This was an amazing sequel to White Stag! This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites, combining Norse mythology and a fae-like court, and plenty of humor and sarcasm.
Janneke is one of the strongest main characters I’ve encountered; she’s been through unimaginable horrors at the hands of Lydian, but despite her physical and mental scars, she perseveres and fights through impossible odds.
She and Soren are unstoppable together, and their relationship is based on trust and communication, which I really appreciated. Soren himself is honestly adorable, despite being the the most powerful goblin in the Permafrost.
The other characters, Diaval, Seppo, and Rose, were all so real and entertaining, Seppo in particular. I didn’t really like Lydian playing a larger role in this book, but I like what happened with his character, as well as how Janneke draws strength from overcoming what he did to her.
Norse mythology plays an even larger role in this book than the previous, as Janneke and her friends fight to stop the end of the world. I really liked the mythological aspects, as some were familiar to me and some were new.
I love these characters and this world so much, and I can’t wait for the next book! 4.5/5 stars

Goblin King by Kara Barbieri is the 2nd book in the Permafrost series. Goblin King picks up about a year after White Stag ends when Soren becomes the new goblin king and Janneke has become the mythical creature known as "The Stag".
Janneke is still trying to learn about the powers she has inherited from the former Stag as well as still deal with being tormented by the shade of Sorens Uncle Lydian. When it is revealed that Soren and Janneke will be the ones to bring about the end of the world they must go on a quest to retrieve Lydian's soul for assistance and try to stop the end of the world from getting a chance to start.
I really enjoyed this book and I had no idea it was about to come out so I was super excited to get a hold of a copy to read and review.
I think the only issue I had with the story is that ended too quickly! I really didn't think I had read through that much and suddenly the story was over with. Needless to say, that's a personal issue and certainly nothing wrong with the story. I was just greedy and wanted more!
I really enjoyed the development of both Soren and Janneke and the group of friends that accompanied them on their quest and I certainly am looking forward to the last book in the series.

Good fantasy story that has an involving storyline and well done characters. The story flows well and has enough suspense to keep you interested.

Book 2 of the Permafrost series continues the journey of The Stag and the Erlking. I'm here for it! I loved the first book, and the second was just as good. It's an interesting take on goblins and Norse mythology with references to Odin and Hel and Frygga. If you like Wintersong or ACOTAR, I think you'll enjoy this fast-paced duology.

A fabulous sequel to The White Stag. The author does a good job of continuing the lives and relationships of the characters introduced before as well as ties in some newbies. This story also seems to favor the journey and hunt that started the series and I am wondering if that is how the rest of this series will play out, not complaining over here as the story had some pulse pounding tense moments and the characters face off against obstacles meant to derail their success in this mission oriented telling. I for one am interested in seeing how the next installment works out and what journey these friends take and if they add anymore to their bunch.

After the hunt is over, Janneke finds herself struggling to harness the Stag's powers. Tormented with visions of chaos and the destruction of the world she searches for answers. Although she knows her torturer is dead, Lydian still finds a way to torture her from the grave. With Soren, the new Erlking, by her side they will embark on a journey to Hel and all the dangers the underworld holds to change their destiny and prevent the end of everything.

Goblin King is the second novel in the Permafrost series heavily inspired by Norse mythology. In this novel Janneke retains the stag’s mantle but is unable to harness her new powers. Unsure where to turn for help she seeks out advice from some unlikely characters. Soren has taken his position as the new Erlking with Janneke, as his equal, by his side. Tensions rise between the two as Soren struggles to protect a much stronger Janneke and still fulfil his new duties as Erlking. Several characters from the first novel are brought back as Janneke and Soren's most trusted friends and advisors. The group journeys to Hel in order to stop Ragnarök and must face against all the horrors the underworld throws at them. Although I enjoyed White Stag more, this was still an entertaining read with lots of magic, monsters, and mayhem throughout. I am not sure if there is a plan for a third book but hinted that we might get more adventures in the Permafrost saga.

When Kara Barbieri burst onto the scene in 2019 with their debut novel White Stag I was enraptured. You can check out my review of that novel here (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863517-white-stag?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=LgevtEHDfu&rank=1) but suffice to say that I loved it. The story. The new lore. The romance. So I was equally excited for the sequel to arrive.
In Goblin King we catch up to Janneke one month after the events of White Stag. It’s quite difficult not to give spoilers for that book, as the events of Goblin King rely on it heavily. Go back and read it first.
Janneka and Soren are adjusting to their roles as *spoiler* and *spoiler* surrounded by old friends and new. This was one thing I did not like about the book: the new characters seemed to be thrust into the plot from nowhere, with only a month to build the seemingly-deep connections they have to our main characters. I wanted more backstory.
To me, this book falls into typical second-novel-in-a-series rut. It seems to function as a device for getting everyone into their places for Act 3, and does not stand well on its own. The main plot is about everyone trying to help Janneke use her new powers and prevent the literal end of the world(s). On that note, I also felt like I was drinking Norse mythology from a fire hose trying to keep up with all of the new terrible beings that exist in the world. With only a few mentions of these creatures in the first book, I was not expecting them to feature so heavily.
Unfortunately, I thought this was a lackluster addition to what started as a stunning series. Poor character development, too much lore and a weak plot. 2 stars. Let’s hope the author does better on the next one.

Definitely like the cover on Goodreads more than the one displayed on netgalley.

“Goblin King” sees Permafrost facing a threat unlike any other as its Stag suffers from the monster lurking in her head and the only way to save those she loves is to go to the ends of the world facing off with monsters and creatures of mythology to stop Ragnorok.

This book would have benefited from different pacing.

While it’s no secret I adored everything about White Stag this book was a lot harder to fall into. I needed a brief refresher before starting which I absolutely recommend as I had forgotten some of the quieter beats of the first which meant more here but I just couldn’t get into it like I would have liked and I’m not sure if it’s because so much was thrown at us in such little time or if it was just an overall weaker story.

The first book benefited from having a single arc running through it which allowed us to get to know the characters and develop their relationships while also delivering on a solid story but with this I felt like there was a lot going on in order to build up the cliffhanger and none of it was too successful. We get some good moments between some of our favorite characters and some interesting bits of mythology that I wasn’t aware of but they never got a chance to breathe because as soon as one threat was active it was dispatched in a handful of sentences before stumbling head first into another creature and though it was pressing to keep moving forward there was a lot of personal moments that needed attention and the story as well as the other characters blatantly said there wasn’t time and to get over it despite them being pretty life changing and even once we reached the end there was no further discussion and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I think this might be a series I have to read all at once when they are finished because I’d hate to see a story I loved and spoke about so passionately to others could end up with a sequel that was rather lackluster but hopefully book 3 can turn it around.

**special thanks the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I love it when Wattpad books are published so I could not with to read this sequel. I loved it on Wattpad and it did not disappoint when I read this fully finished. I will be recommending this book to the patrons of my library.

I really loved The White Stag, so I had high expectations for Goblin King. Sadly the book didn't quite meet them. Whereas the story in the first book captivated me, this one failed to hold my interest. It felt like a monster-per-chapter tale that just wanted to introduce every creature from Norse myth. What bugged me most, though, was the repetition. Several times, information we had already been told was rehashed again as one character explained it to another who hadn't been there the first time. On one occasion the same story/information was told on three separate occasions. This kind of thing is extremely dull for readers and suggests the need for further editing. That's not to say the book didn't have any good points. Some of the battle scenes were entertaining, and I liked the fact that Janneke and Soren were dealing with new issues and both showed flaws in their characters that they fought to overcome. Second books in series can sometimes be a bit hit and miss, so my lacklustre feelings towards this one won't necessarily stop me from reading the next installment, but it is a shame Goblin King couldn't quite match the excellence of The White Stag.

I’m not sure if the title is suitable for this book. Although Sorin is king the book isn’t really about him but instead more about Janneke coming into her power as the white stag and saving the world. This is a great YA book. A great introduction of Erlking genre. I did find myself skipping paragraphs that I found boring but it didn’t stop me from continuing on. I like the meat of the storyline and look forward to how the story unfolds. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a great sequel to White Stag. I love erlking stories and retellings so this was clearly my jam but the author has given the series unique touches which makes this story entirely her own. I think the writing has matured and gained assurance since book one too. A great YA fantasy series.

So ever since Labrynth came out when I was a kid I have always loved Goblin stories. White stag started this series and this was a phenomenal second part.

What did I like? This is storytelling at its finest. I really enjoyed the mythical beasts and the group of people accompanying Erlking and the Stag on their quest to save the world. The plot just sucked me in as we watch Janneke still struggling with accepting being the Stag, and her relationship with Soren takes a beating.

Would I recommend or buy? Yes... I just love this genre. There isn’t enough books on this so every one is a keeper. I have really enjoyed this series and the peek at the end says book three will be amazing too.

Thoughts for the author? Congratulations on your release! Fantastic five stars❤️❤️❤️

I tried reading this READ NOW book because I love YA fantasy and the premise sounded intriguing, but I had no idea that this was the second book in a series. It makes zero sense if you're trying to read it without reading any context, so I had to DNF it.