“Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: The Goblin world expands with excellent world-building and a hot but reticent relationship.
Opening Sentence: There were no decorations in the church, no family or friends filling the pews.
The Review:
Dai has been released from the goblin curse but he isn’t truly free. Another force has a grip on him and as long as those talons are embedded deep within he can’t live as his brother now does. Dai brought with him strong magical powers that allow him to see the ebb and flow of life. He can also see how people are connected to one another. Dai is immediately attracted to Amanda when he sees her at Roan and Eliza’s wedding but like most damaged heroes, he believes he isn’t worthy of her. He needs to learn how to control his magic, unburden himself from his brother Roan and live in the modern world.
Amanda is also attracted to Dai when she sees him but she feels she is betraying her dead husband by what she feels for Dai. Amanda is devoted to her daughter, Brigit, who is afflicted with a serious form of asthma. Her lungs are failing her at an alarming rate, her prognosis isn’t good. Amanda is forced to move in with Roan and Eliza when a teenager she is counseling breaks into her home and attacks her. This allows her and Dai to have a little more interaction.
The world continues to expand in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Dai discovers that a few characters are more than they seem in spirit. A brother is found and new supernatural creatures are introduced. The Birch Bank is so much more than it seems. Dai’s magic was at times heartbreaking and exciting. This world opened up in ways that I couldn’t fathom from The Goblin King and I can’t wait to see what is next.
I was engrossed in the relationship between Amanda and Dai. She tries to hide her feelings just like Dai does but they don’t do a good job of it. They have a slow courtship trying to learn about each other and learning to break away from their pasts so they can possibly have a relationship together. They act like nervous teenagers when they are together but once they are apart they can’t stop thinking about each other. The little bits at a time that they give in to each other, the sparks fly.
Dai is nothing like his brother Roan. He has lived in his brother’s shadow and devoted his life to breaking the goblin curse and now that that is done, he wants to make a life of his own. It may not be what his brother wants for him but he is uncomfortable about the relationship between Roan and Eliza and he wants to get away. Dai comes to several realizations about how the past and present have come together and need to be fixed. Dai is damaged in heart, body and soul and he slowly learns to heal himself.
Amanda has kind of been dealt a raw hand at life. Her soul mate was taken from her when she was six months pregnant with their child and years later she still hasn’t gotten over it. She is conflicted because she wants to move on but she also doesn’t want to. Once she realizes that she needs to live for the moment and not worry about how much actions can hurt her, she really opens up.
I think I may have fell in love with Dai, that may be why I enjoyed this book so much and couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to him next. Amanda was a decent character and I truly wanted things to work out for her, but I wasn’t as invested in her as I was in Dai. My only complaint with this book was that it ended too soon, but it doesn’t matter, Amanda and Dai worked out what they needed to and they are comfortable with their decision. I hope to see more of Dai and Amanda in the next book For the Love of a Goblin Warrior.
Notable Scene:
Dai put his hands flat on the table. The skin on his palms began to heat. He forced cold through his hands as if he could will the wood to cool. “I need my books.”
Vexion tilted his head as if he were appraising dinner. “We let you live. It wasn’t an easy, or unanimousss decision. This world hasn’t seen the likesss of you since Merlin. The booksss you collected are best locked away.”
While his palms grew hot, they didn’t burn. “I’m not doing this for myself. There is information I need.” Important information if he was going to be able to save Brigit’s life and heal the damage he’d done to his sister so long ago.
Vexion dropped his gaze to the wood and then glanced back at Dai. “The fabric of society isss at risk.”
“A child will die.” And Amanda would break apart. He didn’t want to see her hurt.
“People die. You know that.”
“She is dying because of me.”
“Not my problem.” Vexion curled his lips. “You’re chilling my desk.”
Dai let thoughts of a bitter Welsh winter flow through his fingers. “Not my problem.”
The Shadowlands Series:
0.5. The Summons
1. The Goblin King
2. Kiss of the Goblin Prince
3. For the Love of a Goblin Warrior
FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Casablanca provided me with a copy of The Goblin King. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.”
Dark Faerie Tales wrote this review Saturday, June 9, 2012.
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