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sadie_rae's review against another edition
3.0
Ahh... so much potential but the hr kinda ruined it for me, eventually she got there(well kinda) but she was much to wishy washy for me. :/ 3 stars
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
2.0
I was so excited to read The Goblin King, but sadly it couldn't live up to my high expectations. The concept was interesting - I liked how Roan was cursed to appear as a goblin in the human realm and the increasing despair experienced by both Roan and Dai as the book wore on had the potential to be moving.
Unfortunately, I could not invest in the character of Eliza and the relationship with the titular Goblin King never prompted a stronger emotion than mild interest. Eliza doesn't really develop a third dimension (the curse of many a paranormal romance heroine) and the 'relationship' with Steve was especially problematic and did not inspire my sympathy, just my annoyance. In terms of the relationship with Roan, it failed to grow organically and I felt as if I had missed a chunk of narrative, between the initial kidnap and declarations of lurve - it didn't ring true and so by the end of the novel, my attention was wavering. Also, there was an excessive use of simile throughout that continually threw me out of the story - sometimes, it's best just to tell it as it is.
Still, the cover is delightful!
Unfortunately, I could not invest in the character of Eliza and the relationship with the titular Goblin King never prompted a stronger emotion than mild interest. Eliza doesn't really develop a third dimension (the curse of many a paranormal romance heroine) and the 'relationship' with Steve was especially problematic and did not inspire my sympathy, just my annoyance. In terms of the relationship with Roan, it failed to grow organically and I felt as if I had missed a chunk of narrative, between the initial kidnap and declarations of lurve - it didn't ring true and so by the end of the novel, my attention was wavering. Also, there was an excessive use of simile throughout that continually threw me out of the story - sometimes, it's best just to tell it as it is.
Still, the cover is delightful!
margaretkearney's review against another edition
2.0
Had to lem this book.It started off interestingly enough but I kind of felt that there was no chemistry between the two main characters
helenkat's review against another edition
4.0
Fabulous story with an unlikely hero. Can't wait to read book 2 of The Shadowlands Trilogy!
rclz's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book in Shona Husk's Shadowlands series. It was a little slow in the middle but overall the ending was worth the work to get there. I'll be interested to see if she does a little better with the next one. I like her writing style
isabelisalright's review against another edition
2.0
This book was meh. I honestly don't even want to review it like I would other books. The story fell flat in a lot of places and was amazing in others. I was hopeful this book would be amazing or more enjoyable and it just wasn't.
book_whispers's review against another edition
3.0
The Goblin King was a sure hit with me right from the get go. It took a fresh new look on goblins—who only ever get brief spots as creepy villains in fantasy—and turned it into an epic Beauty and the Beast retelling. Long ago a group of Celtic men trying to defy the Roman Empire were wrongly accused of betraying their people. An overzealous Druid cursed Roan—the King of his clan—and his men to have hearts of gold. They were banished to the nightmare realm, the Shadowlands, and cursed to lose their souls and become goblins. Creatures without souls who could only lust after gold and blood. Anyone who summoned the Goblin King could make Roan do their bidding, until a few centuries into the curse he could finally defy the summoner.
The Goblin King jumps right into the tale where Eliza is trying to avoid a horrible man that is currently blackmailing her into marriage. She summons the Goblin King and wishes that he would take her away. The Goblin King is only too eager to do so. However, this isn’t the first time she’s made the request and their story starts back in her youth. Or in the short story The Summons, which in my opinion should be the prologue. Because without it this story just doesn’t have the passion and emotions, making for a rough start.
This book was a great escape. It took goblins to a whole new level and made them sexy. Eliza does not make for the most interesting read, as she jumps from one man to the next. She attaches herself to Steve after her father dies and soon becomes a victim to Steve’s greed. Then when the Goblin King comes along she’s ready to make for her freedom, yet she still has to fully depend on Roan to save her. Husks writing never quite breached the raw emotions, I felt like the words told instead of showing. Roan’s suffering never really came to the fore front with him having to kill his own clan members, living the life in the realm of nightmares and doing whatever a summoner demanded of him. I appreciate that the reader didn’t have to sit through depressing passages of a cursed man, but one who was still fighting for life.
The Goblin King is an enjoyable read on what makes a monster and what makes a man. It’s a grand new fairytale about breaking curses and happily ever afters. Even though the writing lacked that vital touch to fully suck me in emotionally I was still invested and I have faith that the next book, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, will make that leap. The world of the Shadowlands and Goblins is something I am looking forward to visiting and getting better acquainted with.
Sexual Content: A fair amount of sex, nothing too exotic. Talk about goblins raping and eating woman, again nothing too detailed on the matter.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted on Book Whispers.
The Goblin King jumps right into the tale where Eliza is trying to avoid a horrible man that is currently blackmailing her into marriage. She summons the Goblin King and wishes that he would take her away. The Goblin King is only too eager to do so. However, this isn’t the first time she’s made the request and their story starts back in her youth. Or in the short story The Summons, which in my opinion should be the prologue. Because without it this story just doesn’t have the passion and emotions, making for a rough start.
This book was a great escape. It took goblins to a whole new level and made them sexy. Eliza does not make for the most interesting read, as she jumps from one man to the next. She attaches herself to Steve after her father dies and soon becomes a victim to Steve’s greed. Then when the Goblin King comes along she’s ready to make for her freedom, yet she still has to fully depend on Roan to save her. Husks writing never quite breached the raw emotions, I felt like the words told instead of showing. Roan’s suffering never really came to the fore front with him having to kill his own clan members, living the life in the realm of nightmares and doing whatever a summoner demanded of him. I appreciate that the reader didn’t have to sit through depressing passages of a cursed man, but one who was still fighting for life.
The Goblin King is an enjoyable read on what makes a monster and what makes a man. It’s a grand new fairytale about breaking curses and happily ever afters. Even though the writing lacked that vital touch to fully suck me in emotionally I was still invested and I have faith that the next book, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, will make that leap. The world of the Shadowlands and Goblins is something I am looking forward to visiting and getting better acquainted with.
Sexual Content: A fair amount of sex, nothing too exotic. Talk about goblins raping and eating woman, again nothing too detailed on the matter.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally posted on Book Whispers.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
I've been wanting to read this paranormal series by Australian author Shona Husk for a while and with the imminent release of the third book, [b:For the Love of a Goblin Warrior|13410013|For the Love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands, #3)|Shona Husk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353115253s/13410013.jpg|18649061] I decided to read all of them, one after another.
The Goblin King introduces Roan, once a Celtic King in Roman times, cursed to the Shadowlands, along with several of his loyal men, by a druid, now at the beck and call of whomever may summon them. After 2000 years only Roan and his brother Dai have survived the pull of the curse that threatens to strip them of their humanity and force them to live as mindless, gold greedy goblins. As their will begins to fade, Roan is summoned to the Fixed World (our modern world) to save Eliza Coulter, but Eliza may be the one who saves them.
I really like the world-building in this novel, the lore that supports the curse is something a little different, the relationship between the Shadowlands and The Fixed World is creative and the idea of goblins as hero's is intriguing. There are lots of other interesting touches, like Roans ability with magic, the travel between worlds and the nightmare visions of the Shadowlands.
While I quickly grew to like Roan, and his brother Dai, I never really warmed up to Eliza a great deal. It is not the first time our hero and heroine have met, in the [b:The Summons: A Goblin King Prequel|12159562|The Summons A Goblin King Prequel (Shadowlands, #0.5)|Shona Husk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327877883s/12159562.jpg|17130563], Eliza called on Roan for help as a teenager when she panics fending off the unwanted attentions of a drunken party goer and wants to escape. When she calls on Roan in The Goblin King she is trying to escape a situation where she is being blackmailed into marrying a man she does not love. To be fair Steve, Eliza's fiance, is an intimidating jerk but I didn't really buy into the helplessness of her situation, especially as she has the resources to save herself. Eliza was just a little to self pitying and martyr like for me to be satisfied with her as a heroine.
The story was a little heavy on the romance for more tastes, not unexpected given it is a paranormal romance, but I really liked that there were good reasons for Roan and Eliza to be kept apart. In the human world, Roan can only appear as a Goblin, in the Shadowlands, Eliza is under constant threat, the only way they an be together safely is to break the curse, but it seems that not even love is enough.
The Goblin King is an enjoyable romantic fantasy, a fairytale not unlike Beauty and the Beast with enough appeal to ensure I look forward to reading the next book in the Shadowlands series featuring Dai, [b:Kiss of the Goblin Prince|12794018|Kiss of the Goblin Prince (Shadowlands, #2)|Shona Husk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321520384s/12794018.jpg|17942013]
The Goblin King introduces Roan, once a Celtic King in Roman times, cursed to the Shadowlands, along with several of his loyal men, by a druid, now at the beck and call of whomever may summon them. After 2000 years only Roan and his brother Dai have survived the pull of the curse that threatens to strip them of their humanity and force them to live as mindless, gold greedy goblins. As their will begins to fade, Roan is summoned to the Fixed World (our modern world) to save Eliza Coulter, but Eliza may be the one who saves them.
I really like the world-building in this novel, the lore that supports the curse is something a little different, the relationship between the Shadowlands and The Fixed World is creative and the idea of goblins as hero's is intriguing. There are lots of other interesting touches, like Roans ability with magic, the travel between worlds and the nightmare visions of the Shadowlands.
While I quickly grew to like Roan, and his brother Dai, I never really warmed up to Eliza a great deal. It is not the first time our hero and heroine have met, in the [b:The Summons: A Goblin King Prequel|12159562|The Summons A Goblin King Prequel (Shadowlands, #0.5)|Shona Husk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327877883s/12159562.jpg|17130563], Eliza called on Roan for help as a teenager when she panics fending off the unwanted attentions of a drunken party goer and wants to escape. When she calls on Roan in The Goblin King she is trying to escape a situation where she is being blackmailed into marrying a man she does not love. To be fair Steve, Eliza's fiance, is an intimidating jerk but I didn't really buy into the helplessness of her situation, especially as she has the resources to save herself. Eliza was just a little to self pitying and martyr like for me to be satisfied with her as a heroine.
The story was a little heavy on the romance for more tastes, not unexpected given it is a paranormal romance, but I really liked that there were good reasons for Roan and Eliza to be kept apart. In the human world, Roan can only appear as a Goblin, in the Shadowlands, Eliza is under constant threat, the only way they an be together safely is to break the curse, but it seems that not even love is enough.
The Goblin King is an enjoyable romantic fantasy, a fairytale not unlike Beauty and the Beast with enough appeal to ensure I look forward to reading the next book in the Shadowlands series featuring Dai, [b:Kiss of the Goblin Prince|12794018|Kiss of the Goblin Prince (Shadowlands, #2)|Shona Husk|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321520384s/12794018.jpg|17942013]
jennyreadsromance's review against another edition
2.0
In a nutshell, this is the story. Ages ago, a man named Roan was cursed to a place called the Shadowlands (where nightmares come from) and became The Goblin King. If he is summoned he may or may not answer the summons; if he does he will grant the summoner one wish. He is barely hanging on to his humanity. Eliza is a modern day woman, engaged to a man she hates. She summons The Goblin King, he hopes she will be the one to break the curse.
I don't know where to start with this review. The idea of The Goblin King is interesting but the story fell flat. It took me forever to get through it and I only did because I hate not finishing a book. It was long and drawn out and I was so ready for it to end. Both Roan and Eliza are annoying and whiny, the story was told not shown, and I think that it has potential but could have definitely been a novella or something.
I don't know where to start with this review. The idea of The Goblin King is interesting but the story fell flat. It took me forever to get through it and I only did because I hate not finishing a book. It was long and drawn out and I was so ready for it to end. Both Roan and Eliza are annoying and whiny, the story was told not shown, and I think that it has potential but could have definitely been a novella or something.