“If there was only one solution to every problem, the world would be insanely dull, don’t you think?”

Janneke is the sole survivor of an attack by goblins on her village. She has been taken in by goblins, seen and experienced horrible things, and has become stronger yet harder for it. She is terrified of the changes in her, and fears she is losing her humanity.

“It takes time to forgive yourself, even if there’s nothing to forgive in the first place.”

I loved the world building in this novel. Goblins based off Norse mythology. There’s a truly appalling villain and all kinds of creatures. The romance is slow but surprisingly sweet. It’s well balanced with the plot, so if romance isn’t your thing, the plot stands on its own. I couldn’t put this book down. I think it will be on a lot of best fantasy 2019 lists. It’s already a favorite from this year for me.

I think fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses series will enjoy this. And even if you hated that series, it’s different and darker so you may enjoy this one. I am looking forward to the sequel.

I received this arc through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

White Stag is the dark story that follows Janneke as she struggles with humanity versus monstrosity. As a thrall she struggles with PTSD from the tortures she has suffered through, yet also struggles with survivors guilt as she is the sole survivor from her town. 100 years after she was captured, she realizes that she is becoming more like the creatures she deems to be monsters.

The story itself was really easy to read, however, you could tell this was a debut for Kara. While I loved the concept of the story and the pitch of the story, the flow of the writing seemed disjointed at times. I felt that a little more editing could have really gone a long way, and I am eager to see the growth that Kara achieves after this book as the series continues. While set in old timey/fairy tale world the book read much more modern in language. Don't get me wrong, I really liked this book. In fact, it un-slumped me. I went from zero book completion to actually making it through a book, granted it took me a few weeks to do so.

This is where the book really stood out to me. Here we have goblins that fit well into the beautiful fae world that has been somewhat popular lately. There are these beautiful goblin like creatures that remind me of the goblin race you find in other books like Wintersong by S. Jae Jones or Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen. What I love about this goblin race is that it's all sort of just a mirage, as the creatures become more violent or monstrous the more hideous and beast like they become. It is when they are acting somewhat civilized that they resemble the human race.

Again, Kara could have done a little more explaining or developing some details of this world, but there is definitely opportunity as the series progresses. I thoroughly enjoyed some of the additional creatures that were introduced in this book and the role they ultimately played.

I loved Janneke. I love how much she has endured and survived and still clung to the idea of humanity despite her need for retribution. Through her character and her relationship with Soren she shows that the title of monster is loosely applied. I love that she craved more power, yet understood the consequence of acquiring it, both physically and in the sense of the pain as well as what it was doing to her human body. She danced on this fine line of what she was willing to do to live and what she thought was right - yet she stuck with her morality through and through.

DNF at 28%

I really, really wanted to like this. Goblins, a snowy setting, action and adventure -- all things I enjoy reading about. However, the story didn't deliver. It might have been my review copy, but there were a lot of inconsistencies that really detracted from the book. Also, Janneke has supposedly been around Soren for a century, but the two acted like total strangers.

“No, I mean, does your kind normally have that really cute nose crinkle when they make certain facial expressions, especially ones of humor or anger?"

I would assume that was something he'd have noticed in their ninety-nine years together, but it was like they were seeing each other for the first time. Additionally, Soren didn't seem like the type to use words like cute. Janneke was also equally surprised by his actions, even though they were things he's been doing forever. Their relationship was unrealistic and it would have been difficult to picture a romance between the two.

Janneke was always angry or feeling guilty about something, but it was hard to tell where those feelings were directed. Herself? The goblins? Humans? She seemed be angry with everyone and everything. Based on what I read, Soren never gave her a reason to hate him. He tried to keep her safe (albeit against her will at times), and was quick to offer comfort and reassurances (as much as a goblin can manage), but she still distrusted his intentions.

I thought the world-building was interesting, and I liked the idea of goblins and The Hunt, but a lot of the story was repetitive and the language was often redundant. It also wasn't believable when Janneke fought Goblins, especially when just showing their power crippled her. It seemed unlikely she'd ever be able to get the upper hand.

In the end, there were just too many things distracting me from the story. I think it's worth mentioning that there is a lot of brutality, detailed accounts of rape and abuse, and psychological torment. Goblins need humans to create (since they're only able to destroy things themselves), and some humans are treated better than others. Janneke's past has influenced her present, and it was often dark and unpleasant.

This review can also be found at Do You Dog-ear? on January 31, 2019.

This was definitely darker than I was expecting and for that I am so very happy. It was creepy and magical and hit all the right notes for me. The writing was wonderful and the story, oh gosh that story! I'm saddened I hadn't read my review copy sooner.

White Stag is a YA fantasy novel that puts a whole new spin on goblins, fae, erlkings and changelings. I was delighted to see that it was Norse mythology based, and introduced lesser known creatures and myths. While violence and goblins go hand in hand, the violence seemed extreme for a YA novel.

White Stag follows Janneke, a human girl who after her village burns, is the only survivor, and is kidnapped by a goblin who then takes her to the Permafrost where she then must live as a thrall. It’s a hundred years later and now she is caught up in a hunt all goblins participate in order to become the next king.

White Stag has a premise we’ve all heard of before with slight variations. However, even though I’ve read a story like this many times before, it still interests me and I wanted to hear how it would be told with goblins at the forefront of the story.

The beginning is rough. Like, real rough from all different angles. There’s several mentions of rape, sexual assault, abuse, mutilation, and captivity. All of this would be difficult for anyone to get through, in addition to the writing also being subpar. The main character acts extremely juvenile and makes rash decisions. There are too many exclamation points, and a lot of the characters say things that just don’t seem to fit their character.

Another issue I had was with the timeline. We never really learn what the human world was like before or after Janneke left, and it makes the world feel less real, and makes it difficult for the reader to really dive deep into the book. In addition, the main character has been in the Permafrost for 100 YEARS. And most of this time she’s spent with Sorren, her most recent master who has never hurt her, and has basically treated her like an equal. And yet until the story starts, she doesn’t trust him. In addition, Sorren is over 600 YEARS old which is supposed to mean he’s relatively young, but at the same time, he never really seemed old or like he had 600 years of knowledge.

As the story progresses, we go on several adventures/quests with the main character as she and Sorren complete the hunt. The writing gets a lot better, and the story becomes significantly more interesting. The different mythical creatures introduced and the fights Janneke must go through in order to win truly made this story bump up from a not-so-good story to this-is-actually-really-interesting story.

The ending, was a bit confusing, but still satisfying.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I can see why others won’t. I think I’ll continue with the series and read the next book, but it probably won’t make my “most anticipated reads list”.

Trigger Warnings for: Physical abuse, sexual assault, rape, captivity, slavery, graphic animal abuse, mental abuse, and graphic violence.
1 like

The reason I picked up White Stag was because it was a Wattpad novel, and I LOVE to support Wattpad authors, and the cover is GORGEOUS. Absolutely stunning.

As I started reading, the first few chapters really gripped me and kept me entertained, but as I progressed into the story, it sort of started to fall flat. I’m not sure why, but it lost its momentum about halfway through, and I just couldn’t finish it, sadly.

Finally a book that is not about Greek mythology! Don't get me wrong I am a total nut for anything mythic, so I was ecstatic to see that this one was rooted in Norse myth. I gushed about it to my husband who was just as shocked as I was.
I loved this book, I sat down and devoured it in one sitting. I just could not put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I would dislike this book but I was wholeheartedly surprised to find that I did not, in fact, I quite liked it. So much that I'll probably get the next one too. The writing, whilst not world-changing, I'd say is actually above average. It was quite well-written, intriguing, the pace was good and stuff happens. Finding out more and more about the culture and Janneke was set at a good enough pace, it also was not too slow either.

I thought I was seriously going to hate Janneke, considering that the trope of traumatised-strong-female is so overused and usually so cringily written, but I find this book handled her well. She wasn't overly strong or overpowered, she was still human albeit changing slowly, and her trauma is there, but not so much everpresent or always forcefed to us to remind us that TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPENED. They were shown when needed, not too much to constantly pity her, but enough for us to gain perspective of what happened.

I liked the romance, it was alright. It wasn't terribly cringey or anything like other YAs. You can tell that a romance was going to develop no matter what from the get-go, and frankly enough I don't mind considering that it wasn't cringey, but to me it did feel like the book wouldn't have mattered with or without the romance since the bond between the two characters were already quite strong. This isn't a bad thing though, it's actually a good thing, that means it shows that it wasn't a forced relationship. It just happened naturally.

I do agree with the other reviewers when they say that "goblin" is perhaps not the correct word to describe overly charming and handsome people in disguise, it is too rooted in fantasy as the green little monsters who are hideous and almost entirely unintelligent. I would have preferred it if the author used a different race, or even make up a word for a completely new race, but that is just a small little thing. Regardless, it didn't detract me too much from the book.

Overall, plot and writing-wise, they were great. Not amazing or mindblowing, but great. I am definitely picking up the next one!

This is about goblins and erlkings and monstrous girls... so basically a checklist of things I quite enjoy reading. I am PLEASED. It had a lot of fae culture woven through a Norse setting, but focusing on goblins instead. Plus it's bitterly cold and cruelly wicked with knives and claws and fights around every few pages. But it also takes the time to really discuss and delve into PTSD and mental illness!

Welcome to the halls of the GOBLIN KING. I loved reading this version of them. The have glamours, like the faeries, to make themselves inhumanely gorgeous, but when the glamours fade they look like vicious terrible monsters. They're all so bloodthirsty. Literally stab your neighbour before breakfast and nobody is shocked.

It has a Norse-inspired setting! I loved the mythology creatures we met, like the wolf goddesses and the mischievous svartelves who'll drive you mad. And it was SO COLD. So frikkin' freezing. I could feel that wrapped around every page.

Jenneke was also a bitter stabby gift to this world. She's been tortured and abused for hundreds of years (but she's permanently 17) and she is NOT in the mood for anyone's shenanigans. She was rescued from her abusive master by Soren, who has always been kind, but she still hates him for owning her. Which...fair. Her PTSD and anxiety are brutal portrayed. It's easy to feel a lot for her. And I'm just glad more YA fantasy books are unpacking the mental side of the vicious lives they lead. Jenneke has been actually through hell (torture, mutilation, rape) and while the book isn't graphic, it does refer to what happened.

But then when little shreds of friendship weave into her life... it's so good. Like she starts teaching a little goblin girl who to be a better archer. And Soren is there like as a constant: "!!! I like you !!!" and watching their relationship thaw was beautiful. He basically affectionally describes her a small dog that bites ankles. She hits him. Bless.

Now I was worried about the romance, because Soren is effectively her "captor" even though he rescued her from her abuser. Uneven power dynamics in relationships (especially when it's with 1000 year old goblins) make my skin crawl thnx so much. But this book did it the right way. There was only romance when they were both in equal positions of power over themselves.

There are a few things that didn't work for me.
(1) The language is super modern (aka, Janneke even busts with stuff like "gee thanks") and they banter back and forth about how Goblins can't use sarcasm properly. I mean there has always BEEN sarcasm, but the actual word didn't exist until the 1500s. Plus GOBLINS CAN'T LIE. It's said again and again. But in order to be sarcastic, you are effectively saying an ironic lie. So the discrepancies here threw me a lot.
(2) And yeah there are a lot of fight scenes and I'm not the biggest fan of unending action. But that's just me!


Overall? This was a very satisfying story of monsters and mayhem, and it was cruel and vicious and filled with brittle and desperate hope. It was about what even makes a monster. And it was about being abused and it's about healing, and saying how it's ok to change. I very much loved the balance of mythology and hunting for the erlking's stag vs piecing back together broken people and loving yourself.

First of all, this should not be being promoted as YA. It is too disturbingly violent, and there are several accounts of rape. The sexual bent to some of the scenes is too detailed for YA. This should be NA. The character seems to be 19+ in human years. The rape scenes are also gratuitous. They were used for shock value and a quick way to evoke sympathy for the main character.

The story was basically one continuous bloody battle scene, momentarily broken up by gruesome descriptions of battle wounds, and, "do I want to have sex with him" thoughts. I think the phrases "blood dripping" and "blood flowing" were on just about every page. Also, they always seemed to be in easy walking distance of the "rare magic" that would cure whatever mishap befell them. The word building was flimsy , and the magical system was weakly configured. The writing was amateurish at best. It is the worst book I have read in a long time. This review is short because I don't want to waste anymore of my time thinking about this book

3.5

This book was such a fun read. I love the world and found the story to be unique and engrossing. I did have some issue with some repetitiveness through out the story. I also didn’t connect with the romance at all. Other than those issues though I really enjoyed it!

White Stag jumps right into the goblin world from page one. A mixture of Vikings and Labyrinth, Nordic folklore is very prevalent. Janneke, a human girl, is taken and raised by goblins. She tries to maintain her humanity while surrounded by magical creatures. I quickly fell in love with Janneke, Soren, Seppo and Rekke. There is a lot of graphic violence and rape so it’s not for the faint of heart.

White stag is a debut ya fantasy novel. When I read the synopsis I was so excited to receive an arc of this novel. In the beginning for me it was kind of slow to get into but once that passed I was able to really enjoy this novel. I love this world and the characters and I’m so excited to continue with the series. I totally recommend this read so put it up.

I'm really sad that I this was a DNF at 40%!

I was totally loving the writing and the imagery! Kara is a very talented writer!

I really wanted to to love this book because of the premise. It had SO much potential. But, unfortunately I couldn't connect with the story or the characters.

Most of the story was exposition in the form of backstory and I found both the story and characters inconsistent. There was a romantic tension that felt very artificial because they acted as they had just met when they have been together for a hundred years! That made their dynamics and dialogues very unnatural.

I will definitely read more of Kara's work though! The writing was truly enthralling, that's why I read almost half the book!.

“We're all monsters to someone or something by some definition. It's the context of the situation that matters.”

Janneke is the sole survivor of her village after everyone is killed by goblins. She is then taken as a slave/thrall by a sadistic goblin named Lydian. After being tortured by him, which we get glimpses of through flashbacks, she is passed off to Lydian’s nephew Soren. As you can imagine she is filled with survivor's guilt and PTSD. The story begins after Janneke has been under Soren’s service for 100 years. When Soren and Janneke go to swear loyalty to the goblin king, he is murdered and a hunt is started to kill the white stag. The goblin who kills the white stag will be the strongest goblin and become the king.

This book was such a fast read. I know that 15-year old Maddie would have loved this book. The plot was very interesting and original. But by no means was this book perfect. I’m still confused about the world building and magic system. The characters were also a bit one dimensional. There was also some grammar mistakes but this may be fixed before publication.

I’m also very confused on how Janneke can look the same after 100 years. As Janneke is over 100 years old I would have thought she would act more mature. It was never really explained how the Permafrost land/magic worked. Since this is a series, the next book may explain more about this world. We also never get a good explanation as to why the villain of the story is so evil and crazy. We are told he sees something and went crazy but never what it was.

I’ve never read a book with goblins in it but I thought of them as short, warty, ugly beings but in this book, the author describes them like elves or fairies, beautiful and very human-like. When I was reading it I just thought of them as elves and it made more sense in my mind. But we do learn that the beauty may be an illusion as the goblins can grow their hands and teeth into claws and fangs.

The romance was believable and not insta-lovey, thankfully. Janneke and the love interest complemented each other well and didn’t take precedence over the whole story.

“The oak is the strongest tree in the forest, but the willow bends and adapts. When the fires and storms hit, it is the willow that survives.”

Overall this is a good book. I would recommend it if you like The Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. It was an original fast-paced story but had some world building problems and one-dimensional characters. I’m unsure if I’ll continue the series or not. But I would give this book 3 stars.

TW: Rape, torture, murder, and thoughts of suicide.

I look forward to Barbieri's next book. White Stag was a compelling story but not executed as well as I hoped and the sexual abuse detailed was not handled as well as I would've liked.

This book was wild! Once I started it I couldn't put it down! It was such a great read with the perfect twist of darkness!

Title: White Stag
Author: Kara Barbieri
Pub Date: 8 January, 2019
Company: St. Martin’s Press

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.

If you love action, which we all know you do, you’ll be pulled into Janneke’s story from page one. In just the first chapter, we learn that Janneke has been through some traumatic events, but she’s strong and she’s made it through. Just in case you need convincing of her mental and physical strength, she sees her torturer and fends him off, never backing down from the fight and willing herself to be in control. Then the White Stag, the symbol of the emperor’s power leaves.

End scene.

You better believe I turned the page to find out what happened next.

But then the action stopped. And I found myself in a world of stilted dialogue and flashbacks and I was bored. I didn’t want to be bored. Look at that cover, look at that summary. Goblins! Goblin kings! Hunts! Action! Perhaps… romance?

When the narrative was in the action, it was wonderful and I couldn’t put it down. But the lulls in between make it difficult to review this title because I kept putting it down and picking it up. And I could see myself easily not finishing it at all.

Ultimately, White Stag wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either.

This is truly a pure fantasy world. Truly another world which I thoroughly enjoyed, My only regret is that I didn't read it sooner.



I was surprised that this book isn't a stand-alone book. I honestly thought it was until I researched the author. But then looking back on the last chapter, I should've known the way it ended. I'm piqued more than ever how the second novel in this Permafrost Series will be.



Just to be fair, this novel is pretty dark. If you enjoy

Goblins

Fantasy world

Monsters

Action

Fights

Sarcasm

Survivor guilt
Self-identity struggle

Light romance

Wolves

Magical land

Self Loathing and angsty heroine

then this is it for you.



I'd have to warn you, even though the author did a good job crafting her story, her story has many twists to it. For example, the goblins are not what we expect of them in her book. There will be flashbacks of her horrible past, rape and torture, and etc. So, for some of the sensitive readers out there, may want to read with caution. It isn't too detailed.



This novel is about trials, errors, trust, loyalty, empowerment, self-discovery, triumph, deep regrets, and rebirth.



This novel is raw, gritty, haunting and honest which will challenge you to think. This novel came across as an allegory to many things we deal with in real life. This is maybe why some readers have a hard time reading this or just DNFing it. I'm interested in seeing how the rest of the series turn out.



I'm going to give this novel a low 4 stars.



I received this beautiful haunting ARC from Wednesday Books/ St. Martin's Press through Net Galley for my honest and unbiased review. Thank you!