A fun read with an interesting concept but I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I had hoped.

Was not for me. I do think there were aspects of the world and magic that were interesting however it wasn't enough to keep me engaged. I didn't feel connected to any character. I also felt confused, especially in the beginning. There's nothing bad or wrong with this, it just didn't feel with me.

I started reading this one but didn't hold my interest. I though the concept was good but I wish I could have connected with the characters more.

First book in the series. Janneke was taken captive by Lydian a nasty Goblin who tortured her until he gave her as his nephew Soren to work for him, She has been with Soren for 100 years but there is a cost as she starts to change little by little into the monsters she hates. When the Globin King dies a hunt starts and Soren and Lydian are in the running. Soren wants Janneke with him on the Hunt and he wants to bring her into his world. Truth will be discovered during the hunt that will change things. Will Janneke realize that we are all monsters in some way or another? She will be faced with a choice that could affect the world.

This is a dark story and reader should know there is rape, torture, and violence in the book. I love Janneke she is a kickass character. She is strong but is also dealing with the demons in her life. There is also romance thrown in. The book has a little bit of everything. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend to add to your TBR pile.

It was a little hard to wrap my mind around the concept of attractive goblins in this story. I think that was part of the reason it made some of the story difficult for me to get through. But the way time is tracked in the story is also off putting. So there were just several areas of this book that left me not liking this book.

DNF @ 50%

I did not like this at and ended up not finishing it. The writing was messy. I couldn't get past the writing style or get fully pulled into the story.

This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. While I liked a lot of aspects, there were some things I disliked, and overall, I just didn't feel strongly enough about the book to really warrant adding an in-depth review to the blog.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

I have complicated feelings about this book- some of it was really great and others less so. The world and plot were really cool and interesting, but the tone and writing style were confused in many places- the era was essentially medieval, but very often the language flipped between traditional and modern, so it sort of jarred with the sense of place and time. Consistency there would have improved the overall tone.
Additionally, the relationship between Janneke and Soren was really complicated, and I think the response to past trauma and being closed off made their growing relationship really interesting to watch and see how it unfolded. But the inconsistencies with personality here also made it quite odd to read- Soren supposedly not understanding sarcasm but being a real sass queen, or behaving formally then saying stuff like 'you look so cute when your nose scrunches up' in a flirty contemporary way made everything feel off-kilter. I really would have preferred if the author hadn't let such modern dialogue slip in there.

The plot was fast-paced, but it did get a bit exhausting as every time something was resolved another problem cropped up half a page later and it was all a bit relentless.

Overall I read this pretty quickly and enjoyed it for what it was. Despite my criticisms I'm actually quit keen to read the sequel.

This was a great book. I thought Kara did such a wonderful job of describing the characters and setting up the plot. I would definitely read more by Kara. I will also recommend this book to others.

Suitable for ages 12 and up, this is a dark and brutal otherworldly novel. A haunting tale that is quick and easy to read.

I struggled to get into this. I think I may not have been in the best mood/mindset? I'm very much a mood reader.

I was intrigued at the very start but I quickly lost interest. That being said, I didn't dislike it!

A rich and compelling fantasy story that tackles difficult subjects with the care they deserve. Barbieri does a great job of showing the healing process of sexual assault and trauma and showing how a healthy relationship can allow new growth.

I read this some time ago and enjoyed it but I just realized that I had not reviewed it. I don't really remember enough to write a good review. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. Thank you.

The White Stag was an interesting read, dealing with magic and creatures such as Goblins. I liked where the story was going in the beginning but the later half was a little strange. Truthfully, this could have been better and it had the potential to be.

I enjoyed this book for its writing and mystery. However, the characters didn't really stand out to me in any way. I struggled to connect to the story emotionally because of this. I liked the plot well enough, but it was also incomprehensible at times. I wish I would have liked this one more.

WHITE STAG was, for me, a classic case of promising premise meets lacking execution. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough that grabbed my attention and held it, which made it difficult to want to keep coming back to find out what happens next. While I would never deter an author from writing as an act of catharsis, the pieces just didn't come together in WHITE STAG to form a compelling story for these particular characters.

This is a amazing fantasy that takes the tales of Goblins and changeling and adds in some fantastic elements like a hunt/quest. Our main character was stolen from the human world a 100 years ago and she has live with goblins ever since. She was a thrall to one Goblin who treated her very harsh and that where some of the triggers the author speaks of come into play. Then she becomes the thrall of Soren and then she thrown into the hunt for the stag which will determine the fate of the Goblin world. The entire time she lived with Goblins she dreamed of going home and living among humans again. Over the course of the book she has to come to terms with the fact that they may never be possible. IT been a hundred years i think that would make it difficult in of itself. All in all their some very emotional parts to this story and the author has some great action sequences in their as well. It a very dark read but if you loved winter song i think you will enjoy this one.

„White Stag” may not be 800 pages long but it is no less epic in content!

The book takes to Permafrost – a brutal world of ice (…and fire! sorry, ASoIaF die-hard here, lol) where we meet our main resident badass girl named Janneke. She has been held captive in this freezing permanent cold winter world (think Siberian thundra) for a hundred years despite being human. The laws of Permafrost have halted her aging but after a century spent among goblin warriors her body and mind have started to resemble the species she was brought up despising.

We meet her at Erlking’s court where she witnesses the ruler’s death and the escape of the famed White Stag which in turn begins the Hunt. She must join it with her master Soren so the stag isn’t killed by her first captor from a century ago. It is known that whoever kills the stag, becomes the new Erlking thus starting the cycle again.

Through risky alliances none of them is happy to enter, in a constant battle with her dormant human and looming goblin side, Janneke, and the main contestant for Erlking’s now empty throne, go on a Hunt that will change the future of everything they have known.

First and foremost I would like to congratulate Barbieri on writing a stunningly atmospheric book that truly transported me into an enchanted yet bleak world resembling Siberia. I loved the setting. I don’t think I have read something quite as refreshing in a long time. Everything was delightfully eerie and dark, I could feel the cold seeping through my pores as I was reading some of the book’s more descriptive fragments.

Janneke (or Janneka, more on that once you read for yourself) was an excellent heroine. I felt for her, I understood her struggle and could get behind her reasoning. I really enjoyed reading the entire story from her perspective. She wasn’t one of those „annoying main characters” which is something that plagues me personally in my reading ventures. She was decisive, strong and awe-inspiring, to be completely honest with you. I would have chickened out a thousand times and she lived through so much! Soren was a great hero, too. He was a brooding goblin but he had a good learning curve too which allowed for him to learn sarcasm thanks to being in company of human Janneke. He was introduced as an enigma of sorts but I didn’t think he was that much of a mystery. He was closed off because expression of emotions in brutal Permafrost can get you exposed to your enemies and killed faster than you can blink. I loved their vibe, their banter and definitely rooted for romance to blossom. They were a fantastic match with none of the damsel in distress thingy that sometimes occurs in fantasy.

The atmospheric writing style, the setting and diverse cast of characters (Seppo especially! I loved his wit and humor so much!) made for a fantastic combination which in turn produced a great book that kept me hooked from almost the very beginning. I desperately need the sequel to be out because learning to navigate all of what happened in the last couple of chapters and coming to terms with /THOSE/ drastic changes? Wow! I need answers and I need them now!

Trigger warning for mentions of rape.

**massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

White Stag by Kara Barbieri is a YA fantasy novel that will pull you in. It's filled with great detail, dynamic characters, and wonderful world-building. I enjoyed Janneke as the heroine and her journey. An enjoyable novel and would recommend.

I had a hard time reading this book. There were a lot of times that it was a little cringy and I just had to push through. But overall it was a good read. Not something that I would have gone out of my way to read but if someone handed me this book I would have read it for them. I am not sure if I will seek out the next book in the series. I will most likely wait and see how it fares after publication.