looking if it got any worse) and I had to let it go.

I had so many questions throughout the story and many things didn't add up:

-What exactly are the court rules in the goblin kingdom?
- How does changing from a human into a goblin work exactly?
- How are the human world and goblin world connected. I mean I love maps, but if you don't have one for your world, providing a bit more info would have been nice.
- If Goblins live like thousands of years, why are they not smarter or more evolved than what they are?
- Janneke uses her iron nail to self-harm in the beginning and it is explained that Soren would feel it through their "bond" if she's hurting herself, but she cannot kill herself?
- What is the reason for this story? Is it a love story? Because it is super creepy and Soren is the main creep in the story. He watched Janneke being born and grow up and now has a thing for her. Ugh! Gross!
- I tried to find out Janneke's motivation, what I get is this (quotes from the book): she only wants to survive because of "the fire raging in her" and "Maybe I didn't know exactly why I wanted to live or what my place in this world would be..."

Sorry but that doesn't cut it for me. Your whole village was burned, raped and chopped to pieces, you were raped, tortured, abused (one of your breasts was cut off for heaven's sake!!) and lived as a slave for about 100 years and cannot escape the goblin world and this is the only thing that makes you want to live?! A fire raging in you?! 

And let's be hones, isn't this a bit overkill? It's like as if the author was thinking: "How can I make the most horrible things happen to my main character?" Let's combine every horrible thing that I can think of and slap it on my main character.
But it's so unbelievable that I cannot even like, pity or root for Janneke.
The only thing we get from Soren are creepy comments. No depth whatsoever to the characters or the world building.
I just cannot recommend this book to anyone.

I am still very thankful for NetGalley to have provided me with an eARC. I can already see how this book might divide the readers into love or hate.

Ashlee

This isn’t going to be a warm and fuzzy review.

I love dark fantasy stories that involve the folk and jumped on the opportunity to read and review White Stag. I discovered the origins of this story after I had started it (so cool!) and highly commend the author for getting her work published after originally publishing online.

That said, this story needs A LOT of work still. The premise is very interesting and I enjoyed the main characters, Janneke and Soren, but the plot only gets more confusing and is all over the place.

It’s clear the story is meant to read like a dark fairytale but there was far too much modern language in it – creating a huge distraction from the flow of the story. The writing could use a fine-toothed comb. Additionally, the whole story is a mishmash of various mythologies, creating an even more confusing world – that truly didn’t have much world building to begin with. I was so confused about how the lordships worked, where the different lords actually LIVED and just the general lifestyle of the goblins.

And that gets me into another issue I had. When you think of a goblin, what do you picture? Don’t say David Bowie because it’s widely known that Jareth is never said to be a goblin and the general consensus is that he is something else. So, what do you picture when you think of goblins? Probably not creatures with ethereal beauty. 

Let’s call a spade a spade here. The author took all of the concepts of faeries and elves and essentially slapped the word goblin on them. But why? I get that goblins are folk as well, but this was not a goblin story. Not to mention constantly referring to them as “men.” These things bothered me throughout the book and I basically just stopped thinking of them as goblins and instead as fae. It helped, really. 

Also - Lydian is a terrible creature but also a highly confusing character and antagonist. Sure, he is five blocks away from sane - but there really was NO explanation at all as to his actions and incoherent ramblings. It felt as though we were building up to this huge reveal behind his craziness, but it never came. I have a feeling we could get answers to this in the next book but I really could do without Lydian’s character in every way – not to mention, I’m not sure I’ll even read the next book. Which saddens me, because I was so excited for this and wanted to read it so badly. 

Things I did like about this was the romance and growth of the two main characters. I felt like this was done well and felt believable. Janneke and Soren compliment each other nicely. Additionally, I enjoyed the idea of the Erlking and point of the stag hunt. These two things are what kept me pushing through this story, though it STILL took me two-and-a-half weeks to finish it. 

Overall - I did read an ARC and can only hope a lot of the plot issues have been cleared up before publication. I also read the synopsis for the second book on WattPad and can REALLY only hope it is greatly altered as I do not get great vibes for the direction it is going and doubt I’ll read it in that case. 

TW: rape, torture

Review copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren James

Full review ---> Storied Adventures

*Received a copy from Net Galley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review!*

LOOOOOOVED!!!!!! It was dark, gritty, bloody, gore, adventuresome, romance, fantasy, goblins, non-stop action, WOLVES THAT YOU CAN RIDE ON AND TALK TO. Literally everything I love in a fantasy. 

Also, writing is fantastic! I can't believe this is her first book!

Casey Miles &
White Stag by Kara Barbieri

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White Stag by Kara Barbieri