The Goblin King

Shadowlands #1

by Shona Husk

Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

Back Cover Synopsis:

Once upon a time...

A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends he became known as The Goblin King.

For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled: A Willing Queen.

But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy him forever.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

317 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories.

Reviews

[Ria · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: August 1, 2011 (Available Now)
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Author’s Website: http://shonahusk.com/
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com (Chrismtas Present)
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy

Okay so I have a teensy admission to make — I love the movie Labyrinth. Love it. The whole idea of wishing for help from a mythical Goblin King only to find yourself his prisoner? Oh yeahhhhhh. So, while this book has nothing whatsoever to do with that movie, I admit that I was at first intrigued by the possibility of any parallels. Once I started reading, however, I quickly forgot about David Bowie’s hair and instead found myself falling in love with not only the world that Ms. Husk has created, but with all of her goblins as well. The struggle of the men to go against their “goblin” natures, the heartbreak of watching one of their own succumb and fully transform, and the hopelessness they faced as the clock quickly ticked down to the point where breaking the curse truly seemed to be an impossibility was a joy to read.

While I admit that it was a little frustrating to see the same issues rehashed several times over the story, and my desire to smack some decisiveness into Eliza only grew over the course of the novel, overall, I absolutely adored it.

5/5 Stars

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The prequel was ok, but not great. I should have listened to my gut and given this a miss. The heroine is too whiny for my taste, the hero is endlessly going on about almost being a goblin, but not yet and about saving his soul and so on and so forth. A lot of talking, not much action, not a lot of plot development. Very repetitive and the reasoning of the main characters did not make sense to me. I was bored and did not finish at about 30%.

Edited review (original review from February 2013), as I just read it again and did not like how unkind I was in it.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

I can’t not immediately think of David Bowie and the movie Labyrinth when I see the title of the first book in Shona Husk’s paranormal romance trilogy, THE GOBLIN KING. I always thought that movie was missing a romance and it was great fun to get to read a book that delivered a truly magical goblin/human love story. Why don’t we see more goblins in paranormal romance? Oh, right, because they look like goblins. Not exactly ideal for making the heart go pitter pat. But Shona Husk’s mythology handles this situation perfectly. In our world, goblins look a lot like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. But in their home in the Shadowlands, they look human. That is until they completely use up their human souls. After that it’s full goblin mode all the time.

Roan was an near perfect romantic hero. He’s lived for millennia as The Goblin King, a human cursed with a golden heart and an all consuming desire for the shiny metal. His curse forces him to answer the summons of humans and grant wishes. But he’s far from a complacent genie. He’s crafty and merciless. His humanity all but gone. When Eliza summons him to escape an engagement she is trapped in, he snatches her from her world with every intention to enjoy her whether she wants to or not. It’s only when he recognizes her as the little girl he saved and spend one perfect day with years ago (which you can read about in the free prequel ebook), that what’s left of his humanity flickers back to life.

There’s a beautiful Beauty and the Beast quality to the romance in THE GOBLIN KING (with a super hot sensuality level) that I found completely enchanting. Eliza is forced to wrestle with her emotions where Roan is concerned and decide what’s she’s willing to give up to save him, if saving him is even possible. She’s also got a serious situation back home with a blackmailing fiancé and a family legacy caught in the balance. I really appreciated the separate yet complimentary stories that each character had apart from their romance.

If, like me, you had a crush on The Goblin King from Labyrinth and always fall for the Beauty and the Beast type stories, you’re going to love THE GOBLIN KING. Fresh mythology, wonderful character redemption, and the power of true love. This is exactly what paranormal romance fans crave. The next book in the Shadowlands trilogy will be published in May 2012, and is called KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE. I’m certainly ready to pucker up.

Sexual Content:
Several graphic sex scenes

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heeding a summons, the Goblin King, finds his summoner unconscious, but seizes the chance to bring the woman back to his lair – and a goblin never gives up his treasures.

Having read the free kindle prequel Summons: A Goblin King Prequel and being a fan of Labyrinth (yes, it has muppets but there is also a touch of forbidden romance) I was completely intrigued by the premise of Husk's series. Roan, the Goblin King, is a cursed warrior trying desperately to fight the greed that threatens to turn him fully Goblin, and after endless years of struggling he is on the cusp of losing that battle. The summons eighteen years ago (which is the story from the prequel) gave Roan hope - having his young summoner see him as a man and a hero instead of a monster, had helped him keep fighting.

While I liked the prequel, I was glad that Husk gave the young summoner Eliza time to grow up before, bringing the pair back together again. The initial reunion between Roan and Elisa still had me a bit worried, because the monster in Roan wants to take what is 'his', but that ultimately just adds to the intensity of Roan's battle against his desire and makes the fact that he holds out and waits for Eliza instead of trying to take from her what must be freely given all that much more intense .

So all in all, I really loved the anguished warrior king trying to hold onto his humanity and the woman who is able to love the whole man, even the monster he hasn't quite succumbed to yet. And I will be looking for more from Husk, the Goblin King is just the first in a trilogy and Roan's brother Dai take the lead in the next book, Kiss of the Goblin Prince.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the prequel novella better :/

I have to admit going into this expecting something along the lines of the movie "Labyrinth"

But it disappointed me in so many ways.

I never managed to form an attachment to the heroine and the hero was just of sort of mopey and thinking about gold or something like that most of the time.

There was no magic in the writing,no flow to make you want to read along to the end.I skimmed through a lot of it.

[Jess]

What I wanted:


What I got:


Sure, make assault sexy and the female protagonist a pawn in every man's agenda. No thanks. I did not even get to the cool parts such as the curse and how it changes the way the hero looks and all that because I was just so grossed out.

[Bookaholics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goblin King by Shona Husk
Paranormal Romance - Oct 1st, 2011
4 stars

Roan is the Goblin King. He and his surviving men were cursed by a vengeful Druid for a past misdeed that they could not control. As Roan loses his humanity, he becomes
closer to becoming a full and vicious Goblin without morals or scruples but there is one
person who can hold back the tide, if she dares.

Eliza met the Goblin King, and he gave her one of his beads after saving her. She has been the only one in centuries who summoned him for his aid and actually thanked Roan him instead of reviling him. Eliza's belief in him as her savior gave Roan hope. But now a grown up Eliza is trouble again and summons her past savior to help her, he is different from the hero she remembers. Harder. For Roan has become less human and more goblin. She is scared of his ferocity and how he has changed. But can she see past what he has become to the man who is still within?

This a gorgeous world the author has created. The villains in this story are pure evil and I couldn't wait for the hero and heroine to give them their just desserts. However, since both of the main characters have been so battered down by their enemies, they take quite a while to assert themselves which makes me quite frustrated early in the story. Most of Roan's men have succumbed to their goblin side and are now lost forever. I especially mourned the death of Roan's friend. I would love it if the author could find redemption for the poor warriors who have suffered and turned true goblin but I don't see how this would be possible. Much of the story delves on the hopelessness of returning Roan to humanity after many failures. This brings a lot of tension but also made me feel a bit depressed at times.

A heartrending hero and a courageous heroine fight a terrible curse and find love. Those who love fairy-tale like romances should definitely try this book.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

[Mandapanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A very different sort of hero in this interesting paranormal romance. Roan lives under a curse that is slowly turning him into a goblin, obsessed with gold and stripped of his humanity. He exists in the Shadowlands, ruling over his fellow warriors who have gradually succumbed to the curse and turned into true goblins. For the second time in his existence he is called into the Fixed Realm (our world) to answer the summons of Eliza, who called him once as a child. He has never lost that connection with her and he steals her away to be his Queen. Eliza is trying to escape her human fiancé who has blackmailed her into marriage.

Where this book shines is the world-building. Roan, the goblin King, is a unique and exotic character. His beaded dreadlocks, his tragic descent into gold-madness and his noble resistance to evil are extremely appealing. The Shadowlands were very well drawn. I was fascinated by the menacing Goblin horde, the evil Druid and the dark, nightmarish landscape. But finally I don't think the author did enough with that world. The plot was surprisingly thin and the sex scenes were brief and un-arousing. Eliza seemed a weak character to me. Too easily giving in to the machinations of her evil fiancé.

So even though I enjoyed this book, I felt like I was watching the story unfold dispassionately, visually absorbed but emotionally unaffected. I will go on to book 2 though as it has received a higher rating and I'm interested to see what happens with Roan's brother.

[Jacki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, okay, okay. YES, I fell victim to Jareth-baiting. I did. I admit it. In my defense, the book was on sale! The only caveat Smart Bitches listed was that some readers didn't like the heroine. I figured, I'm not in it for the heroine anyway. How bad can it be?

So bad!

First, don't go in expecting Labyrinth magic, because the world is fairly limited, and no one's putting on a musical (fair, since it's a book). The only real similarity between this book and the movie is that the hero takes someone from the mortal world into his magical realm after she makes a wish. Oh, and he has long hair, even though the cover model looks like a beefed-up Jensen Ackles. To sum up the plot here, the hero is a human who's under a druid curse, and he's going to basically turn into your garden variety Gringott's goblin if he doesn't break it. He doesn't want to be a goblin, and he's not really a goblin yet anyway. There's your disclaimer, okay? You've been warned. No real copyright infringement going on here.

Now, my issues with it: Flat world-building. Flat characters. Uneven relationship development. Rapiness. Angst but not in any way that inspired my emotions. Heroine who could solve her own problems but won't. Clunky writing with overly formal dialogue. Total slog. That's pretty much it!

Flop, magic, flop. Sigh.

[SubterraneanCatalyst · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars! (GR you really need to add the half star if you're going to have such a short range for rating!)

This book is like the amber beads so oft mentioned throughout- it feels like only a short moment captured. You will spend your time in this book within the Heroine and Hero's minds cycling through The Big Dilemma. This can be at times repetitive but Husk does manage to make me understand the desperate passion between the characters. The major points subtracted from this book: it could have all been shorter and less hand wringing worthy if some more in depth conversations happened. Yes, they talked, they went back and forth, they longed silently. I guess when you fall in love- and oh hell when you're in the midst of a relationship you keep a whole hunk of it hidden and yeah that does really happen.

Bottom Line:
- I was skeptical but the story did draw me in
- Don't read this if you despise wimpy characters, the heroine is almost whiny regarding all of her bad choices, I didn't enjoy that aspect
- I will read the next installment out in 2012, I DID enjoy this. It was written nicely but just had some minor issues that prevented me from LOVING it, but otherwise a good short read.

[Ris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Husk has layered this world and each character with intense feelings, decisions and outcomes. The Shadowlands is a savage world but the protagonist Roan still has an ounce of humanity left, so when the heroine Eliza enters his world the contrast between hope and despair, beauty and evil, taking and giving, is both magnified and questioned. It’s a tale that is both heart wrenching and heartwarming. The question of doing what is necessary and doing what is right are in play throughout. It many ways it read like a morality tale – but Ms. Husk has wrapped it in a beautifully written story about love and loss and never giving up.

The Goblin King is a blend of paranormal, fantasy and romance where the secondary characters are as important and vital as the hero and heroine. Where grief goes hand in hand with joy and where the answers to questions are not easily obtained. I was taken in by the richly developed and fantastical world but I was sustained by the all too human emotions of the characters.

The Goblin King is the first book I’ve read by Shona Husk but I’m looking forward to the next two books in the Shadowlands series

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

He's not yet a goblin, he was a king once upon a time, so he’s not a Goblin or a king; and while I don't judge a book by the cover (it does make it easier to pick up, though), what’s up with this one? Who is that supposed to be? Roan spends all his time running around in beaded dreds. And what is with that sword? No one would actually use that thing in a fight.
But that's all beside the point, which is that this book wasn't worth the time I took reading it. What a needy "rescue-me" type of "heroine," with the tired plot device of the evil fiancé, whom she must marry for some inane reason. She’s been calling on this Roan to rescue her since she was a kid, and she’s just gotten older and whinier. And Roan is the “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” type – he’s afraid of turning full Goblin, yet kills one he has imprisoned for no reason, maybe just disgust at what he’ll become.
And the repetition of each theme and thought is so incredibly tedious – these characters have a zero learning curve. I stuck it through till the bitter end, hoping something would redeem this, but it was just a waste of time.

[Christy Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now that little girls who grew up loving the movie Labyrinth (and learned about the difference between boys and girls thanks to David Bowie's tights) are old enough to read it's about damn time someone ripped the movie off so we can enjoy a more erotic version. I had high hopes and the plot is actually good enough that I raised my expectations, not to mention how much hope the positive reviews gave me...but as always you all lied to me.

Husk either cannot write or this book is satire. The thought process of the leading lady is so jacked that I could not care for her in the least and the leading man was just your replaceable romance novel dude that I didn't bother trying to like him.

Also, people randomly whispered things.

What the fuck is that about?

[Tigress · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read the Kindle sample, and I refuse to read the rest. I'll write an actual review later, but for now, suffice it to say, THE HERO (or, I should say, "HERO") IS A RAPIST. As happens far too often in Romancelandia. And this book is not deserving of the title The Goblin King.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Milk dropped into Steven's coffee like a turd."

[Faith Tiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

So it didn’t start strong for me. Got hung up on the fact that the cover picture was of a conventionally attractive hunky man instead of a pretty freaky lad like David Bowie.
The journey from prisoner/captor to lovers lacked real character development.
Throughout, I didn’t think I’d give it more than 2 stars. But by the end I was interested in what the characters would do next. I think I’ll read the next one

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally published at Reading Reality

Goblins are not the stuff that dreams are made of. Not unless those dreams are nightmares.

But somehow Shona Husk managed to make The Goblin King into a sweeping romance of love and redemption as well as a darkly sensual twist on Beauty and the Beast.

Once upon a time, Roan was a Celtic prince, back when Rome ruled the Western world. Back when the Druids practiced real magic. His people rebelled, and failed. Roan and his band of warriors were condemned, not to death, because death would have been too quick, but to eternity in the Shadowlands. Eternity as goblins.

Their punishment didn't come from the Romans for the attempt, it came from a Druid priest for betraying the rebellion. The worst of it was, Roan and his men weren't even guilty.

But the Druid could never admit his mistake, so the punishment continued, century after century, as one by one, Roan's men fell to the curse. Either their souls were eaten away by the goblin's lust for gold, or they died in fighting the goblin horde.

Roan was King of his band of goblin-men. Being a goblin meant that any human could summon him to the Fixed Realm that we call Earth. Roan had to obey the summons, but he learned that he didn't have to obey the summoner, not if he was willing to endure a little pain.

One 20th century summer, a girl on the cusp of womanhood summoned him, to rescue her from her brother's drunken friends. Eliza thought the Goblin King would serve her better than rape by drunken teenage boys. She turned out to be right.

Years later, faced with a fiance who has both stolen from her and brutalized her, Eliza choses to summon the Goblin King again. A goblin who is what he is has to be better than a goblin who pretends to be a man.

Roan almost doesn't remember her. The goblin curse almost has him, but not quite. And Eliza brings him back from the brink of the darkness. Except that time is running out. Roan's kingdom in the Shadowlands is about to be physically overrun by goblins. Roan and his brother Dai are the only two warriors left, and even the magical defenses he has created have limits.

Eliza is his queen, but unless she can break his curse, he cannot return to the Fixed Realm, to Earth. If she stays in the Shadowlands, she will die with him. If she returns to her own place, her conniving fiancee will ruin her, or possibly worse.

The Druid priest wants to destroy everything Roan holds dear, including Eliza. Can they find the answer before it is too late?

Escape Rating A-: Making a goblin the hero was a stroke of genius. Absolutely brilliant. He's a piece of mythology you don't see used much, and certainly don't imagine in the hero role. Yes, it's a take-off on Beauty and the Beast, so what? West Side Story was Romeo and Juliet. The point is that it's well done.

I always like it when the hero and heroine (or hero and hero) rescue each other. He doesn't just sweep her off of her feet. He needs to be rescued every bit as much as she does. It's not one-sided.

My only teeny-tiny wish is that the evil fiance, Steve, hadn't been quite so cookie-cutter dastardly. In a story where all the other characters were multi-dimensional, his one-dimensional-ness stood out. So to speak.

The story of Roan's first meeting with Eliza, where she summons him to rescue her from her brother's drunken friends, is appropriately titled The Summons. It's a prequel enovella and is currently available free. At that price it is definitely worth reading!

[Hal Evergreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Goblin King was a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping for something very different from standard paranormal romances, and the goblin theme sounded promising. Goblins aren't easy to sexify like vampires, shapeshifters, etc. Goblins are squat, ugly, crafty little bastards who like to make mischief. At least, that's the type of goblin I've read about in fairy tales and children's stories. The goblins in The Goblin King were very different (dumber, nastier, more animalistic), and the book wasn't really about them anyway.

This book's deficiencies can be boiled down to two major problems. First, there is a general lack of character development for every character except for the hero, Roan. Roan is really the only reason to read this book. Although his perennial pity party gets a bit old after a while, he is a pretty good example of a true anti-hero. Most of his motivations throughout the novel, even when he's doing the "right thing," are purely selfish. He is so lost in his greed and self-interest that he doesn't even understand the concept of self-sacrifice. I actually loved this about him, because it fit so well in the world Shona Husk had created. Roan is believable as a cursed man hovering on the brink of a complete loss of humanity.

Unfortunately, none of the other characters are nearly as well-drawn, and Eliza is perhaps the worst (other than the main villain, Elryion, who barely shows up at all in spite of being the cause of the whole goblin-curse-thingy). There is really nothing to distinguish Eliza from any other heroine in any other romance novel I've ever read. She was a bit weak-willed, kinda silly, but mostly just boring. I didn't hate her. She wasn't mean, and she wasn't TSTL. I just couldn't figure out why Roan was obsessed with her.

The other major problem with this book was a lack of plot. The world Shona Husk created is truly fascinating, but it's too static. Most of the novel consists of characters' conversations and internal monologuing rather than action. There's a fascinating dreamscape (nightmarescape?) to explore in the Shadowlands, along with plenty of nasties for the characters to encounter, but instead, most of the scenes in the Shadowlands take place within Roan's protected caves. What is the point of creating such a fascinating world and then using it as nothing but a backdrop? Husk teases the reader with imaginative scraps, but those imaginings never reach their full potential. Instead, we get a constant repetition of conversations and character introspections instead of solid plot lines. Husk could have easily cut 100 pages from her manuscript and she would have had a much tighter, more readable novel.

In spite of these deficiencies, however, I did enjoy this novel, and I'd be interested in reading more by this author. I liked her new approach to the paranormal genre, and I really liked her version of the tortured hero trope.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

Confession time: This was a case where my hormones picked the book. Look, don’t judge me. I’ve been taking maca powder in my Nutriblasts and the side effects of maca happened to be an increased libido. So, in short I was doomed when I entered the romance section of the library and saw the piece of man meat on the cover. With a title of The Goblin King…well, I knew I was definitely going to be in for a smutty good time and I just couldn’t resist.

So, with that confession made here is a case where covers are deceiving. The man meat on the cover is absolutely nothing like what is described in the book. Roan is supposed to have dark colored dreadlocks threaded with gold and amber beads, blue eyes and a scarred body. I actually ended up liking the Roan in my imagination more than the man meat on the cover. The problem was that besides Roan’s good looks there wasn’t much to him from a character standpoint.

As a matter of fact, the two main characters and villain were all rather flat and one dimensional. Roan was a typical alpha male, Eliza was just a female in need of rescuing and the villain was evil in a very mediocre way. When it came down to it Eliza could have easily gotten out of her situation had she decided to grow a back bone and confront the problem. Eliza was a frustrating heroine because she was so damn indecisive about everything. If you like a book with a strong heroine this is not the one.

I ended up being interested more in the secondary characters, particularly Dai and Amanda. Dai is the scholar of the goblin/warrior group. I loved that rather than moping Dai actually tried finding a cure to their curse. Also, he scored major points for being a fan of Harry Potter!!! I thought it was adorable that he was so concerned about finding out the ending of the series before the curse took hold permanently. As a fellow Potterhead and book nerd Dai is the man of my dreams. I also liked Amanda because she seemed strong and there is definitely a background story there. I definitely would read the second book just to learn more about these two.

As for Roan’s and Eliza’s relationship, well, because there was so little character substance there wasn’t much romantic substance either. It was a relationship definitely built on lust. Roan and Eliza first met when she was 16 and he rescued her from a near rape situation and then years later she summons him again and he rescues her. That’s really the basis of their relationship…an offer of protection with some lust thrown in. There is no explanation as to why Roan falls for Eliza when he’s been alone and hasn’t cared for anyone for so many years. Sadly, the sex scenes weren’t even hot. I think that had to do with the lack of tension between the characters.

Anyway, overall this book turned out to be pretty lame, but I grew interested enough in the secondary characters to want to read their story.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so the guy on the cover might not look much like our hero, he has got dreads and when he is a goblin he is all icky, but then this can be how he looks at the end :)

Anyway, to the story! Roan lives in the shadowlands, a horrible place of nightmares. He is cursed and has been for 2000 years. He used to be a good king, but now he is a man whose greed might make him into the goblins he hate. He is loosing little by little to the curse. But there is something there, and sure at times in the beginning I thought he was a bit too alpha idiot, but I still could not look away.

Eliza, the deal that annoyed me there for a moment was how fast she fell, but come on, this is a romance after all. So I went along with that, cos in the end, Roan is a hottie, he is alpha, and he is a mighty warrior. Eliza has grown weak and scared. She is being bullied by her idiotic fiance and even though she has everything her lives sucks. She just wants out. And when these two meet, a woman who needs something more, and a man who needs help fighting his demons, well you can guess what happens. Flames of passion and lots of drama.

Because life is not easy. She has her ass of a fiance. He has not much time left to live with his fading human soul. The goblin is taking over. They are doomed from the start, but they still can't stay away from each other.

It was the goblins, the curse and the world that did it for me. It was good, and I also really liked his brother Dai. When the book ended I kind of wanted a book with him too, must be because he was a nerd. I do like the more beta male too.

All in all a good book that had me reading fast, I enjoyed the romance and the passion they shared. It was a fairytale happy ever after with goblins, fights and the will to love.

[Lilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

No doubt this title will immediately bring to mind thoughts of Labyrinth, but other than the title I think that's about all that's in common with the film. The Goblin King -- the first in a paranormal romance trilogy by Shona Husk, that finally gives goblins their spotlight in this ever-growing genre -- throw us into the midst of Roan's life: one where his soul is hanging in the balance as the curse of being a goblin tugs at him at every moment and leaves him craving gold.

Rather than Labyrinth, what we have here is the classic Beauty falling in love with Beast motif. As part of his curse, Roan must answer the summons of whomever calls him. Answer that is, not grant. He has a choice there. However, when he is summoned by a young woman - Eliza - who has locked herself in the bathroom, away from her fiancé. Roan, whose humanity has long gone, looks upon her as if she's a piece of gold and he longs for her. He has every intention of taking her and using her in any way he sees fit. But something stops him. He realizes that she's the teenager he saved once, and shared a day with (see the free prequel The Summons ) and suddenly he can feel his humanity bubbling from beneath the surface.

A steamy, erotic romance? Check. Lots of angtsy feelings? Check. A crazy, blackmailing boyfriend? Check. Enchanting world-building? Check. A new heroic monster to love? Double check! So, if you are looking for something to cuddle up and escape with during these chilly evenings, look no further.

http://www.read-all-over.net/fiction/...

[Karyn Gerrard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book at Goodreads First Reads Giveaway

Highly entertaining with a captivating fantasy element. Throw in a Beauty and the Beast angle and you have a touching romance as well.

Eliza had her first encounter with the Goblin King when she was a teenager. He warned her, do not summon me again or I will take you away. Years later, Eliza's life is hell, she is engaged to monster in a Brooks Brothers suit, he controls every aspect of her life. She needs rescuing and summons the Goblin King.

Roan whisks her away to his world, where he looks like a cross between a Navy Seal and a rock star. Too bad his home is in the Shadowlands, a dreary nightmare world where rivers run with thick oil. Also if Roan goes back to Eliza's world he appears in his true guise, a gnarled, gray skinned, yellow eyed goblin. Roan is barely hanging by a thread, his heart is already gone, now what little humanity left in his soul is about to disappear. Can Eliza pull him back from the brink and break the curse, and can she accept the beast/goblin within?

I loved the aspect of the different 'monsters' Eliza's fiance Steven and the Goblin King, who is the true monster? The romance is touching and Roan in the Shadowlands is quite the specimen. But Eliza learns it is what is inside that counts. Roan is a great hero, self-sacrificing, brave, honorable and ultimately romantic.

Enjoyed this immensely and I do recommend~

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roan is the Goblin King. He lives in the Shadowlands and his heart has been replaced with gold. Roan has been summoned by a woman. When Roan arrives, he finds the woman unconscious and bleeding. Roan takes the woman back to Shadowlands.

Eliza awakes to find herself in a strange land with a strange man. Though the man is not a stranger to Eliza. In fact the last time that Eliza saw the Goblin King was when she was a young girl. At that time, Roan told Eliza not to summons him again. Now that she has, Roan does not plan to let her go. Because every king needs a queen, Roan wants Eliza to be his queen.

Shona Husk is a new to me author. I like the premise of this new series about hunky goblins. I have to admit that if all the goblins look like Roan than I would not mind being a goblin queen. I think that green might just become my new favorite color. Eliza on the other hand was someone that I had to warm up to in the beginning. I wanted to shake her and tell her that she was making a huge mistake wanting to go back to Earth and her fiancé. Who was a major jerk by the way. Of course, Eliza did get her head on straight in the end. The romance was good but mild at best. Eliza and Roan did not really hook up until later in the book. They were separated most of the time. Ms. Husk did create a magical world. The Goblin King is worth its weight in gold. I will check out the next book, Kiss of the Goblin Prince.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered this book on Goodreads and the cover and summary had me entering into their giveaway. Although I did not win, I was lucky enough for this to be one of the books my librarian friend had received and ended up giving to me. I read it the day I got it. I was not disappointed. When I first started reading, the book started reminding me about Jim Henson’s 1986 movie The Labyrinth. The Goblin King, the one woman he can’t resist, and the wish for the Goblin King’s help. But thats where the similarities ended. The story starts as we are introduced to Roan, the Goblin King, as he is being summoned by Eliza, the one woman he can not refuse. Eliza is suddenly thrown into Roan’s struggle to not become a monster. This book was very well written, and the pull between Eliza and Roan was hard to deny. I recently saw that Shona Husk has also written a Prequel to this book, and I can’t wait to pick it up! I loved this book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So here's the thing; I have a weird obsession with goblins?????? idk but I love them as like antiheroes.

Buuuut this book was just... bizarre? The concepts are interesting but not fleshed out entirely. The pacing was super off. I wasn't introduced to anything in the start so it felt like the second book in a series (I seriously had to double check I wasn't going out of order.) I did like the book, it was a story that I enjoyed and finished and am considering the next book (I heard its better anyway).

The characters I did like. I didn't love them, I liked them. I didn't learn enough about them in this one book. I felt like the relationship was also super fast and not very developed. As for the piece of shit Steve, he can choke on a dick for all I care and Husk did an excellent job of making me hate him.

Anyway, if you're going into this book as a one-off, it's not satisfying. But I think the trilogy will turn into something pretty good.

[Julija · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Some interesting ideas, lots of potential and good writing style. Unfortunately, instead of exploring said potential and focusing on the plot, most chapters were all about characters moping around and misunderstanding each other. A pity, because this book could've been so much more. I'm especially sad about the villain not being explored at all because he sure as hell could've been one of the best if he was given a chance. Both the druid and the world would make such an awesome UF instead of PNR. Damn. Still, I might read the sequel but only because I like Dai.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What started off as an interesting novel quickly degenerated into a bland story that offers nothing to make it memorable. *Clearly David Bowie is in no danger of being dethroned as the goblin king of my heart.*

That said, I'll probably read the next book in the series. Who knows, it may offer something more. Full review of this to come at some point.

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another first read author for me and I enjoyed her writing .This book was def a bit darker pnr than I usually read, not in a violent way,just a darker tone.There was such a saddness to the middle part of the story when all hope of them being together was lost,but as always,love wins all.Curious as to who is lurking in the shadows.Looking to tead the next in the series.

[Patricia]

I was at 57% last time I read this, but kinda stopped reading. I don't even remember why exactly.. the premise was good, but I kinda couldn't connect with the characters, I think.

Will hopefully pick it up again later.