White Stag takes you into the world of Permafrost and doesn't let you go.
Janneke has spent a century locked in the Permafrost. She was captured after goblins ransacker her city and has been forced in serve her goblin master. The only bright side is that she has been removed from her torturous master to his nephew Soren. It is while serving Soren she hits two large turning points in her life. The first os The Hunt which will decide who will be king and if her former master wins, Janneke will suffer horror unthinkably. The second os that she is changing into a goblin. Should she choose this new path or fight to stay with her human roots?
The book covers both points easily intertwining the hunt with Janneke's own coming of age story. Kara Barbieri created Janneke with complex emotion both badass and vulnerable at the same time. It is hard not to love her character and cheer on her survival.
The book is steady with only one lag where the internal commentary of her characters could have been spread out. Otherwise, the books move quickly (and possibly too quickly in several places).
I loved learning about the world and seeing the world through the characters. I know several Norse references and loved being in a world that included this technology.
Overall, White Stage is an explosive start for a new series.

This book was one of the most original books I've read in a very long time. The way the Goblins were connected with the Permafrost and with nature was so unique. There was such brutality and beauty written into the story that sometimes I had to stop and take a breath. Janneke survived so much when most would have welcomed death and even sought it out. Soren was a wonderful, complex character. His patience was as steadfast as Janneke's will to survive. The ending was not at all what I expected! It was really well written and quite a twist. I can't wait to read the next one in this series.

This book I give 4/5 stars

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to say I was very excited to read this book! Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and a fight for the throne, involving Goblins and other creatures sounded amazing!

Spoilers below!

“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.”

Our main character Janneke was taken as a Thrall into the Permafrost when she was 17 years old. She was a slave to Lydian, being tortured and raped, until given to his nephew, Soren, after he tired of her. Soren sees her more of an equal than a slave. He takes her council and thinks of Her as a friend.

One event to see the Erlking goes wrong. The current Erlking dies as Soren and Lydian unleash their power. The White Stag that feeds the Erlking power runs, and the hunt begins. The Goblin who hunts down the White Stag becomes the new Erlking. Soren decides to take Janneke with him on the hunt, as she is a skilled huntress and someone he can trust. As Janneke is slowly turning into a Goblin herself, as she has been in the Permafrost for 100 years, and lived, she is not excited about this new endeavor. Her goal is to get back to the human world and build the life she should have had before she was taken.

This journey opens Janneke’s eyes to who she really is, and the role she plays in this world. She discovers more about her strengths, and starts to understand that she is a survivor and strong. She has the power to do great things, and help Soren defeat Lydian.

I really did enjoy this book. Although for me, it reminded me of other stories I have read. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it was still unique, but it was still a story told before. There seemed to be some gaps, or over stated information that, for me, made it seem like it there wasn’t enough editing through the writing process. These were minor though, and not throughout the whole book. These were the only two things that turned me off to the story. Other than that, I really enjoyed The White Stag, and look forward to the second installment.

Note: Quote was taken from a uncorrected digital copy, and may change in the final publication.

Release date is Jan. 8th, 2019

This book was thrilling, exhilarating and fun. I was intrigued at once by the setting and situation. The characters were relatable (in their own way) in that we’ve all met people like them; with those qualities, desires and drives. At some point I was a bit confused by the “rules” but overall the author does a great job of explaining the new realm as well as telling an interesting and adventure-filled story. I can’t wait to read the sequel and a prequel or two if they come about. The Permafrost and characters have many more tales in them.

This book I could not put down. The world building and the society of the goblins of Perafrost was interesting to see. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who doesn't want to deal with the sensitive issues of rape and death. It was a good story, but since this is the first of a trilogy, I will not be finishing it.

Content Warning: Rape, Mass Death, Slavery, Torture, Abuse, Ableism

White Stag and I did not get along at first. I re-read the first pages half a dozen times. It was a jumbled mess that didn't make sense, like starting to read in the middle. Couple a weeks later I swore it'd be my last attempt so I can move on to my other review copies.

My second impression after all the false starts was how it felt like starting Throne of Glass in the middle with Aelin's character progression with A Court of Thorns & Roses like plot.

This is NOT a good thing for me.
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I was able to keep going at first because I was actually making fun of it in my head. Well somewhere amidst the action with Soren and Jeneke's confessions and thawing...I started...liking...it? I couldn't believe it myself.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/S6l6WWUPzXlrG/giphy.gif" width="400" height="300" alt="description"/>

So I'm halfway through and it starts getting redundant with Jeneke's superior survival skills and hand wringing. Then more action, more romance, dragons, wolves, and mental gymnastics, etc, etc.

Finally got to the end, the titular white stag wound up pretty interesting. It worked out better than Bardugo's stag sacrifice/kill ridiculousness in Shadow & Bone. The epilogue confirmed what I already knew from the first "crazy" ramblings.

All in all, I don't feel like I wasted my time or regret trying it. But it's not something I enjoyed and given the resurrect the rapist "crazy" prophet synopsis of the sequel, I won't be continuing.

Reading earlier reviews on goodreads, I expected not to like this book. However, it was very much the opposite. I was engaged in the storyline and plot line from the beginning. I really liked our main character, Janneke. She was very intelligent, and way more powerful than I expected. Every single time she was knocked down, she got right back up and fought for her life again and again. It was very admirable as a character. Soren, her love interest, was somewhat interesting, but I felt that his character stayed pretty stagnant the whole novel. He didn't change much. I did like him and the relationship between him and Janneke. Some of the reviews stated that the relationship happened too quickly but I personally felt it went at a perfect pace for the storyline. Another character that was thrown in, Seppo, became a QUICK favorite. He reminded me a lot of Kenji from the shatter me series, so naturally I fell in love. He was witty, and funny, but also super supportive of Janneke. If I do end up reading the sequel (more later), I hope there'll be more of him. 

As for the storyline, and the flow of plot, I felt it all worked really well. From start to finish, the plot flows naturally and continues to keep the reader engaged by introducing either new characters, fight scenes, other mythical creatures (other than the goblin) that opened up the world and gave it more life. I felt the beginning of the novel went a little slowly, but it quickly picked up and had me intrigued, wanting to see if anything bloomed between Soren and Janneke (I'll admit, angsty romance in novels drive me to keep reading, and I wasn't disappointed), wanted to see if there would be redemption/revenge when it came to Lydian and Janneke, and I wanted to know the fate of the White Stag and who would become the Erlking. There is a part of the novel that actually REALLY surprised me. Like for once, I was actually surprised by something when it was right in front of my face the whole time.

I did really enjoy this novel, but I did knock off a star and a half because I felt the ending was rushed and wrapped up too....nicely ? I guess? I just expected a bigger fight, but overall I still very much enjoyed this book and MAY be reading the sequel. From the sequel synopsis on goodreads it says they have to enlist the help of Lydian, Janneke's rapist, and that she is "forced to see her tormentor in a new light." Don't know how I feel about that...but the story has me intrigued enough that I might. I just hope Lydian doesn't go through redemption. 

ANYWAYS. Long story short: I relatively enjoyed White Stag, and would recommend it if you're not sensitive to things like rape, sexual assault, assault, self-harm, and misgendering/gender dysphoria. If you are sensitive, I'd recommend either not reading or proceeding with caution. This copy was provided to me through Netgalley so thank you to the publishers for approving me to read!

This story was AMAZING!! it's full of non-stop action, a slow burn romance, a tough as nails protagonist and such loveable secondary characters (looking at you Seppo)!!
Just as the Permafrost is full of goblins, monsters and cold, this story is full of energy, strength and hope. I love how despite all the horrible things Janneke experience she never, ever saw herself as a victim. She was a SURVIVOR. She pulled through time and time again, despite having conflicted feelings about surviving and even thriving in a world so full of monsters. While Soren may have been an incredibly handsome, sarcastic, and appealing character, Janneke is the shinning star that brings light and completeness to this story. It was all amazing, really!! The villains were vile (and completely insane), the action/fight scenes were worthy of an Oscar and the romance was adorable! Can't wait to see more of this world and this author!

I just can’t continue....

The synopsis was really what intrigued me at first so I requested an Arc for White Stag. However, I don’t know why but I just can’t get to finish chapter 2, I find myself not caring about the story at all and go start reading other books instead of this one.... I tried really hard to at least finish reading the second chapter but I just didn’t care about the story nor the characters at all. I dont know if it’s the writing but it just didn’t pull me into the world. Nothing was gripping me to continue reading. Maybe I will give it another try later but for now I DNFed it.

Nonetheless, thank you for NetGalley to have generously giving me this eARC in exchange of my honest opinion !

This is easily one of my favorite reads of last year. Barbieri has created a stunning dark fantasy that has me waiting in thrall for the sequel. I can't get enough of this world!

Identity is the key theme throughout White Stag. This book explores the nature of gender roles, of humanity, of what it takes to make choices so you can survive vs. choices so you can live with yourself. I think this is a great young adult book, because this is something that I definitely struggled with as a teenager, and while Janneke's story has a more fantastical element to it, it's so relatable to have to figure out just who exactly you are and who want to be all the while coming up against preconceptions of the world that you've created in your mind and have the reality of it shattered as you learn more about how life works. Fantasy worldbuilding aside (which I thought was also amazing), this gets at the heart of growing up and becoming your own person.

The beginning was a bit slow for me, but about a quarter of the way in, it picked up and I was absolutely hooked. I love the mythology that is woven through this story; it's different than other books I've read--a lot darker and a lot more dangerous. I love that the atmosphere is created right away so that the reader is taken to a dangerous, dark place, and the more we stay with the characters on their hunt, the more we slowly learn about the goblin world and its creatures.

I also really loved the characters. They're a lot of fun to read about, and there's a nice, slow development with all of them that makes this story incredibly satisfying to read. I almost wish the world weren't quite so violent so some of them could have stuck around for longer, but I'm sure there will be more to get to know in the sequel. Janneke's relationship with Soren is intriguing because it's complicated and vague and has such an interesting tension so it because of the way they're "supposed" to act with each other and because of Janneke's hesitance to find anything good about the goblin world.

Basically, I can't say enough good things about this and I can't wait for the sequel.

CW: Rape, Murder, Violence

This book was so beautifully written and amazingly entertaining. It reminded me of "Cruel Prince," by Holly Black so if you're a fan you'll love this! I was so intrigued by the world Kara Barbieri introduced us to, and I can't wait for the next installment! This was a book I could not put down; it had me hooked from start to finish!

I think Wow. Is a pretty good description for where my brain was after I finished White Stag.

Barbieri’s beginning as a Wattpad writer is clear in the novel. Despite my best attempts to slowly peruse through this book, I ended up ignoring writing a final paper until I finished. While not recommended that you put off your duties, you might want to keep that in mind before you sit down. Barbieri’s addicting writing which kept readers ready for the next installment on Wattpad, left me immediately going to the next chapter.

While jumping from adventure to adventure, the true strengths of the writing could be seen in the character development. The dynamic between Soren and Janneke was enthralling. Everything within the books seems to be a stark contrast to things I have read recently, and I loved it. The use of Norse folklore, the brutality of the goblins, and the struggle of being able to learn where you belong kept my undivided attention on the story.

I will say at times it seems like there was almost too much packed in. After finishing I had to take time and step back to breath while I digested everything. There seemed to be side-quest type elements, that did further the story, but the pacing for the first half of the book and the second half of the book didn’t match for me. Perhaps, like the hunt itself in the novel, it starts out slow and then turns into a frantic pace at the end.

However, I greatly enjoyed this darkly enchanting tale that was woven for us. The beautiful world building, coupled with such a deep knowledge of the magic of the Permafrost that binds all to it’s will leaves the reader craving more. And oh! That ending, I had and idea of where it was going, but Barbieri still had the upper hand. I was delighted to be taken by surprise with her well crafted finale.

The desire to see more of her beautifully constructed world, leads me to my only other critique. We were shown time and time again, “a smoking gun” that never went off. While this disappointed me, I was mollified by the epilogue. It made my stomach drop in anticipation, and I greatly look forward to what will no doubt be another addicting tale from Barbieri.

Thanks to Kara Barbieri, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review. White Stag will be available to the public January 8, 2019.

Release Date: 08 Jan 2019
Author: Kara Barbieri
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Sci-fi && Fantasy, YA
Rating: 3.5/5
One sentence review: White Stag is a unique take on the brutal and dark world of Goblins. 

Summary: A young adult is snatched from her world after her home and village are ransacked and destroyed by Goblins. After years of torture and servitude, she finds that she may be becoming one of them. As she faces the possibility of a future as a monster, she discovers depth in creatures she has despised for a century.

Review: White Stag is the debut novel of a young author of some fame on Wattpad. I found the start of the novel to be a bit difficult to endure. The main character was angsty, prejudice, and not too interesting. I was drawn more by a secondary character, which we learned very little about. Thinking I may have to set this aside as a DNF, I skimmed through the remainder of the book. I discovered an action-packed adventure with a bit of romance sprinkled throughout. It is a fun, shallow, but fun story. 

If you take the story beyond face value, there are some serious issues. Rape is used as a reason why the bad guy is bad, but not treated with much seriousness.  The romance is awkward and fairly unrealistic. Character development is hinted at but never fully occurs. The world-building is attempted but leaves much to be desired. 

But, the overall shape of events and quick pacing of the novel make it entertaining to read. I would recommend this story to fans of Wintersong. 

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC of White Stag in exchange for a fair review.

Happy reading!

3 stars.

*

White Stag is a fast paced and action packed Fantasy novel with an engaging plot and some pretty cool hand-wavey mythology. The world-building is rather vague and unexplored, so the premise does fall a little flat, but the characters are compelling and enough to move the story along.

Kara Barbieri delivers a nice debut novel. The writing is really good throughout most of the story and very easy to get into. There are some plot points that are hammered on over and over again, which could have lend the page-time to further the develop of the world-building, but this is overall an okay read.

I’m quite surprised at how fast this managed to hook me. I read more than half of it in one sitting. The pace is super fast and the plot is engrossing, but the story does suffer from the lack of a complex world-building. There are a lot of questions that are never answered in the novel, both regarding some major events and also character motivation.

The book also doesn’t not! for one second! let the reader forget that one character was raped. That is brought up so so so so so many times throughout the story, to the point where it kind of feels like that’s the only thing holding the character together. And that is really a shame, because most of the characters are really interesting in their own right.

The highlight of the novel are probably the action scenes. So many things happen, right from the first chapter to the very last one, and you can’t help but be captured along with all of the fights and danger. That really set up a good pace for the story and never let up.

Overall, White Stag has potential. The writing is good, the world-building could use a lot of development, and the characters are interesting. There is more action than there is magic, but it works to bring forth an engrossing plot. Nice read.

This isn’t going to be a warm and fuzzy review.

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!) and highly commend the author for getting her work published after originally publishing online.

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.

It’s clear the story is meant to read like a dark fairytale but there was far too much modern language in it – creating a huge distraction from the flow of the story. The writing could use a fine-toothed comb. Additionally, the whole story is a mishmash of various mythologies, creating an even more confusing world – that truly didn’t have much world building to begin with. 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? Don’t say David Bowie because it’s widely known that Jareth is never said to be a goblin and the general consensus is that he is something else. So, what do you picture when you think of goblins? Probably not creatures with ethereal beauty.

Let’s call a spade a spade here. The author took all of the concepts of faeries and elves and essentially slapped the word goblin on them. But why? I get that goblins are folk as well, but this was not a goblin story. Not to mention constantly referring to them as “men.” These things bothered me throughout the book and I basically just stopped thinking of them as goblins and instead as fae. It helped, really.

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. I have a feeling we could get answers to this in the next book but I really could do without Lydian’s character in every way – not to mention, I’m not sure I’ll even read the next book. 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. I also read the synopsis for the second book on WattPad and can REALLY only hope it is greatly altered as I do not get great vibes for the direction it is going and doubt I’ll read it in that case.

TW: rape, torture

Review copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The all-encompassing idea of this novel is an interesting one. We have a main character who is slowly turning into one of the monsters that have been her captors for 100 years. Her new master, Soren, is complicated, as he treats her like a companion rather than a slave. Yet, all of her thoughts and feelings about goblin-kind are tainted by Lydian. The Hunt is compelling in that it is the literal search for power, chasing after the stag that within holds all the power for the future Goblin King to use. All of the goblins choose sides, trying to get on the winning team of the most powerful goblin.

The problem lies in the execution. The pacing feels off. We jump from one fight scene to another with very little downtime for character building (more on that in the next section) or exposition. This leads to confusion regarding fundamental choices the characters make. Many of the more compelling ideas are squandered because of poor explanation or world building. Nothing is given it’s time to shine as the plot moves so quickly yet haphazardly. It doesn’t flow, and I often found myself wondering why characters were making the choices they did or why they needed to be where they were.

Listen, I get that fantasy creatures can grow and change with the times. Nothing is final in the realm of make-believe. However, having read the genre for as long as I have, goblins are not beautiful. They are monstrous, often squat creatures. Just picture the ones in Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. We have one instance in popular culture where a goblin did not look this way, The Labyrinth. David Bowie’s Goblin King is iconic, but just picture the little creatures surrounding him. Those are the typical goblins we think of. In fact, while he ruled the goblins, it was not explicitly stated that he was a goblin himself.
So imagine my surprise that all of these goblins are achingly beautiful. It isn’t described until much later in the novel that the goblins in these books actually have two forms: a strikingly beautiful one and another hideous form usually seen when fighting. That’s fine. Create the world you want, but if you want to change a creature that has been around for hundreds of years, you better describe it at the start. To me, they were just more vicious fey, and it all felt cliche.
I like that our main character, Jenneke, sees herself as slowly turning into a monster. She has had a rough time among the goblins, and I appreciate that we have a character going through stages of emotion for PTSD (trigger warning: rape and abuse). And since I can’t touch on these subjects personally, I will not criticize how those parts were written other than to say that it often felt inconsistent.
These goblins are vicious, right? But the Permafrost has extended her life while keeping her young, so she has had a long time to interact with them, and from the outset, her master Soren doesn’t seem so bad. If anything, he seems a little too perfect for a goblin. And there are gaps in his story as well. There was no real growth for either character, more of an acceptance of fate, which does not make for an interesting arc. The romance was predictable and a bit flat. We didn’t get to see the 100 years of interaction, only this sudden, strange relationship.
Lydian is our bad guy, and to be honest, he is not a fleshed out villain. He’s bad because he raped and tortured our MC. Bad things to be sure, but these subjects come up over and over again to the point they lose meaning. Also, it turns out he’s a little crazy. Why? It’s not really explained.

Props to the fact that Barbieri had a successful Wattpad novel published at age 22. However, there are definitely parts that show the lack of experience (or perhaps lack of an editor). Many questions are left unsolved, or maybe just not properly developed. The lack of world building is what makes this book subpar. Here are just a few areas that were not explained nor explored, barring anything that could be a spoiler:
What exactly is the Permafrost? How does it extend life and heal wounds?
What is the power of the Goblins? Why do they rule?
Why are the Norse Gods in this world? Particularly when there is a different origin story given much later in the book?
The fight scenes were fun and relatively well done. But the dialogue and exposition were a struggle. For instance, about a quarter into the book, Janneke and Soren have a conversation about how she is slowly turning into a goblin. She denies it and vows to herself to escape back to the human world where she feels she belongs, despite whatever relationship she has with Soren. Just a couple scenes later, she encounters humans who have come into the Permafrost. Thinking to warn them of danger, she approaches alone. Within a few sentences, these men suddenly tell her a story of a lone girl who escaped a burning village 100 years ago, but how she could no longer be fully human anymore and wouldn’t be welcome in the human lands. It felt like a very unnatural progression of the conversation. It was wrapping everything Janneke needed to hear in a nice neat package. There were many scenes like this one, where we were being told rather than shown.

Overall, the story was interesting. It had its moments of brilliance, like the fighting and realistic recovery for PTSD. However, the lack of world building and stilted dialogue that told rather than showed really pulled the novel down. Beautiful goblins who are no different than the fey everywhere in YA these days and a predictable yet unsatisfying love story brought it down even more. If this novel had been given more time with development, it could have been really something. I liked it enough, but I probably wouldn’t have finished it if I hadn’t promised a review on NetGalley.

I fell in love with this adventure. The characters build so beautifully they grew on me more with every chapter. Soren and Janneke’s relationship was so in depth and real that I felt the emotions through the words. The permafrost was interesting and different from the colorful worlds that are common in this genre, I loved it. There is always such an appreciation I have when an author writes in a way that I’m unable to stop reading and time has no relevance I was totally transported, I felt like I was on the hunt right along side them. There are some things that were on the more mature side of the young adult genre such as rape, self harm and being enslaved that may not make it suitable for everyone. That being said I think it illustrates why Janneke is who she is and made me love her resilience.. there are several times I felt heartbroken but I enjoyed the intensity and I was intrigued by the idea of what or who defines a monster. I truly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did.

An interesting, fairly quick read that I think will appeal to most readers. Ultimately, I only marked this book as a three-star read because I don't have many thoughts about it. It was enjoyable, but only that. I liked the characters somewhat, but didn't quite connect with the premise and the writing style, and struggled to feel much about it in general. However, I feel Ms. Barbieri shows great promise with her novels and I'm looking forward to seeing where she goes with her writing.

Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

This book was one of the first ones I had added on my reading lists when I had begun browsing Wattpad. I remember loving the setting and the characters! And imagine my surprise when I realized that not only had I been sent an ARC but also that the story was familiar to me!

Janneke lives in Permafrost, a world parallel to the human one, home to mythical creatures, inspired by the Norse mythology and goblins. As a former prisoner of a sadistic goblin, Janneke has lived for the rest of one hundred years, serving her former captor's nephew, Soren.

Who is nothing like his uncle, Lydian.

When the former Erlking dies and the Hunt for the glorious White Stag begins, both Janneke and Soren will have to shift through backstabbing alliances, discover hidden secrets and also their own feelings. While the story is told from the first POV, the worldbuilding is stunning and Janneke's backstory is heartbreaking. Torn between survival and loyalty, trust and love she faces every possible danger while at the same time she also has Soren to help her. And she helps him.

I loved how the dynamics worked and while there is a trigger warning for torture and mention to rape, it is not brutally highlighted. The mythology of Permafrost, the Stag, and the unstoppable action kept me engrossed and I loved every turning page! And the romance! It was so slow burning!

I seriously can't wait for the sequel!

This was a very good book. It reminds me of the video game Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It has everything you need to keep you interested in the story. I think my YA son would love this book.