"Goblin King" By Shona Husk

Note: This review is a Two-Parter

April 1st, 2012

So I finished The Goblin King today. It was pretty good! The ending seemed to drag on a bit, but I think that's because I knew what the solution was for so long that I wanted to bop Goldie-heart over the head. Otherwise, pretty good. Dark throughout, but I did like it. :)

I also read a quick book called The Pleasures of Sin by Jessica Trapp. It was interesting. I think she does an alright job explaining the transition of how a woman can be whipped and nearly beheaded by a man and then fall in love with him. I know. "WHAT?!" but really.. she does. Besides, to be fair, her Heroine did stab him in the chest with the intent to kill him because her sister told her to. She betrayed the Crown and did, by law, deserve death. 

Her hero is explained well enough that one can see his struggle with his past, present and future, as well as the heroine's struggle and how the two compromise. Furthermore, she addresses the brutality in a way that sort of shows the reader how brutality was a part of life.

I wasn't entirely pleased by the book, though and I think that it's because you're yanked in so many tragic directions. Near-beheadings, whippings, chains, brutalization and death. It's real, to be sure. These weren't uncommon in the days of the book, so she definitely maintains the truth and props to her for having the courage to do so and managing to let the reader discover how it can work!

But it was still a bit much for my tender modern-day sensibilities, I think. So I say it's a pretty good read, but that it's just not for everybody. Pretty well-written, though!

Mar 31st, 2012

I started reading a new book, today. It's The Goblin King, (Shadowlands #1) by Shona Husk.

I'm a good 1/4 of the way through it and so far it's pretty durn good. Ms Husk has a great approach to her writing. I am totally loving it. She has a way of writing that manages to keep the story quickly flowing, but doesn't lose any of the imagery or the intensity of the scene. With quick simplicity, you know how the characters are feeling and she writes just enough to let you know where you need to feel and get a start on what her scenes look like, but she engages the imagination beautifully.

Really looking forward to get into the serious meat and potatoes of the story. :)