White Stag is that rare book that sweeps you up in its story, forcing you to cast aside all commitments until you’ve devoured every last page. The setting is chilling and exhilarating, throwing monsters and mayhem at our protagonist, Janeke. She is a hero to be admired, a woman whose power is beyond measure. Her determination to overcome the evils of the goblin world fuel the narrative at a galloping pace through expertly written fight scenes and moments of tenderness alike. We’re left with a story that demands to be held to the light, examined from every angle, and cherished for the expert storytelling it embodies.

2.5 stars

TW: Slavery and rape.

You know when you didn't like a book but then you sit to write a review and you don't really know the reason why? That's me right now.

To begin this with I have to say I found our main character, Jenneke, really entertaining to read about. She was so well fleshed out, I could feel her pain and fear but also her need to survive and to not give up on her life. She was so strong and she never backed up from a fight, of course she did it because otherwise the goblins would have sensed her weakness but still she felt very badass to me.

Moreover, I really enjoyed the conversation about what made a monster what it is. It explained how maybe we are all monsters depending on who or what is perceiving us. It really brought joy to my heart because it was said in such a wonderful way without feeling like it was pushed inside this book.

On the downside, though, one thing I really didn't like was the world-building or better off the lack of. Even now that I've finished White Stag, I still have so many questions unanswered. The main issue was that it felt like we were thrown pieces of information to keep the plot going, it felt unnatural and all those times it took me out of the story. (view spoiler)

Also, the romance is a big aspect in this book but I didn't feel the chemistry between those two characters at all and it was mainly because one of them lacked depth. (view spoiler)

So, now I was able to put into words why I didn't enjoy this book that much, it was because the world-building could have been better and I couldn't connect with the relationship that was a big part in this book. However, the main character was truly a badass without hiding her emotions like fear to herself and it also has a quite interesting conversation about what monsters are so if you think you'll like these things I would recommend you to give it a chance.

This is actually a pretty hard book to review for me. There was a lot about this book I really liked, but also things that just did not work for me.

The world was really quite interesting, but also did not feel fleshed out enough. I would have liked the author to take a bit of time to explain the dynamics of this ‘split’ world a bit more.

I liked the spirited main character and thought the fact she had disfigurements (due to violence done to her) set her apart from your typical pretty girl and I really appreciated that. However, her actions and thoughts too often did not make much sense to me. The latter also applied to the relationship with goblin Soren. She was supposed to have been by his side for a hundred years, but they must have been asleep all this time, because they did not seem to know much of anything about each other prior to this story starting. Suddenly there were emotions…

The story also felt repetitive after a while. What was exciting in the beginning, became less so after the third time a similar thing happened.

At times, the writing was really beautiful, but at other times it felt a little heavy handed or unclear and confusing, which made reading it not an entirely satisfactory experience.

I did like the ending and I think this story had so much potential, but it just fell a little short of what I wanted from it.

I absolutely love stories about goblins and this didn't deter me from them in any way. Janneke has had a very troubling and hard life, experiencing great pain from the slaughter of her family at the hands of goblins. Then being torn away from everything she knows to live in their realm for a hundred years under a cruel master she survives only to find herself slowly turning into the very beings she hates. Although she has one friend in her side she can't get past the pain and suffering that keeps her from embracing Soren as an ally. But her fate changes as Soren thrusts her into a hunt for the white stag that will determine whom the new ruler of Permafrost will be when the Goblin King suddenly dies.

I'm really not sure how I feel about this one. I was so drawn in by the absolutely gorgeous cover. Then I was intrigued by the synopsis of a girl raised as a boy finding herself in the deadly world of goblins. The story starts out with Janneke already having been in the Permafrost, the realm of the goblins, for a hundred years. I wasn't really expecting that based on the synopsis so it threw me off for a bit. I thought we'd see her childhood and how she was raised then there'd be an attack on the village and intro into the goblin world. Instead, we're thrust into the action of the story and get lots of flashbacks into Janneke's past throughout the story. I feel I should make a note about the goblins now, they are much closer to Sarah J Maas's version of fae then they are a typical goblin. There are times when they are fighting and they become less unearthly beautiful and slightly monstrous but for most of the book, they're described as very beautiful humanoids with maybe unusual colored skin or eyes. There are some pacing issues and I found myself drifting in and out of the story at times but there's also plenty of fast-paced super exciting moments where I couldn't stop reading.

All of this said, I really liked Janneke as a character. I felt for her so much and I loved the journey throughout the book discussing what makes someone a monster. I know it's frowned upon to quote from an arc but this line in the opening chapter actually made me laugh out loud and drew me into the story when I wasn't sure if I was in the mood to read it. "He didn't even smile when he was killing things; as far as goblins went that was a symptom of chronic depression." Janneke and Soren have the weirdest relationship but I was so intrigued from page one. Soren really grew on me as well and his relationship growth with Janneke felt very genuine. Everything progressed in such a nice believable way that made me super invested in their relationship. The world of the Permafrost was also really interesting. I loved a lot of the Norse mythology additions to the book. Though I think Norse-type stories are becoming more popular there are a lot of figures that we don't see very often and I was so intrigued by them, particularly the nøkken.

"Bad dreams are better than no dreams. At least they tell you what you're afraid of knowing."

2 STARS

TW: mutilation, violence and gore, sexual assault, animal death, torture, one fade to black sex scene

After taking an entire three days to finish White Stag instead of my usual three hours, I think it's safe to say that this wasn't the book for me. I guess I should have known, based on the summary: I tend to steer clear of fae/goblin books because there's so often an immortal (or near-immortal)/human romance, which usually makes my skin crawl, among other things that just never seem to sit right with me.

That's not to say this book was bad. There were some things about it that I liked! The emphasis on saying what you mean, being careful about how you phrase your words, appeals to me and my riddle-loving nature. And because high stakes bargains are always interesting, too. 

And the setting was interesting, too! The Permafrost seems at first glance like an icy wasteland, but it's full to bursting with life if you look in the right places. It's a harsh land, but not a barren one. It requires a certain hardness to survive, a willingness to make sacrifices and a suspicion of everyone, because trust is luxury no one can truly afford.

Also, that cliffhanger ending? Interesting enough I almost want to pick up the sequel when it arrives. That's a strong ending for a book that otherwise didn't have me looking forward to any sequel.

But on the flipside, I think I disliked it first for the immortal/human romance (I just can't get behind them, ever; it never happens). Beyond that, I think I'm burnt out on stories about embracing a darkness of nature in order to do the right thing. I'm craving stories about characters who hold to what they think is good and right in an effort to be just and kind, not characters who cross their moral boundaries to save the world. This morality mixing and talk of who's really a monster and perspective, while it can be valuable, is a little lost on me.

Sometimes, you just want to slay the beast and know it was evil, to know the fight was well worth it, well won, and that this victory will make things good and right. Also, nice, compassionate characters AREN'T boring when they're written right, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Just the truth, thanks.

I also wish I knew more about the Permafrost. I got the sense that this had a heavy helping of Norse mythology in it, which helped me find my way a little, but the lore and rules of the Permafrost were so expansive and so many, and it made it a little hard to feel any real sense of depth. On one hand, magic is wild and doesn't always need hard and fast rules. On the other hand, when it's an old, established magic that everyone is supposed to understand, these fleeting glances into how it works felt shallow and left me wishing there was more depth to it overall.

So really, this comes down to wrong reader at the wrong time. I'm not a goblin or fae fan, and if it's not a story about a triumph of justice and compassion without giving into darkness (whatever form that may take) along the way, then it needs to work a thousand times as hard to keep my attention. And White Stag just didn't do that for me.

Maybe it'll work for you, though! It comes out January 8th, so if you're into high stakes, goblins, adventure-based fantasy, and romance, this might just be the book for you!

[This review will go live on The Words Gremlin on January 7th around 10 AM EST.]

Kara Barbieri’s debut novel, White Stag, was well written, fast paced, and fascinating beyond words. I fell so hard for this story just by reading the synopsis; the overall premise of this book caught my attention immediately and, I knew it would be a great read.

“I won't lie and say my kind are never monstrous. Just that we're only as monstrous as your kind are.”

Janneke is human but has lived among goblins, albeit against her will, for 100 years. During this time she’s had to adapt to survive the harsh world she’s found herself in and through that adaptation she’s become something more than just human. This world has definitely been unkind to her as we see with glimpses Barbieri gives us from her past when she was owned by a different goblin than she is now. Now though, Janneke is stronger than ever and quite close with the goblin, Soren, who owns her now.

Soren is powerful among his people and we see just how powerful when he and his uncle get into a heated argument over Janneke at the palace of the Erlking. This is where the stag comes into place. With both goblin’s powers floating around against each other, the stag notices a change in who should be king and ultimately begins the hunt.

This story amazed me and kept me entertained the whole time. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it and the characters that I connected with easily. Janneke is strong willed and a true survivor. Her past still haunts her in many ways, but I feel, through that, we see just how strong she really is. Soren intrigued me. I loved how his personality seemed to be different with Janneke and how he fought his own nature for her, but I wanted to see more of him and how he was with others. I feel like we only get glimpses into his character and we only see him and how he is with Janneke.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to dive into the next installment. I’m giving this review 4-stars instead of my intended 4.5 due to the fact that in the beginning I felt as if I were thrown into the middle of a series instead of the beginning of one. I kept wondering if I had missed something. I feel like these were areas Barbieri could have expanded on a little more. I also think she has a lot of room to work with prequel if she ever wanted to. I’d love to see the exact scene of how Janneke came to be under Soren’s protection, and life before the chaos of the hunt broke out.

I received this book through Netgalley and Wednesday books for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review probably won't be like my others. This book carried a theme throughout and it really inspired me to write about said theme.

<b>"You'll never be a monster."
"And what exactly is a monster?"
"A monster is anything that is not us."
"There are monsters in this world. Yes, I am a monster, but so is everyone else."</b>

I think this is the first time a bit of text in a book has caused me to get up in the middle of reading to go grab pen and paper to jot down my thoughts. This small exchange has so much depth and meaning, that is not only relevant to the world outside the book, but to Janneke as well. She struggles with herself, and the others around her, constantly refusing to let certain people into her life because she views them as "Monsters". Who is a monster? What does that term mean exactly? Does abuse and torture at the hands of so many Goblins, and one in particular, mean that all Goblinkind are monsters? Can she really find happiness at the hands of someone who is apart of the race that enslaved her and mutilated her?

Janneke also refuses to open her eyes to the fact that everyone has the capability to be a monster to <i>someone</>. Only through conversations and interactions with Soren, Seppo, and Rekke does her definition of monster slowly evolve. Finally, when facing a trial that forces her to look inside herself, to reconcile her past with her present, and let go of the preconceived notions her family poisoned her with against Goblin-Kind does she realize that everyone is a monster to someone, in some way.

<b> We're all monsters in some way, but the only ones who are dangerous are the ones who don't realize it. </b>

I went into this book with low expectations. So many of the reviews have DNF on them, or "the author uses Janneke's tragedy as a plot driver". I'm so very glad I read it and paid no attention to the naysayers. It's not very often you find a book with a theme that resonates within you. Yes, Janneke's rape, and torture are driving factors in her life, but they should be. She took her pain and used it to fuel her to survive. She refused to let a man, or a race of Goblins, have control over her and defeat her. Janneke has so much strength in her, and is a positive force for every reader.

I very much look forward to reading book two (which is available on wattpad surprisingly!).

You can find this review and all of my other over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 3.75

Janneke is a thrall. She has been surviving in the Permafrost for over a hundred years, first as the thrall to Lydian, a mad, sadistic goblin lord. Then by a stroke of luck, she was thrown at the feet of Lydian's nephew, Soren, probably for the purpose of her death, but that was not what came about. So for the past 100 years, Janneke has lived in relative peace and safety under the thrall of Soren. While attending a ceremony at the Erlking's palace with Soren, the Erlking is slain, and the white stag runs. This signals the start of The Hunt. Every goblin with power, regardless of the strength of that power, who wishes to have a shot at becoming the next Erlking, takes part in The Hunt, for the one who slays the white stag will be crowned. Soren takes Janneke along on The Hunt with the hopes that she will finally decide whether she wants to hang onto her human roots, or take the plunge and become a goblin like him. A story of survival, tough choices, guilt, humilation, degradation, acceptance and triumph, told against the backdrop of a fight for the crown before the New Moon shows it's face. Who will kill the White Stag? Who will become the next Erlking?

I first requested white stag for such a superficial reason, the cover. JUST LOOK AT THAT COVER! It's so beautiful. Yes, I obviously read the blurb as well once I saw that the book was still up for request, but that cover is what sold me mostly. The fact that this is a story surrounding goblins was a massive plus, as I find that goblins are always background characters and creatures, besides the Labyrinth, but that's honestly the only other story I've come across that does deal with goblins as the forefront creature in the story. So that was the other selling point to me. Something different.

I found this story a little slow to get going, I was determined to finish it though. Once we got about a third of the way through, I found myself becoming endeared to the characters of Soren and Janneke. Janneke's story is one of great loss, pain, and guilt. She still feels guilty over a hundred years after the death of her family and the destruction of her village. She has survivors guilt. It's a real thing, and I love that this is a cornerstone of her personality. This story definitely shows that time heals all wounds, but it doesn't specify HOW LONG it will take for those wounds to heal. It may not be in your lifetime, but it will happen eventually. I've read other reviews that said how brooding and self-pitying Janneke is. Yes she can be pretty broody, and I have to admit, if I'd been through what she had, I'd probably have myself a bit of a pity-party as well. She was enthralled at the hands of a monster, which this, along with the lessons and information fed to her by her father at a young age completely built her belief of what the goblins were. She refers to them as monster for so much of the book until Soren speaks such a massive truth, I can't remember the exact quote, and stupid me didn't underline it but it's something along the lines of - "the bird thinks the cat is a monster, the cat thinks the dog is a monster, the dog thinks the snow cat is a monster - so who is the monster". It's true, she believes that the goblins are the monsters but everyone and everything is a monster to something else, so in turn, one must look at what actually DEFINES the term monster. Once this revelation hits her, things start to change and Janneke starts to open up even more.

I really enjoyed Soren's character, yes he's gorgeous but he also has his 'real' face, the face of the goblin which comes out in battle. I love that there are the two halves and that we get to see them both. There is romance, but I didn't find it to be insta-love. At the start of the story we are told that these two characters have been together almost a hundred years (99 if I remember correctly), so they've had a long time to get to know the ins and outs of each others personality and being. It isn't until now that the romance starts to blossom, and I love how innocent and new it is for them both. I found it actually quite charming and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I also loved that Janneke is not the stereotypical beauty that we see a lot of in today's stories. She has many scars and has been permanently disfigured by Lydian, having one of her breasts completely mangled. She doesn't feel pretty in the slightest, but Soren sees her as beautiful. I love the imperfect perfection that is Janneke. She feels real to me. She has fought tooth and nail to survive and she plans to keep going even if it hurts so much that she can't breathe.

The story was fun, who doesn't love a battle for a crown? I also love the way that Barbieri went about the transferal of power. That white stag just adds another dimension for me. I love the characters that we meet along the way, especially Seppo, Rekke, and the wolves, even Skadi, I found to be absolutely fantastic even though we only see a short interaction with her.

I will add a trigger warning in here because rape is brought up a few times. It's not actively happening in this story, but it has happened in Janneke's past so it is remembered and talked about. I read another review where the person felt that the rape was added purely for shock factor. I didn't feel that way at all. I felt that it added something to Janneke's character, yes it was traumatising, yes she still suffers with the scars and the memory of it, but she hasn't and doesn't let it break her, she fights through the pain and learns to live with the awfulness of what happened to her. Janneke is a fighter and I think that's possibly what I loved most about this story. She never gives up.

For me, I also felt that this story dealt a little with prejudice. Janneke was born human and kidnapped by goblins, so she understandably has a strong hatred for goblin-kind, she finds it difficult when she meets Rekke, and sees how naive and innocent she is. Janneke is completely baffled that she feels some sentiment towards the young she-goblin, because she is a goblin, she's one of them. As well as when Janneke is dealing with the decision of whether she will try and make a break for it, back to the human world, or whether she will stay in the Permafrost and become a goblin. She's dealing with a short life time of horror stories and truths told to her by her human father about the goblin's and their world. So she held a massive prejudice towards goblin kind and felt no pity or sympathy towards them until she started to get to know that they weren't so different from her. I think when one looks at this as well as the monster thing, a small message can be seen. Whether it was intentional or not, I feel like the message is simple, "you can't judge a book by it's cover". One needs to look deeper than the surface to really get to know someone or work something out. And I found that absolutely brilliant.

So in parting I'll say, yes this book was a bit slow to get moving, I have seen a fair few DNF's in the review section here. But if you like a slow burning story about growth and survival set against the backdrop of a mystical world filled with goblins, and wolves, and monsters oh my! Give this one a shot. Just stick with it. The story becomes enthralling, I promise.

This was dark, and although I'm all here for the dark. There was something about this book that didn't quite work for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and caring which always hinders my enjoyment of a book drastically. I'm disappointed I couldn't enjoy it.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m a sucker for nice covers and all books featuring the fae, meaning that White Stag was a guaranteed request when I saw it. What really surprised me is how good it actually was! I mean, YA fantasy featuring some Fae noble and a human girl almost always plays out in a cookie-cutter fashion. Yes, this had several of these trademarks as well but it was well done instead of roughly put together.

Janneke was raised to hunt, fight, and know her woodcraft unlike her sisters who took on the traditional mothering roles but this is entirely to her benefit when she’s stolen away into the Permafrost, land of the Goblins. Her torturous captor Lydian eventually gifted her to his nephew Soren, who while still one of the hated Goblins, treats Janneke much more humanely. The story begins after Janneke has been in the Permafrost for nearly a century and has long been the trusted servant of Soren. The Goblin King has died and the hunt for the White Stag, which will determine the new king, has begun and Janneke and Soren must race to kill the stag before Lydian.

Janneke, as a result of living the Permafrost for so long is beginning to take on the traits of the monsters she despises and throughout the book she battles with this knowledge and the changes that come upon her. While beneficial for her survival, she loathes to lose her humanity. There is, unsurprisingly, a bit of slow burn romance between Janneke and Soren. He clearly has eyes only for her and that’s why she was for the most part treated equally despite the fact that he was technically her master. I mean, he treats all his servants well, but Janneke was clearly something special and she was his advisor on many things.

The entire hunt for the stag was extremely interesting (though I can’t stop thinking of the stag as the creepy Guardian of the Forest from Princess Mononoke). It quickly becomes clear that this race is between Soren and Lydian alone and the competition is intense. Janneke is skilled and blessedly isn’t a braggart like some YA fantasy characters tend to be. She shows instead of tells how awesome she is.

Overall, I thought White Stag was an excellent and riveting story with well executed plot elements. There was plenty of action without it being excessive and I liked the variety of folkloric beings that showed up – they provided some variety in a world full of lovely, powerful goblins. I’ll definitely be reading all further books in the Permafrost series!

I really enjoyed this book, it has been highly anticipated for me, and after reading a few duds, this was a good one to lift up my spirits. I will come back and edit my review, once I have my final thoughts down. I appreciated that this wasn't a trope heavy YA book. It read well, and without that generic YA feeling. I also adored the character development, and the masterful world building, it was truly one of those books that makes me feel like I had lost myself within its pages.

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

Talk about a magical debut novel, I was sucked into the fascinating world of goblins, hidden agendas, betrayal, and mystical lands…and I am not ready to leave it! Kara Barbieri writes a unique tale with refreshing view points, tortured characters, and the power that love and perseverance have. While the story started off a little slow, by the end I was enraptured and I am dying for book 2 already.

I think one of my favorite things about this book are all the fine details. From painting the lush contrast between the human realm and the desolate permafrost to describe the horrors of characters to the beauty of the goblins, you can’t help but craft the images in your mind. And while the details take time to absorb, they help me sink further into this world.

Janneke is the strong, bad-*ss heroine we all need. Many times I will dive into a YA novel and see characters who are assassins/murderers/gruesome pasts but never kill anyone. Kara is not messing around, Janneke is a survivor to the core, and she will do whatever it takes to survive. She is a strong, take no prisoners type of woman and while she has her fears and trepidation, she doesn’t let any of this prevent her from progressing and moving forward. Soren, well by the end of the story I was swooning for this lilac-eyed, white haired goblin. *shrugs* Don’t judge, he is strong and resilient but he also has a keen sense of those around him. His ability to read people and know how to help was swoony. I will go down with this ship.

A rich and action-packed plot had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. There was never a dull moment for Janneke and Soren. Lydian was a truly awful character, who I wanted to throw off a cliff on a regular basis throughout the story. There was the perfect balance of secondary characters who added depth to the story as well as another dimension to this magical world. As the plot built to a crescendo, all the twists and turns had me a ball of nervous energy. But Kara wrapped things up nicely and didn’t leave me with too many questions, actually as I closed the last page I only had 2 lingering thoughts. What the heck Soren do when he last visited Skadi, and what the heck is going to happen next?!

White Stag was a fun and exciting novel. Kara Barbieri has crafted a unique universe inhabiting the far north . She borrows from traditional Norse mythology and creates some of her own.

Janneke has been living with goblins for the last 100 years - ever since her Village was burned and her family killed. by the evil Lydian. Janneke's advantage was that she was raised a boy, born the last of 7 daughters. In Norse tradition she would be the male heir and thus was taught to hunt and fight and survive. She was captured and tortured by Lydian then traded to his nephew, Soren, with whom she's been living as a slave/partner. They have an odd relationship and the novel opens on their bantering on the way to pay tribute to the Erlking. At the ceremony, Janneke runs into Lydian and wounds him again with an iron nail she scavenged from the ruins of her village. The fighting causes distraction enough for the Erlking to be assassinated and the White Stag to go on the run. Who ever kills the stag becomes the next Erlking and rules the Permafrost.

These aren't Halloween goblins, or those from Tolkein = they are tall, muscular and often very attractive. Janneke finds herself drawn to Soren as he begins to treat her more as an equal . Throughout the hunt she uncovers more about her past and comes to forgive herself for surviving the tragedy. There's some romance involved, lots of magic and many creatures from Norse mythology.

The story originated on Wattpad. I''m privileged to read an ARC as it transitions into a full-fledged novel. I enjoyed every page and can't wait for the next in the series.

Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

I actually liked this one a lot more than I was expecting! I don’t know why but I kept reading the description and thinking it was just going to be like every other YA fantasy out there and wasn’t too excited about starting it… That very quickly changed when I realised it was a story about goblins! See, when the description mentioned a Goblin King, for some reason my brain didn’t latch onto that meaning the story took place in a world full of goblins; I just assumed the king was the only goblin. I have never been more happy to realise I was wrong!

Full (spoiler-y) review here: http://wmsreads.tumblr.com/post/181681752437/

White Stag by Kara Barbieri is a stunningly dark debut releasing on January 8th!

The characters aren’t your typical YA characters, they are flawed and dangerous and they are unapologetically themselves. Janneke is a girl fighting many demons, one of them being trying to stay herself in a world full of monsters. Soren is a goblin who actually cares about Janneke and will do anything to stop his uncle from hurting her again. And like every story, there is a villain and his name is Lydian. You will love to hate him. One of my favorite parts of the book was the mythology, the whole hunting of the white stag in specific. I thought it was really unique how the white stag’s powers worked and how it played into the story. This book completely blew me away and the ending left me shocked and itching for the next book!

This book is dark and twisted and magical and I truly loved it.
The author does an amazing job at the world building and mythology of it all.

The little love story in it too, oh my heart. It was something I wasn't expecting to love but I did. Two individuals destined to come together, my heart!

Why I liked this book and why I think others will too:
• Goblins
• Strong female character
• Unique Permafrost world setting
• The mythology
• It’s a dark fantasy

So beautifully written! I cannot wait to read more from this incredible new author!

White Stag has been one of my most anticipated 2019 reads since I first saw the cover. I'm a sucker for anything goblin related. (The tall, handsome kind, of course.) This book ended up leaving me with extreme mixed feelings. On one hand, magic and goblins and romance! On the other hand, there were definitely some issues.

The most important thing that needs to be mentioned before anything else is that this book contains a ton of abuse including rape. It is discussed at length and is a major source of the main character's development. If these are not topics you are comfortable reading about, this book is not for you. I've noticed this subject matter coming up in YA fantasy more often in the last couple years and, while I understand that it's a real-world issue, I do wish it could be toned down just a bit.

Moving on.

Janneke is the MC of this story, a human who has been given unnaturally long life. She has been living in the Permafrost for an extremely long time, essentially as a slave to the goblins. I thought she was a likeable character who was easy to sympathize with. She was also a very strong heroine who continued fighting from the start of the story until the very end, despite all that was thrown at her. And it was a lot.

The first goblin to enslave Janneke is Lydian, the absolute worst villain I think I've read about in awhile. He has not a single redeeming quality. Usually even the worst villains are able to make you remember something about them fondly, but not this one. This one is solely responsible for the aforementioned abuse. Janneke is then passed to Soren, Lydian's nephew, who does treat her much better, but is still her captor at the end of the day.

Soren and Janneke together were difficult for me to wrap my head around. I did like Soren as a character, mostly because he's the type weird goblin character I enjoy, but it took him far too long to give Janneke the agency she deserved. Characters who make decisions for another person based on what they think is best are one of my biggest pet peeves and Soren fit that mold for sure. It was also very strange to see characters who had known each other for a century act like total strangers. I did warm up to them eventually, but I felt that their relationship could have been better tackled.

My other main gripe is the overabundance of deus ex machina. While I am able to suspend my disbelief a great deal for a fantasy novel, especially ones about beautiful goblins, there were just too many instances of characters being saved in the nick of time through absolutely ridiculous means. I want my main characters to save themselves because they're badasses, not because they have to stay alive by any means necessary for the sake of the plot.

Now for what I loved about White Stag: the world. In the world of the Permafrost, the Erlking (Goblin King) lives in a palace until he's killed, and the white stag disappears, thus starting the hunt which will determine the next Erlking. I am SO here for this kind of magical, frosty fantasy world full of magical creatures and beasts. The white stag itself was a fascinating bit of mythology. I loved the uniqueness of the hunt and the passing on of power. Janneke and Soren's journey was filled with fantastic places and creatures, battles and excitement.

Overall, I did enjoy White Stag! It certainly had its issues, but it was also a pretty unique fantasy novel with an amazing world and really cool creatures. I also really enjoyed the two main characters even if they took awhile to win me over as a couple. If you enjoy goblin books and fantasy, you will probably like this one!

3.5

I would like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m glad I didn’t listen to the reviews I read and took a chance on this book. I kind of went in not expecting something great but was totally surprised. I really liked that there was a lot of action and great fight scenes, a little romance and a pretty good story line. Saying all that I think there is room for work in this story. I think that it could have flowed a little smoother and it was a little dry at times. Also I didn’t like the time line and how they would be unconscious days and then there was an urgency to leave because their enemy was close. I can see that happening once but more than that was pretty redundant.

I think what I took away the most in this story was the fact that we are all monsters. Those who were made out as monsters had their own stories and fears. I would definitely warn the readers of the rape and abuse that occur in this book.

"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."

Brutality and a Goblin King means I'm raring to read this!

In White Stag, author Kara Barbieri asks you to imagine a land where it’s always winter, and all of the goblins look like David Bowie in Labyrinth (and he wasn’t even a goblin, he was just their king).

I love fantasy, and I was intrigued that Barbieri chose to use goblins as the primary creatures in White Stag. Goblins tend to be absent from a lot of fantasy literature except as one-note antagonists who appear briefly (such as in The Lord of the Rings), so I was looking forward to seeing them feature so prominently. And I can’t even scoff at the goblins having “unearthly beauty”, since it’s a fantasy and authors can remake characters however they wish (not to keep bringing up Tolkien, but most people’s ideas of elves probably came from him).

The problem with White Stag is that it doesn’t fill the background of the world as easily as it fills the foreground, and since it doesn’t fill the foreground that well, either, this is not a compliment. Bits and pieces are lifted from Norse mythology – enough that you will probably need to know Norse mythology to understand the references but not enough that it forms a fully coherent picture of the world of the Permafrost. Even the goblins themselves are sadly underdeveloped. For example, goblins can tell when someone lies, but only if they’re a goblin, too – which, considering that they often take human slaves, is an interesting coincidence. Another example is that a goblin (or a human, in the case of main character Janneke) absorbs a being’s power when they kill it. What power? Your guess is as good as mine. We don’t learn anything about their culture or their history, and love interest Soren is flat and bland.

The main story revolves around a stag hunt; the titular stag is the source of the Erlking’s power, so all of the goblins chase the stag through the Permafrost, and whoever kills it becomes the king. Sounds simple enough. But the plot gets more convoluted as we go on. Barbieri throws in a few prophecies that seem to come out of nowhere, a secret “chosen one” past that is a little confusing, and an evil villain who is insane and seemingly has no other motivations.

Speaking of the villain, a word about trigger warnings: if you are triggered by mentions of rape and/or sexual assault, this is not the book for you. The main character’s rape is used primarily as a means to make Janneke more sympathetic, the villain seem even more evil (he slaughtered her entire village, took her prisoner, and tortured her, but I guess that wasn’t evil enough), and among the other goblins is seen as a point of mockery to make her seem weak. That entire part of her backstory serves no purpose and could easily be removed without affecting anything.

In short, this is just not a book that grabbed me. I’m still confused as to what the hell was going on during the last 15% of the book, and Janneke as a lead was kind of lackluster. Honestly, I’m more intrigued by half-human, half-goblin Seppo; give me a story about that guy.