Now that Janneke is the physical incarnation of the Stag, and Soren is the Erlking, they find themselves part of a prophecy that means they cannot touch each other without destroying each other and the world. Plus there's the pesky problem of Lydian being stuck inside Janneke's head. Despite Lydian's torment, he tells the truth, and Janneke knows she must go on a quest to stop the end, which means fighting lots of different monsters, all of whom make Lydian look like a cakewalk...

This story is highly readable and full of adventure. I'd forgotten about the sarcastic humor from the first book, which made this a lot of fun. There were a lot of battles, so many that I almost forgot about why and what the prophecy said. My favorite part was when Janneke was trapped in the roots and living alternate lives, it helped me connect to her character and reminded me of her beginnings in book one. The ending left me thinking there will be a third book, but most of the plotlines were wrapped up nicely.

I was expecting better, but it was a good read. I wanted more from book two, but the story fell a little dead to me and lost some of its magic.

I loved Kara Barbieri’s earlier novel, The White Stag. It introduced me to the world of Permafrost and the character, Janneke, and her moving and ultimately triumphant struggle from near-destruction from unbelievable trauma to healing and, ultimately, understanding and love. Goblin King is a sequel, with the same characters and world. If that’s what a reader is after – spending more time with Janneke, Soren, and the others – they’ll love this.

Much of what made The White Stag so satisfying to me was how complete a journey it made. In an era of series, it shone as a stand-alone. I suspect that its success was what led to this sequel.

Goblin King suffers from the contortions of creating a sequel to a story that was whole in itself, and the result is that it – unlike The White Stag -- descends to the level of the ordinary. The villain we thought dead really isn’t. An existential threat that didn’t exist in the first book suddenly appears. Janneke and her friends wander through one landscape after another, all of which are consistent with the semi-Norse mythological underpinnings of the Permafrost, but none of which were significant before. And in the end, there’s a cliff-hanger promise of a third volume. Added to this were numerous anachronisms – modern idioms and references that seemed jarring in this heavily myth-based world.

I found all of this profoundly unsatisfying. I’m pretty much done with this story line, although I would eagerly pick up a new one by the same author. At the same time, Barbieri is a skillful enough writer to be entertaining no matter what she undertakes. I would have liked to see her use her considerable talents in the creation of a new, complete story. I suspect that is where she will truly excel.

I personally really like this series! It's a slow burn but oh does is burn so good! I love my slow moody fantasy and that exactly what the author gives us. There is an increase in diversity (LGBTQ+) that was slightly hinted at in the first book and the story starts off where the last book ends. Would definitely recommend to everyone!

A dark and disturbing fantasy set in the Permafrost and with ties to Norse Mythology , Goblin King takes up from where Barbeiri's previous book leaves off, plunging the reader back into an icy world of goblins and monsters. The characters we know from The White Stag are forced to take up an epic quest that will see them face off against Hel. Once again the writing is descriptive and atmospheric and I enjoyed the further development of the characters.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Goblin King is the follow up to The White Stag, a book I very much enjoyed for its atmosphere and the budding romance between Janneke and Soren. This was quite an action packed book and it took a vastly different turn than I would have expected. I must admit, I was not entirely a fan of it, though it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. 

Janneke is struggling with the powers she inherited as the new Stag and Soren is trying to settle into his role as the new Erlking. Both are failing admirably. Soren has a hot temper for one so cold and Janneke is almost entirely unable to make use of the Stag’s powers she should have inherited. She’s also (literally) haunted by Lydian, Soren’s bastard of an uncle that she killed in the previous book. This installment reveals that Lydian was in fact cursed to be all knowing and it drove him a bit mad. They need him back from the land of the dead so that they can stop Ragnarok from beginning and this leads our merry band of goblins on a chase through several realms from Norse mythology. 

This book can really bring on the atmosphere of a dank, frigid underworld. I swear, winter was the perfect time to read this because the characters spend at least half the book cold and wet. I had no trouble picturing their surroundings, but what this book had in that regard it lacked in others. The dialogue was cheesy and the romance overly dramatic. I suppose my tastes have changed somewhat since my excitement for the first book seems to have dulled in regard to the sequel. 

Overall, this was entertaining and a fairly quick read. I don’t regret picking it up, but I can say that I won’t be continuing with any future books in the series. From what I’ve heard, these were originally published on Wattpad and I believe the first three may still be available to read on that site if you’re interested. Not a bad book, just definitely not for me at this age - teenage me would have probably loved it!

Goblin King was a dark and fascinating sequel to White Stag. Jannekke has taken the mantle of the stag and Soren is now the Erlking. Together, they are determined to bring change to the Permafrost, but Jannekke finds herself struggling to learn how to use her new powers as a ghost from her past continues to haunt her. When Jannekke and Soren learn that their union could be the catalyst for Ragnorak, Jannekke, Soren and a few new friends must travel into Hel to partner with a former enemy to save both the human and Goblin world, but as loyalties are tested and new alliances are forged, Jannekke must face capricious gods and creatures more fearsome than ever before in a struggle that will not leave her or the people she loves unscathed.
I enjoyed Goblin King. I loved seeing all of the character development Jannekke undergoes in the first novel on full display in this second novel. This young woman is someone who acknowledges the trauma she has endured and chooses to keep on going with confidence, and you can see the change in her in this next installment of this series. I loved seeing Jannekke and Soren's relationship in this one and how they work through problems and the difficulties they endure, as well as the way this bond was tested as they journey through the liminal world. I also loved how the author took us deeper into the mystical world of the Permafrost and how Norse mythology is vividly brought to life in a darker way than I've seen before. My main issue with this book had to do with the inclusion of these new characters. Goblin King takes place 6 months to a year after the events of White Stag, and during that time Jannekke has met new characters such as Diaval and Rose. Don't get me wrong, I liked these characters a lot (Especially Diaval), but they came out of nowhere. I would have liked to see these relationships between Jannekke and these new characters develop on the page, especially because Jannekke refers to Diaval as her best friend, and considering her character development in the first book it would have been important to see that for my reading.

READ BOOK 1 FIRST! I did not realize this was the sequel and I had to stop, read book 1 and then continue. It was a decent sequel but i felt like it was very rushed

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

Okay, so I read White Stag about two-ish years ago. So I'm going to admit that I didn't dive back into that book before diving into Goblin King. Definitely took a risk and I think it worked out for me in the end.

Due to this being the sequel, I assumed that this picked up right where the first book left me (which was a cliffhanger no doubt). So you will still be following Janneke and Soren but they are on a new journey. She is one with the stag and he's the goblin king. There was also some kind of harry potter prophecy that she was going to bring doom to the world.. yada yada nonsense.

I'm not going to lie, a lot happened throughout this entire book. Like so much. Not all good either because some things that happened were just a bit weird to me. Then there's Janneke and I'm not sure what happened to her between the books because she was rubbing me the wrong way in this one.

Not sure if there's going to be another book or not, but if there is - then I would like to see a bit more character growth and maturity. Maybe even some tension and twists/turns. I just want more.

Goblin King
By Kara Barbieri
The second book in the series. Showing the value of personal strength and fortitude. A dark look at human nature and how we view things we consider other.

Janneke and Soren are both dealing with her new status as The Stag. Being part human I think is really giving her fits with the change. The story was a bit slow at first but picked up midway. The story has a lot of mythology to it and did get confusing at times. As the book goes on Janneke discovers more about being The Stag. We also learn more about the others including Rose. This was not a fast read, it is one to take your time and lose yourself in the voyage.

This is a decent sequel but I don’t think I could recommend it to someone who hasn’t read the first book previously. The setting of Permafrost is well thought out and described, but this lacked the spark of story that I felt with White Stag. I definitely will pick up Book 3 when it comes out to see how the story arc continues, but I appreciate that Book 2 ended in a lull in the story.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

A great science fiction book and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Book two took a turn and the book was really unexpected. I thin the characters also didn’t think it was going to turn out the way it did. What I really like about Kara’s writing is the rawness of her writing, the emotions are bare and the way Kara describes everything, allowed me to feel what the characters feel.

In the beginning, I was a bit confused at what was going on and who the new characters were. But once it really grasped me, those characters really gave the story line life, they gave a way for Janneke to heal I think. She has people that love her and care for her in a way she never knew before in the premafrost. By these goblins that were in all ways, suppose to be her enemies. Soren, man did he really struggle in book two, but i loved his character and the change he showed and even his influence he has had on Janneke, he truly loves her and is willing to do anything for her.

Without getting into spoilers, book two wasn’t book one but it was a good follow up and it has be gripping my seat with anticipation on what will happen in book three. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to Review this E-ARC!

I wanted so much for this book to blow me away. Maybe because I'm a little bit bias because of the title of this book but I want so much, so much that I only sort of got.

This book starts off a little while after Janneke has become the White Stag and Soren has become the Elking. In her role of being the White Stag, Janneke has started to have visions and it seems Lydian is not as gone as they hoped he would be. But she starts to have feelings and thoughts about the fact that the world may be ending. Now, this was hinted at in 'White Stag' when Lydian was constantly talking about "what happens when the snake stops eating itself". but Janneke who is new to her power, has to figure out how to stop the world from ending. So she and Soren and a couple of old and new characters, go on this quest to stop Ragnarok.

As you can tell just by the mention of Ragnarok, there is a lot of Norse mythology woven into this tale. This is more of a journey quest then the previous book was. You have a lot of traveling around and you have an ensemble of characters who are just trying to keep the world from ending.

Some of my issues start with the fact that we do have this ensemble. Apparently between the first book ending and when this book starts, Janneke has created a couple of friendship bonds that you never really get the whole feel of. A lot of this book is more telling than showing. That lost a lot of character depth for me. The fact that we are supposed to feel connections to all of these new characters that both Soren and Janneke have developed over the time frame we haven't seen, you don't feel it. You have this ensemble and then you have all these quests, you have this Norse lore that is forming their path and I at some point, started to lose interest.

It was also very interestingly paced. I found myself bored growing bored. I wanted to like this book so much because - Goblin King - and the fact that I just came off of 'White Stag' and I really enjoyed that read. But in this book, I lost the characters that I really enjoyed. A lot of the characters felt like they had changed somehow. They didn't feel quite as developed or refined or even the same as they did in the first book. Lydian is the biggest example of this. Lydian is a character that was the perfect villain. You hated him. He was crazy. But then in this book, you lose a lot of those harsh edges and it doesn't feel right.

It was also a lot of talking, a lot. This sometimes happens when couples have come together and we are trying to figure more story arcs. It's a little bit about the curfuffle of this relationship and learning to trust each other. Which these guys clearly do not. They kept holding secrets from each other. And then trying to have an underlying strong plot. It just, I didn't care about the relationship, and then at some point I didn't care if the world ended or not. Which I'm a little saddened about.

There are a lot of good bones in this story. It does round out nicely. It just felt flatter than the first book. It was a standard YA journey story.

So do I recommend this book? I guess if you want to know what happens. I think I would have been perfectly content to just stop at 'White Stag' and let them live out the rest of their lives may be having this underlying threat happen.

First let me start off by saying, I LOVED book 1, White Stag. I think it’s highly underrated. BUT that makes it all the more sad for me when I didn’t love book 2. I just liked it.

Good news first. I loved the adventure. I mean, they battle Norse mythological creatures. How freaking cool! It’s non-stop adventure and action to stop the end of the world. Loved that part. Barbieri also wrote about trauma really well. Janneke has a lot of trauma. I mean, being a human in a Goblin world for 100 years is bound to mess you up somehow. Especially with a slimy, disgusting goblin Lydian. Janneke was eventually able to help Soren with his trauma as well.

Here’s the kicker. There was no chemistry. No chemistry between me and the characters and no chemistry between the characters. Book 1 had all the heat and tension between Janneke and Soren that book 2 is lacking. At one point, they get separated and I didn’t really care. Plus, Seppo was my favorite character from White Stag and not even he could save the chemistry. It was just way too put-downable, even with all the action.

I am definitely still interested in continuing with the series. I am hoping this is just suffering from sophomore novel syndrome!

I love this world. I love these characters. I love the plot and the twists and the storytelling. Honestly, this is one of my favorite series’ of all time and I’m already pumped for the next book.

Goblin King is the sequel to White Stag, and if you know me at all, you know that I am weak for anything Fae/Goblin related. Especially something considered to be a darker vibe with a good romance. Unfortunately, my reading has taken a nosedive since COVID hit the world, and this year has been hard on my drive to read anything YA. I felt the need to say so since I received this ARC and feel terrible about not being able to review it accurately yet. Both Goblin King and White Stag are high up on my TBR and I hope to have them both read before the year is up! Stay safe and healthy, everyone. (Also, isn't this cover GORGEOUS?)

Goblin King is the second book in the Permafrost series. Kara Barbieri's White Stag which I reviewed when it was ARC built a world of cold, danger, and a hunt that Janneke participated in as a human with a ton of Goblins. Goblin King happens a year after the hunt and is based on Janneke and her mate, Soren who is the Erkling king. and where she has gained the mantle of the Stag. White Stag had been extremely violent, I mean, come on it was a hunt after all. Goblin King doesn't exactly move out of that danger and violence.

The world that Ms. Barbieri creates is full of suspense, intrigue, and maddening angst that Janneke must experience. I am amazed at the strength of Janneke. I was in awe at the love that Soren had for Janneke and his protection of his kingdom. Once again the antagonist of White Stag shows up in Goblin King and I wanted to jump through the book and stab Lydian in the heart so that he was gone forever.

The rush that you can get from this book is felt through Ms. Barbieri's storytelling. The characters add to this new adventure. The Mythology in the Permafrost was fascinating and the unearthly world drew me in.

I truly can't wait to read the next book of the Permafrost series!!

Thank you, NetGalley, Kara, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read Goblin King in lieu of my honest review.

Book 2 in the series. The hunt might be over but the War to Keep the world from dying is just starting. Janneke needs to get in touch with her stag side so she can get be able to use the power. She figures out that the voice in her head is real. Even though Lydian died he still has a link to her. In order to save the world from ending she will have to journey to the underworld and get Lydian to help them out. This journey will not be easy and many obstacles along the way. There will be lessons to learn and things to overcome in order to save the world.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a dark book and goblins mixed in with mythology is a good mix. Do yourself a favor if you like Goblins pick this one up.