White Stage: Violence, Rape, Murder

First, I waited a few weeks to review this book. I wanted to like the book. The writing is engaging, and the author has talent. The story premise intrigued me. To be fair in my review, I gave myself time to think about the story and my reactions.


White Stag, a debut fantasy novel by Kara Barbieri, is at its heart a quest adventure.

Jenneke is a human living among goblins in a bleak, frozen world of the Permafrost. She was orphaned when Lydian invaded her village, killed her family, brutally tortured and raped her, and later gave her to Soren, his nephew. She was 17 when this happens and has lived with the goblins for a hundred years. Throughout the story, she mysteriously acts like an immature 17-year-old, rather than a human who has lived 100 years among another culture.

The story opens with Soren and Janneke at the goblin court, paying tribute to the goblin king. In this culture, the White Stag sits with the king and symbolizes the king’s power and strength. If the stag gets up and runs away, the king is no longer the most powerful person in the kingdom.

While Soren and Janneke are at the palace, the stag runs. The quest to kill the Stag begins. The person who finds and kills the stag becomes the next king, and the stag resurrects to sit beside the new king. Becoming king is based on hunting ability and brute strength rather than wisdom, knowledge, or other skills.

Janneke accompanies Soren on his hunt for the stag, and as she has done since her capture, she survives by determination and willpower. Lydian, the villain of the story, is also hunting the stag and has a sinister plan, which they must stop.

Barbieri writes breathtaking descriptions and weaves somber humor throughout the story. At first, the mythical qualities of the story and the goblin culture appealed to me, but as I got into the novel, there were two issues I couldn't get past: the handling of rape and torture, and the goblin society, which has few if any redeeming qualities.

Janneke's rape and torture happen before the story begins. Instead of handling these issues in a sensitive and meaningful way, the author uses flashbacks of the trauma as a strategy to elicit pity or empathy for Janneke or to show the reader that Lydian is a one-dimensional bad guy. The repeated use of the device and the inattention to the trauma and repercussions of sexual assault wore thin. The story shows a disregard for the magnitude of rape and sexual violence and the effects of those acts. Using a human tragedy as a device sidesteps the often debilitating and life-changing results of sexual abuse and violence.

This insensitivity is magnified by the harsh and brutal goblin culture. From beginning to end, the world is excessively cruel and violent and becomes more violent as the story progresses.

Others in the society tease, taunt, and bully Janneke about the violence done to her. She and the goblins murder with impunity. Life is cheap. The dead are left in the forest to decay—in a warrior society, this wouldn’t happen. There are a couple of characters who exhibit a few good qualities, but their actions don't make up for the one-dimensional world building.

This society is based on slavery and murder. This includes killing parents and siblings to inherit. Even in a primitive society, would a slave murder without repercussions?

Lydian, as well as most of the goblin characters we meet, is sadistic, brutal, and a sexual predator. I found the world both repulsive and unbelievable.

There is a fairytale twist to the story, but it didn’t work for me.

I usually don't review a novel I can't give a positive review, but I felt it necessary to address these areas.


Thank you to NetGalley for a free digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Exciting intense beginning that morphed into an entirely to dark of a tale for me. I had a difficult time reading and wanting to read this book. It seems a bit much to be geared toward any young people.

I adore stories with goblin/troll like characters. So I was so excited for this tale! Indeed, the story had an intriguing beginning, but the subject matter was a bit too dark for me. I did not finish the book, but what I read was well written. I certainly saw why the author was ao popular on Wattpad.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

White Stag was an interesting book. It started off slow and kind of boring, but once you got to part 2 - it definitely picked up. Janneke was a pretty interesting main character. I wanted to know more about her since she's pretty much rare in the permafrost. She's survived far longer than anyone else has and that makes her unique. Then there's her relationship with Soren that also intrigued me. I wanted to know more about them and how deep their bond went.

Besides those two, there's Lydian. Ugh, I hated Lydian so much. Especially with what little we got from Janneke's past with him. Janneke was broken under him but with Soren, she learned to thrive and take care of herself - well sort of. She did end up making her own decisions and learned how to protect herself.

I will admit, the dreams were probably what kept me engaged. Although the action/battle scenes were really good. The romance was okay in the beginning but definitely picked up towards the end. Other than that, I'm happy that Janneke finally made her own decision about her life and I can't wait to see what's going to happen next for her.

Plot/ Story. Y’all, this is the goblin story I’ve always wanted to read. I’ve read a few of the more popular goblin re-tellings and I actually didn’t like any of them. Whoops. But this story blew me away! It was gritty, bloody, stabby stab, adventure, and awesome sauce. Janneke and Soren’s hunting adventure (that’s putting it extremely mildly) is non-stop action packed. There was seriously never a lull. I was entertained throughout the entire shebang.

Magic. This was actually a unique system where if you defeat another being, you absorb their strength. It was actually really cool! Anyone could get stronger at any point in time.

Characters. Janneke was BA. Her character growth was done really well too. She started off as sour and hating everything and everyone. But she grew into a social butterfly. Just kidding. She kills a bunch of people and gets cray strong.

Writing. Barbieri skips the whole “first writer slump”. It’s literally like she’s a seasoned writer. She was descriptive, but not overly so. She got into the mind of her characters like a psychologist. Serisouly. You could feel what Janneke was feeling. Her worries were yours. It’s good stuff y’all!

Final Thoughts. I can’t wait for the next book! I seriously need to know what happens right now. Also, I freaking love Soren and Janneke. My favorite character is Seppo. Also, let me leave you with this: Wolves that they ride and can speak in their minds.

What to say about the The White Stag? Well. I loved it, to start with. I picked it up intending to read the first chapter or two and couldn’t put it down until I really, really, had to go to bed. I also think the description on the back cover isn’t particularly accurate. It’s true, but doesn’t encompass the full depth of the story. This is a book that asks you what “human” and “monster” mean, and ultimately lets you decide for yourself. The book follows Janneke as she navigates the world of the Permafrost, where she was trapped after goblins raided her village.

Janneke’s story is compelling and very real as she struggles with the aftermath of kidnapping and torture. The dialogue is meaningful and the interactions between characters subtle. I was able to suspend disbelief at the world Kara Barbieri created and simply follow where it led. I want to avoid spoilers, so I will only say that there is a subtle shock that occurs after the first two chapters that was only possible with very careful storytelling. I loved the connection between Soren and Janneke and was thrilled with their development (and it was great fun watching Soren try to be human sometimes). I was enchanted with the world of the Permafrost and can’t wait for the next book.

I would recommend The White Stag to fans of S. Jea-Jones (Wintersong), Danielle L. Jensen (Stolen Songbird), Katherine Arden (The Bear and the Nightingale) and Kelly St. Clare & Raye Wagner (Darkest Drae).

White Stag by Kara Barbieri 
Book Review 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This title is set to release January 08, 2019, I was gifted an eGalley arc on behalf of the publishers St. Martins Press / Wednesday Books, in exchange for my honest review. 

First book in a vividly wild, and stunning new sci-fi/fantasy series!! Our tale involves a young girl, she is beginning to lose herself, becoming more monster than human. She must uncover dangerous truths, mostly about herself, but also who she is and the place she has called home for the last 100 years. 

Jenneke was born the last child in a family of only daughters, 17 years old she was taught to become the male heir... To hunt, to track, and fight. Tragedy strikes her village and her home, when it is burned to the ground everyone but her dead...she was the only survivor, and eventually was taken captive by Lydian.  Of course it was already known that the creatures of the Permafrost did so every few years. This was different, eventually she was sent to his nephew Soren. Now Jannekes survival in a court of monsters has come with a price - her connection to the human world is fading fast. Over time she has become more animal, more monster - more like them. Then the Goblin Kings death bring forth an ancient hunt. Soren sensed a change, an opportunity for her to finally accept the ways of the Permafrost and the monsters she despised. Now she must make a choice, let go of her connection to the human world or letting go of them to survive anywhere?! 

Full of thrills, action, magic and romance. With character and story twists throughout the pages. I loved the relationship between Soren and Janneke, her strength is a tribute to strong women!! What choice will she ultimately make?

This book was everything I had wanted it to be. I hadn't even realized that a major part of it had to do with the wild hunt, and when I realized that i was like omg. Not very eloquent, but this book was amazing and I really enjoyed this one and would read it again and again and again and this book is definitely something to keep an eye out for!

Going into this story, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Based on the synopsis, I am curious and interested enough. But I had a few reviewers that I follow determine the story was a DNF for them. One of the reviewers is a reader which I jive with rather well in regards to ratings. They gave up around 25%. Knowing this, I pushed the story off until the expiration date began creeping up on me. So with a deadline ticking away like the jeopardy theme song, I gave it a shot….

And I am pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed this story. Around 25%, I found myself fairly interested but nervous of a similar fate. But around 30% I knew I was in it to win it and I did finish it. It wasn’t a punishment or chore finishing it either. Would I say this is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read? No. But it was still enjoyable and the folklore was a good touch.

That being said, I would rate this between a 3.5 and 4, but rounding to 4.

So we have our heroine, Janneke. She is a human who was captured by a vicious goblin named, Levian. Levian is pretty much the scum of the Earth or rather Permafrost. He does some disgusting and triggering things (fair warning) to his human victims. Eventually the tides turn and Levian gifts Janneke to his nephew as an insult, but it doesn’t quite go as planned since Soren isn’t a rat ass bastard like dear old Uncle Levian. About a hundred years later, Janneke is stilled “owned” by Soren, but their relationship is unique and special. And from there an epic battle/hunt take place.

Okay, now to break down some of my issues and praise. Readers don’t deal with the classic beginning of a relationship scenario in White Stag. We don’t have to deal with watching our main character’s fall in love. And for this, I am pretty much grateful. Romance ironically is a turn off for me when reading. It isn’t something I dig, but fantasy commonly does this in the first book of a series. So skipping over that whole scenario was something that I found myself appreciating with this story. It was a bit lovey dovey and the gushiness may have been laid on a bit thick at times. I caught myself rolling my eyes a bit, luckily they never got stuck in the back of my head. But I think for young adult readers, this will be right down their alley as I know this book is primarily catering to a younger crowd.

Another thing, this story honestly moves at the speed of light. My epub ended up being around 250 pages total. And so much happened, so quickly during those few hundred pages. There are fantasy novels averaging 500 pages which have far less going on in them. Some will love the hell out of this approach. Others will find it to be a bit too busy and might feel it lacked story telling. Overall, I enjoyed it for the adventure which was presented. Each chapter is action packed and moves on fairly quickly. There really isn’t a whole lot of dwelling. I think this would be a great recommendation for non-readers. It gets to the point each chapter and moves on just as quick.

Now as far as issues, this story goes back and forth from current times to past times to dreaming times. The author differentiates these moments by italicizing the words, but since we are using this method for past times, dreams and other situations, it could be a bit confusing sometimes. But it was definitely manageable.

Overall, this story isn’t a contender for YA Fantasy of the year. But it has a really fun albeit dark feel. This story is clearly not going to be for everyone (hell, what story is?). But I wouldn’t necessarily take it off my to-be read list. This will be a story that one must feel out for themselves. If you give it a shot and work your way to 30%, I think many will find they want to proceed.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Marin’s Press for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

And don’t forget, everyone is someone’s monster.

Five stars for world building. Five stars for realistically depicting PTSD. Five stars for reviving the Beauty and the Beast trope.

The only unrealistic detail, for me, is that a village location after an entire 100 years would be still as devastated as described. In our world, the ashes would long since have been reclaimed by greenery and the bones lie at the root of huge trees already. This reassures us that the goblins exist far from our own world.

We need that reassurance because Janneke is drawn so very much like the monsters in us all. How 'human' is our species anymore?

I want to start this with some warnings.  Abuse, graphic fighting, death, animal death, and rape.  



I'm having a hard time gathering my thoughts for this one.  I enjoyed this book, but also felt that certain parts dragged a bit.  The fighting scenes made up for it.  I think it was repetitive at times because Janneke had so many doubts and also relived things often.  She was in her head a lot which was understandable.  It just made it a bit slower for me.



Janneke has been living in the Permafrost for about 100 years.  She is still human, but also changing into a goblin.  She feels human, but there are things she is noticing.  She was originally taken by Lydian.  He was abusive and raped her.  She was his property.  She was eventually given to Lydian's nephew, Soren.  While still a powerful goblin, Soren treated Janneke differently.  They fought together and he didn't touch her in a sexual way at all.  He does have feelings for her, but Janneke still believes goblins are monsters.



When the Erlking dies, it starts The Hunt.  Lydian and Soren are the strongest goblins, so one of them will become the new Goblin King.  Janneke and Soren battle different creatures along with goblins.  They find a new friend in Seppo, a halfling that was fighting with Lydian.  During this time, Janneke not only battles to live, but she battles with her feelings about goblins and her past.  She realizes that everyone can be a monster.  Not just goblins, but humans, too.  



Normally I'm a huge fan of the female characters in books, but I actually liked Soren and Seppo more than Janneke.  Maybe that will change in book two, but they were favorites for me.  The ending was interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story will go.



I gave this one 3  1/2-4 stars (rounded up to 4).  I think it's a good start to a series.  I tend to like book twos a bit more, so I definitely want to read the next one.



Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for my copy for review.

Goblins, magic, kings AND a sprinkle of romance? It's like this was written just for me! This was so good. SO GOOD! From the very first page, this book had me hooked. I became obsessed with Janneke and Soren almost immediately and was so captivated by this unique story.

The world-building was seamless and perfected with every word. It was easy to read, easy to visualize and easy to become obsessed with.

Thank you for making me look forward to another fantastic series! I can't wait for the next one.

A girl raised to be the male heir, a girl raised to be a huntress among goblins. And there is a Goblin King, which at first glance gave me echoes of Labyrinth...and while the last Goblin King type book (Wintersong) left me wanting, this one was quite different. It has strains of many different books and series, yet feels something wholly new.

Janneke is one of the more interesting heroines I've read in a long time. She's lived in the goblin realm for a hundred years now, at first tortured by a goblin every day, hoping to one day be able to return to the human world. That first torturer soon tires of her, and has passed her on to his goblin nephew, Soren, who is a much kinder goblin. A lot of this information is front-loaded into the first few pages of the book to kind of catch you up to speed to the story in progress, which isn't always my favorite approach. More tell, less reveal, while I typically prefer the longer game on the reveal. Anyway...

As far as this being a young adult novel, I would beware, or at least have a parent read it first to be able to help talk about the torture, rape, sex, and breast mutilation. And as with many other stories, be warned that their is violence and murder. Pretty heavy items, even if not super graphic, for a young teen to tackle without a healthy comparison and safe place to discuss. That said, if you read about the author and her drive to write this, I can understand why these elements are included, and, honestly, these shouldn't be taboo in YA fiction...they should be talked about at an age and in a manner that will help teens.

Overall, I did like the story and am interested to continue the series. The romance is on level with books like Twilight, a comparison it has received in several other reviews I've seen. Janneke's grip on her sense of self and her loss of humanity was a compelling piece of her personal arc, and the Hunt was an interesting bit of plot to work through. As someone who loves dark fantasy, it had a lot of elements I liked, but yet the combination of it all was not a gushing win for me. But again, I think the next book could smooth things out. Very interesting debut book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, how I do love a book with a premise, storyline, and characters that I haven't come across a hundred times before. This one delivered.

The story opens with a bang, and everything is explained immediately, enough that you are up to speed from the get go and can follow the plot with no problem from the first time you meet the cast of characters. Seventeen year old Janneke (or Janneka, she goes by both, and this is the one problem I did have with the book. Pick a name already!), was captured by goblins after they killed everyone in her village and then burned it to the ground. Her captor was a viciously cruel goblin who tortured her daily for a year, insisting that she answer his question - 'what happens when the serpent stops eating its tail?'. She doesn't know, and he finally tires of her and gives her to his nephew, Soren, who is a much kinder goblin, but still a goblin. A hundred years go by, she doesn't age a day, and so our story begins.

From fighting goblins, both kind and cruel, to the monsters that inhabit the permafrost where the goblin population lives, this is one exciting thrill ride. The action is practically non-stop, and the atmospheric descriptions of the landscape in the permafrost are delicious. We are thrown immediately into a war amongst the goblins, all vying for a chance to kill the white stag and inherit his power, along with the throne that belongs to the Erlking of all goblins. Its a wild journey to be sure, with the occasional breather to learn more about Janneke's past and how things became as they are. Mysteries are solved, questions are answered and surprises are revealed. I stayed up waaaay past my bedtime turning pages as fast as I could.

The book concludes quite satisfactorily, with all ends tied up in the neatest of bows, while still being left loose enough that a sequel could take the reader in all new, exciting directions. I can't wait.

My one negative comment would be: I see this is marketed toward teens, and that's fine, but I would hesitate to recommend this for anyone younger than 15. There is talk of rape, torture, sex (though not explicit) and breast mutilation that probably should be left to an age that can process it without trauma to themselves.

Unfortunately for me this is a DNF at 55%.

The moment I read the synopsis for White Stag I just had to read it! As a fan of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones I was excited at the prospect of reading another darker tale about goblins. The story started out great and really grabbed my attention, so my hopes were high. However, as I progressed it became clear that this book still needs a lot of work. The author has a great premise here but she clearly struggled with her world building and the dialogue and modern lexicon did not at all fit in with the fantasy world she created. I was consistently, on practically every page, thrown out of the story whenever the characters spoke amongst themselves. It was as though I was reading a book about teenagers in high school in our current modern day world, not about thousand year old goblins or Viking characters from hundreds of years ago in that setting. It was frustrating and in the end I just couldn’t read through any more of it. If the author goes back and really takes the time to flesh out her story some more and put a little bit more effort and thought into the dialogue and type of world she created it could be a huge benefit. Lastly, any story that ever uses rape as a trope or has rape as the backstory of a character is an immediate and permanent turnoff for me personally.

I’m confused who the target audience is for this book. The characters and the romance between the two main protagonists is juvenile. I’d put it in league with Twilight. But, the content is rather violent for a YA market. They talk about rape and mutilation (the heroine has her breast ripped off) quite often. It was also difficult for me to feel an attraction toward a goblin - a creature that has never been associated with beauty before.

Unfortunately having to give up on reading this book. Although the plot sounded interesting there are a lot of things that just fall flat with his story. The world building just wasn't there and as I tried to make sense of what and where this story was going I just found myself loosing interest with this book. Having to put this down is a real shame but I think this book needs a lot more work.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this story. I would encourage everyone else to read it and make their own minds up

This was a strangely interesting story with some unique aspects that were unexpected. I really enjoyed the new take on goblins, as you usually see them being portrayed as revolting beings. In this, they were more appealing and very like most fae descriptions. I've never read a story about goblins who were beautiful in their usual form... So that was kinda cool. I also enjoyed Janneke's relationship with both Soren and Seppo. It was nice to see that she wasn't subjugated to their culture entirely. She did have some freedom with being a thrall. Though, the slave culture put me off... The Hunt was interesting and the bulk of that kept me reading, alongside her journey to figure out what made her different.

Something that did bother me was the use of rape to elicit sympathy for the MC. I did enjoy her as a character, but felt the assault she endured could have been any other type aside from sexual and fulfilled the same purpose. In any case, there should be a content warning for readers who are sensitive to this type of material. I've a few friends who wouldn't be able to read this because of the content.

Also, very early on on the story it talks about how wolves are always fighting for dominance amongst themselves, which is verifiable untrue. Wolves do not fight for dominance within their pack, as it is a family unit and they help each other to survive. Quite often, the young will stay in the pack to help look after the next year's litter and learn how to raise pups, etc., then the adult will chase them away to start or join a new pack and help diversify the genetic pool. The scientist who stated wolves vie for dominance was studying captive wolves who do not behave the same as in the wild...and he subsequently retracted his claims after studying wolves in the wild.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers, Wednesday Books, for the chance to read an advanced copy of White Stag!

CW for: rape, murder, violence


When I saw that White Stag had first been published on Wattpad I was admittedly a little hesitant. I had seen success stories – such as Taran Matharu’s Summoner series – and I was wondering whether Karla Barbieri’s debut would be another one of these.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. Janneke/Janneka was a strong and uncompromising character trying to come to terms with past traumas while also afraid of becoming the thing she most feared herself. I do agree with other reviews I’ve seen that the rape was used for shock value, and to remove it would not take away from the plot at all, but as this is still an unfinished version I am a little more willing to overlook this than I would otherwise be.

Moreover, while I liked the characters of Janneke and Soren, I don’t feel that a romance between them was necessary. Yes, he saved her, and continues to save her time and time again throughout the novel – and she him, but after a hundred years spent in his company I find it hard to believe that things between them would develop so quickly.

Apart from this, I did like the premise of the plot, and the idea of the Permafrost – a world that exists parallel to ours. I think the world was well done; the author doesn’t reveal too much and we only learn as much as Janneke does, and in this way I feel it is more realistic. Perhaps in future novels we will learn more about the Permafrost.

Janneke coming to terms with the loss of her humanity and the fact that she may never return to the human world was difficult to read about, but necessary for character development.

The plot itself – the hunt for the White Stag – was a breathtaking ride through the Permafrost, where we meet monsters, a goddess, and come face to face with Janneke’s tormentor. I particularly liked the nøkken, who I found especially creepy.

While this novel might be ‘Young Adult,’ I would personally only recommend it to older teenagers and adults due to the more adult and darker themes in the novel. In the end I gave it 3.5 stars, due to the issues I have mentioned, though overall I did enjoy it and look forward to reading Barbieri’s future works and seeing how her writing style develops and what else she has in store for Janneke and Soren, especially with everything that occurred at the end of the novel!

The White Stag will be released in January 2019, with the sequel, The Goblin King, due in 2020.