White Stag (Permafrost #1) by Kara Barbieri – ARC Review

 

My Rating ~ Five stars

RELEASE DATE: 27 December 2018

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia / Wednesday Books

Format: Paperback

Pages: 368

RRP:  $29.99

Blurb

As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke—as the only survivor—was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.

Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad—especially when it comes to those you care about.

Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.

 

 

Review

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of White Stag in exchange for an honest review.

When Janneke is the sole survivor of a goblin attack on her village, her troubles have just begun.  Taken prisoner by a truly monstrous goblin, Lydian, and subjected to untold horrors, she only escapes death when he throws her at his nephew, Soren’s, feet as a gift.

At the end of each goblin king’s rule, a white stag is hunted, killed and reborn to decide who the next king will be.  But the stag isn’t the only one being hunted.  Only one goblin can be king and the goblins who are powerful enough to compete for the throne will also try to kill each other.  When Soren asks Janneke to come on the hunt with him, in a race where Lydian is the main competition, she has to make decisions about her own future, where she belongs in the world and what really constitutes a monster.

White Stag was brutal, heart stopping and had all the elements of a brilliant YA fantasy.  Goblins, a great hunt, monsters, complicated relationships and strong characters.  Janneke was just such a SURVIVOR.   Soren was wonderful and I actually really loved  Seppo.  I hope we see a lot more of both of them in book two!

This is the type of book that could easily enter fandom territory.  There are some truly incredible characters in it and I can’t wait for the next book!

 

Photo via my Instagram account – Bookbookowl

 

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