Kara BarbieriRecensioni

I was a bit worried about reading this book after seeing friends of mine DNF the book on Goodreads. However, I'm glad to say that the book did work for me. Up to a point. Yes, I have some issues with the book, but that has nothing to do with the rape or any abuse Janneke had to deal with. I know that it's a trigger for some readers. But, in this case (unlike some other books I've read that really got to me), did it not bother me. And, that's because the characters were not developed enough for me to feel for them. And, that is one of the big issues with the big. It has so much potential. it's such an interesting book. And yet, I just wish that we, the readers had gotten a better understanding of the world. Instead, it feels like we are dumped in the middle of a story and now we have to puzzle together where the characters are, who they are and what they are doing through snippets of information. Janneke has been held captive for 100 years? It doesn't feel like it to be honest, especially when it comes to her and Soren. Seriously they have spent 100 years together and now they go from hate to love? What have they been doing for the last 100 years? Not talking?

Anyhow, as I read the book did I reflect over the fact that if the story had begun with Janneke as a child and the events that occurred. Perhaps also from Soren's POV would it have been easier to get to know the characters. I can't even say for sure if I liked Janneke or not. One thing for sure this romance between Soren and Janneke definitely didn't help the matter. It felt so ... off. If it had been shown through the years if we had gotten glimpses of it through the years. Then, it would have been a different matter.

The story has potentials. The writing is good. However, this is a story that could have been more developed. Especially the characters. And, I wanted to know more about this world. Odin was mentioned now and then, so I guess it takes place in a parallel world or something? The interesting thing is this the first book in a new series could have easily been at last a trilogy if the history of the characters had been more explored. When I read fantasy series do I expect to get to know a whole new world and species. There is no need to rush the story.

This has turned out to be quite a long review, but I found that I have a lot of thoughts concerning the story. I liked the book, I had issues with the story. Would I read the next book? Yes, I would, despite all my issues do I want to know what happens next.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

When I requested this book, for some reason I did not realize that it was the second book in a series. Some books can be read in any order but this one definitely should be read in sequence in order to be able to follow the story properly. Otherwise it feels a bit like jumping into the middle of a movie. That being said, I was still interested in the story line and found the writing to be fluid. The author drew me in enough for me to want to read the first book in the series. I actually have the first book now and plan to start reading it this weekend. It should be noted that I don't usually do this with most series that I have read out of order unless the book I read was very promising and interested me enough to want to finish the book. I really like stories that involve mythology and I am already intrigued by the idea of goblins who are quite different than the ones typically written about in books such as Lord of the Rings. I recommend this series to anyone who is interested in YA mythology and fantasy. It is definitely an orginal read for me.

Norse mythology meets a darker, psychological tale and is packed with tons of action in this exciting read.

After surviving the Hunt and receiving the Stag's powers, Janneke is having trouble sliding into her new role as The Stag. No matter how she tries, she can't even begin to touch upon the powers she received. And it's frustrating. Especially since the evil she defeated, Lydian has joined the nightmare visions in her head and speaks to her constantly. Now, she must take on the next stage of her life and live up to the position of The Stag, which means doing everything in her power to stop the end of the world...the very end she's supposedly going to cause.

I enjoyed the first book in this series quite a bit, and I'll admit, after reading it in 2019 (a year ago), it took me a bit to figure out where everything had left off when I dove into this book. This is by no means a stand-alone, and I would have appreciated a little backstory to help trigger my brain. But that's neither here nor there. This story starts not only where the last one left off, but introduces an entirely new stage in the heroine, Janneke's, life. She's gotten past the first horrible experiences of book one, is with her heart's desire, the Erlking, and now, has to take a leading role and save everything and everyone. It really feels like a next step, and that I definitely appreciate.

This tale is more psychological in nature than the first. Janneke is battling with tons of inner problems—her powers, nightmares, doubts, and Lydian. I'd say that makes this one a little slower paced, but that's not quite true since she does meet battle after battle and monster after monster in gruesome and deadly situations. Still, there isn't as much progress plot wise in this novel, which did make it fall a little flatter than book one. But don't underestimate the monster end because the author does pull all stops and lets those action scenes thrive. So, kudos on that end.

I did love the world building. It's so rich and wonderful, packed with fantasy and draws in. There's darkness, details and wonders, which make it so easy to get lost in the pages. The characters are also intriguing and many carry quite a bit of depth. Obviously Janneke gets a ton of insight thanks to all of the head time and Lydian shines in this book. Even if he's pure evil, he gains a special place and makes him so wonderful and enjoyable to dislike (at the same time.) I was pretty disappointed with the Erlking. This is Janneke's heart-throb and yet, he's so...dull. I honestly wondered why she was with him since he offers little personality or much of anything. It gets so bad that I almost started hoping Lydian would slide into the hero position simply because he's definitely more interesting...unfortunately, too evil though. And old. Going from a nephew to an uncle would be strange.

There's a ton of Norse mythology and this comes in a landslide as the book gets going. Either readers will love this or feel bogged down. For me, it was interesting and grabbing, however.

While there are a lot of good things in this book (and I'd still recommend it after book one), it'd didn't quite grab me as much as the first in the series. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley.

Goblin King by Kara Barbieri is the 2nd book in the Permafrost series. Goblin King picks up about a year after White Stag ends when Soren becomes the new goblin king and Janneke has become the mythical creature known as "The Stag".
Janneke is still trying to learn about the powers she has inherited from the former Stag as well as still deal with being tormented by the shade of Sorens Uncle Lydian. When it is revealed that Soren and Janneke will be the ones to bring about the end of the world they must go on a quest to retrieve Lydian's soul for assistance and try to stop the end of the world from getting a chance to start.
I really enjoyed this book and I had no idea it was about to come out so I was super excited to get a hold of a copy to read and review.
I think the only issue I had with the story is that ended too quickly! I really didn't think I had read through that much and suddenly the story was over with. Needless to say, that's a personal issue and certainly nothing wrong with the story. I was just greedy and wanted more!
I really enjoyed the development of both Soren and Janneke and the group of friends that accompanied them on their quest and I certainly am looking forward to the last book in the series.

The notion of becoming what you despise most is one that is so appealing to me. Add in goblins and the threat of reality ending, and I’m sold. White Stag by Kara Barbieri definitely ticks all the boxes for things I wanted when I went into this, though I can readily admit this will not be for everyone. Please be warned, this is a dark fantasy novel. As such, there are cruelties involved that play a big role in the story.

Before touching on the warning bits, let me talk about what I loved. The world-building was really great. I loved how goblins differed from humans and the bits Barbieri added to give them her own twist. The fact that running water affects goblins (not just ghosts and vamps anymore!) and that violence and just razing in general is so ingrained in the essence of a goblin that they can no longer create anything that isn’t meant for destructive purposes is such fantastic little things that really add to the culture and world. The melding of Norse berserkers with goblins was a great touch to flesh out exactly why they’re viewed as monsters. The human world does need fleshing, but considering we haven’t spent any real time there for White Stag, it didn’t matter much.

Pacing was quick but smooth. There was never a moment where I thought okay, this is lagging and taking too long, let’s just get to the point. Every part gets to the point, whether it’s a major plot point or a character development point. At the same time, we’re never left hanging for the sake of moving things along. It was actually really refreshing to read a debut novel that didn’t have tremendous issues with pacing.

The relationships Janneke builds are interesting and feel fully-fleshed. I say interesting because there is something that reminds me of the post I made the previous week asking whether certain aspects of YA romance were creepy. The non-creepy first, Janneke’s friendships first with a young goblin and second with a halfling were incredibly sweet and clever ways at showing Janneke not every goblin is a monster. It helps answer the underlying question throughout the novel, are monsters made or born.

Now, we can get to the creepy part of the relationships and also the warning bits. The creepy part comes with the possible romance between goblin Soren and protagonist Janneke. The major dilemma I’ve faced with this is the Stockholm syndrome aspect of their dynamic. Janneke has been under his service as a thrall for 100 years. The power dynamic in that relationship isn’t on equal footing. But, like so many other “is it creepy” moments in ya fiction, this is something I can overlook because dynamics do change. The second bit that can introduce the creep factor is how long Soren has known Janneke — the first time he met her. That gave me some serious reservations and Barbieri is really smart to reveal this incredibly late in the novel, yet it still gave me pause. I really don’t understand why this was needed unless it plays a bigger part later in the series. It works only to confuse readers that were already on-board with this romance and put off readers that were iffy.

What I’ve seen many people complain about, and it’s a completely valid complaint, is the TRIGGER CONTENT WARNING HERE NOW part which deals with the aftermath of Janneke’s rape that happened prior to the start of the series. It is graphic and it is repeatedly brought up throughout the book. For some, especially those that went into this novel with no forewarning, this can be too much to bear and can definitely feel as though Barbieri is doubling down for shock. However, I never felt this way. I felt that, as a survivor of sexual assault with absolutely no outlet or assistance on mentally coming to terms with what happened, what Janneke experiences throughout the book makes sense. It isn’t overly done or done to shock (if you want to see what that looks like, take a look at the latter seasons of GoT.) It is brought up in story during incredibly appropriate times. When Janneke feels threatened, when she comes into contact with her abuser, when she thinks about her body, she remembers. She is thrown into a PTSD loop, reliving the trauma. It reads as so very real. Now, if Janneke in the second novel never processes what happened and is magically cured of that worry, or if it is still brought up constantly, then I can agree with detractors. But the way it is utilized in this novel definitely makes sense and feels valid. I definitely think readers should be forewarned that this is something in the book and I’m not sure the age rating on amazon is the right one as it mentions an intended age as low as 12…

White Stag by Kara Barbieri is a fantastic debut novel written by an incredibly promising author. I sat down after reading to think about what was wrong with it and how to mark this novel, and realized I didn’t really have anything I could mark it down for. I really enjoyed the story and the world, the pacing was spot on, and I’m truly excited to see what happens next.

// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //

As a reader who didn't read Kara Barbieri's Wattpad chapters, I got to read this novel fresh without being guided by what I had read before the story was revised. So, I am not sure what has changed and what hasn't. If you read Ms. Barbieri's Wattpad chapters and what I say doesn't go with what you read, I apologize. This is my error, not Ms. Barbieri's.

I wasn't sure what to expect from White Stag, except that it was going to be Scifi/Fantasy. I was fascinated with Janneke's character after reading the publisher's blurb about the book, so I requested an advanced read. I was pleasantly surprised that this book wasn't like so many other fantasies where the premise of the story is the same. Yes, there is the " strong heroine ends up in a mythical land where there are beasts and she wants to go home" premise, however, there is so much more to the story than that. It goes deeper, where segregation between humans and creatures of more depth than we think can live without tearing each other apart. It, to me, was a message of how life can be lived when everyone is different. Did good over evil prevail? You will have to read the book to find out. Did Jenneke's humanity reign over the Goblin's power? Read the book to find out. Can we live together in harmony if we don't find a common thread of value or traits? Read the book to find out.

Just a warning (although I didn't keep my kids from reading at their reading level or believe in banning books from them. However, I know that some of my followers are looking for clean reads,) Ms. Barbieri's book is dark, super dark as there are flashbacks to sexual abuse and death.

Although the recommended reading age is 12 to 18 years old. I am not sure if you really want your twelve-year-old to read it as it holds a clear sexual tension through many chapters and then literary prose & allusion to a sexual relationship in the following chapter lasting about a paragraph long. I would recommend this for an older teen. It truly is no different than say, Divergent or Twilight, although I believe the writing skills level for White Stag is much higher than the previously mentioned books.

I enjoyed this book because Ms. Barbieri's writing painted a picture of the world that Jenneke was living in enough that you could feel the burning of an iron nail, the power stemming for the Permafrost and so many other wonderful sensory filled emotions. I like reading where it's not all telling and it doesn't truly feel like showing but feeling what is happening as if you were in the book.

I give White Stag a 4 out of 5 based on the age level, reading enjoyment and storytelling.

DNF at 28%

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really, really wanted to like this. Goblins, a snowy setting, action and adventure -- all things I enjoy reading about. However, the story didn't deliver. It might have been my review copy, but there were a lot of inconsistencies that really detracted from the book. Also, Janneke has supposedly been around Soren for a century, but the two acted like total strangers.

“No, I mean, does your kind normally have that really cute nose crinkle when they make certain facial expressions, especially ones of humor or anger?"

I would assume that was something he'd have noticed in their ninety-nine years together, but it was like they were seeing each other for the first time. Additionally, Soren didn't seem like the type to use words like cute. Janneke was also equally surprised by his actions, even though they were things he's been doing forever. Their relationship was unrealistic and it would have been difficult to picture a romance between the two.

Janneke was always angry or feeling guilty about something, but it was hard to tell where those feelings were directed. Herself? The goblins? Humans? She seemed be angry with everyone and everything. Based on what I read, Soren never gave her a reason to hate him. He tried to keep her safe (albeit against her will at times), and was quick to offer comfort and reassurances (as much as a goblin can manage), but she still distrusted his intentions.

I thought the world-building was interesting, and I liked the idea of goblins and The Hunt, but a lot of the story was repetitive and the language was often redundant. It also wasn't believable when Janneke fought Goblins, especially when just showing their power crippled her. It seemed unlikely she'd ever be able to get the upper hand.

In the end, there were just too many things distracting me from the story. I think it's worth mentioning that there is a lot of brutality, detailed accounts of rape and abuse, and psychological torment. Goblins need humans to create (since they're only able to destroy things themselves), and some humans are treated better than others. Janneke's past has influenced her present, and it was often dark and unpleasant.


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“My point is we’re all monsters to someone or something by some definition. It’s the context of the situation that matters.”

Who doesn’t want more golbin stories in their life? White Stag is an excellent story about accepting yourself as you grow and change - not always i the ways you expect. We follow Janneke as she’s forced into the merciless Goblin world after her village is destroyed. When the Goblin King dies, a new and deadly hunt for power begins.

Things I Liked
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in the story. I loved the goblin lore and the cold, desolite setting of the Permafrost. It added this threatening element to the story that really worked and elevated the threats.

I loved Janneke and Soren together. They have such a rich and complex history, and I enjoyed seeing them grow.

I thought Janneke’s evolution was fantastic. To see her unwillingness and fear change into determination and power was wonderful. She fought being of 2 worlds for so long, but in the end she realized that that was an important part of her that made her special. And I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Janneke’s time in her village - it really showed how she’s changed.

The epilogue was beautifully written. It felt kinda like a prophecy, but it was an excellent set up for the next book and definitely has me intrigued.

Things I Didn’t Like
The beginning of the story had such a cold open I was lost and had to restart the book after 10 pages and really focus. And after that it was much easier to get into but you have to really pay attention in the beginning if you want to know what’s going on. It’s not really a bad thing, but it did give me some trouble.

The middle of the story was super slow to me and my motivation to read dropped considerably. It sorta felt like there was one too many repetitive (in feeling, not execution) action scenes on the hunt that started to blend together.

Even though the middle of the story was weaker for me, I really liked so much of the story and the world. The goblins were fantastic and I loved their nature and abilities. The Permafrost setting was vicious and visceral and the dangers were all very real. Janneke’s story was one of growth, struggle, and defiance. It was so good to see her come into her own and embrace all of who she is. White Stag is an enjoyable fantasy story filled with brutality and vengeance that is easy to get lost in.

Trigger Warning formentions rape and abuse

I received a copy of the book from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I've decided to give up sleep to finish a book. I could not sleep without knowing how it ended. After I finished, I still couldn't sleep, because it left my mind working!

Kara Barbieri is beyond talented for weaving such an intricate tale. She successfully mixes fantasy and the reality of trauma and the process of healing yourself that allows you to connect with Janneke in a very real way. The foreshadowing did make the ending slightly predictable and even then it still surprised me a little.

I loved each little detail. The lore and world building was everything I never knew I wanted out of this book. This was my first experience with a goblin story and I can't wait to see more from this author.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

Simply amazing. Kara Barbieri has woven together an intricate web of words delivering a story out of this world. Her attention to detail makes the story leap to life from the pages. A truly epic fantasy.

This book will appeal to fantasy lovers.

*I won a copy of this book from Goodreads. The review is my own, honest and unsolicited.

Grit, survival, pain, and emotions pack these pages as a young woman tries to find balance in a world of monsters.

At age seventeen, Janneke's family was murdered, while she was kidnapped by the goblins and taken to their realm. Trained by her father to be a fighter, she survived torture by her first master and has managed to continue to live one hundred years under his nephew, Soren. When Soren is called to pay the usual respects to the Goblin King, the king dies and the hunt for an heir begins—the first to kill the White Stag. Soren takes Janneke along with him on the hunt, insisting that their relationship is changing and that after so many years in the Permafrost, she now is turning into a goblin herself. Although Soren considers himself at least her friend, Janneke refuses to forget the hate she has for the goblins—vicious, emotionless creatures who slaughtered her entire family. And she certainly refuses to become one of them. But as the hunt begins, she must fight for more than her life. She fights for her very soul.

This was a gripping and amazing read. The material is not timid, but rather bites, grinds and hits even the darkest of places. While this is sold for the young adult audience, I found it better suited for New Adult or Adults. While Janneke might have the body of seventeen, she has lived over one hundred years in some of the most horrendous circumstances. These years molded her and gave her the experience, fight and mind of someone much older than seventeen. While older young adults will be fine with the story, the material does hit tougher themes and might not be fitting for all teens.

That said, this read grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go until the very end. Janneke is a tough girl with tons of emotional scars. She has inner battles and very high-stake outer ones. Death lurks around every corner, and the goblin world is not for the meek. Her hate for the goblins is understandable, and this makes her easy to cheer for until the last page. Add the white-haired Soren, who is powerful, hot and holds more heart than Janneke wants to believe, and it's a wonderfully delicious mix for fans of action packed fantasy with dark undertones and romance thrown in.

The world which makes up the Permafrost is wondrous in its creatures and sights. There's cruel beauty and action packed moments to make the heart skip a beat. The author keeps the tension high in a delightful dance of survival, emotions and fears. With a little more background information surrounding the world, it would have been unforgettable.

While I loved this read...and will give it full marks because it is extremely well written in many respects...I had a little problem sinking into the Permafrost and Janneke. The story starts right in the middle of action. Janneke has already resided in the Permafrost for 100 years and has had 99 years to come to terms with the horrible things her first master did to her. These experiences make her what she is. While flashbacks attempt to fill in the holes (especially of Janneke's human past), the moments come too late making the extreme empathy, which would have molded her into a beyond-awesome character, weaker than it might have been. Still, this story had me pinned to the pages, and I didn't want to put it down even for a moment, which makes it a definite 5-star read.

Fans of goblins, tense fight scenes, strong heroines, dark plots and difficult romance will enjoy this book. Now, that this has laid an amazing beginning, it will be interesting to see where the series goes next.

I received a complimentary copy and loved reading this book. So I'm leaving my honest thoughts.

I had to sit on this review for quite a while, because my feelings about this book were all over the place when I finished it. I absolutely adore modern fairy tales. Anything that even hints at a world beyond the veil of our own, instantly goes onto my reading list. I don't shy away from books that are dark and gritty, and I actually often praise stories that aren't full of insta-love and wilting women. So, by all rights, this book should have been an instant five star read for me. It wasn't though, and that took me a while to unpack.

First off, praise where praise is due. Barbieri does a stellar job of dropping the reader right into the fray from page one, and doling out just enough information to really keep things intriguing. From the moment I met Janneke, and realized her plight, I was completely sold on this story line. The idea of a human servant in a world of goblins, a character who is slowly losing her humanness with every decision she makes to survive, was just fascinating. I found myself rooting for Janneke and her inner fire. Here was a character who, despite all the odds stacked against her, was surviving. I wanted to see her burn everything around her, and walk valiantly through the flames.

When I finally got an opportunity to really know Soren, my heart was pretty much given to this book. I loved how he was so at odds with those around him. Any character who is equal parts compassionate and brutal pretty much instantly has my heart. I like to believe that we're all a little bit in the gray area, and Soren definitely fits that bill. As he and Janneke bantered and fought together, I couldn't help but smile that their relationship. There's no insta-love here at all. This is a relationship built on a foundation of trust, and it shows. You would think that these two paragraphs were more than enough to explain why this would be a five star read for me, but here comes the difficult part of this review.

First off, this book relies heavily on flashbacks to Janneke's repeated rape and torture at the hands of our villain, Lydian. I completely understand that the goal was to elicit sympathy for Janneke, and explain the quirks her character displays. However I also believe, strongly, that this could have been achieved by giving a one time rundown of her backstory, and moving on. The repeated flashbacks get really uncomfortable after a while. As I mentioned above, I am not squeamish in the least. I think that gritty and dark Fantasy books are the best. In this case though, I felt like it was really overdone. In fact, it started to chip away at the fierce woman who I originally fell in love with. I think the idea was a fair one, to create a back story to show Janneke rise from the ashes. Instead it almost made her seem broken to the point that Soren was her savior, and I wasn't a fan.

My other big issue with this story lies with Lydian. There's no denying that he's an absolutely loathsome character. If anything, Barbieri should be given credit for creating a character who has not a single redeemable trait. That's fairly impressive. However there is never any explanation for Lydian's madness. There is a prophecy hinted at, and talk of visions, but Lydian never really gets the backstory that he really deserves. Instead he's just a character built of madness and hatred, a completely dark individual. It almost made him feel less scary to me, simply because he didn't feel like a real person. Like I said before, the grayness of the world is what makes it fascinating. Think of the scariest villain you know of, and they probably have at least a shred of humanity in them. Lydian definitely does not.

Well, so there you have it. I apologize that this review is so long but there's even more I could discuss about this book. It really sat on that line for me, where I wanted to love it more but had to be honest about how I felt overall. Perhaps the next book, which I will very much be ready to read, will bring back the Janneke that I loved. Perhaps the next book will have a little more polish, and a little more fairy tale feel to it. If so, that will be a five star read. I can't wait.

White Stag by Kara Barbieri is one of the best books I have read this year. I was a little apprehensive due to the mixed reviews I read on Goodreads but I am so glad I read it. It was incredible. The world building was amazing, the characters were complex and interesting and I seriously could not put it down.
The story is about a young girl named Janneke who was the sole survivor of her village being attacked by goblins. She was taken captive by the sadistic goblin Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren. As Soren's thrall (the state of being in someone's power or having great power over someone), she cannot leave the Permafrost, the world where they live. She has been there for nearly 100 years. Soren is much kinder than his uncle and has very un-goblin like traits such as sarcasm that he is trying to learn from Janneke and a sense of humor, sometimes.
Their relationship takes a dramatic turn when he invites her to accompany him on The Hunt. The Hunt is a contest of who can capture and kill a magic white stag which will make that person king of the goblin world. She becomes even more conflicted when he tells her that having survived there for so long she will eventually become goblin.
Overall I was absolutely enchanted with this story. Within the first few pages I was already hooked. There is some flashbacks to her time with Lydian that are quite graphic but I feel it helps develop Janneke's character and shows us her state of mind and how it works after living so long among these creatures.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

You guys, I am so torn about this book! I finished it last night and decided to wait another day before writing my review, just to sort out my thoughts... There was so much I LOVED about this book but there were also quite a few things that I thought needed some work.

White Stag opens in a palace in the Permafrost, where the Erlking is seated on his throne next to a white stag, surrounded by Goblins paying respects to their king. A fight between two powerful Goblins erupts and during the battle the palace floor splits open. The Erlking falls through to his death and the white stag bounds away into the forest. The Hunt has begun: the Goblin who kills the white stag will become the next Erlking.

Our heroine is Jenneke, a human who has been living among the Goblins for one hundred years as a servant/slave ("thrall") after being captured during a Goblin raid on her village. In this world, based on Norse mythology, Goblins and other powerful mythical creatures live in the Permafrost, a frozen wasteland beyond the human villages. She is still mortal, but living in the magical Permafrost has blessed her with longevity, so even though Jenneke is over one hundred years old, she still looks seventeen.

"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."

Goblins could rip me apart so easily, torture me until my mind unraveled. Goblins stole humans for work the Permafrost wouldn't let them do themselves. So many of the things they had - their clothing, their agriculture, their buildings were because humans lived among the monsters doing the skills they couldn't. Humans created, goblins destroyed. It was known."

Jenneke's master is Soren, who treats her less like a slave and more like a friend. This powerful Goblin takes Jenneke on the Hunt with him. It quickly becomes apparent that Soren is one of the most powerful Goblins on the Hunt; his main competition is his uncle, Lydian, who was also Jenneke's first master, who raped and mutilated her.

"Of course something was wrong with me. I was sitting here next to the world's most deadly predator, hunting a sacred stag in the middle of the Permafrost, after one hundred years of servitude that should've left me dead. I was the epitome of wrongness."

Before setting out on the Hunt, Soren reveals to Jenneke that she is slowly becoming less human and more Goblin-like: she is transforming into a Goblin.

"Remember what they are. They aren't your friends or allies. They're cold-blooded killers who want to either turn you into one of their own or kill you. . . They're monsters, and I'm becoming one of them."

The Hunt for the white stag becomes a fantastic adventure: Goblins riding mountain lions like horses, dragons, a goddess with an entourage of wolves, and a creepy underwater creature surrounded by the dead bodies of his "loves." These exciting escapades were so much fun as individual scenes, but the story lacked something integral: world-building. Barbieri failed to construct a full-fledged imaginary world. Like, I get that the Goblins are all hunting the white stag, but why? Jenneke is turning into a Goblin... but why? We only get a few glimpses of the human world, so everything is from the Goblins' perspective, which creates a one-dimensional world instead of a well-rounded fictional universe. Barbieri did tell us that the Goblins kidnapped humans to build for them and whatnot, but we never actually see that happening. In fact, Jenneke acts like there aren't any other humans around, or that she's an anomaly. Why?! Barbieri inserts a few passages at the very end of the book trying to explain why the stag is so important etc., but it felt rushed, like she quickly wrote a few paragraphs to fix the world-building issue, and it just didn't work. The reader needs to know these things at the beginning, not in the final pages of the book.

There is also sexual tension from the beginning between Jenneke and Soren, which I just didn't buy. On one hand, they have known each other for a hundred years. On the other hand, they act like strangers. Which one is it, Barbieri?! Plus, Jenneke understandably hates Goblins: they killed her family and have enslaved her for a hundred years. Now, as she's transforming into one of them, she begins to hate them anymore. Soren is Jenneke's master, but he also protects her from the other Goblins, and wants to help her with her "transition" from human to Goblin. Part of Jenneke's journey is to accept Soren for his Goblin-ness and to accept her own emerging Goblin-ness but their relationship did not feel authentic.

"Be his. The thought scared me. The thought petrified me. But not int he way it should've. Not in the way a human should feel about having the love of an apex predator, a goblin, a cruel merciless monster. No, it scared me because for once I was walking out onto thin ice. But maybe he's worth the risk. 'Janneke,' he said softly, 'are you afraid?' 'No,' I said. 'Not of you.'"

Maybe it’s because I just read ACOTAR, but this book seemed like a rip-off of Sarah J. Maas at times, swapping out the sexy Faeries for sexy Goblins. Soren is a Goblin, sure, but he isn't a hideous monster like the Goblins you're thinking of. He looks like a sexy twenty-something year-old man, with long white hair. Hot! You could also swap out the “wall” diving the Faerie realms from the humans with whatever separated the Permafrost in this book (it might have been a wall; I can’t remember. Maybe a Border?). Jenneke’s history as a human taken into the magical realm as a “changeling” also felt like ACOTAR.

To be fair, the author is twenty-two. She obviously has some fantastic ideas for stories, and I would be open to reading her other work. This book has a fantastic premise; it just needs world-building and character development. Hopefully the second book in the series is more satisfying!

Release date January 2019, available for pre-order now.

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This book was fantastic. The story follows Janneke as she approaches 100 years serving in the goblin court, which is an astounding feat for a human girl. However, she hasn't made it this far without picking up some significant scars, both mental and physical.

However, things in the goblin realm are changing. The old king has died, and according to goblin customs the new king will be decided in a hunt for a magical white stag. Janneke's patron, Soren, decides to bring her along on this hunt, with the intention of not only winning the kingship, but also converting Janneke to a goblin. However, she plans to use the confusion of the hunt to escape the goblin lands forever, and free herself from her indenture to Soren and his evil/insane uncle, Lydian.

But once they join the hunt, things can't help but change. Enemies become allies, allies reveal themselves to be enemies, and everyone must confront the truths that drive them forward, even while mortal danger dogs their every step.½