Do I need to read The Last Child before this one? Bonnie Shockey It is a sequel. However, it isn't necessary to read it to enjoy this book. Will give you more context on the references to his childhood. Very much …more It is a sequel. Very much worth the read. I might have missed it but was there ever any mention of Jack's brother? It said his dad got 20 years; his mom crazy with religion! Christine Dundas The brother was mentioned. I think he served some time in Juvenile detention.
He was a senior when it happened. See all 5 questions about The Hush…. Lists with This Book.
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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Be warned though, this might not be what you had in mind when you thought about a follow-up. Hush Arbor or The Hush —6, acres of dense woods, swamp, rocky terrain, creatures and spookiness—is known for having a bit of a shady history.
Once belonging to Johnny's ancestors, but ultimately signed over to a group of freed slaves, the land reverted back to Johnny on a technicality after the death of one of the pivotal characters from The Last Child. People that step foot on the land experience a host of things—weightiness, the sense of being watched, hours unaccounted for, disorientation and for some, it costs them the ultimate price.
Who or what are the strange beings that now inhabit the land and torture the visitors? Again, not a storyline that got my blood pumping. You pick the adjective. While this is technically a follow-up, in no way is The Last Child required reading beforehand. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. View all 94 comments. John now as an adult lives a solitary life in a cabin he built, on the land he loves. He sees few, but he and Jack are still best friends. Some people find him strange and dangerous, for others he holds almost a mythical reputation.
The Hush is a place like no other. Things happen here that can not be explained, and many have lost their minds, their lives, or both trying to walk through this land. For Johnny it is a place of magic, things he can see and feel, things that don't seem right, but mean home to him. But his land is in danger, legally and out worldly ,there are people that want the power for themselves. The Hush has seen gross injustice, terrible deaths and a great love that unleashes a powerful persona.
Can a place like this really exist? A great mix of people and their motives in this novel as well. Much belief must be put aside when reading this. It won me over because it was the nature of the book, the legend of the place and the experiences of the characters within this book. It was true to the story. There is violence, strange experiences, but the writing for the most part I found very powerful. I was pulled into the story, skepticism and all. Does some land contain traces of past violence, I believe it can, that some places have the ability to reach out to the present, whether with just uneasy feelings, or strange sightings.
This writer has the amazing ability to take me to places I've never been, to fully enter this strange world he has concocted. It is also a novel about a great friendship and a family's unconditional love. When I am truly immersed in a book, loving what I'm reading I try to make it last as long as possible. Force myself to put it down and read something else, which is what I did with this book. This is why I am giving it five stars. All may not feel this way and I can understand that too, as I said reality must be suspended. The ending I did think may have been somewhat over the top, but it does provide explanations and closure.
View all 41 comments. Nov 06, Karen rated it it was amazing. Ten years have passed since the tragedies in The Last Child, and their bond of friendship is as tight as ever. Jack is now a lawyer and Johnny owns a lot of land left to him from his fathers side and within that land is The Hush where he lives his solitary life in a small cabin.
Sinister things happen here due to events of the past! Very very sinister things! John Hart never disappoints! Such a great storyteller! Digital galley from NetGalley and St. View all 49 comments. Oct 19, Jen rated it really liked it. Hush reader - don't say a word. I wish I could tell you don't be afraid, but I can't. Hart delivers an undeniable, intriguing sequel to The Last Child. Johnny's story continues as does his relationship with his childhood best friend, Jack. There is a lot of land at stake but what's on the land is what makes it invaluable, haunting and frightening.
This land, Hush Arbor, was a land where slaves died and Johnny's ancestors owned. Johnny lives on this land now and when Jack visits, he Hush reader - don't say a word. Johnny lives on this land now and when Jack visits, he senses something amiss in Johnny. The black pupils; the distant look; the sleepwalking; the cold chill that accompanies the unknown.
There is some black magic happening here and history and secrets of the past are revealed. Mystical realism isn't usually my thing, but it was done well if not a little over the top. I think Hart took a chance but I'm biased and still adore him. He cast a spell over me. View all 68 comments. The Hush is now available! I am slow to read synopses. I often skip them, or at the least, forget them once I pick up a book. I rely on authors I love, reviews from friends, and sometimes I can't resist a pretty cover! In this case, John Hart. I fell hard for The Last Child when I read it a couple weeks back.
It was just about the perfect book in my mind. The characters, Johnny and Jack, I don't think I've ever "met" two more devoted friends. Their poignant vulnerability tw The Hush is now available! Their poignant vulnerability twisted my heart. But here's the thing. The Hush is a continuation of Jack and Johnny's lives as adults; however, the book has a completely different feel than The Last Child almost from the start.
Where TLC was a suspenseful mystery with well-developed, vividly drawn, corporeal characters, The Hush takes on a more supernatural, magical, earthy, a little out-there feel. So all of this to say, I wish I had gone in to The Hush with a completely open mind. I wish that the supernatural-ness hadn't bothered me a little because at times I found it hard-to-follow. But all the same, I am grateful to have gotten an update on Jack and Johnny.
I have high hopes that this won't be the last we see of these noteworthy friends.
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For this and other wonderful reviews, please check out the Traveling Sisters' blog: Martin's Press, John Hart, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. View all 58 comments. Dec 04, Debra rated it really liked it Shelves: Well, that was not what I was expecting I did not read "The Last Child" and found that this book worked well as a stand-alone novel for me. Although, I was not privy to the events of that book prior to reading this one, I felt the Author did a good job describing how close Johnny and Jack were and have been since childhood.
How each feels a closeness and kinship with the other. Of course, there were references to events in the past, but I don't feel that not having k Well, that was not what I was expecting Of course, there were references to events in the past, but I don't feel that not having knowledge of them affected my enjoyment of this book in any way. Johnny Merrimon lives in a Cabin on the six thousand acres of land that he inherited from his father's side of the family. Johnny's ancestors owned the land which contained the swamp and rocky sections. A distant relative signed over the land to freed slaves and the land reverted to Johnny when the last male relative of the freed slave died.
Johnny values his privacy and enjoys living off the land. One part of the land he owns is called "the Hush" and he is drawn to the Hush and seems at times to be attuned to it. He mainly comes into town for supplies and has been known to run off anyone who attempts to hunt or travel onto his land. Johnny knows this land has secrets and he is more than willing to protect those secrets even if he means keeping secrets from the people who care about him.
Jack Cross is an attorney and he enjoys attempting to sneak up on Johnny in the woods but Johnny always seems to sense him coming. Jack understands Johnny's desire for privacy, but he has concerns about the land and his friend's connection to it. Jack fears what he feels and what he observes of his friend's behavior in the swamp. He worries about his friend's safety and his mental status. Jack does not appear to feel the heaviness or other symptoms other's feel when they step foot on Johnny's land, but he does feel the eerie cold and senses danger.
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I do not want to say much else about the plot as I don't want to give any spoilers. I was not expecting this from John Hart. There is a whole other story going on here, but I don't want to give anything away except to say that Johnny is not the only character in the book with a connection to the land. There are others who are connected to land as well. Their stories are also told, and we see more of them as the plot unfolds.
Well written, eerie, dark and entertaining. I found this to be good story-telling. Sure, you have to suspend some disbelief, but the tale is a good one. I can see how this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it worked for me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. See more of my reviews at www. View all 20 comments. Nov 21, Kendall rated it liked it Shelves: I was so thrilled to get my hands on an advanced arc of John Hart's new novel! The Hush is a little different then what I'm used to experiencing from John Hart.
I absolutely LOVE having a hint of magic in my novels The las I was so thrilled to get my hands on an advanced arc of John Hart's new novel! The last percent of the book I was pretty miserable. I just couldn't get past the supernatural aspect and was wondering to myself I wasn't satisfied with it at all. I honestly was bummed and was expecting more from Hart: The Hush is hinted to be a continuation from the Last Child but in no way do you need to read The Last Child beforehand. I would definitely go into this one with an open mind But, I do have to say that John Hart is an incredible storyteller and I have been in awe with his talent.
I may not have enjoyed this as much as I have his previous novels but again I look forward to what I see next from Hart ;. Please check out the Traveling Sisters' fantastic blog: Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced arc in exchange for an honest review. View all 44 comments. We read The Hush with three of our Traveling Sisters and we were all really excited to read it as we all absolutely loved The Last Child. It did work for some of us though but not as well for e 3. It did work for some of us though but not as well for everyone.
I think for some of us if we would have read the synopsis or researched the book a little better we would have enjoyed it that much more as some of us really do love a little dark magic and the supernatural within the storyline. There was definitely some need to suspend disbelief here and we really needed to focus on the story and accept the black magic and the supernatural as part of the storyline to make this one work. This was hard for some of us to do especially Brenda.
Once some of us did accept it and we started to understand where the story was going, especially for me Norma then it was an enjoyable read. For Brenda she never did and was completely lost throughout this whole story. We loved the relationship between Johnny and Jack and really would've liked to have seen that explored some more. We loved the way they protected and cared for each other and we could really feel their loyalty, friendship, and love that they had for one another giving the story a warm feeling. The ending left some of us confused and we thought our discussion was really helpful and enjoyable as we worked out the ending amongst ourselves, pulling the story together for some of us especially Brenda.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. All of our Traveling Sisters Reviews can be found on our sister blog: View all 38 comments. Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. What is the truth of Hush Arbor? A mist rises through the trees, shimmering and glimmering with tricks of light.
The vast swamp lies low, heavy and shifting. The very stillness is disquieting. A bitter old woman kneels under an ancient tree, her prayers full of spite and rancor. Two lifelong friends share a debt that continues to weigh heavily years after the fact. As deadly secrets come to light, the fate of Hush Ar Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review. As deadly secrets come to light, the fate of Hush Arbor and its inhabitants hangs in the balance.
My only quibble is with the ending, which seemed to lose the mystique that had carried the tale, a complete change of tone. It may be that it was necessary in order to wind things down. Other than that, I felt like I had hit the jackpot. John Hart tells a great story. View all 25 comments. Nov 16, Linda rated it really liked it Shelves: It's all there churning in the underbelly of Hush Arbor in Raven County. The Last Child redux. John Hart sets down the characters of Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross, once again, in the periphery of their own natural habitats. Their friendship locks in tightly and never skips a beat even from the mysterious shooting from 10 years ago.
Secrets serve as steely links in an unbreakable bond between these two men that was rooted in the mud and the mire of u Water Moccasin, Copperhead, Black Swamp Water. Secrets serve as steely links in an unbreakable bond between these two men that was rooted in the mud and the mire of unspeakable past events. Johnny continues to live on the acre upon acre land that has been in his family since the 's. Resilient beyond words, Johnny hunts, fishes, and grows an enormous garden in order to sustain himself.
Although "land rich", his money prospects are drying up. His mother, Catherine, and his stepfather, Clyde, are among the few that interact with him. Jack Cross has come full circle since his childhood days in Hush Arbor. He now has a law degree and has ventured back into the shadowy segments of Raven County once again.
His concern for Johnny prompts him into recommending that Johnny discuss his financial situation with Leslie Green, an appellate lawyer in the same law firm as Jack. Perhaps Johnny can benefit from this treasure of land. But the thread that lifts and falls frequently at the core of this storyline is the eerie goings-on in regard to this land of Johnny's and what transpired so very long ago. We cannot escape the past and the past has no reason to escape its host.
It is in this genre of magical realism that Hart uses as his vehicle for the layers of his storyline.
It works to some degree, but it also breathes like forced air in a mine shaft. A lot of space to fill in a short amount of time. Storytelling is what John Hart does best. You find yourself leaning in, absorbing every word. And he crafts those words like the wordsmith that he truly is. He can create a scene in soft whispers and then ratchet it up, unexpectantly, into a sonic boom.
You need not have read The Last Child in order to read this one. Ironically, few elements are the same and many elements are not in the same wheelhouse. A different avenue for Hart, and yet, a longing for the familiar shimmer that makes Hart I received a copy of The Hush through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the very talented John Hart for the opportunity.
View all 15 comments. Feb 11, Esil rated it it was ok Shelves: There are so many enthusiastic reviews. But, oh boy, at times how irked I felt! Here are my top three complaints: I kept hoping the supernatural aspects of the book would die down or be explained away, but they only escalated to what felt like absurd proportions by the end. It soon became tiresome.
There is so much good writing about this topic and there is still so much to be written about this topic. But my spidey sense kept telling me that there was something awry in the way Hart approaches the topic. The melodramatic supernatural plot just seems to be a bad fit for such a raw and difficult part of American history. But, again, I am very much in the minority in my reaction to this book. Based on the reviews so far, The Hush will obviously appeal to many readers. My apologies to Debbie as I shamelessly borrowed her complaint board without asking first. And thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an advance copy.
View all 47 comments.
The Lastchild
Fans of magical realism. Johnny is living a life of solitude on the 6, acres he inherited from his ancestors. Jack is now an attorney. This book steeped in magical realism and the supernatural is totally different from The Last Child, but not unwelcomed. Sinister, dark magical power. A bit of Norse mythology with goblins? TW Mention of rape. At first, I couldn't figure out what bothered me about this story. I read it, and then read it again, trying to figure out why I just didn't feel comfortable with it. Then, after thinking on it, I realized what was wrong.
The main character's rape is used for shock value. It's brought up again and again, to either reinforce how 'bad' the bad guy is, or to force sympathy for the character. It's a go to whenever the character is upset. It's a constant reminder bashed over our h TW Mention of rape. It's a constant reminder bashed over our head whenever the author wants to elicit empathy for a character that doesn't deserve it.
The rape is only in the story because the author said, "How can I elicit empathy for this character? How can I make people feel reeeeaaaallly bad for her? I've already tortured her, and enslaved her, and given her severe scarring and mild dysphoria I'll have her be a rape victim too.
It's just a label thats been slapped on the main character's forehead to create a 'tortured protagonist.
See a Problem?
Now the rape isn't the only issue I have with this book, though it is the largest, and most contributing factor to this review. The story itself is simply a mix of everything Sarah J. Maas has ever written, with the word goblins in place of Fae. Goblins are more decidedly not creatures of unearthly beauty. Spend exactly five seconds on google images, and you can see that.
Goblins are short, sharp toothed, and they like stealing stuff. They look like Dobby after six years of doing meth. The first time I read the book, I kept imagining a three foot tall monster thing following her around. The author could have chosen a myth that fit the characters she presented more closely , or taken some extra time and energy and created a race of her own.
Hell, even changelings would have worked, with a bit of explanation and worldbuilding. Speaking of worldbuilding, there was very little. All we know about goblins is that most of them apparently live in the palace, there's ice everywhere, and they like killing each other. How did the humans and goblins come together? Why is the stag so important in becoming King? One of the characters later calls it a 'game. The Stags in Norse mythology "eat among the branches of the World Tree Yggdrasill," and quite possibly represent the four winds.
There's another stag who such large horns that he creates rivers. I am far from an expert on this, so if I am wrong please correct me, but as far as I'm aware, there is no great stag in the mythology. Don't get me wrong, I know worldbuilding is hard as hell, but a loose base can be formed around the ideas of a certain culture. Nothing irritates me more when authors simply pluck out bits and pieces of research that they like, slap it in the story, and wipe their hands of the things that 'aren't important.
The author is a good writer overall. She knows her way around a story, and the pacing was good. I even liked the main character at times, and I think that with a bit of editing, she can be a great protagonist. But the carelessness with which the rape was treated ruined it for me. I won't be continuing to read. View all 6 comments. I love dark fantasy stories that involve the folk and jumped on the opportunity to read and review White Stag. I discovered the origins of this story after I had started it so cool!
That said, this story needs A LOT of work still. The premise is very interesting and I enjoyed the main characters, Janneke and Soren, but the plot only gets more confusing and is all over the place. The writing could use a fine-toothed comb. I was so confused about how the lordships worked, where the different lords actually LIVED and just the general lifestyle of the goblins. And that gets me into another issue I had. When you think of a goblin, what do you picture? So, what do you picture when you think of goblins?
Probably not creatures with ethereal beauty. The author took all of the concepts of faeries and elves and essentially slapped the word goblin on them. I get that goblins are folk as well, but this was not a goblin story. Also - Lydian is a terrible creature but also a highly confusing character and antagonist.
Sure, he is five blocks away from sane - but there really was NO explanation at all as to his actions and incoherent ramblings. It felt as though we were building up to this huge reveal behind his craziness, but it never came. Which saddens me, because I was so excited for this and wanted to read it so badly. Things I did like about this was the romance and growth of the two main characters. I felt like this was done well and felt believable. Janneke and Soren compliment each other nicely. Additionally, I enjoyed the idea of the Erlking and point of the stag hunt.
These two things are what kept me pushing through this story, though it STILL took me two-and-a-half weeks to finish it. Overall - I did read an ARC and can only hope a lot of the plot issues have been cleared up before publication. Twilight meets Game of Thrones? Sign me the fuck up!
Not gonna lie, if I'm on netgalley and see the word "goblin" I just start clicking buttons Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! For years, she was lived among goblins. She has suffered a lifetime of hurt but continues to struggle, to fight all with the hope of one day returning to the human world. But then she learns that she is changing and it may be too late to go back.
White Stag chronicles the journey of a young woman as she comes to terms with who and what she is, and struggles with herself to discover just what it is she truly wants and what sort of life she truly wants to live. How I feel about the main cast Characters: Janneke Soren Seppo Lydian Romance: I'll be honest I was rather charmed from the start because some of the elements are quite reminiscent to a few of my favorites series.
That said, the book is a pretty solid read on its own.
Huge thank you to Wednesday Books! Sep 29, mo is currently reading it. Goblins, a wintry setting, and a main character possibly becoming a monster? Plus an MC becoming more monster than human?!?! I desperately need this. All signed up for the blog tour for this beautiful book! My date is January 12th - stay tuned for that Aug 26, A. As I approach the final chapters of White Stag, I must admit; at times I felt disgusted, frustrated, and wanted to give up.
Indeed, despite the five star review that I have finally decided upon, I have had to restart this book twice over the past year. I'm surely not the only reader who will feel this. White Stag challenges us in a way that we often have the mental construction to overlook. The Journey of WS's allegorical wars lies parallel to our own struggles, be it with loss, death, addiction, mental illness, etc. White Stag drags us through those moments, and their associated feelings, that we'd much rather forget, or at least let fade into the mist.
Rebuilding ourselves into the thing we once hated, on barren soil, is a task that when accomplished, is a vision filled with glory, strength, confidence, control. The hard part of it all is admitting that most of the time it was US who embodied these qualities. Often we were ready to give up, give in, die in shame. It was those around us, nurses, doctors, therapists, priests, whomever who, despite our pushing them away, kept faith in us. I realized while reading White Stag that it is not so much a story about Jenneke, but about her transformation, her growth, and no, it wasn't a glorious journey; She needed help, and would not have survived on our own.
The author puts forward this beautifully allegorical tale that can touch each and every one of us on some level. It reminds us that we wanted to give up, had all reason to given who we were at the time, but that it was the faith of others in us, no matter how much we tried to pin it on self interest of the other party, that, be it to prove them right or wrong, or through sheer force of will, we overcame. White Stag also reminds us that the sheer force of will is not a character strength, it's something in our makeup, a static factor.
It cannot be nurtured, for it is a fail-safe feature. For me, White Stag will remain a difficult though absolutely powerful story. It is in my mind a reminder of the importance of my Catholic family that adopted me and helped me lose what I thought I had to be; completely independent. I once thought that it was my own 'inner spirituality' that got me through, but all along it was the help, never acknowledged or admitted, not even countenanced, of people who had good in them.
Now, my interpretation of White Stag as being a spiritual journey in my own particular line of sight by no means confines it to that corner of the literary spectrum, though for me all literature is informed by the Soul. Anyone can find their own meaning, a powerful one at that, in White Stag. If you have not yet read this story, please do; I promise it will challenge you.
As well; as a long life fan of fantasy and roleplaying, I find White Stag to occupy a very unique niche in fantasy, a niche often attempted but rarely done well. The darker forces of fantasy, in our age of taking anti-heroes to the extreme, has so often simply put 'good' humans into the bodies and challenges of a 'dark' race, be in vampires, werewolves, orcs, dark elves, etc. White Stag very effectively shows the naivete of such efforts, and should be lauded for its uncompromising delve into the psyche of the ostricized individual and group, culture, race, whatever.
Rather than finding the similarities by trying to explain and excuse, White Stag shows us the monster in ourselves, and let's us come to an understanding of it. Oct 01, Dianne rated it it was amazing Shelves: 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. 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? 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. Permafrost - Book 1 Publisher: Wednesday Books January 8, Publication Date: January 8, Genre: Nov 22, Olivia Farr rated it it was amazing Shelves: Since then, she has been a thrall slave to goblins. The first goblin Lydian who enslaved her tortured her see warnings below before giving her as a gift to his nephew Soren.
Soren has treated her quite differently, a "White Stag" is a really fantastic YA fantasy that I was absolutely pulled into and found it hard to put down. Janneke both fears and hates Lydian, determined to kill him but frightened of the terrible torture he inflicted on her.
At a goblin gathering, she begins to fight with him and thus Soren joins in to protect her. The fight ends because the Erlking goblin king has died and the stag has been released. The white stag is the embodiment of the goblin king's power and belongs to the strongest goblin. The deadly hunt begins, all the goblins who wish to become king heading out to find the stag and become the next king, forming temporary alliances and frequently backstabbing.
Before they leave, Soren tells Janneke something she finds quite frightening- she may be joining with the permafrost as a changeling, transforming into the "monsters" she fears- a goblin. Determined to fight it with every beat of her heart, Janneke is thrust even further into the dangerous realm and the deadly politics that are arising. Full of magical creatures, battles, and even a touch of romance, this book was absolutely incredible, and I really loved every step of the journey. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who loves engaging YA fantasy.
This was a really important and intriguing discussion which underlies a lot of the epiphanies in the book. To add to that, the characters were all very well fleshed out and there were so many I really enjoyed, especially Seppo, but also of course the main two of Soren and Janneke. Overall, I really loved this story, and I cannot wait until the next is released. This was an incredible world, and I absolutely loved every second I spent in it. Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own. Oct 04, Katie rated it really liked it.
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in return for an unbiased review.
White Stag (Permafrost, #1) by Kara Barbieri
Sorry these always take so long. I had real difficulty getting into this book, and then I read that the author used to write on Wattpad, and it all made sense. Quite quickly though the pace picked up and the plot began to come through. One element I absolutely adored was the Norse mythology and settings, seeing the history of Janneke and her understanding and religious experiences was beautiful.
I loved this and I got Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in return for an unbiased review. I loved this and I got into the ideas and aspects of this religion. I think that this was by far one of my favourite parts of the book. Alongside this, I found it really interesting that Janneke was in a seventeen year old's body but had lived in the permafrost for over years.
I found this a marvelous take on the modern young adult fantasy and even more so that Janneke was so scarred. Her body was broken and she suffered incredibly emotional damage. I haven't seen something so heartbreaking and incredibly devastating as this knowledge and understanding of what Janneke had gone through. Furthermore, I enjoyed the romance and the characters, finding that we were introduced slowly and came to know each and every person that came into the story. As well as this, the romance bloomed slowly, in fact, it takes about years.
This was very enjoyable! The world building is gorgeous and the plot twist at the end was fantastic. I highly, highly recommend this book and can't wait to buy it! Oct 02, erica rated it liked it Shelves: Y'all, I am so torn about this book! I finished it last night and decided to wait another day before writing my review, just to sort out my thoughts First of all, this is a book about sexy goblins.
But this shouldn't be a stretch for anyone who's seen Labyrinth: White Stag opens in a palace in the Permafrost , where the Erlking is seated on his throne next to a whit Y'all, I am so torn about this book! 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: 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. 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: 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.
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 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. Barbieri inserts a few passages at the very end of the book trying to explain why the stag is so important etc. 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: Now, as she's transforming into one of them, she begins to hate them anymore. Soren is 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.
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. Maas at times, swapping out the sexy Faeries for sexy Goblins. 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. 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 , available for pre-order now.
ARC provided by St.