Sigh, White Stag sounded good on paper but it was not my kind of YA Fantasy. I'm a fan of broody, dark fantasy that is dedicated to its world. White Stag felt very YA-lite, it was full of humor (even though there are some pretty dark situations) and usage of U.S. American terms like "cooties". From the beginning, I knew it wasn't meant for me and I just never got into the world. There were goblins who seemed to be more like fae than goblins and not a lot of descriptions regarding their powers and physical appearances. The plot itself was very fast-paced, but maybe a bit too fast-paced for me. The ending had a twist that I found interesting, but that was the best thing to happen to the book in my opinion. So if you're a fan of books like Royal Bastards or anything by Amanda Hocking, you may enjoy this one more.

***I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

WOW. Just....wow. I've had this ARC for awhile now, and why I waited so long to read it, I have no idea....and I'm pretty mad at myself for waiting so long! This book has everything I love in it: Goblins, The Wild Hunt, goblins, a truly scary villain, magic, a ferocious MC, annnndd goblins. I am so obsessed with this story, I feel like this book was pulled from the author's brain just for me!

I've heard great reviews for this book, and some not so great ones. I had one friend who adored it just as much as I did, then one friend who kept talking about how gruesome it was and how there were triggers all through it and how difficult it was to get through it. Yes, there are some touchy subjects in the book, but they happen off page, or in flash backs, and nothing is ever graphic. There is talk about rape and physical abuse. There is also emotional abuse that has happened. The MC has some disfigurement on her body from a previous captor that she mentions. But there is NOTHING in this book that I haven't read in YA before. AND the whole message is that the MC has endured all of this, and is a SURVIVOR. She even figures that out about herself and is proud of how she's overcome everything and lived to FIGHT.

The villain in this story, Lydian, is seriously insane. And that makes for a great villain. He's completely insane, and insanely powerful. He was Janneke's (the MC) captor when she was first brought in the Permafrost. He slaughtered her whole village. He torments her, rapes her (off page and past tense), plays mental games with her. He's completely horrible. He is someone who has no limits to what he will do when it comes to him getting the power he thinks he deserves.

Soren...oh my sweet amazing Soren. I think I've found my new book husband. I love him SO much. Soren is Lydian's nephew. Janneke is given to Soren as a thrall by Lydian when he's done with her. Lydian thinks Soren will kill her, but guess what....he doesn't. Soren and Lydian, in no way, get along. In the goblin world, you kill to get power...literally. You kill other goblins and absorb their power. And that usually starts in the family. Heirs kill off older goblins to get their power and status. It's brutal.

During the first couple chapters, the action immediately begins. Right off the bat, the Wild Hunt begins...Soren and Lydian are the main contenders for tracking and killing the Stag. Whoever kills the Stag will be the new Erlking. The Wild Hunt is dangerous, and you shouldn't trust anyone...

I swear...I am in love. This book needs more hype and better advertising, because EVERYONE needs to read this. Seriously. This book has ACOTAR vibes. It also has a High Fae/Seelie Fae/Unseelie Fae type feel to it. The otherworldly beauty, the power, the magic....it's amazing!!

PLEASE READ!!!!!

It took me a while to get into White Stag, and I'm not sure I ever really fell into the book. There's a lot of information and world building at the beginning, which I didn't mind, it just never felt like I had to keep reading. It wasn't one of those books that pulled me along, that left me with no choice but to read. I had to choose to keep reading and until about 30% I didn't think I was really into the main character.

There needs to be trigger warnings for this: rape, torture, abuse, and mutilation just to start off. Additionally, I didn't really buy the whole romance, I mean I get that Soren doesn't treat her like basically everyone else treats their human slaves, but I think there's a far stretch from this to romance. The main thing that I did appreciate was the question of monstrosity and choices. Barbieri illustrates that we all have the capability to be a monster, but it is our choices that can make these choices evil - not our essence.

I also appreciated how Janneke/Janneka never really feels like she fits in. It is also worth noting that Janneka is a girl, but she was raised as a boy (learning to hunt, etc.) so that her family had a heir so that is mentioned a few times - as well as her preference for names. But for me, I didn't really feel the tension. I mean I understood why there was supposed to be tension, but I never felt like it made me have to keep reading.

The first novel in the Permafrost series is dark and enticing. Kara Barbieri's debut immediately throws you into the heart of the story as it follows Janneke, a human thrall in a world dominated by goblins and other creatures. The Goblin King's death is the beginning of the hunt for the next. Janneke joins the hunt with her master, Soren, and embarks on a journey she has been avoiding for decades.

If you enjoyed Wintersong you'll enjoy White Stag. It's filled with more action, but the heroine in the story has complex thoughts and challenges that she struggles to overcome. Even with the dark nature of the story I still found moments in the story that made me laugh and feel like I could have been reading a contemporary fantasy. I definitely recommend this story for upper YA and mature readers due to the violence and content of Janneke's past. There were some parts of the novel that even made me cringe because it was just too much.

It's been a long while since I've read a fantasy adventure like White Stag. Every challenge Janneke came across revealed a part of her character and a bit of her story that explained her role in the Permafrost. Kara Barbieri's writing style makes it so easy to understand the characters and their motivations. I went into the story expecting it to play out a certain way, but eventually I just sat back and enjoyed how it actually played out. By the end I just wanted to skip forward to the release of the next novel to see what's next for Soren and Janneke!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
White Stag was a surprisingly enjoyable read for me. It follows the story of Janneke/Janneka, a human girl who was captured and brought into the Permafrost to serve as a thrall (basically indentured servitude) to a goblin. The first goblin (Lyrian) who owned Janneke abused and raped her before giving her to his nephew Soran, who treats Janneke as a friend. Janneke discovers that because she has been in the Permafrost for so long, she might be transforming into a changeling,
I got major Wintersong vibes, probably because there is a Goblin King. I loved the world and how immersive it was. The themes of this book (how choices affect us and how one is perceived) was well done. Janneke is full of willpower and determination throughout the book, all while struggling with who she was and who she should become.
I was surprised and excited to learn that this is the first book in a series. I am looking forward to see what happens to Soran and Janneke in the next book!

As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.- Goodreads

Let me tell you about this book. In the most gentlest way possible, what I can say is that you are not missing anything if you choose to not pick up this book. This is not to say it was a bad read. It was alright. 

There is nothing special about Janneke other than she survives a brutal massacre that killed her entire family and she has been able to survive in the permafrost. The author didn't give her enough life for me to actually like her. Janneke is angry, scared and confused as to what to do next but that is all there is to her. When she is no longer all those things, she is some of them. Yes, she has drive but it switches on and off more than a light switch. 

The author didn't take the time to develop characters including Soren. She simply places everyone in their spots and then after a chapter or two there is a huge realization that everyone accepts. Its frustrating because the premise of this novel captures your attention but the execution doesn't deliver at all. 

The romance was lackluster and again that is chalked up the author just putting everyone the page and hoping the reader catches it. Janneke has been there for 100 years and there should be much more backstory in this novel but there isn't.

The overall novel lacked focus, care for their characters and a clear path line for character development and growth of the plot. 

However, despite all of this, the author made you want to keep reading in hopes that something different was going to happen and that you would find something more about Janneke and Soren. 

Not a bad read but it needs work. Also TRIGGER WARNING. Rape is mentioned within this novel. The author does not go into detail but it is mentioned. 

Overall,

2 Pickles.

Hello, I will be adding this review to my Instagram, blog, and Goodreads two weeks before the release date. I will also add the review to Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the release date. I will add links once they go public, thank you.

Title: White Stag
Author: Kara Barbieri
Publication Date: January 8th, 2019
Rating: 1 star

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley

White Stag is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Janneke who has been stuck in the permafrost after tragic events. The permafrost is ruled by goblins, but they aren’t your average goblins. There are power struggles, dark pasts, family feuds, and even some Nordic mythology. I like how she took goblins and tried to create them as something nice and enticing. I also enjoyed Janneke questioning her feelings towards Soren and not just jumping into a romance like we see in most plots. Although I liked a couple parts of the book it wasn’t enough as the book fell flat in many areas.

One of my concerns with this book is Janneke’s past. I just couldn’t get over the rape. I am sure it was added to show how a certain character treated her but it just sat with me wrong and it was a large part of the story.

Another issue I had was how quickly we were thrown into this new world without any context. There was a lot going on and I’m not even sure I realized that they were goblins or that she was a human slave to them until the second or third chapter. I also am still not entirely sure how the power transfer worked or even what they gained from it and why it was important. I wish there would have been more world building and more character development to help make the plot make sense.

Lastly, Janneke just wasn’t a character I felt connected too. She was a strong character but at times it felt she was too over powered especially during the fighting scenes. There were times she effortlessly killed someone who was older and I am sure more powerful than her.

I wanted to love this book. I considered DNFing it but chose to continue in hopes that it would get better. I still think that the plot was a great idea but the way it was executed just wasn’t for me.

Janneke/Janneka entered into the Permafrost after her entire village was destroyed. For the last 100 years, she has been living with goblins. With only the hope of once again returning to the human world, she bears the suffering she has been given. One day, the white stag leaves the current Goblin King, meaning he no longer bears the most power. In a race to power (and to kill the white stag), no one is safe.

"We are all monsters in some ways."

On initial thought, this reminded me of the Wintersong series. A girl is taken “prisoner” into the goblin world, only to fall in love with the person she serves. However, the goblin in this story, Soren, I actually adore. He cares more about Janneke than having power over her, even if it means losing a large majority of his power, and possibly death.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was the growth the reader experiences from Janneke. We see her become a strong, confident woman who faces her fears instead of running from them like she did in the past. She embraces the idea that every person (or goblin) has their own fate. Not only that, but not everything is as it appears. The novel ends with Janneke becoming an inspiration for those around her.

This started out fast, slowed some, and then sped up again. I wish there were more details in the last battle, because we only received the viewpoint of Janneke, so we didn’t know everything that happened in the battle (and I love battles!). Overall, this was fulfilling, didn’t contain too much romance (yay!), and gave the supporting characters some love. This would be a perfect read for those who enjoyed the Wintersong series and The Cruel Prince.

I was so so so excited when I got approved for an ARC!!! I love dark fantasy stories which involve folklore, but I'm just not feeling it somehow.. I do really want to get back to this story at some point since it might be my mindset. fingers crossed!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy and thanks to Wednesday Books for including me on the blog tour!

I first heard of White Stag a few months ago. I can’t remember if it was on Instagram or Goodreads, but it seemed like one I needed to read. It looked entertaining and one that would hold my attention. After reading, it clearly was entertaining, it held my attention, but it was also a GREAT fantasy read that I really truly enjoyed.

White Stag follows Janneke, a seventeen-year-old girl who survived her village being burned down and captured by Lydian, the goblin who did it and then given to his nephew, Soren. When we first meet Janneke, she’s been under Soren’s care for a century and has privileges with Soren that most other human servants do not. As Soren and Janneke attend court, during a fight with Lydian, the white stag that serves by the Goblin King’s side to help balance power runs, the Erlking dies, and the hunt begins again for the white stag to see who will become the next royal. Soren sees the hunt as an opportunity for Janneke to adapt further as she’s already proven to understand goblin ways; Janneke sees this as something that will rob her of her humanity forever. As the hunt truly beings, Soren and Janneke are joined by three other goblins as allies to hunt the stag. The hunt courses through dangerous landscapes, ambushes, and traitorous allies. As Janneke begins to learn more about herself, she learns things about her previous life that she didn’t know before and realizes that she’s where she belongs. Her journey continues and she becomes more adapted to the goblin realm, she also realizes that she cares more for Soren, and Soren for her, more than they both originally let on. Things begin to unravel as the hunt boils down to the last remaining goblins and Janneke will play a bigger part than anyone, herself included, expected.

This was such a great fantasy read. Barbieri gave enough information to build the world upon while still keeping it concise, to the point, and it allowed the story to progress smoothly. From beginning to end, it was full of action, adventure, moments of terror, and moments of care. This world of the Permafrost that Barbieri has created is one that holds so much potential in future additions to the series. I also loved all the secondary characters that she included to help Soren and Janneke. Rekke and Seppo were great additions to this story and became goblins that Janneke truly came to care for and wanted the best for them.

I loved Janneke’s character. She was a survivor, strong-willed, stubborn, and sarcastic. She had the worst experiences happen to her, and yet she still fought and survived. One thing that I wish had been noted more within the advertisement of the book was a warning for the flashbacks of violence and rape that Janneke endured while under the care of Lydian. If someone who was to read this were to be a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault, this could possibly bring those memories to the surface and trigger feelings of anxiety, etc. Janneke throughout the book deals with anxiety even at Lydian’s voice and experiences waves of PTSD. Soren through the book is constantly reminding her that she is safe and that Lydian can’t touch her ever again.

Though this book is written and labeled as YA, I truly felt like it would be better categorized as New Adult. Even though the protagonist is seventeen when she is captured, we meet her when she is one hundred seventeen/eighteen and the themes throughout are a bit mature at times for teen readers.

Overall, I truly loved this book. It’s one that I hope to read again soon in the future and I can’t wait to read the next installment. Barbieri really has created a great fantasy read. Her characters leave an impression and you really hope the best for them. The ending is one that leaves you hanging to where you’ll feel like you the next on immediately. White Stag releases January 8th and I can’t wait for y’all to get a chance to read it!

I was done with Western European pseudo-Celtic fantasy a long time ago, so I welcomed this Norse-based setting. Instead of dangerous/intoxicating elves/fae/fairies, we have goblins. These are not the hunched-over, hook-nosed second-class orcs from Middle Earth or fairy tales; these guys are seriously bad news. Their outer forms can be just as supernally beautiful as those of Lothlorien elves but the goblins are as blood-thirsty and contentious as it comes, quickly transforming into their SuperPredator forms. In short, they’re extremely not-nice characters, they live in the Permafrost where time and physics operate differently, and every once in a while, they slaughter their king, take off after the white stag that is the king’s spiritual guide, kill it on the border with the human world, and the whole murderous shebang cycles through again.

Enter human heroine Janneke, raised in a village near the Permafrost border, trained from childhood as a hunter and tracker (and preferring the masculine form of her name rather than the feminine Janneka). Enslaved by the goblins who burned her village, she’s been subjected to a century of brutality. When, finally, she’s discarded as an insulting gift to her master’s nephew, she’s near death and not about to trust any goblin. At all. Ever.

All of this is prelude to a love story.

So how do you recover from a century of near-fatal abuse? Volumes and volumes have been written about recovery from sexual assault, but that is not the focus of this story. It’s about opening your heart after a very long time of surviving the most unspeakable and constant physical abuse in an environment where there is no safety. Anywhere.

The core of that journey is the shift from incredible-toughness-survival-at-all-costs to recognizing the humanity in another person (even if that person isn’t, strictly speaking, human). At first, Soren – Janneke’s new goblin-master – seems to her no different from her former abuser or any of the other vicious denizens of the Permafrost. Gradually, however, she begins to see him as an individual, with his smirks and his oddnesses. From there comes the recognition that he is capable of a range of emotions, not just rage. And that he consistently and quietly takes actions to make her life more bearable.

Love, as opposed to infatuation, grows by small steps. We all of us learn trust as we take tiny risks that pay off in mutual respect. Intimacy follows the hundreds of daily kindnesses that teach us we are not only cherished, we are safe with our partner. Even though White Stag is a fantasy, the lover is a goblin, and magic warps every aspect of Janneke’s life, the same principles hold true. Barbieri hasn’t taken the easy way out with instant falling into one another’s arms and all is rainbows and sunsets. The length of the book gives time and scope for the slow unfolding of hearts, complete with missteps and spats and unbeatable action.

Verdict: superior world-building, difficult emotional issues presented with clarity and unflinching courage, skillfully managed tension, and an emotionally resonant ending. Highly recommended.

The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything about it. Although, come to think of it, chocolates might have been nice.

The death of the Goblin king has spurred The Hunt for the white stag and Janneke finds herself in the middle of it. After being a thrall for the goblins for 100 years now she seems to be losing more of her humanity and becoming more like the monsters they are. During this hunt, the goblin who controls her uses it as an opportunity to encourage her to accept what she has become.

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

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

Trigger warnings: assumed rape & torture, kidnapping, & violence

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

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

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

!!!!!! I loved this book! It was really good. Like Wintersongs bloodier older sister. Seriously if you love Game of Thrones and Wintersong you need to read this. Janneke was an amazingly strong character despite everything that happened to her before the start of this book.

My feelings flip-flopped a bit as I read this book. 

Right, so the deets:

Janneke, the last daughter born - in a family of daughters - is raised as a male heir. Instead of being encouraged to marry and raise a family, she's taught to hunt, track, etc. At seventeen, her village is attacked by Goblins from the Permafrost and she is taken as a captive. After experiencing extreme violence at the hand of her captor Lydian, she is given as a gift to his nephew Soren. When the Erlking (a.k.a. the Goblin King) dies and the hunt is on to kill the White Stag and become the next Erlking, Janneke must decide where her loyalties lie. After a century in the Permafrost she is more Goblin than human, and she must decide if she's willing to let go of a world she no longer belongs in to fully embrace the life she now has.

During the first 25%-30% of the book where Janneke is wrestling with the disgust of becoming a "monster" and being just an outright jerk, I wanted to violently shake her, then maybe smack her across the face. Let's be honest. We already know what's going to happen with her and Soren, at least to a point, so why drag it on for so long. It was super annoying and I would've understood if Soren had killed her then, but he didn't, and that was good.

As we move forward through the story, we learn that Janneke is lying to herself more than she is lying to anyone else. Author Barbieri also shows us in great simplicity that we are all monsters to someone/something. It's easy to think of oneself as the victim in the grand scheme of life; harder to admit that to someone/something else you are the dreaded monster.

This book is violent and as annoying as Janneke can be at times, she's still a serious badass - I'd choose her to be on my zombie apocalypse team. It has a lot of adult age content (not sex stuff, just adult-y stuff), but definitely reads like a book geared towards teens. Janneke was seventeen when she was taken, and though she's lived with the Goblins for more than a century, she's still very much a teenager in her thought processes.

So, takeaways: stop lying to yourself, figure out what you want in life, sometimes crazy people aren't crazy, be a badass, and admit that you're a monster - but don't be a jerk about it.

I give it a "not too shabby" out of 5, and am looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series. 

Stefanie Rae

I haven't requested many ARCs this year but I jumped on this one because it really seemed to be just what I like. Unfortunately, it was really very much not what I like. I understand dropping the protagonist into the action creates interest but with zero worldbuilding and knowing absolutely nothing of value to understand the protagonist, putting her immediately into violent jeopardy just made me confused and annoyed, not empathetic. I don't feel like I read enough to give a fair public review, so just leaving feedback here. Thank you very much for the opportunity, but it simply didn't work for me.

A new favorite author has been added to my list. I've been in a reading rut for a few months, and I had been looking for a book that gripped me within the first chapter and it hadn't happened until yesterday.

White Stag's main character, 17-year-old Janneka/Janneke is a tortured and mutilated human who has served two goblin masters after one burned her village down and murdered her family. Despite the horrors she's endured (and continues to endure), her will to live no matter the odds made me really like her character. Adding to characters I enjoyed are a super sexy goblin (yep, I said it) as well as a half human/half goblin companion.

White Stag also had great mythological references, both old and new ones for me, and I'm anxiously waiting for the sequel.

I was so grateful that White Stag pulled me out of the reading rut -- a perfect book to get me back on track and following Kara Barbieri.

White Stag completely took me by surprise. It’s a dark, brutal, fantasy novel that explores what it means to be a monster. It also delves into how you can only move forward if you accept and let go of your past.
White Stag follows Janneke, our main character, as she navigates her way through the Permafrost, the land of the goblins. Janneke’s village was burned to the ground over 100 years ago by goblins, and she is the sole survivor. After the goblins discovered her existence amidst the rubble, they kidnapped her and brought her to their land.
When the story starts Janneke has been in the Permafrost for 100 years yet she still looks 17 years old. We soon learn that there are only a few potential fates for humans in the Permafrost. Humans can die in the Permafrost. They can be released upon the death of their captor. Or they can change. Humans with certain skills and traits along with the ability to biologically adapt to the Permafrost can become changelings. In other words, they become goblins.
Janneke seems to be on the path to becoming a changeling, but she grapples with this fact throughout the book. She grew up hearing goblins are monsters; if she turns into one then she will be a monster too. But, Soren, the lord she serves, tries to explain to her that everyone has the potential to be a monster no matter their species.
Now, the event this whole novel circles around is known as The Hunt. The Hunt is the most important event for the goblins. You see, whoever catches and kills the White Stag will become the next Erlking. Only the most powerful and worthy goblin is able to kill the stag. As you can probably guess, The Hunt is brutal. The weaker goblins seek alliances with the powerful ones which tend to end in bloodshed the closer they get to the stag. Only one can kill the stag. Only one can become the next Erlking. Alliances can only last so long. Janneke is hunting with Soren and a few other goblins. Soren is the only goblin Janneke sees as a friend--though she loathes admitting that fact.
Throughout this journey, Janneke goes through a lot. She faces the ghosts of her past while also coming to grips with who she is and who she wants to be. Janneke’s story is so incredibly raw and real.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. The pacing is phenomenal. The world-building is great. I could picture this icy land easily. This story is unique and different from any other book I have read recently. While this story is dark and can be brutal at times, it also has its lighthearted moments. The banter between Soren and Janneke is written so incredibly well. I adore their relationship. Soren has my heart. I definitely recommend this book
Trigger warnings for rape, abuse, mutilation, and torture. None of these were described too graphically, but they were mentioned multiple times.

Janneke, a human taken captive long ago by Goblins, becomes entangled in a lethal power struggle in the Goblin kingdom. Haunted by the memories of the goblin who raped and tortured her, Janneke will do whatever she must to make sure he doesn’t become the next goblin king. Even if that means becoming one of the very monsters she’s hated for so long.

This seemed like it could be a really interesting premise, but ultimately I had quite a few problems with it. The beginning was really strong, and I liked a few of the themes. But the plot was all over the place, with Norse gods confusingly sprinkled in. There wasn’t enough worldbuilding to where I really knew how the Permafrost (goblin world) or its magic system and hierarchy worked. The revelations about the function of the White Stag at the end were also quite confusing. There were a lot of details and characterizations that didn't make sense or were unrealistic.

Ultimately the story just didn’t hook me, so it’s unlikely that I’ll read further. But reading is a very unique and personal experience, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this if they thought it looked good.

Wow! This was such an intense read. It was way more violent than I was expecting but it also had a powerful emotional draw -- so many emotions and so many varied personalities.

But, of course, I loved watching the story as it happened, the unfolding of truths between Soren and Janneke. It is an intense story of growth and change, self-awareness and self-acceptance and, of course, as in every true love story, a willingness to give your heart and even your life for the sake of the other.

I don't want to divulge anything or be a spoiler, so I will just say that there is a small part of the final revelation that didn't sit quite right with me -- perhaps because I liked the idea so much of the Ehrlking and the Stag beginning and ending together.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series (and hope to hear more of Seppo and the wolves as well) but perhaps it's a good thing that book two has not yet been released as it gives me a breather and time to absorb the intensity of The White Stag. I received an advance copy from NetGalley for which I am thankful but for which I am only asked to give an honest review. I would give this one a solid 4 1/2 stars.

Trigger warnings: White Stag contains some content that may be uncomfortable for some readers, including mention/discussion of rape and self harm, violence, death, and animal harm.

“Here, as the only mortal in a hall of monsters, I was very glad that I was not most humans.”

This dark and richly lush novel surprised me. I was expecting a book with a main character that still lived in the past and struggled with the circumstances of her present life. That was somewhat the case, but for the most part, I was way off, and that’s a good thing because the main character is so much better than what I was expecting.

White Stag demonstrates that it’s okay to present a fantasy world that’s crawling with foreseen and unforeseen dangers. It’s okay to have a main character that has been through many hardships and lives a life she never would have expected for herself. And it’s wildly okay to write a book with a dark atmosphere.

“The heartbeat of the Permafrost was like thunder underneath my feet, and the prey lines were clear as the morning sun.”

I haven’t read a dark fantasy in a long time. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy with this many dark elements. It’s a good thing, since most YA fantasy books have dark elements, but none as dark as the ones in White Stag. The world Janneke lives in is harsh and dangerous and cruel, a world humans would run from if some, like Janneke, were not forced into staying. Goblins rule the Permafrost and humans are merely considered servants to most. They fight, they kill one another without a simple care for who they are. It’s as if everything is a game to them, and everyone is merely a pawn in the Permafrost.

The idea of hunting the white stag was unique. I enjoyed how having the power of the white stag proved who was the next Goblin King. But the hunt itself is deadly to many and one hundred percent unkind to all. Janneke doesn’t know what really to expect in the hunt, except that many goblins will perish and one will come out the victor. But she was never expecting to find herself in the hunt and come out being the person she was meant to become.

I loved the dynamic between Janneke and Soren. Janneke is slow to trust Soren, as Soren is considered her “master.” But unlike the other goblins, unlike Lydian, Soren doesn’t want Janneke to be a servant, to treat him like a master. He wants Janneke to see him as a friend, or potentially something more. But like most relationships, theirs starts out rough. Janneke originally belonged to Lydian before she landed in Soren’s possession, so Janneke believes that all goblins are monsters. But over the years, Janneke realizes Soren is nothing like the other Goblins, and that Soren wants her as a confidant and someone to trust. And, slowly, that’s how their relationship begins to change.

“The future is frightening, I know. The choice is the hardest of all. But it is a choice — who rules and who lives and who dies, who hunts and who mends and who heals. It is your power to choose.”

Janneke’s inner demons and her disturbing past are constant factors in the story. Lydian stole her from the human world after killing everything she held dear and from there, he only made her life worse. Lydian did what he could to rip her apart and break her spirit. And even though she lived after her captivity, she has scars branded on her body and nightmares that haunt her day and night. She faces her demons daily and, though she is a strong soul, she can’t escape everything. And then there’s her fear of becoming something she never wanted to become: a monster. But she soon realizes that monsters come in many forms.

Overall, I enjoyed this darkly atmospheric book and I look forward to reading the sequel.

White Stag releases January 8, 2019!

Thank you to the publishing company for sending an advanced e-copy for me to read and write an honest review! All quotes are from the advanced e-copy and may not appear in the final print copy.