*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I didn't really care for this one. I think some of you will really like it, but it was too slow and it tried too hard to be dark for me.

I want to start my review by saying I really did enjoy this book. It was definitely a page tuner and kept my attention the whole time. We have a strong female lead, NORSE MYTHOLOGY (should've been better relayed in the beginning of the book because I didn't realize it until the MC said something about her people also used to raid - we all know Vikings were raiders - and then you get more Norse references towards the end of the book), Goblins, and ROMANCE with a side of action. Oh, but it was a slow burn romance and it was done very well. Beautiful writing, I liked that the goblins were more like the evil cousins of Elves rather than what we would traditionally think of goblins. I enjoyed the POV in the book and the journey of the MC's internal battle with who she knows herself to be and who others want her to be. The MC is a strong female lead with internal battles, relapses to her rape experience, and lives in a hostile environment.

As much as I enjoyed this book there were some small things that bothered me, but nothing that would keep me from recommending it to another reader.

- I really didn't understand the need for the MC to have a pet name, it didn't anything for the story and it is a personal pet peeves when authors use multiple names or nick names for characters. Like no, just no, keep their name the same unless they are undercover or something that has to do with the plot.

- I didn't care for all the "And" and "Then" 's, primarily because there were to many of them and it kind of made my reading experience awkward.

- I also caught some typos that hopefully will be fixed before final release because they were blatant, although common to EVERY PERSON who has ever written anything. "My hair had been braided in the style the boys wor.;" So clearly that meant to be wore. Closed instead of close, feel instead of fell, etc. Nothing that ruined the book but worth pointing out to any protentional editors that may read this review.


<I>I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.</I>

For good or bad, this follows the typical YA formula, but with goblins (think David Bowie, not ugly), a questionable age difference, some Norse Mythology (admittedly a nice touch), and mostly predictable outcome. If I am being fair, it hooked me quite well in the very beginning, but then felt like it dragged, and that ending was hinted at perhaps a little too much. Overall, a decent read, with a few fresh touches, but don't expect anything massively different from others similar in nature to this novel.

A young woman with both goblin and human traits is captured, raped, and mutilated by goblins. Given to a nicer goblin, she develops Stockholm Syndrome and falls in love with her "master," who exploits the power inequality of their relationship by taking her as his lover and forcing her to help him fight to become the supreme ruler of the goblins. Psychologically very disturbing, this novel also reinforces the problematic tropes of light=good and dark=bad, that gender identity is chosen, and that adult women are always rivals with one another.

I almost didn't request this book for an ARC, the description does not do this book justice. I'm really glad I did decide to read it, I had a very hard time putting it down. I was hooked from the very beginning which does not happen very often.

I loved so much about this book, it had everything I look for in a fantasy. Intriguing and imaginative world, ruthless, cunning and sarcastic characters, sweet slow burning romance, fast paced with a lot of action, and an ending that I did not see coming.

The only thing I noticed that needed improvement was some grammer/punctuation errors but that is typical for an ARC and will probably be fixed by the time it's published.

This was such a pleasant read, I can't wait for the next book!!

I certainly didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, and I admit that I was wary of it at the beginning, but boy did I love it.

Just a heads up, this book features rape, death, animal cruelty, lots of blood and violence so if you're sensitive to those aspects, I'd advise you against reading this.

One of the highlights of this book was the main characters. Janneke and Soren were the apple of my eye and I loved both of them for different reasons. Also, I adored Soren from the moment we met him, which is weird for me because I'm not impressed by the love interest right of the bat very often and by the end of the book I had major heart eyes for him. Seppo was a great character as well, and I can't see how anyone couldn't like him.

The only complain I had with this book was the fact that we didn't get more information about the goblin world. It almost felt like I was reading about any other generic paranormal creature, but I wasn't that bothered by it. Other than that, the writing was good and the story was fast paced so like I said above, I ended up really enjoying this one.

White Stag immediately reminded me of both C.S. Lewis's Chronicle of Narnia and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials of the White Stag I've World Type of field. Everyone can learn and be inspired by Janneke's tenacity, strength and motivation being the only line survivor of her family destined as the heir of her family's legacy. However, it was a little intense when Janneke gets captured and gets classified as a "monster." Overall though however, this book was very enticing and such an enjoyment to read.

thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and we are sure to consider this title for our YFantasy collection and that is,why we give this book 4 stars.

This book was a breeze confusing in the beginning but if you stick with it I guarantee you’ll like it! It was complex and yet so simple. The end kinda kinda makes me wish it was wrapped up better but perhaps there will be another book.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. "White Stag" introduces us to Janneke, a seventeen year old girl who is the youngest child in a family of all girls. She is raised to be the family's "male heir" and is raised as a tomboy who is taught to hunt and fight. When her village is invaded and burned down she is the only survivor. Taken captive by goblins, she must learn to live among them while struggling trying to keep hold of her humanity.

Pulled into a goblin war, Janneke must face beliefs she was taught as a child and try to fit them into her current reality. Are goblins merely monsters? Are they similar to humans? Can they feel emotions? Can they love? Can she love them? Can she love him?

While much of "White Stag" is predictable and follows the typical formula for YA books it is still entertaining and worth reading. There are a few surprises revealed along the way. Janneke is an interesting character who has to deal with growing up and falling in love with the enemy.

"White Stag" is the first novel in the Permafrost series by Kara Barbieri. No publication date is listed on Goodreads for the sequel, "Goblin King".

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

This is a dark fantasy told from the viewpoint of the heroine. She hates herself yet wants to live; a lot of angst and a negative view of everyone around her was tiring. There is adventure and murder along to keep the plot moving.. A comic relief comes along late in the story but felt too lighthearted for the story.

While I was interested in how the story turned out and intrigued by the ending, this isn't a story that I want to read again anytime soon.

Raw, gritty and brutally bold, WHITE STAG by Kara Barbieri is a fabulous foundation for a dark fantasy about a young woman whose life was stolen away as she became the prisoner of a sadistic goblin, bent on dehumanizing her in every way possible before sending her on to his nephew.

Janneke was always different, raised as the son her father never had, the sole survivor when her village was burned to the ground, she still has no place to call home, no place to feel safe. Wracked by survivor’s guilt, humiliated and defiled, scarred and scared, she never expected Soren to be any different than his monstrous uncle. But it was Soren who would become both a friend and the person who would show her the beauty in the lie she now lives. Can he show her how to accept herself, too?

Brilliantly dark, brutal and gut wrenching, yet Kara Barbieri manages to create a beautiful story in spite of the ugliness of Janneke’s life. I was horrified at what was done to Janneke, her memories are pure nightmares, but her character is strong in spite of it all.

This is dark fantasy, it is edgy and penned with a bold, no-nonsense hand, but it is definitely an incredible read for older young adults on up. Be prepared for the emotional tsunami evoked within these pages as one young woman learns to accept and grow into the destiny Fate created for her.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Wednesday Books!

Series: Permafrost - Book 1
Publisher: Wednesday Books (January 8, 2019)
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
Genre: Older YA Fantasy
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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White Stag by Kara Barbieri
Actual rating 3 stars

White Stag was an interesting read. The book seemed to have elements of Beauty and the Beast but it defiantly was its own thing. I found the characters to be interesting and unique. With all that being said I had a couple of issues with the novel.

The plot of this novel was interesting. I have never read a book with quite the same premise as this book. The backgrounds of each character influenced the story and made for an interesting read. I especially enjoyed Janneke's story and history. I really think that her history added dimension to this novel. As for the overall plot it was interesting. The idea that goblins kill each other for power and fight amongst themselves in order to achieve supreme dominance. I am not sure that this book is for younger children and teens because of its content and its betrayal of some pretty heavy topics.

The characters in this book were fascinating. To be honest every single character was interesting in their own right. Kara Barbieri did a fantastic job of creating tortured and haunted characters. There is nothing I would change when it comes to the characters in her book.

My issues with the book were as follows. I found that all throughout the novel I wanted to know more about Janneke's and Soren's relationship during her earlier years of captivity. I also wanted to understand more about the transformation that certain humans go through when they begin morphing into one of the "monsters." My final issue was the presence of all the angst and longing. I know that this was intentional but I personally didn't like it.

Overall I enjoyed this novel. I would definitely recommend it to all of my friends. Like I said earlier I would not recommend this for younger children simply do to the content of the book.

Great book that has a unique plot and keeps your attention until the end. The characters are well written and make you feel for them.

3.5 Stars. I struggled to keep my attention on the plot. I thought about it for awhile and determined this was because the dialogue between characters never found a natural rhythm. It felt wooden, disjointed, and strange.

I did really like the book’s concept, and I enjoyed the Goblin King character. Also, the cover on this book is lovely to look at. I just wish the dialogue flowed a little more smoothly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

Review posted to Goodreads on 10/2/18 (link below)

You guys, I am so torn about this book! I finished it last night and decided to wait another day before writing my review... There was so much I LOVED about this book but there were also quite a few things that I thought needed some work.

White Stag opens in a palace in the Permafrost, where the Erlking is seated on his throne next to a white stag, surrounded by Goblins paying respects to their king. A fight between two powerful Goblins erupts and during the battle the palace floor splits open. The Erlking falls through to his death and the white stag bounds away into the forest. The Hunt has begun: the Goblin who kills the white stag will become the next Erlking.

Our heroine is Jenneke, a human who has been living among the Goblins for one hundred years as a servant/slave ("thrall") after being captured during a Goblin raid on her village. In this world, based on Norse mythology, Goblins and other powerful mythical creatures live in the Permafrost, a frozen wasteland beyond the human villages. She is still mortal, but living in the magical Permafrost has blessed her with longevity, so even though Jenneke is over one hundred years old, she still looks seventeen.

"From the beginning of time, humans had been stolen across the border of the Permafrost in raids along with many other types of plunder. Those brought across the border had the status of a thrall, expected to work and do the bidding of the lord that had stolen them."

Goblins could rip me apart so easily, torture me until my mind unraveled. Goblins stole humans for work the Permafrost wouldn't let them do themselves. So many of the things they had - their clothing, their agriculture, their buildings were because humans lived among the monsters doing the skills they couldn't. Humans created, goblins destroyed. It was known."

Jenneke's master is Soren, who treats her less like a slave and more like a friend. This powerful Goblin takes Jenneke on the Hunt with him. It quickly becomes apparent that Soren is one of the most powerful Goblins on the Hunt; his main competition is his uncle, Lydian, who was also Jenneke's first master, who raped and mutilated her.

"Of course something was wrong with me. I was sitting here next to the world's most deadly predator, hunting a sacred stag in the middle of the Permafrost, after one hundred years of servitude that should've left me dead. I was the epitome of wrongness."

Before setting out on the Hunt, Soren reveals to Jenneke that she is slowly becoming less human and more Goblin-like: she is transforming into a Goblin.

"Remember what they are. They aren't your friends or allies. They're cold-blooded killers who want to either turn you into one of their own or kill you. . . They're monsters, and I'm becoming one of them."

The Hunt for the white stag becomes a fantastic adventure: Goblins riding mountain lions like horses, dragons, a goddess with an entourage of wolves, and a creepy underwater creature surrounded by the dead bodies of his "loves." These exciting escapades were so much fun as individual scenes, but the story lacked something integral: world-building. Barbieri failed to construct a full-fledged imaginary world. Like, I get that the Goblins are all hunting the white stag, but why? Jenneke is turning into a Goblin... but why? We only get a few glimpses of the human world, so everything is from the Goblins' perspective, which creates a one-dimensional world instead of a well-rounded fictional universe. Barbieri did tell us that the Goblins kidnapped humans to build for them and whatnot, but we never actually see that happening. In fact, Jenneke acts like there aren't any other humans around, or that she's an anomaly. Why?! Barbieri inserts a few passages at the very end of the book trying to explain why the stag is so important etc., but it felt rushed, like she quickly wrote a few paragraphs to fix the world-building issue, and it just didn't work. The reader needs to know these things at the beginning, not in the final pages of the book.

There is also sexual tension from the beginning between Jenneke and Soren, which I just didn't buy. On one hand, they have known each other for a hundred years. On the other hand, they act like strangers. Which one is it, Barbieri?! Plus, Jenneke understandably hates Goblins: they killed her family and have enslaved her for a hundred years. Now, as she's transforming into one of them, she begins to hate them anymore. Soren is a Goblin, sure, but he isn't a hideous monster like the Goblins you're thinking of. He looks like a sexy twenty-something year-old man, with long white hair. Hot! He's Jenneke's master, but he also protects her from the other Goblins, and wants to help her with her "transition" from human to Goblin. Part of Jenneke's journey is to accept Soren for his Goblin-ness and to accept her own emerging Goblin-ness, but their relationship did not feel authentic.

"Be his. The thought scared me. The thought petrified me. But not int he way it should've. Not in the way a human should feel about having the love of an apex predator, a goblin, a cruel merciless monster. No, it scared me because for once I was walking out onto thin ice. But maybe he's worth the risk. 'Janneke,' he said softly, 'are you afraid?' 'No,' I said. 'Not of you.'"

To be fair, the author is twenty-two. She obviously has some fantastic ideas for stories, and I would be open to reading her other work. This book has a fantastic premise; it just needs world-building and character development. Hopefully the second book in the series is more satisfying!

Release date January 2019, available for pre-order now.

Enthralling and dark are the perfect words to describe this book I simply adored it. From the very first page the action happens, Kara Barbieri is not playing around she engulfed me right into the story at full charge ahead. Letting the reader know whats at stake and who's who right away. Janneke is an amazing and refreshing heroine who starts out like a wounded fawn and as she journey through her pass on this great expedition with the ever charming goblin lord Soren. Who is nothing but infatuated with Janneke and would do sacrifice anything for her happiness. As she grows from like being a baby fawn who stumbled into becoming her true self by accepting not only her flaws but freeing herself and embracing all the pain does she transform into a beautiful stag.

I really loved how Kara incorporated many Norse folklore and entwined different fairy-tales throughout the story to enrich Janneka's journey. The White Stag is filled with every element of a great storyteller full of darkness, romance, humor, and adventure the balance of each element was just right. This a book I truly embraced for everything that it is and isn't in a fairy-tale.

P.S. I love a good arc that sneaks up on you against the clock that is how I know its a page-turner I can't put down.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book more. I think I struggled to connect to the two main characters and didn’t have enough interest in them prior to getting into the heart of the story.

I received this ARC as a courtesy from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book left me with a lot of feelings. The largest of all, confusion.

First of all, the book opened with the ErlKing which is a story I simply adore. That was definitely a point in the favor of the book.

I did finish this book. I came very close to giving up, and I’m glad I did not. The overall story was interesting. You can definitely tell that the author is young. I am interested to follow her and watch her writing evolve. In the meantime, I will recommend this story to younger fantasy/YA novels.

Fantasy is my all time favorite genre. I love all of the old myths and legends. Seeing them tied into modern written stories is always fun. However, the races were confusing to me. Goblins are not unwell known creatures. We are all familiar with the idea of goblins, but never have I ever thought of goblins as attractive. The goblins in this story were basically what is familiar as the fae. Not exactly, but closer than goblins. It was difficult to wrap my mind around.

I enjoyed the various creatures that appear throughout the hunt. It was fun to meet creatures from the deep dark. There were a few things I thought could have been resolved or dove into a bit more, but since this is the first in a series, I don’t count that as a negative. I’m sure we will learn more.

The story was full of action and intrigue. I found it a bit exhausting, but I do think that it would appeal to younger readers. Lots of battles and tracking etc.

I know a lot of people find this appealing, so take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt. I HATE it when there is a heroine (this is a hardcore YA problem) who, through some twist of fate, ends up leaving behind a terrible life as a peasant and becoming wealthy, beautiful, powerful, etc. but spends loads of time whining about it and bemoaning her old simple life. You didn’t see Cinderella whining about missing being a servant! What is up with this trend? I dislike it. Janneke is a little whiny. I kind of wanted to slap her.

Janneke was brutally raped and ended up with one of her breasts removed as a result. The whole thing was a bit convoluted. It honestly read as if the author stuck that in there to give Janneke a reason to be whiny. It was not plot relevant, it didnt help the story. It honestly reads as if it was only stuck in there because of sexual assault being a hot button issue right now, and as a way to make a completely unsympathetic at least somewhat sympathetic. I did not love that story arch. Sexual assault in literature is difficult to pull off, and in this case, the mark was missed.

This review is disjointed and I apologize for that. My thoughts and feelings are disjointed as well, so I guess at least it matches? Sorry!

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of original ideas and an unexpected ending. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoyed titles like Three Dark Crowns and Children of Blood and Bone.