The Goblins of Bellwater is a great example of the new adult genre, it would make a nice transition for readers still interested in young adult style romance, but wanting something more grown up. Goblins has excellent pacing and I read most of it within a few days. Some of the dialogue tends to lean toward the mundane, but overall there is excellent character and relationship development tied up in the conversations. The latter half of the book dragged as Livy set out on her elemental quests, I would have liked this part of the book more if those trials been incorporated into the plot rather than being straightforward follow-the-path type quest. The atmosphere was very creepy and the writing shined when describing the goblin environment and world, it would have been interesting to spend more time with the goblins and the dark forest. I loved that the fae and goblins are incorporated into the natural world, the fae experience imbalances and invasive species along with natural ecosystems.

This is a haunting tale of power, of bewitchment, of the capabilities of humans against the supernatural forces of Bellwater. It's quite possibly the first contemporary book I have read with goblins, and that makes it unique in itself. The novel takes inspiration Christina Rossetti's eerie, sensual poem, "Goblin Market", and it definitely translated as a dark and beautiful faerie tale on the pages. Molly Ringle is a fantastic storyteller, and The Goblins of Bellwater delivers on showcasing a town living in unison with magic, fables, and an ancient curse that haunts our four protagonists.

From the very beginning, the atmosphere of the novel is set as Ringle effortlessly slips Washington into the picture. I imagined clouded skies, enchanted forests, things that go bump in the night (it lowkey gave me Twilight vibes, but let's pretend I didn't say that). There's a vibrancy in the setting that will easily immerse you in the story.

Then we meet Kit, forced into a curse following his great grandmother, appeasing the goblins until he slips up and they retaliate, dragging local artist Skye and her environmentalist sister Livy into the story. Upon reading the first few pages, Kit's encounter with the goblins bore all signs of the classic warnings against dealing with faeries and creatures of the forest. It's cleverly done and sets the tone for the tale.

From there, it's a tough balance between bewitched and reality, but through the perspective of Skye - the victim of the goblin curse - you become intrigued as Skye slowly unravels, goblin magic taking over her body. As Livy attempts to bring Skye back to her normal self, Kit's visiting cousin, Grady, is dragged into the conflict through an enchanted kiss from Skye.

Considering the novel is split between four perspectives, the character development is realistic for such a short novel. I personally enjoyed Livy's perspective and journey much more than the others; her rational thinking keeps us grounded, and it's even more compelling to read her side as she develops the courage to overcome an ancient curse she thought only existed in fairy tales.

With that said and done, why didn't I love it as much as I wanted to?

The pace of the novel started to slow down. Encounters between Grady and Skye were repetitive, and despite their situation, a bit frustrating. While they were cursed, it was ambiguous whether they were both on the same page or were simply rolling with it because, you know, they're both bewitched. In all honesty, it was an uncomfortable scenario and I felt that some scenes between them didn't impact their relationship at all. On the other hand, Kit and Livy's relationship, while much more normal, also stagnated and there didn't feel like there was much progress in the story until the last third when everything suddenly became more thrilling.

Overall, The Goblins of Bellwater is an enjoyable tale, filled with dark forest encounters, magic, and folklore reminiscent of the classic, gritty feeling of the Grimm Brothers.

Actual rating: 3.5/5.

I have given The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle a ☆☆☆ rating.

Today’s review is a little different. I’m not going to split it into good and bad parts. I’m just going to tell it like it is and see if that’s a format I like better. As always, my reviews may contain spoilers because what’s a spoiler for you, may not be a spoiler for me.

Verdict:

First, just take a look at that cover and tell me how incredibly stunning it looks!

1. Molly Ringle writes a damn good setting!

Picture an island covered in mist, fog and cold where the buildings are always half-shrouded in clingy cold and a dark forest looms behind the houses and streets. That’s the entire vibe surrounding The Goblins of Bellwater and it’s absolutely magical! Molly Ringle writes a stellar paranormal, suspense and romance novel. Her writing evokes the right feelings and is incredibly atmospheric. More often than not, I felt I was in the forest right by Livy’s side. I could feel every squish of ground and every tree. It was that beautiful.

2. The plot is fast, dark and will send chills down your spine!

I wouldn’t say the plot is extremely unique, it was entertaining and fast-paced. If you’re used to cutesy, dancing goblins (they were described almost like the trolls in Frozen but more grotesque), [insert frozen trolls] then be prepared for an intensely dark version of them, so disturbing and so wicked in their actions. It really brings to mind the true origins of fairytales where these creatures were wicked and weren’t to be trusted.

3.. The romance wasn’t quite organic!

While I appreciated all the romance and we’re told upfront that it’s a romance novel, I wish the focus didn’t surround the couples. I wish it had flowed naturally along with the fantasy plot instead of the latter being relegated second place. By the end of the book, I was honestly wishing for a huge twist where they would break up because they were too traumatised by all the goblin shit they had gone through.

4. Molly Ringle tells a great fantasy story! I want to see her write high fantasy!

Because whenever there were fantasy bits in The Goblins of Bellwater, I was gripping the edge of my seat. The scenes where Livy was battling the four elements (I wish this was played up more instead of towards the end of the book) and conversing with the other fairytale creatures, it was the most stunning parts of The Goblins of Bellwater. Even the history surrounding the goblins had me thirsting for more. I’m almost hoping that there’s a book two just so I can have more fantasy!

5. Livy is badass and awesome!

At some points, Livy reminds me of Aelin of Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass. She has so much strength and devotion to her sister (and boyfriend and sister’s booty call). Plus, she didn’t want to get between the warring factions of fairytale creatures but was forced into it anyway because she’s the only one who can do it.

6. Bad sex is bad sex!

Speaking of boyfriends and booty calls, there’s some sex in The Goblins of Bellwater. And, it’s bad sex. I’ve read a lot of sexy times in tons of historical romances and romances (yup, your girl is an addict) as well as new adult books (The Addiction series never gets old). This just wasn’t working for me; it was awkward, stifled and especially between Grady and Skye, a little forced. Some bits were erotic but most of the time, I wish they would end. There’s also some fade to blacks which I didn’t appreciate because if you’re going to write a sex scene in a new adult book, do it! The audience isn’t some little cringing kid and if so, wtv. Sex is a human function

7. Act your age, kids!

Speaking of bad sex, there’s something strange going on with Livy and Kit’s personalities as they act like they’re in their thirties instead of mid-twenties. Kit always laments about how he’s been a bachelor for forever when he’s only 24. Plus, they seem very parental towards Grady and Skye. I’m older than my sister by two years and sure, I boss her around but I’m not her mom! And Kit always seems like a doting dad towards Grady. It’s just a little awkward to read, considering that they have good relationships with their parents and it’s not like they had to fill any parental shoes.

8. Family matters!
But you know what’s really great about The Goblins of Bellwater is the non-shipping relationships. I have a younger sister and I’ve mentioned her more than once in my reviews. She and my young brother are my driving force for why I request so many family-oriented YA texts. Because family means the world to me. So, it’s awesome that the relationship between Skye and Livy is so strong and so normal. They aren’t estranged or going through some ridiculous drama. They’re just sisters who love each other. Although Grady and Kit are just cousins, their relationship is also equally as strong and healthy as the girls’.

Conclusion:

To sum it up, The Goblins of Bellwater was a wild, exhilarating ride. I never wanted it to end and wished it would go on much longer (the paperback is estimated to be less than 300 pages). This deserves a lot more than three stars but there were too many quirks I couldn’t ignore and had to dock a second star instead of the initial four stars I wanted to give only because it took my breath away with how good it was.

Four twenty-somethings fall in love when they become mixed up with the local goblins.
Skye and Livvy are sisters who live adjacent to the Washington National Forest where they both have always dreamt of seeing the local fae. Nearby, Kit runs his auto repair shop while he secretly tries to keep the humans in the area safe. When Grady, his cousin, comes to stay with him Kit is unable to meet the goblins gold quota and so they find a human to curse...

So you're also attracted to the cover, right?!
I LOVE fae! So pair that fae rich title with an elegant and intriguing cover and I am sold! I found the cover simply gorgeous and while the vegetation has zero to do with the plot it created this atmosphere that was quite present in the story: a slightly creepy but lush vibe.

I don't know about goblins though...?
One of the things that attracted me to the premise was the idea of exploring just a tiny bit of the fae world. Most fantasy books touch on many different kinds of fae right from the start so I was intrigued that the author had enough story to write an entire book about mainly goblins. And I felt like the story delivered on the premise! We literally get to experience what it means to turn into a goblin! Woah! It was a wild ride... we got just enough information in the beginning to get a sense of the world, more explanation about the goblins later and a great climax that was somewhat unexpected. It's not the type of world building that gives you a wide sense of what other stories could come from it but it served the story well and wasn't shallow.

Okay, well I heard there are FOUR POVS... that can't be well written, can it?
Actually having never read Molly Ringle before I was pleasantly surprised at the superior writing!! Grady comes into the story a little later than the others but I really felt that all 4 POVs were different from one another and stood in well for each of the characters. I was never confused about who I was reading... THIS IS A FEAT!

Really its HARD to actually have 4 different narratives sound different and so this success eclipsed some of the small problems. For one there was too much telling in spots. Quite a good chunk was balanced well with telling through dialogue and then showing feelings through actions but this slipped in spots and became quite glaring a time or two. This is hard to be consistent in and probably bothered me more than it would a regular reader.

If Skye can't talk about what happened to her... how is there much of a story?!
Storycraft is something I harp on a lot on my blog and it's very important that characters are developed properly - this book did that decently well! I enjoyed the role that each character played in the story and that the typical trope of male saves female was turned on its head. When everything came out it was in the MOST NATURAL WAY POSSIBLE... I found this a brilliant bit of storycraft and development! FINALLY NOT A COINCIDENCE!

A LARGE part of the book was the developing relationships between the couples. This was the weakest part of the story. It wasn't insta-love and time passed between "dates" but there was NO OTHER PLOT through here. Their connections would have been more believable if there were other things happening with the fae that could give a real sense of time passing as well as take the focus off the quick advancement from a couple dates to friends with benefits.

WAIT, I'm still stuck on 4 POVs... how can I relate to that many characters?!
First you get to experience everything first hand from Skye's POV... this is a pretty messed up situation (and, sorry Skye, I'm liking it) though I felt for Skye through the entire experience! I can't imagine the feelings of helplessness she felt not being able to SAY anything... (feeling it for real I mean!) Grady though provided the anchor she needed, though he was too close to her to see the actual PROBLEM (that felt spot on to me!) Their relationship was strong and quite fascinating... I do wish MORE plot had been developed to explore love vs. compulsion but what WAS there was compelling for me.

Then we have Lizzy! Are you an older sister? I AM!! So I totally felt for Lizzy and wanted to be the champion and felt that disbelief! GAH!! I was a little skivvied out about her swift advancement with Kit but their one on one interactions were quite well developed and I wanted to SHIP them... Kit I think is the first one that I felt for... I CAN'T have done what he did... NO. NO, NO!! Sorry family... so if you put yourself in their shoes (which is AMAZINGLY easy to do...) then you'll FEEL it too!

Soooo, you're saying this book is perfect?! Well why only 4 stars then?!
Okay, you're right! It's not perfect... I've mentioned a few of the problems... I didn't particularly like Grady's response after everything was over. Such circumstances needed a tad more angst to be real for me... not that the FINAL OUTCOME was wrong but it was too fast. And the whole immunity thing was skirted around too easily... that felt contrived to me.

What I'm saying is YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK...
If you love fae then you'll enjoy this book... there are stories within the story and some powerful goblin characters. I'm looking at you Redring and Flowerwatch!! (Okay yeah so if you're not convinced yet then Flowerwatch is my secret weapon... and the BEST character in the story... a minor character who is a HERO and so tragic but poignantly so... READ FOR HER!) There are the sisters relationship (okay, YES I kept this in my back pocket as a backup plan...!) which was so sweet and loving and supportive... I also really loved the "in-law" beginnings that started to form early on... I crave books with MORE relationships like these, rather than just those of lovers and this book delivered those!

BOTTOM LINE: Becoming a Goblin is an easy thing to do but not so easy to accept!!

DNFing at 40%

This book is a great example as to why I normally don't pick up New Adult reads. I did anyways, because I thought I was getting a more fantasy-based story about goblins with a contemporary twist. Instead, I got a lust-filled contemporary novel, with a dash of goblin trickery.

The story shifts between the perspectives of four main characters: Kit, Livy, Grady, and Skye. Kit, a local mechanic has an unbelievable secret: he's a liaison to a goblin tribe occupying the forests surrounding Bellwater--a position passed down to him through a family contract. Kit knows that the goblins are spiteful creatures. When an exchange runs later than planned, he knows to expect the goblins to retaliate in some way or another, but never guesses that they would attack a human girl, and force her to become part of their tribe by feeding her goblin fruit and cursing her with their magic.

Livy has been trying to figure out what has happened to her normally outgoing sister, Skye. Recently falling into a suddenly severe depression, Skye has been rendered nearly unable to speak, eat, or live. The cursed magic the goblins cast over her in the woods has only left her with one desire: return to the forest and choose a goblin mate.

Grady is staying with his cousin Kit for a while. Looking for a steady job, he's been helping out Kit in the mechanic shop, and practicing his cooking skills. Not that Kit minds the good food, but Grady would like to do something more with his life. Walking through the woods one evening, he crosses paths with a mysterious girl. She says two things to him: Help me and I choose you. After sharing a kiss that left him dumbfounded, Grady knew he needed to find the mystery girl to figure out what she was talking about.

------------------------------

Honestly, I didn't mind how contemporary the read felt in first thirty percent. I thought Skye's condition made for a frustrating, yet engrossing twist to the story. I really wanted to find out how she was freed from the curse the goblins set on her!

But when the four main characters began pursuing sexual relationships with each other, it just became too distracting from the main plot of the book. It was one scene after the other, with little progression with the present issues. It's really too bad, because I was willing to give this a chance as a NA novel, and was actually enjoying the story until the point of DNFing.

Vulgarity: Quite a bit.
Sexual content: Obviously, with lots of detail.
Violence: None.

Since this is a DNF, I will not be assigning a star rating.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

This is not at all what I was hoping for, and I really didn't care for it at all.

I went into this book hoping for some hot goblin men, but this book gave me the exact opposite of that. This books goblins' were creepy and exactly what most people would associate goblins with. At first, I was disappointed by that, however, as the book went on, I was absorbed in the world the author created and forgot about the lack of sexy goblins. I felt like I was transported to the world of the characters due to the author's wonderfully descriptive writing. The Goblins of Bellwater was a sexy, adventurous, and unique story.

This book started with a huge emphasis on romance. I am a huge romance lover, but I was hoping for more fantasy and action elements presented earlier on in the book. The romance I didn't really like was the one between Skye and Grady. There were some supernatural elements involved with them forming a relationship, which was interesting, but it made their romance feel rushed and underdeveloped to me. Skye and Grady's relationship made me feel uncomfortable due to the forced nature of it. I really wasn't a fan of their relationship. I think if they would have gotten to know each other more, I would have been more on board with their relationship.

All that being said, I did enjoy the romance between Livy and Kit from the beginning. I thought they had a really sweet romance. I was shipping them right from the start! I really liked the way the author developed their relationship. I also liked the aged differences between the couples because both the women were older than the men, which I found very refreshing!

I thought the fantasy elements involving the goblins was extremely interesting. I really enjoyed the fantasy world the author created and how she really made the fantasy her own. I would have liked some more world-building regarding the goblins in the beginning of the book, but I was happy that later in the book there was more development and explanation of the goblins. I even started to grow attached to some of the goblins, which I was a delightful surprise!

The goblins caused some interesting plot development in the book, especially in the second half of the book. There were so many exciting elements introduced in the second half of the book and it was hard for me to put the book down! I was seriously on the edge of my seat during some of the scenes! The author is fantastic at creating high-stakes action sequences. I seriously loved the adventures that some of the characters in this book went on.

Overall, I enjoyed The Goblins of Bellwater a lot, even if I had some issues with the book! This book was a fast paced book that was very easy for me to devour. The world and characters the author created were both memorable and interesting. I am looking forward to seeing what the author comes out with next!

3.5 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

The Goblins of Bellwater is a book I judged by its cover. I took one look at that beautiful cover and had to read it. How could a book with such a beautiful color disappoint?

Skye and Livy are two sisters living in Bellwater, Washington on the Puget Sound. Livy works for the Forest Service while Skye is a barista while hoping to build a career as an artist. Kit Sylvain is a local mechanic and chainsaw sculptor whose cousin Grady is visiting. Grady is an aspiring chef. Livy and Kit have a growing mutual attraction. Skye, though, is depressive and troubled and Livy hires Grady to cook for them, more to have someone in the house while she’s away to keep an eye on Livy. Their mutual attraction is combustible. Clearly, something is going on.

It’s not a mystery, though. We know exactly what’s happening. Livy has been ensorcelled by local goblins and through her, Grady also falls under the goblin curse. Sooner or later, they will voluntarily walk into the forest and transform into goblins. You might think that since Kit is the official goblin liaison who provides them their monthly ration of gold, he could be of some help here, but you would be wrong.

So, the first half of this book is sophomoric. Grady wants to hang out with Livy to soak up her hotness. Not my words. The writing level of this book is embarrassing. Children’s books have better prose. The plot is pedestrian as well, but there is a trial that one of the characters must endure that is truly original. It redeems the book. It’s a stark contrast to the rest of the book, full of imagination and creativity. There is also a very meta twist. One of the survivors (not telling you who) goes on to write a book about the Goblins of Bellwater. This made me snicker.

The Goblins of Bellwater will be released October 1st. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

First off, thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book! I've had my eye on it for a while, with its intriguing description mixing goblin trickery, a romantic plot line, and set in my own home region of the Pacific Northwest. It was a quick read and I buzzed through it in one day, however, I did have a mixed reaction to the story as a whole.

The description sums up the plot pretty well, so I won't re-hash much there. And the portions of the story that stuck to this plot were strong. The goblins themselves were probably the most intriguing part of the story. It was clear that the author had a clear vision and voice for these otherworldly beings, and their magic and mischief jumped off the page with every scene they stole. I loved the mix of the dark, wet forests of the Puget Sound area that are the perfect setting to hide a mysterious and dangerous fae realm. The goblins were tricky, smart, and best of all, viciously witty. We also got much more actual characterization for a few of the goblins than I had been expecting, backstories and all, that added greater depth of meaning to the choices they made and their interactions with humanity, in particular, Kit and his family.

As I said, setting the story in the Puget Sound worked well for this plot line. All too often fae stories always pop up in the typical places like Ireland and Great Britain. But at the same time, the tropes of the area seemed to jump out at me in a kind of grating way. Of course Skye is a barista who loves art and the woods. Of course Livy works for the Forest Services and is first introduced while kayaking around the sound. Of course Kit is a chainsaw sculpture artist in his spare time. It's just a bit too on the nose.

Reading the description, I remember it mentioning that this was a contemporary romance, so perhaps it's on me that I focused more on the fantasy elements and assumed the romance was a supporting piece to this story. Especially for the first half of this story, the book is almost purely a romance novel, and not the kind that I enjoy.

Look. I've read my share of romance and I've read my share of YA romance. This book is in the unfortunate position of existing somewhere between the two. Our main characters are all adults, early to mid twenties (though here's another problem: Kit and Livy are constantly referring to themselves as "long-time bachelors." Um. Guys. You're barely at the mid-point of your twenties! It seems like such an easy fix to write them in their 30s, a choice that I think would have fit their more mature characterization much more naturally). But for some strange reason, the author chose to write about everything before and after the sex scenes themselves. Which would be fine if she was setting out to right a clean novel. But the before and after descriptions are of the very unclean, erotic variety. Way too many descriptions about condom management, and some pretty smutty imaginings on all characters' sides. So then to fade to black at the critical moment...just read strange.

Not to mention that there was a noticeable shift in writing style during these romantic subplots. During the fantasy story lines, the authors writing is strong and assured. But the romantic plot lines seemed to stumble around, filled with disjointed sexual language, an unfortunate bout of magically-induced instalove, and just a whole heap of awkwardness where there shouldn't be any (phrases like "soak up her hotness" and "congenial sex" were used a few times too many for my taste.) It all read as very strange. Kit and Livy's relationship was definitely the stronger of the two, but even it progressed in a way that didn't seem to fit comfortably alongside the other subplots. It's hard to put my finger on just what felt off about all of this, but something did. I will give credit for the author's choice to make her two women characters older than their love interests, something you don't often see in romance novels.

Towards the last half to last third of the story, the fantasy elements began to take over the story again, and I felt like the book gained back a bit of its footing, ending on a strong note. All of this to say, I have very mixed feelings about this book. Part of it is a failure of expectations on my end, and a general preference for A.) fantasy stories and B.) romance novels that are going to at least commit to being a romance novel, something this one always seemed to shy away from. But the story also felt awkward at times and uncomfortable in its own skin, some dialogue didn't land as solidly as one would hope, and all four characters weren't equally strong, with Kit and Livy washing out Skye and Grady.

DNF at 40%

A bit bummed about this one, but it just isn't holding my attention.

As a PNW girl I love to read books based here. I was first intrigued by The Goblins of Bellwater because Bellwater is in the PNW. Then I saw the cover and was completely drawn in! The first two chapters are intriguing. I will definitely keep The Goblins of Bellwater on my TBR list.

„The Goblins of Bellwater“ von Molly Ringle ist von dem Gedicht „The Goblin Market“ von Christina Rossetti inspiriert, das 1863 veröffentlicht wurde und die Geschichte zweier Schwestern erzählt, die sich auf einen gefährlichen Handel mit Goblins einlassen. Über die Jahrzehnte wurde das arme Gedicht beinahe zu Tode analysiert. Was da nicht alles reingelesen wurde: Gesellschaftskritik, Wirtschaftskritik, Anti-Semitismus. Ich kann darüber nur den Kopf schütteln. Meiner Meinung nach geht es um die verwegene, düstere Verlockung des Übernatürlichen, die Rossetti durch eine für das Zeitalter beispiellos sexualisierte Sprache schildert. Molly Ringle sah das vermutlich ähnlich, denn „The Goblins of Bellwater“ orientiert sich an dem, was schwarz auf weiß geschrieben steht, nicht an weit hergeholten Interpretationen.

Folge nicht ihrem Pfad. Nimm nichts an, was sie dir anbieten. Diese zwei simplen Verhaltensregeln hätten Skye vor einem furchtbaren Fehler bewahren können. Leider weiß kaum jemand, was sich in den Wäldern rund um das Städtchen Bellwater verbirgt. Niemand warnte sie vor den Goblins. Jetzt ist es zu spät. Skye ist verflucht. Schon bald wird der Drang, sich dem Klan anzuschließen und selbst ein Goblin zu werden, übermächtig sein. Sie kann sich niemandem mitteilen, nicht einmal ihrer großen Schwester Livy, denn der Fluch beschneidet ihre Fähigkeit, zu sprechen. Aber wer würde ihr auch glauben? Sie ahnt nicht, dass es einen Menschen in Bellwater gibt, der die Wahrheit über die Goblins kennt. Livys Freund Kit leidet seit Jahren unter den Auswirkungen eines alten Vertrags, den seine Vorfahren mit dem Klan schlossen. Als Kits Cousin Grady Bellwater besucht und Skye im Wald begegnet, spitzt sich die Lage dramatisch zu. Plötzlich ist Livy die einzige, die Skye und Grady retten kann. Doch dafür muss sie einen gefährlichen Weg einschlagen und sich der Natur selbst als würdig erweisen.

Ich glaube, „The Goblins of Bellwater“ sollte als moderne Variante eines traditionellen Märchens gelesen und verstanden werden. Es ist kein durchschnittlicher Urban Fantasy – Roman, vielmehr ist es ein Buch, das sich auf die Elemente der Urban Fantasy VOR der alles ertränkenden Vampir- und Werwolfwelle zurückbesinnt. Dadurch ist „The Goblins of Bellwater“ außergewöhnlich, denn es ist selten geworden, dass eine Geschichte so subtil aber deutlich mit den klassischen Charakteristiken des Erzählens arbeitet und diese in ein überzeugend zeitgenössisches Gewand kleidet. Ich habe mich mit der Lektüre äußerst wohlgefühlt, genoss die Reife der Geschichte und den angenehm geringen Kitschfaktor. Die verwunschene Atmosphäre düsterer Verlockung erreichte mich mühelos. Zeigte man mir einen Winterwald, der so aussieht, wie Ringle ihn beschreibt, glaubte ich sofort, dass dort Goblins leben könnten. Die Autorin spricht durch ihr Setting die uralte Furcht der Menschheit vor dem Unbekannten an und betont unser zwiespältiges Verhältnis zur Natur. Wir sind von der Natur fasziniert, ohne sie tatsächlich zu begreifen. Die irrationale Vorstellung, dass sich in den Bäumen boshafte, hinterlistige, skrupellose Goblins verbergen könnten, die Menschen zum Spaß ins Verderben stürzen, jagt uns einen Schauer über den Rücken, weil wir den Wald selbst als rätselhaftes, lebendiges Wesen wahrnehmen. Die Protagonistin Skye verkörpert die schlimmste Form eines Waldspaziergangs mit Folgen. Ich habe mich intensiv mit ihrer Situation beschäftigt, weil ich verstehen wollte, was mit ihr auf der Bedeutungsebene geschieht. Skye erlebt einen Kontrollverlust, der mit dem Verlust ihrer Menschlichkeit gleichzusetzen ist. Sie wird bestraft, weil sie sich bereitwillig vom Übernatürlichen verführen ließ; der Fluch ist die Konsequenz ihrer mangelnden Standhaftigkeit. Wer würde in einem Wald zur Dämmerung schon einem Pfad leuchtender Pilze folgen, der kurz zuvor noch nicht da war? Skye ignorierte die Alarmglocken der Vernunft und verhielt sich naiv und lebensgefährlich dumm. Ringle lastet ihr ihre Neugier niemals an, aber alle folgenden Ereignisse sind auf diese eine Fehlentscheidung zurückzuführen. Skye kam vom Weg ab und muss dafür leiden, ebenfalls eine Thematik, die aus diversen Märchen bekannt ist. Sie ist die Prinzessin in Nöten – im Gegensatz zu altmodischen Märchen ist ihr Ritter in schimmernder Rüstung allerdings eine Frau: ihre Schwester Livy, die für ihren respektvollen Umgang mit der Natur belohnt wird. Es gefiel mir sehr, dass „The Goblins of Bellwater“ fast ausschließlich von Frauen gelenkt wird. Livy und Skye treffen alle tragenden Entscheidungen; Kit und Grady empfand ich zwar als gleichberechtigt, doch der frauenzentrierte Tenor des Buches ist nicht zu leugnen.

„The Goblins of Bellwater“ ist trotz der Parallelen zu zahllosen Märchen und „The Goblin Market“ von Christina Rossetti eine völlig eigenständige, originelle Geschichte. Meiner Meinung nach verfügt Molly Ringle über ein erstaunliches schriftstellerisches Talent. Sie konfrontiert ihre realistischen, liebenswerten Figuren mit den Motiven unserer Kindheitserzählungen und lässt sie erwachsen auf diese Herausforderungen reagieren. Sie müssen sich selbst aus ihrer aussichtslosen Lage retten, die tückischen, arglistigen Goblins austricksen und das Paranormale mit couragierter Menschlichkeit besiegen. Da die Urban Fantasy ein Genre ist, in dem einfache Menschen bedauerlicherweise mittlerweile kaum eine Chance haben und beinahe als uninteressant gelten, finde ich Ringles alternative Herangehensweise aufmunternd und belebend. Empfindet ihr ähnlich, seid ihr all der superduperkrassen übernatürlichen Held_innen müde, möchte ich euch „The Goblins of Bellwater“ wärmstens ans Herz legen. Denn mal ehrlich, ich möchte weder Vampir, noch Werwolf, noch Goblin sein. Ich bin gerne ein Mensch. Plötzlich erscheinende, leuchtende Pfade aus Pilzen im Wald können mir getrost den Buckel runterrutschen.

Vielen Dank an Netgalley und den Verlang Central Avenue Publishing für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplars im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension!

2 stars

Admittedly, this book was not what I was expecting. The character dialogue felt very forced and the romances were very paint-by-the-numbers. There wasn't anything memorable about this novel, so, unfortunately, this will be a short review.

Before I get into my review of this book I want to thank NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, despite the absolute GORGEOUSNESS of this cover (seriously... it is AMAZING), I really did not enjoy this book. The book begins by quickly introducing us to the four main characters of the book... Kit, Grady, Livy, and Skye, and provides a meaningful explanation as to their importance within the story, as well as setting up the plot. From there, the book fails to add anything meaningful to that plot, until about 60% into the book.

Kit is your typical, rugged, bad boy character (I honestly pictured Chris Pine) who unfortunately, due to a generational agreement made from one of his ancestors, is entered into a pact with the 'Goblins of Bellwater'; in the hopes of saving the town from the conniving goblins, he is to provide them with large sums of gold each month - as well as to fulfill the requirements of the pact. In return the goblins do not bother the citizens of the town. Kit's cousin, Grady, who does not know about this pact, is visiting Bellwater in order to look for a job in the cooking industry. Little does he know, his entire life is about to change. A chance meeting in the forest with Skye, a young barista/artist, sets them both on the path to potential destruction. Livy, Skye's older environmentalist sister, is tasked with helping Skye after she comes home from the woods one day forlorn and depressed, unable to talk much or show emotion.

The premise of this book is simply amazing, and incredibly unique. A fantastical world where goblins wreak havoc on a small town if their liaison, Kit, does not fulfill the pact requirements. One night he comes up short, and four lives are about to be changed forever.

However, I found four main issues with the book that almost had me DNF'ing the book at 35%, 50% and even up til 75%.

The dialogue in this book is awkward at best, and absolutely cringe worthy in other spots. It portrays each character as being perfect, one-dimensional, and overly stilted and robotic. These conversations are never ones that would be had in real life. Not to mention the character's need to over-explain quite a few things that were happening throughout the book.
Characters in the book tended to be omnipresent; as in they were able to discern what was happening during another characters POV, but should not have been able to do so. And it was repetitive. Happening multiple times throughout the novel as a way to quickly progress the story. This is your standard "show" not "tell" issue. The characters tended to tell you (inferring out of nowhere - 'deus ex machina') rather than come to the conclusion naturally.
Being able to read way too much in people's faces. Although we can tell subtlety in people's facial expressions, 'She seemed mournful almost, as if there might be many things she regretted, but not this specifically,' this seems a bit over the top, using elaborate facial descriptions in order to feed the plot line.
A lack of communication. Honestly the first 50% of the book was not necessary. In the beginning, Kit questions whether or not Skye has been affected by the goblins in some way. He literally owns a letter from his ancestor explaining the symptoms of a goblin curse, but then thinks himself crazy for even thinking of mentioning it to Skye. Who is Experiencing. The. Same. Symptoms. If she wasn't cursed, all he'd have to do was laugh it off as a joke. He questions whether she's been affected at ~20% into the book, but doesn't realize that he's been right the entire time until ~50% of the book.

In conclusion, while I think the premise is super interesting and fun, I would have loved to see less of a focus on romance at the beginning, and a stronger fleshing out of the curse, the trials the four characters must go through to break the curse, and the aftermath of dealing with a relationship primarily formed through being forced together. I unfortunately have to give this book 1 star. However, the plot and atmospheric writing, will have me picking up another Molly Ringle book, when she releases something new.

This book was unexpected in the best kind of way. The fantasy aspect pulled me in but the characters kept me there.

THE GOBLINS OF BELLWATER is an odd little book, not without its quirks. The writing is nice and the characters had depth, but there was something about the story that just made me take a step back, made me hesitant to fully immerse myself in. Because of that feeling, I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I'd hope to.

This story was told by 4 points of view:
Skye, 23, wanders into the wood one night, runs into goblins and when she gets back to her place, cannot freely talk about what happen. She becomes sort of haunted, quiet and reserved.
Livy is Skye’s older sister. Since they live together, she has to take care of Skye since she came back from the woods. Except, she doesn’t know what’s wrong and tries everything to figure it out.
Kit has known about the goblins for seven years. He is their liaison, which means he has to supply them with gold every month. He hates it and them. When he starts dating Livy, he wonders if she might have been taken and cursed by them while still hoping the opposite.
Grady is Kit’s cousin. He’s new to town and wanders in the woods one day. After running into a stranger who kisses him after whispering “help me” before running away, he becomes obsessed with her and wants to find her.

I enjoyed this story. It wasn’t perfect but I liked the characters. They were layered and interesting. I liked the curse part of it because for once, the characters weren’t just lacking communication skills (like in many romances) but they actually couldn’t communicate. It was frustrating but still interesting. I liked how it resolved too and the “path” thing.
The relationships between the characters were pretty interesting and had me rooting for them.
However, the book was pretty short and since there were four points of view, it felt like the romance between Livy and Kit was kind of rushed. I still wanted them together, but, to me, it felt like they fell in love waaaay too fast. I had to roll my eyes when all the different I love yous were said.
Other than that, I enjoyed this, the Goblins were quite interesting too and it was a nice change from the other fantasy books I read.

Absolutely spellbinding, I have given it 4.5 stars.

I had never heard of this author until I came across this book on Netgalley, so going into the book I was completely blind to the author's writing style. The blurb however, was too enticing to pass up the opportunity to read it.

The Goblins of Bellwater was a completely unexpected surprise, I absolutely loved it! So much better than anything I could have ever imagined, it was magically entertaining, drawing inspiration from a well known poem. The writing style was creative and addictive, it had me under it's spell from the very first word. I couldn't put it down, even if I had wanted to!

The author managed to create a creepy and chilling atmosphere with this hauntingly beautiful tale of love, magic and the Teeny Tinies that dwell in the forest.

My only issue is that I felt the characters and their relationships remained a little under developed. I would have loved to have seen more character development but other than that, I thought it was imply brilliant. A great book from an obviously talented writer.

Before starting The Goblins of Bellwater I fully admit to thinking it was going to be a story of David Bowie-eqsue goblins and young maidens trying to rescue their siblings. While this novel did have a rescue element, an old curse, and goblins. They were definitely not the swoony Bowie kind. They were the traditional, gross, obsessed with gold type.

The Goblins of Bellwater takes place in the fictional town of Bellwater located in Washington state along the Puget Sound. I grew up in Tacoma so the setting and feel of a rainy pacific northwest winter felt very familiar. The descriptions were well done and left me feeling a little homesick. The main storyline revolved around Kit, Livy, Skye and Grady. It dealt with how their lives were affected by the goblins living in Bellwater and the curse on Kit's family.

There was also a great deal of romance in this story. I'd say the main thrust of the first part of the novel was setting up the romances between Kit/Livy and Skye/Grady. If I had one main qualm with this novel it would be that the romance read a little young to me, more young adult than new adult which is how I would classify this book. I liked the pairings but there was a lot of fade to black type scenes.

I enjoyed the environmental elements of this story. A large part of novel takes place in the woods and waterways of Puget Sound. This is an area of great beauty and the story touches on issues of the human impact on the local environment. Livy is a forest ranger of some sort and I liked that aspect of her character.

Overall, I enjoyed The Goblins of Bellwater. I've been in a pretty serious book slump for the better part of a year now. This book had that something interesting that made me want to keep reading. It's definitely one to add to your TBR list.