Kara Barbieri did fantastic with this second installment to their debut series. This was a fun read to get into and a wonderful sequel to the fantastic world that had been crafted.

While I liked this book better than the first, the ending really stole some of the enjoyment for me.

I liked Janneke in this book. She's really showing how much progress she's made healing from the horrors of her past. This especially is shown when Sorren is permanently injured and she has to be for him what he was when she was first healing.

I really enjoyed this role reversal. I also liked the quest these characters were on.

Janneke is hearing Lydian in her head and he's warning her that the world may end unless she stops it. So, Janneke and her friends, plus Sorren go off to complete an impossible task.

But the synopsis made it sound like this was the final book. It wasn't. The epilogue made it clear that there has to be another book, but there's no information about this next book.

There's just something that changes for me when I'm thinking this will wrap everything up and that doesn't happen.

I definitely would still recommend this series to those that like darker fantasy.

I also loved the Norse mythology that the world is based on.

Overall, I liked it. It was entertaining while also covering tough topics.

Somehow I missed that rhis was book 2 in this series. And that put me a little behind on it. I got a good ways through before realizing. And it definitely impacted my understanding of the world.
It was a well written book though. And I enjoyed thebsyorybitself. I just wish I had been more aware when requesting. So I could have enjoyed the series as it should have been.

So start this one from book one. And ypu will definitely enjoy it

A great follow-up that really raises the stakes to Janneke and Soren's relationship and the world. Especially loved the Lydian angle. That he was not given forgiveness and his acts were still monstrous but simultaneously was humanized.

It had been a while since I finished the White Stag, so when I jumped into this book I was happy to see the way the author refreshed my memory without it feeling clunky or like a major info dump. Since the hunt for the stag was finished, we get to see what comes next. Which, I was curious about. I mean yes there was some loose ends to tie up but was surprised to see just how much Kara brought back to the story and expanded on it. What a treat!

I actually liked this one better than the first one! There was a lot more like history and backstory of the goblins and that was really interesting.

WHY COULDNT I LOVE THIS BOOK. This story had all the things that I could love but I just couldnt get passed 50 pages. The cover is gorgeous and it hurts that I couldn't love this.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

This was a very worthy sequel to White Stag! I love the immense world-building from the first two novels! The characters are very complex! I also love the romance! Thus, this is a perfect novel for fans of Sarah J. Mass!

This is more a case of it was me and not the book. I just couldn't get into this one unfortunately, as it didn't secure my attention enough.

In this sequel, we follow Janneke and Soren as they try to find their footing as the new Erl King and Stag. however, Janneke is plagued by Lydian's spirit, and comes to find out she and Soren are destined to destroy the world.

I still love this world and its connection to Norse mythology. However, I thought there was just so much thrown into this novel. Janneke's growth as the Stag is fantastic, and meeting new characters was exciting. But I would have loved Janneke's connection to the Permafrost and to her powers to have been more fleshed out. By the end of the novel it felt more like a deus ex machina at the end.

The plot surrounding her and Soren being destined to destroy the world kept me hooked. I was so invested in their party breaking that destiny. But again, it felt like it needed to be fleshed out more. There were many Norse mythological beings mentioned, but not much of an explanation about them.

Readers are left on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I am interested on where the story will go.

I loved the first book in this series and I loved this book too. The book was just so good and I don't think it gets recommendations. I never see it on Bookstagram or BookTok and i think it needs to be. It is pretty dark but that's why I think its so good. No character is perfect and they are trying to work through their issues. I really enjoyed it and I think I would read anything this author writes.

3.5 stars
So I liked this book a little bit more than the first one, but it still didn't really grab my attention. I enjoyed getting to know the characters more, but still didn't feel super connected to them. I liked Jenneke and Soren's growing relationship and how neither of them were perfect, but they managed to work through their issues.
The pacing was a little bit slow at points, but there were some good action scenes too. The second half was more exciting and memorable than the first half.
There were a few things that were a little confusing, we had a lot of flashbacks and if you weren't paying close attention (to the audiobook), it was a little hard to remember where in time we were at times. Jenneke's stag powers I feel like could have been more extended upon and explained more.
There was really nothing I can point to that I disliked exactly, so if you are looking for a darker fantasy with goblins, give this duology a try!

GOBLIN KING is the second Permafrost Novel I have read. Though I still think that WHITE STAG is the better of the two, getting to read about Janneke again was a delight.

Title: Goblin King
Author: Kara Barbieri
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Page Count: 309
Start Date: November 28th, 2021
Finish Date: December 7th, 2021

Review:

Story: I was very impressed with this book. I was so worried that I wasn't going to like it very much. I thought the story would fall flat. The first book was so good. Where do you go from there? I was wrong. It was intense. It was action-packed. I can't wait to see more happening in this!
Characters: I really loved to see the progression in all of the characters in this one. They maintain their stubborn ways, but they have grown on each other. They have formed a dynamic. You just have to see it for yourself.
Critiques: None
Narration: No words can describe how amazing it was.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book very much. I really need a book three in my life very soon! Or maybe many more books by this author! I fully recommend this book to anybody who likes dark fantasy. However!!!! You really need to read to read White Stag first. It's very important.

Goblin King by Kara Barbieri is the follow-up to her debut, White Stag. It follows Janneke’s story after the events of the first book, because as we all know, just because the big fight is won doesn’t mean the war itself is over. These books are very loosely inspired by Norse mythology, though it’s more of a vague setting and references to beliefs and concepts rather than heavy-handed cultural influence. I really enjoyed reading this one, even if it has been rather too long since I read the first book and I definitely ended up missing out on quite a bit of the nuance just because I didn’t remember many of the details from the last arc. But this crossover fantasy series – I’d say it’s probably closer to new adult than proper YA – is a lot of fun and has some great characters. I loved how mature Janneke and Soren’s relationship is, and how they actually talk through issues (persistent problems that can easily be solved by communicating are one of my pet peeves). This series is more on the romantic end, but if you like that and epic-ish fantasy, it might be a good one to check out!

It was a while from reading White Stag to Goblin King but I still think this was a good follow up to the first book. It picks up from where the first one left off and we continue the journey between Jenneke and Soren. But, we there was a surprise when we thought we got rid of Lydian but he returns to taunt Jenneke as the Permafrost is thrown into a prophecy that predicts the end of the world as they know it.

This is a sequel. I really enjoyed the first book and I was looking forward to reading this. The ending was perfect. Sometimes the second book doesn’t hold up to the first but this wasn’t the case. I loved Janneke and Soren

I really loved the first book and I was so excited that I got an ARC for the second. Unfortunately this one fell kind of flat for me. The story took a turn I wasn't expecting and it lost something in the process.

Despite the turn I think it was still written well and I'm hoping the next book will be as great as the first.

I really really wanted to enjoy this book. I loved the first one and was so excited to start reading the second, but after I got a few chapters in, I found it more of a chore to read than a joy. The story line was ridiculous and the characters for me, lost their spark that I so enjoyed in the first book. Overall, I couldn’t even finish