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Shadowlands #3
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior
Centuries ago, Meryn was thought to be utterly lost--all traces of his soul given up to the ravening goblin horde. But with the curse that enslaved him now broken, he must once again learn to walk in the realm of men.
Nurse Nadine Gilbert likes working the night shift to avoid her disturbing dreams, but her mysterious new patient looks hauntingly familiar. Meryn knows he doesn't deserve a second chance, but Nadine brings out his long-buried human side. Telling her the truth about his violent past could destroy their fragile trust. Could she ever believe in the love of a Goblin Warrior?
Nurse Nadine Gilbert likes working the night shift to avoid her disturbing dreams, but her mysterious new patient looks hauntingly familiar. Meryn knows he doesn't deserve a second chance, but Nadine brings out his long-buried human side. Telling her the truth about his violent past could destroy their fragile trust. Could she ever believe in the love of a Goblin Warrior?
275 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
1438 people want to read
About the author
Shona Husk
97 books619 followersShona 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
June 2, 2024
For The Love of a Goblin Warrior was such an interesting story and yes this is one of my other backlogged reviews and I am not sure why I had never read this one, I think I had been intimidated by the title and the fact that it was the third in the series and back then I had preferred to read books in order. And you just don’t see goblin romances very often, in fact, they are very rare when reading fantasy romance but I was highly intrigued in seeing how this author would treat this book and I will be honest it was NOT at all what I expected it to be. I really thought this would be more
“otherworldly” but the book actually takes place in a contemporary setting. So I guess it’s borderline paranormal romance as well because we don’t see much of the fantastical world here. But I did find the setup so interesting. To paraphrase our hero, is from a different realm, and his king was betrayed and he and his cousins lost everything they held dear and now are settling in the human world. But our hero Meryn is still recovering from the change from a goblin, and readjusting to this life, and healing from past wounds including losing his wife and children. But then he meets a nurse, and she heals the wounds that are deep. A deep friendship forms and even though he holds secrets, and she has a past that connects to his, they have a sweet love.
I really found this book so intriguing and even though it wasn’t a page-turner type of reader, I was really drawn into the story and didn’t want to leave Meryn and Nadine. Their romance is not what I was expecting, i definitely didn’t see a sweet romance happening in this one, but that is exactly how it evolved. I am highly intrigued by the previous books and their ladies. While its not my typical style of fantastical romance, I am intrigued and yearning for more. So bravo to Shona Husk for enticing my curiosity and crafting an unusual romance.
“otherworldly” but the book actually takes place in a contemporary setting. So I guess it’s borderline paranormal romance as well because we don’t see much of the fantastical world here. But I did find the setup so interesting. To paraphrase our hero, is from a different realm, and his king was betrayed and he and his cousins lost everything they held dear and now are settling in the human world. But our hero Meryn is still recovering from the change from a goblin, and readjusting to this life, and healing from past wounds including losing his wife and children. But then he meets a nurse, and she heals the wounds that are deep. A deep friendship forms and even though he holds secrets, and she has a past that connects to his, they have a sweet love.
I really found this book so intriguing and even though it wasn’t a page-turner type of reader, I was really drawn into the story and didn’t want to leave Meryn and Nadine. Their romance is not what I was expecting, i definitely didn’t see a sweet romance happening in this one, but that is exactly how it evolved. I am highly intrigued by the previous books and their ladies. While its not my typical style of fantastical romance, I am intrigued and yearning for more. So bravo to Shona Husk for enticing my curiosity and crafting an unusual romance.
December 23, 2012
When I first read The Goblin King, I saw a series that was a bit rough, but incredibly promising. There were some writing kinks the author needed to work through, but the story and characters were strong and I was very excited to see where this unique idea would go.
However, I think Husk made a tactical error. She took her characters out of the successful Shadowlands and ended the goblin curse in the first book. As a result, neither of the next two heroes had the same setting and the stories suffered as a result. Instead if an action packed story, we got pages upon pages of introspection by the hero and it was monotonous, repetitive, and very disappointing.
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2012/1...
However, I think Husk made a tactical error. She took her characters out of the successful Shadowlands and ended the goblin curse in the first book. As a result, neither of the next two heroes had the same setting and the stories suffered as a result. Instead if an action packed story, we got pages upon pages of introspection by the hero and it was monotonous, repetitive, and very disappointing.
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2012/1...
January 2, 2013
The third and possible final installment of the Shadowlands series was good and bad. Meryn is a complicated figure, and I loved that the entire book dealt with him adjusting to the mortal realm after 2,000 years as a Goblin. I also loved that he dealt with the loss of his wife and children, and did just brush them to the side as soon as he met Nadine. So many series have the hero easily adjusting to a new world, and instantly getting over the loss of love as soon as they meet the heroine. I loved that these character’s are psychologically complex.
What was bad was that there barely any magic. This book only technically qualifies as Fantasy or Paranormal. It is really closer to chick lit. That was extremely disappointing, especially after Dai’s story and the whole world of magic that book introduced. I wish those elements had been used in this book. There was no epic battle, no fight against evil. The dreams were kind of a cop out to me. I would have rather they had been a reality for the couple.
This could be the last book seeing as the Roan’s warrior’s are dead or had fully become Goblin’s. However, at the end of the book there was a hint that there could be more. Hopefully she does continue with this series, I really want to know more about the mysterious Birch Bank. And since there are still Goblin’s in the Shadlowlands there are still more men to be free of the curse and more battle’s to be fought.
What was bad was that there barely any magic. This book only technically qualifies as Fantasy or Paranormal. It is really closer to chick lit. That was extremely disappointing, especially after Dai’s story and the whole world of magic that book introduced. I wish those elements had been used in this book. There was no epic battle, no fight against evil. The dreams were kind of a cop out to me. I would have rather they had been a reality for the couple.
This could be the last book seeing as the Roan’s warrior’s are dead or had fully become Goblin’s. However, at the end of the book there was a hint that there could be more. Hopefully she does continue with this series, I really want to know more about the mysterious Birch Bank. And since there are still Goblin’s in the Shadlowlands there are still more men to be free of the curse and more battle’s to be fought.
January 11, 2013
I would LOVE to do a review for the whole trilogy of this series, because even though the books were individual stories, they continued on from one another and 'flowed' so well together.
May 20, 2018
The best of the trilogy! I enjoyed how the story-line wrapped up in this one. Nadine's mom was murdered and Nadine witnessed part of it. Her dad was accused of her murder and found guilty. Nadine was sent to a series of foster homes. She grows up, becomes a nurse and that is how she meets Meryn.
Meryn comes in to Nadine's ED, confused, disheveled, and speaking a foreign language no one speaks anymore. He sees empathy and compassion in Nadine. They connect. After getting care, he sets up a camp in one of the parks. Gradually, and with some help from Dai, he learns the new world. They connect again while Nadine is on a run after work.
I really liked both characters and how Nadine's background ties in with Meryn's. I thought Nadine's father was selfless in his choice to let the past go and focus on now.
Meryn comes in to Nadine's ED, confused, disheveled, and speaking a foreign language no one speaks anymore. He sees empathy and compassion in Nadine. They connect. After getting care, he sets up a camp in one of the parks. Gradually, and with some help from Dai, he learns the new world. They connect again while Nadine is on a run after work.
I really liked both characters and how Nadine's background ties in with Meryn's. I thought Nadine's father was selfless in his choice to let the past go and focus on now.
January 8, 2013
4.5 stars - The first of the cursed band of warriors to turn fully goblin, Meryn surrendered to the lure of gold in order to dull the pain of the loss of his family. Now that the curse is broken and he is back in the real world, Meryn doesn't feel he deserves a second chance at life, until he meets Nadine, a woman who makes him want to take that chance to live and love again.
I really liked For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, the final book in Shona Husk's Goblin King trilogy. This story is just a bit different from most typical mainstream romance in that the leading pair don't spend a lot of the book together. Instead we get just enough of them together to want to cheer them on to their HEA and we get to spend a lot of time delving into their individual back stories and wondering how they will be able to move beyond their pasts to get that HEA.
I liked seeing how former goblin Meryn struggled to fit into a world that jumped thousands of years during the time he was cursed and how he came to grips with his guilt at failing his King and his family. One thing that I really loved about Meryn is that having loved and lost didn't sour him to loving again. I also liked how Meryn and Nadine's individual histories touched and came together, and I really liked the way that the Nadine's father loved her so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness (and freedom) for hers. The fact that Meryn provided the ending to Nadine's mother's favorite fairytale was also a nice touch.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior was a very enjoyable ending to an enjoyable trilogy and has me looking to see what else Aussie author Husk has written.
Husk's Goblin series
I really liked For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, the final book in Shona Husk's Goblin King trilogy. This story is just a bit different from most typical mainstream romance in that the leading pair don't spend a lot of the book together. Instead we get just enough of them together to want to cheer them on to their HEA and we get to spend a lot of time delving into their individual back stories and wondering how they will be able to move beyond their pasts to get that HEA.
I liked seeing how former goblin Meryn struggled to fit into a world that jumped thousands of years during the time he was cursed and how he came to grips with his guilt at failing his King and his family. One thing that I really loved about Meryn is that having loved and lost didn't sour him to loving again. I also liked how Meryn and Nadine's individual histories touched and came together, and I really liked the way that the Nadine's father loved her so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness (and freedom) for hers. The fact that Meryn provided the ending to Nadine's mother's favorite fairytale was also a nice touch.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior was a very enjoyable ending to an enjoyable trilogy and has me looking to see what else Aussie author Husk has written.
Husk's Goblin series
January 3, 2013
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona HuskMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review:
Let me mention that I have not read the first books of this series (by accident) since I did not realize that this was the third book BUT it made pretty much no difference and this book can be read standalone.
Meryn has been under a curse for about 2000 years that turned him into a goblin warrior and somehow the curse has been broken (you will find out) and now he is a human once more with the mind of a 2000 year old Celtic warrior. He has some catching up to do and a huge weight of sorrow that is almost crushing him is somehow lifted a bit when he accidentally meets our heroine Nurse Nadine Gilbert who has her own depressing baggage. This story is much less about the goblins and more about how these two people who desperately need each other but are afraid to even think about a relationship. You won’t get any swordplay, almost no violence but a slow burn romance between 2 damaged people who unknowingly are the solution to each other’s future. This book is mostly character driven and if not written as well as it was would have been boring but you get caught up in the couple’s lives and struggles with their past. This is a well written romance and so don’t start reading and expect an action filled epic.
Rating:
4 Stars and maybe a bit more depending on your mood, this is a good story about two people that need to find love in their lives.
UPDATE: I bought the other books and this series is amazing, hate that it was only a trilogy now but get them all, you will not be sorry.
View all my reviews
January 10, 2013
3 1/2 Stars
I loved the first two books in this series. Hush has an amazing ability to weave a mesmerizing story with a magical dark fairytale feel to it. And she achieves that again in
For the Love of a Goblin
. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the first two because compared to the first two books this one doesn’t quite measure up. It is good, but the pacing of the story is a little awkward.
Meryn was the first of Roan’s men to go goblin and spent 2000 years as one. When the curse was broken and Dia pulled him from the Shadowlands he was about as broken as a man could be. And like all fairytales, his fate is entwined with another. Nadine’s world fell apart when her mother was murdered 20 years ago and her father was convicted. She was witness to the crime but can’t remember what she saw and hasn’t communicated with her dad at all. Her father is now out on parole. Meryn and Nadine are both wanting to move on with their lives, but not sure how too. Their emotional wounds are deep and dark.
Husk spends most the book slowly developing their relationship and there is a big build up to their first kiss and love making, which is totally worth it. There is a lot of time spent on them working through their individual issues such as Nadine and her father and what really happened the night her mother disappeared and Meryn coming to terms with why he turned goblin and having to face his king and adjusting to his new life. While I liked the characters I think too much time was spent on this aspect of the book.
The big reveal when Nadine finds out about Meryn’s past life and how she reacts is dealt with in the last four chapters. It all happened way too fast compared to the pace of the rest of the story. Sort of a let down from a writing perspective for me.
Not every book in a series can be a homerun to a reader and this one is more like a double with a RBI for me. I will keep reading this series because I love the beautiful and dark fairytale Husk has created.
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/rev...#
I loved the first two books in this series. Hush has an amazing ability to weave a mesmerizing story with a magical dark fairytale feel to it. And she achieves that again in
For the Love of a Goblin
. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the first two because compared to the first two books this one doesn’t quite measure up. It is good, but the pacing of the story is a little awkward.
Meryn was the first of Roan’s men to go goblin and spent 2000 years as one. When the curse was broken and Dia pulled him from the Shadowlands he was about as broken as a man could be. And like all fairytales, his fate is entwined with another. Nadine’s world fell apart when her mother was murdered 20 years ago and her father was convicted. She was witness to the crime but can’t remember what she saw and hasn’t communicated with her dad at all. Her father is now out on parole. Meryn and Nadine are both wanting to move on with their lives, but not sure how too. Their emotional wounds are deep and dark.
Husk spends most the book slowly developing their relationship and there is a big build up to their first kiss and love making, which is totally worth it. There is a lot of time spent on them working through their individual issues such as Nadine and her father and what really happened the night her mother disappeared and Meryn coming to terms with why he turned goblin and having to face his king and adjusting to his new life. While I liked the characters I think too much time was spent on this aspect of the book.
The big reveal when Nadine finds out about Meryn’s past life and how she reacts is dealt with in the last four chapters. It all happened way too fast compared to the pace of the rest of the story. Sort of a let down from a writing perspective for me.
Not every book in a series can be a homerun to a reader and this one is more like a double with a RBI for me. I will keep reading this series because I love the beautiful and dark fairytale Husk has created.
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/rev...#
January 20, 2013
This is my first time reading anything by Shona Husk, as well as anything goblin related and I really enjoy it. I now have a new outlook at the goblin race as well as a new appreciation, both something I never thought to happen. I started late in the series, but was fine with keeping up and following all that was happening from start to finish. That being said, this story can be read as a stand-alone without the reader being lost (awesome). I found the story to be very original and definitely one that many paranormal romance readers will enjoy!
Nadine is a wonderful woman that many of us can look up to for her strength, independence, smarts and beauty. She’s had a very traumatizing event happen to her at the age of 5, an event that she still cannot fully remember. All she knows is she misses her family dearly and craves to be loved.
Meryn has also been through great loss and suffers deep in his heart and soul from it. He was stuck for thousands of years in the Shadowlands, then suddenly taken out and brought into a realm that is very strange to him. Finding it safe, absorbing the surroundings, learning the language and making friends are some things he does fairly quickly. One thing that was done without his notice, permission or desire is his heart was taken by a modern beauty that shows him kindness and makes him want to be a better man.
Nadine and Meryn may have come from two different times, but they are meant for one another, a perfect balance that makes the other complete. I plan to read more into the Shadowlands series and hope the other adventures Shona Husk has created are as captivating as For the Love of a Goblin Warrior :)
Nadine is a wonderful woman that many of us can look up to for her strength, independence, smarts and beauty. She’s had a very traumatizing event happen to her at the age of 5, an event that she still cannot fully remember. All she knows is she misses her family dearly and craves to be loved.
Meryn has also been through great loss and suffers deep in his heart and soul from it. He was stuck for thousands of years in the Shadowlands, then suddenly taken out and brought into a realm that is very strange to him. Finding it safe, absorbing the surroundings, learning the language and making friends are some things he does fairly quickly. One thing that was done without his notice, permission or desire is his heart was taken by a modern beauty that shows him kindness and makes him want to be a better man.
Nadine and Meryn may have come from two different times, but they are meant for one another, a perfect balance that makes the other complete. I plan to read more into the Shadowlands series and hope the other adventures Shona Husk has created are as captivating as For the Love of a Goblin Warrior :)
January 21, 2013
Maybe love does conquer all! Meryn, a Celtic warrior, lost to a curse for 2000 years that had turned him into a goblin warrior, finds himself, once again human and is tossed into the 21st century, lost, alone and being taken to a hospital emergency room by two police men. Unable to communicate with anyone, he is placed in the compassionate care of Nadine Gilbert, a nurse with an emotionally damaged past.
There is something that draws these two to each other. Both are hiding deep pains from their pasts. Both are trying to keep their secrets, one does not feel worthy of love, one is afraid to love.
As time progresses, it is obvious they need each other and belong together. This is most definitely a love story, the central focus is on Meryn and Nadine. As each of their stories unfold, they find that their paths have crossed before, and it is the strength they draw from each other that can make them whole again.
This is a well-told story that jerks at your heart hearing about what they have suffered through in their pasts and how they have learned to forgive, trust and love again.
This book was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
There is something that draws these two to each other. Both are hiding deep pains from their pasts. Both are trying to keep their secrets, one does not feel worthy of love, one is afraid to love.
As time progresses, it is obvious they need each other and belong together. This is most definitely a love story, the central focus is on Meryn and Nadine. As each of their stories unfold, they find that their paths have crossed before, and it is the strength they draw from each other that can make them whole again.
This is a well-told story that jerks at your heart hearing about what they have suffered through in their pasts and how they have learned to forgive, trust and love again.
This book was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2013
Well this is the first one in this series where I actually recognised Perth in the descriptions. I enjoyed that about this one. I also enjoyed the poor tortured hero who basically had to remember how to be human. The coincidence of his lady love's mother being killed by goblins was a little hard to swallow but meh!
The writing was nicely done and it was a good wrap up to the adventures of the celtic warriors but even though I enjoyed each book very much I couldn't help feeling like something was missing. Perhaps the whole paranormal in Australia doesn't ring true because I live here? I don't know, if you had the power to live anywhere in the world would you choose Perth? I know I know, you Perth people will start denouncing me now. Don't get me wrong Perth is a lovely city but can you see it as a hotbed of paranormal activity?
Anyway, not sure if that was what it was or whether it was something else but I did like the series enough to write a review and that is all that counts isn't it?
The writing was nicely done and it was a good wrap up to the adventures of the celtic warriors but even though I enjoyed each book very much I couldn't help feeling like something was missing. Perhaps the whole paranormal in Australia doesn't ring true because I live here? I don't know, if you had the power to live anywhere in the world would you choose Perth? I know I know, you Perth people will start denouncing me now. Don't get me wrong Perth is a lovely city but can you see it as a hotbed of paranormal activity?
Anyway, not sure if that was what it was or whether it was something else but I did like the series enough to write a review and that is all that counts isn't it?
April 1, 2021
4.5 stars
Lovely conclusion to the series. Meryn’s story is tragic. Seeing his family killed while he could do nothing to stop it, cursed to be in the Shadowlands, he tries to forget the pain so for 2000 years became a goblin only consumed by gold.
When he’s finally free, he’s still more goblin than man but the nurse at the hospital gives him kindness. A tender relationship blossoms and both have a chance at a new life. There is a lot of emotion in this book and growing feelings and of course desire. There’s also fear to trust. Nadine because all her life she’s lived with the fallout of her father killing her mother; Meryn afraid to lose Nadine if he tells the truth.
The writing sweeps you away into this story.
Disclaimer: While I know the author personally, this doesn’t affect the star rating.
Lovely conclusion to the series. Meryn’s story is tragic. Seeing his family killed while he could do nothing to stop it, cursed to be in the Shadowlands, he tries to forget the pain so for 2000 years became a goblin only consumed by gold.
When he’s finally free, he’s still more goblin than man but the nurse at the hospital gives him kindness. A tender relationship blossoms and both have a chance at a new life. There is a lot of emotion in this book and growing feelings and of course desire. There’s also fear to trust. Nadine because all her life she’s lived with the fallout of her father killing her mother; Meryn afraid to lose Nadine if he tells the truth.
The writing sweeps you away into this story.
Disclaimer: While I know the author personally, this doesn’t affect the star rating.
November 14, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: Intriguing story about two people overcoming their emotional shortcomings – with just a hint of the paranormal.
Opening Sentence: What was it about the full moon that turned the emergency room into an overfull level of Hell?
The Review:
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior picks up not to long after Meryn escapes from Dai’s apartment in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Meryn is eventually picked up by police and instead of going straight to jail the police bring him to a hospital to have him checked out and examined by the beautiful Nadine. Nadine doesn’t think much about the crazy man who can’t speak English until after he is given a shower to clean himself up. She becomes fascinated by Meryn and his strange behavior but after he disappears from the hospital she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find out his story.
The third novel in the Shadowlands series was definitely more of a book about two people figuring themselves out, learning to trust and build a relationship. Meryn has to overcome almost everything from his past, including watching his wife and children die, and the fact that he has lived as a goblin for the last two thousand years. Nadine has grown up believing that her father killed her mother when she was a little girl, this has left her with a lot of anxiety and a fear of the dark (she refuses to sleep at night). Nadine’s father has just been released from jail and it is just one more anxiety that she must overcome.
It seems that the Shadowlands have followed Meryn to the Fixed Realm. His dreams and fears have become reality and he must learn to control and master his fears if he is able to destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. As a child, Nadine grew up on The Goblin King fairytale and has her own connection to the Shadowlands.
I read the first two novels in this series and I couldn’t wait for Meryn’s story. I was very intrigued by the fact that he was a goblin in the last two novels and this would be his transformation. I enjoyed how he knew nothing about the world but seemed to keep a level head when it came to not knowing the language and the technology. What I didn’t like was the fact that he wanted no help, didn’t want to ask for help and when someone tried to help him he would whine about it. I know sitting and watching people can help you learn, but I don’t think that in just two weeks of people watching that Meryn would have such a grasp on language as he did. It proved that he was a hands on learner but it just seemed a little quick.
Nadine is a very serious person and she definitely has a routine going on with her life (work during the night, run and then sleep during the day). She doesn’t trust anyone except her best friend Gina and she believes that love will only turn ugly. Her fascination with Meryn just leads her down a road that could just turn her life upside down.
The other novels in this series had more of a paranormal, goblin take on the storylines. While For the Love of a Goblin Warrior did have some elements of the Shadowlands, it was really a story about Meryn and Nadine’s relationship and the emotional turmoil they must go through in order to be together. The story while intriguing at first flowed much more slowly as the story developed. As a reader, the main points that you knew would be revealed just weren’t that surprising when they were revealed. This novel is told in the third person from Nadine, Meryn and Nadine’s father’s point of views.
Overall, the final book in the Shadowlands trilogy was a decent conclusion to the series. Although, I would have liked more action and an antagonist other than Meryn’s own mind (although now that I think about it – it really does make sense in the context of the series) where he must overcome the goblin inside. If you want to check out a series that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves, I would say to give this series that is set in Australia a try.
Notable Scene:
At first nothing happened. The goblin remained still, watching him.
He was used to putting his faith in weapons and plans, not wishes. But he knew the power of nightmares and also of dreams. Nadine was in the dreams he wanted for his future. Her kiss lingered in his mind even if he couldn’t taste her on his tongue.
He wanted to find love again and be seen as a man, not a goblin.
He wanted to be free of the Shadowlands once and for all.
A breeze swept through the clearing with a hiss, making the trees shudder. The goblin screamed as if in agony, then raised his knife, intending to stab Meryn in his bed. Meryn twisted and deflected the blow. He kicked the goblin in the chest; it felt real enough beneath his boots. The other nightmares had crumbled when he touched them. This one was different. The goblin fell back into the coals. He howled in pain, his fingers curling as he scrambled to get up.
Meryn placed his knife to the goblin’s throat. “I defeated you once, and I will defeat you every time. I do not fear you. Be gone and trouble me no more.”
He drew the blade across the gray skin. Black blood stained the knife. He expected the body to turn to dust the way the others had, ready to reform another night. It didn’t. Meryn stood up and looked at the body of the goblin. He wiped the blade clean on his trousers.
FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Casablanca provided me with a copy of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Intriguing story about two people overcoming their emotional shortcomings – with just a hint of the paranormal.
Opening Sentence: What was it about the full moon that turned the emergency room into an overfull level of Hell?
The Review:
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior picks up not to long after Meryn escapes from Dai’s apartment in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Meryn is eventually picked up by police and instead of going straight to jail the police bring him to a hospital to have him checked out and examined by the beautiful Nadine. Nadine doesn’t think much about the crazy man who can’t speak English until after he is given a shower to clean himself up. She becomes fascinated by Meryn and his strange behavior but after he disappears from the hospital she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find out his story.
The third novel in the Shadowlands series was definitely more of a book about two people figuring themselves out, learning to trust and build a relationship. Meryn has to overcome almost everything from his past, including watching his wife and children die, and the fact that he has lived as a goblin for the last two thousand years. Nadine has grown up believing that her father killed her mother when she was a little girl, this has left her with a lot of anxiety and a fear of the dark (she refuses to sleep at night). Nadine’s father has just been released from jail and it is just one more anxiety that she must overcome.
It seems that the Shadowlands have followed Meryn to the Fixed Realm. His dreams and fears have become reality and he must learn to control and master his fears if he is able to destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. As a child, Nadine grew up on The Goblin King fairytale and has her own connection to the Shadowlands.
I read the first two novels in this series and I couldn’t wait for Meryn’s story. I was very intrigued by the fact that he was a goblin in the last two novels and this would be his transformation. I enjoyed how he knew nothing about the world but seemed to keep a level head when it came to not knowing the language and the technology. What I didn’t like was the fact that he wanted no help, didn’t want to ask for help and when someone tried to help him he would whine about it. I know sitting and watching people can help you learn, but I don’t think that in just two weeks of people watching that Meryn would have such a grasp on language as he did. It proved that he was a hands on learner but it just seemed a little quick.
Nadine is a very serious person and she definitely has a routine going on with her life (work during the night, run and then sleep during the day). She doesn’t trust anyone except her best friend Gina and she believes that love will only turn ugly. Her fascination with Meryn just leads her down a road that could just turn her life upside down.
The other novels in this series had more of a paranormal, goblin take on the storylines. While For the Love of a Goblin Warrior did have some elements of the Shadowlands, it was really a story about Meryn and Nadine’s relationship and the emotional turmoil they must go through in order to be together. The story while intriguing at first flowed much more slowly as the story developed. As a reader, the main points that you knew would be revealed just weren’t that surprising when they were revealed. This novel is told in the third person from Nadine, Meryn and Nadine’s father’s point of views.
Overall, the final book in the Shadowlands trilogy was a decent conclusion to the series. Although, I would have liked more action and an antagonist other than Meryn’s own mind (although now that I think about it – it really does make sense in the context of the series) where he must overcome the goblin inside. If you want to check out a series that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves, I would say to give this series that is set in Australia a try.
Notable Scene:
At first nothing happened. The goblin remained still, watching him.
He was used to putting his faith in weapons and plans, not wishes. But he knew the power of nightmares and also of dreams. Nadine was in the dreams he wanted for his future. Her kiss lingered in his mind even if he couldn’t taste her on his tongue.
He wanted to find love again and be seen as a man, not a goblin.
He wanted to be free of the Shadowlands once and for all.
A breeze swept through the clearing with a hiss, making the trees shudder. The goblin screamed as if in agony, then raised his knife, intending to stab Meryn in his bed. Meryn twisted and deflected the blow. He kicked the goblin in the chest; it felt real enough beneath his boots. The other nightmares had crumbled when he touched them. This one was different. The goblin fell back into the coals. He howled in pain, his fingers curling as he scrambled to get up.
Meryn placed his knife to the goblin’s throat. “I defeated you once, and I will defeat you every time. I do not fear you. Be gone and trouble me no more.”
He drew the blade across the gray skin. Black blood stained the knife. He expected the body to turn to dust the way the others had, ready to reform another night. It didn’t. Meryn stood up and looked at the body of the goblin. He wiped the blade clean on his trousers.
FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Casablanca provided me with a copy of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
January 13, 2013
Originally published at Book Lovers Inc.
If you've read Husk's The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince, then this book absolutely provides closure for the series. And if you like your heroes on the seriously tormented side, then this is a series you must try. The Goblin King (reviewed at Reading Reality) was a darkly sensual twist on Beauty and the Beast with a unusual twist on the beastly hero.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior has the feeling of bringing everything to completeness. In Kiss of the Goblin Prince (also awesome, see review here at BLI), part of Dai's journey to wholeness is to rescue Meryn from the shadowlands, but there's this gaping hole left in the story, because we don't know what happened to Meryn.
So it seems like the right way to end the series to find out what happened to Meryn.
Also, the three men's stories, both before the rebellion all those centuries ago, and now their responses, show such different paths. The fitting end to the series is to read Meryn's tale.
Roan was king. He led the rebellion. The curse on him pulled all of them into the shadowlands. Breaking his curse broke it for all. He had to be the leader, always.
Dai fought the curse through amassing knowledge. He never stopped learning. And he was always behind his brother. They were the royal family. Leadership was their life.
Meryn was just a warleader. His position was important, but he wasn't royal. He had a full life in the past. A wife he loved, and children. He didn't just lose his position with the rebellion, he was forced to watch the murder of his family.
Since he couldn't turn to drink or drugs to numb his pain in the shadowlands, he went goblin. He gave in to the curse completely.
His quick submission inspired the others to fight the curse to the bitter end. But Meryn survived through the centuries, forgetting his humanity--until the day it all came rushing back. Breaking the curse made him human again, and the goblins knew him for prey once again.
Dai rescued him from the shadowlands, but Meryn couldn't let the shadows go. He still needed to grieve for the family he'd left behind, and for the world that had passed him by. He was a stranger in a very strange land.
The police brought him to the hospital, thinking that he was homeless and psychotic. Something about the sword he was still carrying gave them the wrong impression. The nurse recognized that he wasn't quite that bad off, but that the language he spoke was Latin. And she couldn't figure out why a seemingly homeless man was speaking a scholar's tongue.
That nurse, Nadine, was the most beautiful woman Meryn had seen in a long time, but at first he was more attracted by the gold crucifix around her neck. He hoped that if he stole her gold, he could find a way back to being goblin again.
It only took days to realize that there was no going back, and that he had no desire to. Not only was he human again, but that it wasn't a bad thing to be.
Too bad that he seemed to have brought a piece of the shadowlands with him to this "Fixed Realm", and that he had started his new life by stealing something precious from the one person he really wanted to see more of.
Little did he know that Nadine's life had already been marked by the Shadowlands. Only the truth might have a chance at healing their scars.
Verdict: For the Love of a Goblin Warrior gets off to a much slower start than either The Goblin King or Kiss of the Goblin Prince. It's right for this story, but as a reader you do want the author to pick the pace up just a bit.
Meryn's story does require some set up. He's lost in the 21st century, and he's lost in the city of Perth. He thinks that any help he accepts from his cousin Dai is charity, where Dai believes that Meryn earned that help many times over.
Maybe if they'd just had a good knock-down fight it would have cleared the air quicker.
Nadine's story is amazing. The Goblin King is a fairy tale book she inherited from her mother. A mother that she believes was killed by her father. Her father believes that her mother was killed by the goblins during the solstice hunt, but he couldn't prove it. Nadine witnessed the whole thing, but she was 7 and totally blocked the memory. Talk about a nightmare! And yes, she has doozies!
Nadine and Meryn need each other to heal. But to do that, they both have to stop lying by omission, and they're equally guilty. There are no major external enemies here, just the demons within.
One thing that did get me...there were several times when Meryn makes the shadowlands manifest on this side. I'm not totally sure that was adequately explained. Did he do that all on his own? If so, how and why? Then how was he suddenly able to stop?
But if you read The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince, you must read the For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. Not just to see Meryn and Nadine earn their happy ending, but also to complete the Shadowlands saga.
I give For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk 4 darkly glittering stars.
If you've read Husk's The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince, then this book absolutely provides closure for the series. And if you like your heroes on the seriously tormented side, then this is a series you must try. The Goblin King (reviewed at Reading Reality) was a darkly sensual twist on Beauty and the Beast with a unusual twist on the beastly hero.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior has the feeling of bringing everything to completeness. In Kiss of the Goblin Prince (also awesome, see review here at BLI), part of Dai's journey to wholeness is to rescue Meryn from the shadowlands, but there's this gaping hole left in the story, because we don't know what happened to Meryn.
So it seems like the right way to end the series to find out what happened to Meryn.
Also, the three men's stories, both before the rebellion all those centuries ago, and now their responses, show such different paths. The fitting end to the series is to read Meryn's tale.
Roan was king. He led the rebellion. The curse on him pulled all of them into the shadowlands. Breaking his curse broke it for all. He had to be the leader, always.
Dai fought the curse through amassing knowledge. He never stopped learning. And he was always behind his brother. They were the royal family. Leadership was their life.
Meryn was just a warleader. His position was important, but he wasn't royal. He had a full life in the past. A wife he loved, and children. He didn't just lose his position with the rebellion, he was forced to watch the murder of his family.
Since he couldn't turn to drink or drugs to numb his pain in the shadowlands, he went goblin. He gave in to the curse completely.
His quick submission inspired the others to fight the curse to the bitter end. But Meryn survived through the centuries, forgetting his humanity--until the day it all came rushing back. Breaking the curse made him human again, and the goblins knew him for prey once again.
Dai rescued him from the shadowlands, but Meryn couldn't let the shadows go. He still needed to grieve for the family he'd left behind, and for the world that had passed him by. He was a stranger in a very strange land.
The police brought him to the hospital, thinking that he was homeless and psychotic. Something about the sword he was still carrying gave them the wrong impression. The nurse recognized that he wasn't quite that bad off, but that the language he spoke was Latin. And she couldn't figure out why a seemingly homeless man was speaking a scholar's tongue.
That nurse, Nadine, was the most beautiful woman Meryn had seen in a long time, but at first he was more attracted by the gold crucifix around her neck. He hoped that if he stole her gold, he could find a way back to being goblin again.
It only took days to realize that there was no going back, and that he had no desire to. Not only was he human again, but that it wasn't a bad thing to be.
Too bad that he seemed to have brought a piece of the shadowlands with him to this "Fixed Realm", and that he had started his new life by stealing something precious from the one person he really wanted to see more of.
Little did he know that Nadine's life had already been marked by the Shadowlands. Only the truth might have a chance at healing their scars.
Verdict: For the Love of a Goblin Warrior gets off to a much slower start than either The Goblin King or Kiss of the Goblin Prince. It's right for this story, but as a reader you do want the author to pick the pace up just a bit.
Meryn's story does require some set up. He's lost in the 21st century, and he's lost in the city of Perth. He thinks that any help he accepts from his cousin Dai is charity, where Dai believes that Meryn earned that help many times over.
Maybe if they'd just had a good knock-down fight it would have cleared the air quicker.
Nadine's story is amazing. The Goblin King is a fairy tale book she inherited from her mother. A mother that she believes was killed by her father. Her father believes that her mother was killed by the goblins during the solstice hunt, but he couldn't prove it. Nadine witnessed the whole thing, but she was 7 and totally blocked the memory. Talk about a nightmare! And yes, she has doozies!
Nadine and Meryn need each other to heal. But to do that, they both have to stop lying by omission, and they're equally guilty. There are no major external enemies here, just the demons within.
One thing that did get me...there were several times when Meryn makes the shadowlands manifest on this side. I'm not totally sure that was adequately explained. Did he do that all on his own? If so, how and why? Then how was he suddenly able to stop?
But if you read The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince, you must read the For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. Not just to see Meryn and Nadine earn their happy ending, but also to complete the Shadowlands saga.
I give For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk 4 darkly glittering stars.
January 3, 2021
Same as the second book in the series, the book felt force and rushed. The author had a great story going on and she simply gave up on it and was like I need to finish. She ruined the series. I’d recommend only reading the first book.
February 12, 2019
Tackles the history of someone who has been wounded, and how that changes the beginning of a relationship. With goblins.
August 22, 2019
Good story line. Felt rushed/incomplete for certain characters, but overall a pleasant read.
February 11, 2017
Originally reviewed at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-lov...
Quick & Dirty: Intriguing story about two people overcoming their emotional shortcomings – with just a hint of the paranormal.
The Review:
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior picks up not to long after Meryn escapes from Dai’s apartment in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Meryn is eventually picked up by police and instead of going straight to jail the police bring him to a hospital to have him checked out and examined by the beautiful Nadine. Nadine doesn’t think much about the crazy man who can’t speak English until after he is given a shower to clean himself up. She becomes fascinated by Meryn and his strange behavior but after he disappears from the hospital she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find out his story.
The third novel in the Shadowlands series was definitely more of a book about two people figuring themselves out, learning to trust and build a relationship. Meryn has to overcome almost everything from his past, including watching his wife and children die, and the fact that he has lived as a goblin for the last two thousand years. Nadine has grown up believing that her father killed her mother when she was a little girl, this has left her with a lot of anxiety and a fear of the dark (she refuses to sleep at night). Nadine’s father has just been released from jail and it is just one more anxiety that she must overcome.
It seems that the Shadowlands have followed Meryn to the Fixed Realm. His dreams and fears have become reality and he must learn to control and master his fears if he is able to destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. As a child, Nadine grew up on The Goblin King fairytale and has her own connection to the Shadowlands.
I read the first two novels in this series and I couldn’t wait for Meryn’s story. I was very intrigued by the fact that he was a goblin in the last two novels and this would be his transformation. I enjoyed how he knew nothing about the world but seemed to keep a level head when it came to not knowing the language and the technology. What I didn’t like was the fact that he wanted no help, didn’t want to ask for help and when someone tried to help him he would whine about it. I know sitting and watching people can help you learn, but I don’t think that in just two weeks of people watching that Meryn would have such a grasp on language as he did. It proved that he was a hands on learner but it just seemed a little quick.
Nadine is a very serious person and she definitely has a routine going on with her life (work during the night, run and then sleep during the day). She doesn’t trust anyone except her best friend Gina and she believes that love will only turn ugly. Her fascination with Meryn just leads her down a road that could just turn her life upside down.
The other novels in this series had more of a paranormal, goblin take on the storylines. While For the Love of a Goblin Warrior did have some elements of the Shadowlands, it was really a story about Meryn and Nadine’s relationship and the emotional turmoil they must go through in order to be together. The story while intriguing at first flowed much more slowly as the story developed. As a reader, the main points that you knew would be revealed just weren’t that surprising when they were revealed. This novel is told in the third person from Nadine, Meryn and Nadine’s father’s point of views.
Overall, the final book in the Shadowlands trilogy was a decent conclusion to the series. Although, I would have liked more action and an antagonist other than Meryn’s own mind (although now that I think about it – it really does make sense in the context of the series) where he must overcome the goblin inside. If you want to check out a series that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves, I would say to give this series that is set in Australia a try.
Quick & Dirty: Intriguing story about two people overcoming their emotional shortcomings – with just a hint of the paranormal.
The Review:
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior picks up not to long after Meryn escapes from Dai’s apartment in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Meryn is eventually picked up by police and instead of going straight to jail the police bring him to a hospital to have him checked out and examined by the beautiful Nadine. Nadine doesn’t think much about the crazy man who can’t speak English until after he is given a shower to clean himself up. She becomes fascinated by Meryn and his strange behavior but after he disappears from the hospital she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find out his story.
The third novel in the Shadowlands series was definitely more of a book about two people figuring themselves out, learning to trust and build a relationship. Meryn has to overcome almost everything from his past, including watching his wife and children die, and the fact that he has lived as a goblin for the last two thousand years. Nadine has grown up believing that her father killed her mother when she was a little girl, this has left her with a lot of anxiety and a fear of the dark (she refuses to sleep at night). Nadine’s father has just been released from jail and it is just one more anxiety that she must overcome.
It seems that the Shadowlands have followed Meryn to the Fixed Realm. His dreams and fears have become reality and he must learn to control and master his fears if he is able to destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. As a child, Nadine grew up on The Goblin King fairytale and has her own connection to the Shadowlands.
I read the first two novels in this series and I couldn’t wait for Meryn’s story. I was very intrigued by the fact that he was a goblin in the last two novels and this would be his transformation. I enjoyed how he knew nothing about the world but seemed to keep a level head when it came to not knowing the language and the technology. What I didn’t like was the fact that he wanted no help, didn’t want to ask for help and when someone tried to help him he would whine about it. I know sitting and watching people can help you learn, but I don’t think that in just two weeks of people watching that Meryn would have such a grasp on language as he did. It proved that he was a hands on learner but it just seemed a little quick.
Nadine is a very serious person and she definitely has a routine going on with her life (work during the night, run and then sleep during the day). She doesn’t trust anyone except her best friend Gina and she believes that love will only turn ugly. Her fascination with Meryn just leads her down a road that could just turn her life upside down.
The other novels in this series had more of a paranormal, goblin take on the storylines. While For the Love of a Goblin Warrior did have some elements of the Shadowlands, it was really a story about Meryn and Nadine’s relationship and the emotional turmoil they must go through in order to be together. The story while intriguing at first flowed much more slowly as the story developed. As a reader, the main points that you knew would be revealed just weren’t that surprising when they were revealed. This novel is told in the third person from Nadine, Meryn and Nadine’s father’s point of views.
Overall, the final book in the Shadowlands trilogy was a decent conclusion to the series. Although, I would have liked more action and an antagonist other than Meryn’s own mind (although now that I think about it – it really does make sense in the context of the series) where he must overcome the goblin inside. If you want to check out a series that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves, I would say to give this series that is set in Australia a try.
December 26, 2012
We pick this book up right where I assume that book 2 left off. I didn’t actually finish book 2, so I am not entirely positive this is the case, but that is what it seems to be. Meryn has just come to the Fixed Realm and is extremely confused after being a Goblin in the Shadowlands for 2000 years. He is in the hospital after police picked him up waving a sword around, he speaks no English and has no idea what is going on. Nadine is called in because she speaks several languages, but none of which this poor guy is speaking.
Nadine comes from a very sad background, when she was just a small girl her mother was killed by her father. She was in and out of foster care her entire life. She keeps most at an arms distance because she cannot deal with getting too close to anyone after her past. When she meets Meryn they can’t actually communicate but they are drawn together anyway. She sees the same sadness in his eyes as she sees in her own. She knows he has suffered but once he leaves the hospital she is sure she will never see him again. But several weeks later, when she is running in the park she sees him sitting on a bench. A chance meeting turns to breakfast, which turns to another breakfast, which turns into a date, which leads to more. It is more than Nadine ever bargained for but somehow she can’t stop herself from falling even more. Nadine’s story is such a sad one, but she is dealing the best she can. She takes a major risk on Meryn and it seems to be paying off until she starts realizing that he is leaving some major stuff out. Its hard to not like Nadine, she is compassionate and caring about people. She has a wall but after her past, it would be surprising if she didn’t. She is a runner that tends to peace out before she can truly be hurt. But with Meryn she can’t really help herself.
Aww Meryn, he is such a sweetie. We meet him and he is more Goblin then man, but he hs still maintained some sense of honor. He is still a protector. But the pain of losing his wife and kids still feels like it was yesterday instead of 2000 years ago. As the days pass, his confusion lessens and the pain starts to fade some. Meeting Nadine has a big impact on that. Despite having lost everything he still believes in the power of love and that life isn’t worth living without it. He keeps an optimistic for the most part views. He realizes that he has to adapt and adapt quickly. His adaption is a bit too quick and a tad bit unbelievable. He pretty much learns English in a matter of days. I mean I’m sure there are some people in the world that can learn languages quickly, but days? Um, yeah. I’m not so sure about that. But anyway, I liked watching him learn to adapt and pick up new technologies. For someone 2000 years behind the times he does great job. He appreciates Nadine and realizes the gift he has been given with her and doesn’t want to lose her but he knows his past might catch up with him and if it does he could very well end up losing her and his heart…
This book is all about the romance. It is a warm, easy romance. They slide right into a heartwarming romance that helps heal these two. The Goblin story is interesting; I really enjoyed it from the first book and continued to enjoy it into this book. It’s not as intense as the first as they are out of the Shadowlands but it is still an integral part of the story. At times the story is a bit too easy with little conflict, but it makes for an easy light read. I really quite enjoyed this story, and enjoyed this first book in this series as well.
Note: There were a lot of grammatical errors in this book; however, this was an ARC so I assume that they will have fixed all of that by the release.
*ARC provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation will be provided.
Nadine comes from a very sad background, when she was just a small girl her mother was killed by her father. She was in and out of foster care her entire life. She keeps most at an arms distance because she cannot deal with getting too close to anyone after her past. When she meets Meryn they can’t actually communicate but they are drawn together anyway. She sees the same sadness in his eyes as she sees in her own. She knows he has suffered but once he leaves the hospital she is sure she will never see him again. But several weeks later, when she is running in the park she sees him sitting on a bench. A chance meeting turns to breakfast, which turns to another breakfast, which turns into a date, which leads to more. It is more than Nadine ever bargained for but somehow she can’t stop herself from falling even more. Nadine’s story is such a sad one, but she is dealing the best she can. She takes a major risk on Meryn and it seems to be paying off until she starts realizing that he is leaving some major stuff out. Its hard to not like Nadine, she is compassionate and caring about people. She has a wall but after her past, it would be surprising if she didn’t. She is a runner that tends to peace out before she can truly be hurt. But with Meryn she can’t really help herself.
Aww Meryn, he is such a sweetie. We meet him and he is more Goblin then man, but he hs still maintained some sense of honor. He is still a protector. But the pain of losing his wife and kids still feels like it was yesterday instead of 2000 years ago. As the days pass, his confusion lessens and the pain starts to fade some. Meeting Nadine has a big impact on that. Despite having lost everything he still believes in the power of love and that life isn’t worth living without it. He keeps an optimistic for the most part views. He realizes that he has to adapt and adapt quickly. His adaption is a bit too quick and a tad bit unbelievable. He pretty much learns English in a matter of days. I mean I’m sure there are some people in the world that can learn languages quickly, but days? Um, yeah. I’m not so sure about that. But anyway, I liked watching him learn to adapt and pick up new technologies. For someone 2000 years behind the times he does great job. He appreciates Nadine and realizes the gift he has been given with her and doesn’t want to lose her but he knows his past might catch up with him and if it does he could very well end up losing her and his heart…
This book is all about the romance. It is a warm, easy romance. They slide right into a heartwarming romance that helps heal these two. The Goblin story is interesting; I really enjoyed it from the first book and continued to enjoy it into this book. It’s not as intense as the first as they are out of the Shadowlands but it is still an integral part of the story. At times the story is a bit too easy with little conflict, but it makes for an easy light read. I really quite enjoyed this story, and enjoyed this first book in this series as well.
Note: There were a lot of grammatical errors in this book; however, this was an ARC so I assume that they will have fixed all of that by the release.
*ARC provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation will be provided.
November 29, 2015
My favorite part: despite his (as usual) tortured past, the hero isn't taking his baggage into his behavior towards women. Life is worth living and love is worth experiencing. Surprisingly well adjusted for a guy with a whole lot of baggage.
It's not bad writing, but it did not come alive for me. It felt flat.
It's also not a terribly romancey-romance. The sexual tension was not so much two high powered magnets snapping together with a finger breaking CRACK! as it was two moderately strong magnets wrapped in about 3 bath towels drawn together with a muffled bump.
Places where it fell flat:
He acclimates too darn quickly.
I felt like most of the book was backstory. Which, I should have presumably got more organically from book 1 and 2...had I read them. This slowed things down.
In regards to backstory - it took me a bit to figure out what the heck was going on IN that backstory. It wasn't cryptic so much as it felt like random bits of it were thrown out there and I gave up piecing it together eventually and figured: she'll tell the backstory in a larger chunk at some point.
Things turn out just a little too rosy for him - too easy. I kinda liked the "roughing it and surviving in a modern era" vibe going on there initially.
But I did more or less enjoy reading it. I liked most of the characters. I rolled my eyes a bit, but didn't have too much crankiness to expend till the revelation mentioned in the spoilers (at which point I said "Girl, are you on dumb drugs?")
3 stars for a romance.
October 19, 2013
FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR is a novel with an interesting twist for the paranormal genre with great characters and plenty of drama. The third installment of the Shadowlands series is a great romance!
After breaking a horrible curse, Meryn is thrown from the Shadowlands into modern day Australia two thousand years later. Lost and confused, he fights to find his way in this world completely unknown to him. He convinces himself that all hope is gone and his soul is tarnished until he meets his beautiful nurse Nadia. They share dark, disturbing dreams, but also an attraction that neither can ignore. Yet once Nadine finds out the truth about Meryn's past, can she ever learn to love a goblin warrior?
Meryn was such a dark, lost soul and I have to say that made him a very attractive character. His tragic past made him all the more appealing because he was working so hard to move on and adapt to this strange new world. Nadine was your typical girl with a complicated family history and looking for a distraction in all the wrong places. These two share intriguing common bonds despite the fact that they lived in different time periods. Yet what makes their romance so interesting is the fact that they both want to help each other move forward past the pain. Their romance is pretty instantaneous as they realize what they have is more than just a shocking attraction. Overall though, the book moves quickly which means their romance does too. Nadine and Meryn share plenty of sweet moments and a few steamy moments as well.
Some small points though were hard to believe, even for a paranormal. Certain details about Meryn's adaptation to the new world were far-fetched and became somewhat distracting. Other than that, it is a very light read for a paranormal. There isn't really any conflict which allows the book to focus more on the romance than the drama. Some readers may love this fact while others looking for a true paranormal read may not be so thrilled. I was satisfied though. I would have appreciated more conflict, but it was still a great romance to read.
FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR has no true villain in this installment so at its core you have two people haunted by their past working to find a future together. Nadine has a side story with her father that I enjoyed reading about. It added a lot more complexity to her character and certainly added another emotional layer to her drama.
FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR was the first novel I have read from the Shadowlands series. I was led to believe this could be read as a stand alone, but I really wouldn't recommend it. There were plenty of details that left me confused and lost as to the background of this world Ms Husk has created. Of course, it's not impossible to read this novel as a stand alone, but I feel it would have been even more enjoyable had I read the first two. There are just plenty of things about the characters and the universe that you would benefit from knowing before reading this installment.
Still, FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR was an entertaining and unique read. Shona Husk creates a dark yet delightful world where romance and fantasy combine. In this journey of the Shadowlands meeting the real world, Ms Husk bridges the gap with lively, vivid description. Also with flawed human characters, fighting for a second chance at happiness. It all makes for a dreamy romance and a spellbinding story. The only major disclaimer I can see is that fans of the series may enjoy this novel far more than readers fresh to this dangerous universe. If you are looking for a light romance with a paranormal twist, FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR will be worth the price.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
After breaking a horrible curse, Meryn is thrown from the Shadowlands into modern day Australia two thousand years later. Lost and confused, he fights to find his way in this world completely unknown to him. He convinces himself that all hope is gone and his soul is tarnished until he meets his beautiful nurse Nadia. They share dark, disturbing dreams, but also an attraction that neither can ignore. Yet once Nadine finds out the truth about Meryn's past, can she ever learn to love a goblin warrior?
Meryn was such a dark, lost soul and I have to say that made him a very attractive character. His tragic past made him all the more appealing because he was working so hard to move on and adapt to this strange new world. Nadine was your typical girl with a complicated family history and looking for a distraction in all the wrong places. These two share intriguing common bonds despite the fact that they lived in different time periods. Yet what makes their romance so interesting is the fact that they both want to help each other move forward past the pain. Their romance is pretty instantaneous as they realize what they have is more than just a shocking attraction. Overall though, the book moves quickly which means their romance does too. Nadine and Meryn share plenty of sweet moments and a few steamy moments as well.
Some small points though were hard to believe, even for a paranormal. Certain details about Meryn's adaptation to the new world were far-fetched and became somewhat distracting. Other than that, it is a very light read for a paranormal. There isn't really any conflict which allows the book to focus more on the romance than the drama. Some readers may love this fact while others looking for a true paranormal read may not be so thrilled. I was satisfied though. I would have appreciated more conflict, but it was still a great romance to read.
FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR has no true villain in this installment so at its core you have two people haunted by their past working to find a future together. Nadine has a side story with her father that I enjoyed reading about. It added a lot more complexity to her character and certainly added another emotional layer to her drama.
FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR was the first novel I have read from the Shadowlands series. I was led to believe this could be read as a stand alone, but I really wouldn't recommend it. There were plenty of details that left me confused and lost as to the background of this world Ms Husk has created. Of course, it's not impossible to read this novel as a stand alone, but I feel it would have been even more enjoyable had I read the first two. There are just plenty of things about the characters and the universe that you would benefit from knowing before reading this installment.
Still, FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR was an entertaining and unique read. Shona Husk creates a dark yet delightful world where romance and fantasy combine. In this journey of the Shadowlands meeting the real world, Ms Husk bridges the gap with lively, vivid description. Also with flawed human characters, fighting for a second chance at happiness. It all makes for a dreamy romance and a spellbinding story. The only major disclaimer I can see is that fans of the series may enjoy this novel far more than readers fresh to this dangerous universe. If you are looking for a light romance with a paranormal twist, FOR THE LOVE OF A GOBLIN WARRIOR will be worth the price.
Lisa Jo @ The Romance Reviews
January 28, 2013
For the love of a Goblin Warrior is book three in the wonderful journey Shona Husk has been guiding us upon. The path the characters travel is one of redemption and second chances. Of forgiveness, not only of others but of oneself. It is a detailed twist of dreams and nightmares of what was and what could be. While this was an exceptional story I seriously recommend that you read the first two books The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince first. Ideally this is a stand alone story but the back story is better understood if you have read the first two.
Meryn Knight, once a right hand to the king. A Brilliant strategist, a loyal subject, a good friend and a loving family man. Was betrayed to the Romans by a jealous tribe mate. When the King chose to wait, to not attack at once but to find a new strategy he was cursed by an evil Druid, who wanted to be King.. some say for the betterment of the tribe.. but in reality it was based in greed. Once lost to the Shadowlands, Meryn succumbed to the pull of the goblins. Having been forced to watch his family killed one by one, he had no heart.. He was destroyed, the battle lost. Two thousand years later, the curse was broken.. suddenly he was once again a man, of a sort.. and his cousins risked much to rescue him from the Shadowlands. Although, even he wasn't sure if he returned to the Fixed Land as more Goblin or Man.
Nadine had her own demons to battle. At the tender age of five her mother was murdered, her father was imprisoned and she was left alone in care of the foster system. Unable to remember what happened but plagued by nightmares her entire life. She managed to create a life and spent it as a nurse.. Just working each day to get by until a strange man, unable to speak any language anyone could recognize was brought into emergency. She was intrigued by this obviously traumatized man but unsure what about him compelled her.
Over the next few weeks, the two cross paths in the park where Meryn has been living and slowly trying to adjust to current times. It is a struggle for this proud man but each day he learns a bit more.. Finally realizing that he wanted more and needed help he reached out to his kin and king. We see glimpses of characters in the first two books. They don't play significant parts in this story but they are a pivotal part in Meryn's life.
As the two get to know each other, Meryn discovers that Nadine knows the story of the Goblin King.. and slowly he pieces together her mother's story. Only to discover that she was not murdered by Nadine's father, rather captured in the Wild Hunt by the Goblins on Winter Solstice. Unsure how to tell her of his past and her mother's death and sadly his part in that death, Meryn sort of stumbles along. Sorta made me smile because it just proves that it doesn't matter the century when it comes to figuring out women, men are just clueless.
As the story unfolds, the plot untangles and I was able to really sink into this story. Watching Nadine and Meryn learn about each other and grow together only to crash and burn.. then of course pick themselves up again was heartwarming. This is not a unicorns and rainbows sort of HEA but it is a HEA..
So grab this book and enjoy!! You will find it is well worth your time.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior provided by netgalley
For more reviews by Shauni check out Tea and Book and
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
March 6, 2015
Review first posted at That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2013/01/review-f...
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is the last novel in the Shadowlands Trilogy. All we can say is that Ms. Husk saved the best for last in her Goblins trilogy.
This is the story of Meryl, the lost cousin, and his second chance at life and love after he witnessed his wife and children’s murders while trapped as a goblin – unable to save them from their fate. As we know from the previous novel, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, he awakens as a human in the Shadowlands and must rely on his skills to stay alive as the only human in a land of goblins. Meryl is pulled from the Shadowlands by Dai, his cousin, only to find himself adrift in modern society. The stark change from life as a goblin in the Shadowlands to being a human in the modern world drives Meryl a bit mad.
Meryl finds himself, in the beginning of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, in a hospital, wounded (from trying to survive as human in the Shadowlands) and handcuffed by the police, waiting to be seen by a doctor. This is where we meet Nadine, our heroine and Meryl’s only hope. Nadine’s past is similar to Meryl’s in that she lost her family and lives with nightmares and in fear. Her mother was killed when Nadine was only five years old. Solomon, Nadine’s father, was convicted of the crime and spent twenty years in jail – although he maintained he was innocent throughout his prison sentence. Although Solomon writes to her every Christmas and birthday, Nadine ignores the letters and has shunned her father. Nadine survives by living day-to-day. Her whole life is summed up in living with her friend Gina, running, and working the night shift as a nurse. Not only does Meryl strive for a second chance, it seems Nadine, unbeknownst to her, needs one as well. With their chance encounter, they just might have a chance at that fairy-tale ending, if they can forgive themselves, let go of the past, and reach for the future.
Gikany and Una found For the Love of a Goblin Warrior to be engaging, mystical and heartfelt. It is a story of forgiveness, second chances (rebirths if you will), and love. Solomon reminds himself that life is nothing without love – which is echoed by Meryl when he says life without love is only existence. Faith, hope and love; reoccurring words and passionate feelings that are illustrated throughout this story. Although it is not smooth sailing after Meryl and Nadine’s chance encounter, it is an engaging and realistic story – even with its paranormal elements. Gikany and Una feel that this story truly captures the emotions of two emotionally damaged individuals who choose healing and love over fear and loneliness.
After reading Kiss of the Goblin Prince, we had hoped to see more of Dai and much more of the magic that was introduced. However, Dai is a minor character in this story and the magic is apparent but not investigated. The glimmer of the magic world in this mythology is not explored in For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. However, it seems from looking around Ms. Husk’s website, she will be starting a new trilogy that may be a spin-off of that world.
All in all, we genuinely enjoyed For the Love of a Goblin Warrior and liked the Shadowlands trilogy. If you are looking for something a little different, we recommend this series to you. Especially considering the last book nicely ties the series to a close. We eagerly look forward to the next trilogy by Ms. Husk, in July of this year.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is the last novel in the Shadowlands Trilogy. All we can say is that Ms. Husk saved the best for last in her Goblins trilogy.
This is the story of Meryl, the lost cousin, and his second chance at life and love after he witnessed his wife and children’s murders while trapped as a goblin – unable to save them from their fate. As we know from the previous novel, Kiss of the Goblin Prince, he awakens as a human in the Shadowlands and must rely on his skills to stay alive as the only human in a land of goblins. Meryl is pulled from the Shadowlands by Dai, his cousin, only to find himself adrift in modern society. The stark change from life as a goblin in the Shadowlands to being a human in the modern world drives Meryl a bit mad.
Meryl finds himself, in the beginning of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, in a hospital, wounded (from trying to survive as human in the Shadowlands) and handcuffed by the police, waiting to be seen by a doctor. This is where we meet Nadine, our heroine and Meryl’s only hope. Nadine’s past is similar to Meryl’s in that she lost her family and lives with nightmares and in fear. Her mother was killed when Nadine was only five years old. Solomon, Nadine’s father, was convicted of the crime and spent twenty years in jail – although he maintained he was innocent throughout his prison sentence. Although Solomon writes to her every Christmas and birthday, Nadine ignores the letters and has shunned her father. Nadine survives by living day-to-day. Her whole life is summed up in living with her friend Gina, running, and working the night shift as a nurse. Not only does Meryl strive for a second chance, it seems Nadine, unbeknownst to her, needs one as well. With their chance encounter, they just might have a chance at that fairy-tale ending, if they can forgive themselves, let go of the past, and reach for the future.
Gikany and Una found For the Love of a Goblin Warrior to be engaging, mystical and heartfelt. It is a story of forgiveness, second chances (rebirths if you will), and love. Solomon reminds himself that life is nothing without love – which is echoed by Meryl when he says life without love is only existence. Faith, hope and love; reoccurring words and passionate feelings that are illustrated throughout this story. Although it is not smooth sailing after Meryl and Nadine’s chance encounter, it is an engaging and realistic story – even with its paranormal elements. Gikany and Una feel that this story truly captures the emotions of two emotionally damaged individuals who choose healing and love over fear and loneliness.
After reading Kiss of the Goblin Prince, we had hoped to see more of Dai and much more of the magic that was introduced. However, Dai is a minor character in this story and the magic is apparent but not investigated. The glimmer of the magic world in this mythology is not explored in For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. However, it seems from looking around Ms. Husk’s website, she will be starting a new trilogy that may be a spin-off of that world.
All in all, we genuinely enjoyed For the Love of a Goblin Warrior and liked the Shadowlands trilogy. If you are looking for something a little different, we recommend this series to you. Especially considering the last book nicely ties the series to a close. We eagerly look forward to the next trilogy by Ms. Husk, in July of this year.
January 18, 2013
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior could be read as a stand alone as this installment mainly takes place in the modern world, with the Shadowlands only occasionally intruding, but I think the previous two novels, The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince provide some contextual depth for the story.
Once a Celtic warrior, Meryn was banished to the Shadowlands for his loyalty to his King. After being forced to witness the murder of his wife and children by the Roman legion, Meryn was unable to find the strength to resist the 'fade' and lost his soul to the curse, joining the goblin horde. When the curse shatters, neither Roan nor Dai considered that Meryn's humanity would be restored until Dai hears his desperate cries and brings him back to the Fixed World. Adjusting to 21st Australia is a struggle for the warrior who is still more goblin than man, but with time and love he will rediscover his humanity, and happiness.
In For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, Husk focuses more on the individual characters of the romantic pairing, Meryn and Nadine, two damaged people who are drawn to each other. Meryn is dealing with feelings of guilt and misplaced shame while struggling to make sense of modern life. He doesn't believe he deserves a second chance at happiness, but is touched by Nadine's kindness and compassion.
Nadine is afraid to risk her heart, having effectively been orphaned at a young age when her father was found guilty of murdering her mother, a murder she was thought to have witnessed but repressed.
As they both begin to confront their pasts, they find they are on the same journey - they must both let go of the past in order to move forward and create a future together.
With such focus on introspective, emotional conflict there is very little action in the story, and though that is not exactly a bad thing, I did feel the lack. The pacing is a little awkward at times (for example Meryn is speaking almost perfect English within days) but I wasn't unduly bothered as the compressed time frame made it necessary.
Overall, I enjoyed being able to read straight through this trilogy, starting with Roan's story in The Goblin King, moving on to the Kiss of the Goblin Prince featuring Dai and finishing by following Meryn's journey in For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, which provides closure for this appealing series. I think Husk has left herself the means to return to the series should she wish and I know I will happily return to the Shadowlands again.
February 26, 2013
Really a 3.5
Shona Husk picks up right where she left off in Kiss of a Goblin Prince. Dai has risked it all to bring Meryn back to the Fixed Realm. Meryn is confused and that is putting it very simply. He does not recognized the world that he left. Two centuries have passed since Meryn has been in the fixed realm and anyone who has taken a world history class knows how much has changed in that time. Meryn faces having to adjust to this strange new world that he finds himself in. The nurse in the hospital he ends up in seems to genuinely want to help him.
Nadine has had a hard life. When she was very young her father was convicted of murdering her mother even though her body was never found. He has recently been released from prison for good behavior. Nadine has never forgiven him and can’t understand how everything could seem to be going so well one day and completely fall apart the next. She can’t sleep during the night so she works third shift at the hospital and sleeps during the day. Nadine’s sleeping habits changed the night her mother was taken from her. One night she meets a man who seems wild. He speaks in a language that neither she nor the police who brought him in understand.
Meryn has a lot to get through if he is going to be able to make it in the world that he finds himself in. That means accepting help from people that he is ashamed to be seen by. Meryn can’t forgive himself for the things that he has seen and for giving in to the curse. In this volume of the Shadowlands series our hero and heroine must learn a lot about forgiveness; forgiving themselves as well as those they love, in order to find peace and love with each other.
Shona Husk does a great job of describing the setting and her characters. I enjoyed seeing previous couples and their happiness. The main problem that I had with For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is that I just didn’t connect with the hero and heroine like I have in past books. I basically felt kind of “meh” about them. Of course you always root for them to work things out and to have a happily ever after. I just didn’t feel like they had to be okay for me to be okay. I wasn’t as emotionally invested in their couplehood as I have been with Husk’s other characters.
Overall, the Shadowlands series is a great paranormal series that uses the goblin element. I haven’t seen too many paranormal romances that use goblins as the good guys. It’s refreshing to read something different when there is so much out there that seems to be the same.
Shona Husk picks up right where she left off in Kiss of a Goblin Prince. Dai has risked it all to bring Meryn back to the Fixed Realm. Meryn is confused and that is putting it very simply. He does not recognized the world that he left. Two centuries have passed since Meryn has been in the fixed realm and anyone who has taken a world history class knows how much has changed in that time. Meryn faces having to adjust to this strange new world that he finds himself in. The nurse in the hospital he ends up in seems to genuinely want to help him.
Nadine has had a hard life. When she was very young her father was convicted of murdering her mother even though her body was never found. He has recently been released from prison for good behavior. Nadine has never forgiven him and can’t understand how everything could seem to be going so well one day and completely fall apart the next. She can’t sleep during the night so she works third shift at the hospital and sleeps during the day. Nadine’s sleeping habits changed the night her mother was taken from her. One night she meets a man who seems wild. He speaks in a language that neither she nor the police who brought him in understand.
Meryn has a lot to get through if he is going to be able to make it in the world that he finds himself in. That means accepting help from people that he is ashamed to be seen by. Meryn can’t forgive himself for the things that he has seen and for giving in to the curse. In this volume of the Shadowlands series our hero and heroine must learn a lot about forgiveness; forgiving themselves as well as those they love, in order to find peace and love with each other.
Shona Husk does a great job of describing the setting and her characters. I enjoyed seeing previous couples and their happiness. The main problem that I had with For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is that I just didn’t connect with the hero and heroine like I have in past books. I basically felt kind of “meh” about them. Of course you always root for them to work things out and to have a happily ever after. I just didn’t feel like they had to be okay for me to be okay. I wasn’t as emotionally invested in their couplehood as I have been with Husk’s other characters.
Overall, the Shadowlands series is a great paranormal series that uses the goblin element. I haven’t seen too many paranormal romances that use goblins as the good guys. It’s refreshing to read something different when there is so much out there that seems to be the same.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2013
Meryn has spent thousands of years trapped in the Shadowlands as a goblin. He witnessed the death of his wife and children. Now he has been thrust back into the human realm with no warning. The only languages he knows are long dead. The world around him is nothing like he once knew. Nothing makes sense.
Nadine is a nurse at the hospital where police take the half-crazed sword-wielding Meryn when he is found on the street. Though he can't understand the words she is saying, Meryn can hear the kindness and sincerity in Nadine's words and she calms him. Nadine sees beyond the dirty and wounded exterior to the proud and good man beneath. So much so, her impression of him remains even after he flees the hospital to live on the streets.
Nadine and Meryn cross paths again a week or so later at a local park, but by then, he has miraculously conveniently picked up the English language. The two strike up a friendship. Even more, there is an underlying spark they both feel. Meryn agrees to let his cousin help him build a new life for himself, to pave the way for a real chance with Nadine. But all the while, he constantly worries about the fact he can't tell her the truth about himself.
Nadine is working to overcome a difficult childhood. Her father went to jail for killing her mother who was coincidentally obsessed with a goblin fairy tale. But her feelings for Meryn are changing her life. Meryn, meanwhile, undergoes an even bigger transformation. He works through a lot of emotional turmoil as he adjusts to modern day life. (Some good angst there.) For the most part, I liked the dynamic of their romance.
But there were a fair share of problems. Too many things were too easy or, ahem, convenient. From the ease of Meryn's transformation to a 21st century man after thousands of years as a goblin... to his incidental meeting with Nadine's father... to his history with her mother. And even if you can ignore all that, when we got to the big reveal of his goblin history, she accepted it as if it were an everyday occurrence. She was more fixated on a stolen necklace than the fact that he was a mythological creature. That --and the fact that he lied about it. (*SMH*) Really? I know some people take issue when reviewers complain about realism in PNR... but who the heck would react that way?? It didn't ring true.
It wasn't a bad story. It just had too many coincidences and the goblin reveal was a major fail.
Rating: C+
*ARC Provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley
Nadine is a nurse at the hospital where police take the half-crazed sword-wielding Meryn when he is found on the street. Though he can't understand the words she is saying, Meryn can hear the kindness and sincerity in Nadine's words and she calms him. Nadine sees beyond the dirty and wounded exterior to the proud and good man beneath. So much so, her impression of him remains even after he flees the hospital to live on the streets.
Nadine and Meryn cross paths again a week or so later at a local park, but by then, he has miraculously conveniently picked up the English language. The two strike up a friendship. Even more, there is an underlying spark they both feel. Meryn agrees to let his cousin help him build a new life for himself, to pave the way for a real chance with Nadine. But all the while, he constantly worries about the fact he can't tell her the truth about himself.
Nadine is working to overcome a difficult childhood. Her father went to jail for killing her mother who was coincidentally obsessed with a goblin fairy tale. But her feelings for Meryn are changing her life. Meryn, meanwhile, undergoes an even bigger transformation. He works through a lot of emotional turmoil as he adjusts to modern day life. (Some good angst there.) For the most part, I liked the dynamic of their romance.
But there were a fair share of problems. Too many things were too easy or, ahem, convenient. From the ease of Meryn's transformation to a 21st century man after thousands of years as a goblin... to his incidental meeting with Nadine's father... to his history with her mother. And even if you can ignore all that, when we got to the big reveal of his goblin history, she accepted it as if it were an everyday occurrence. She was more fixated on a stolen necklace than the fact that he was a mythological creature. That --and the fact that he lied about it. (*SMH*) Really? I know some people take issue when reviewers complain about realism in PNR... but who the heck would react that way?? It didn't ring true.
It wasn't a bad story. It just had too many coincidences and the goblin reveal was a major fail.
Rating: C+
*ARC Provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley
March 20, 2013
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk is a solid romance novel, that even with two preceding books in a series that I have not read, I did not feel lost or left behind while reading. It is currently scheduled for release on January 1 2013. Nadine Gilbert is a nurse that has had a rough life. Her mother was killed when she was a young child, and her father convicted of the murder even though there was no body. As an adult, she has a good life, although she is still more than a little afraid of the dark and haunted by nightmares. Her comfort lies in the faerie tales her mother loved, and the cross she left behind. Meryn was once a brave warrior, but a curse enslaved him in the Shadowland for thousands of years, as a goblin. When rescued from the dark realm by his cousin, Meryn is lost and confused and lands in police custody and Nadine's hospital for treatment. Slowly Meryn works at regaining his human nature and surviving in the modern world, and Nadine is part of his motivation. But, could her knowledge of the Goblin King's tale and his role in the truth be more than they can overcome?
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is a romance that combines love overcoming great odds with a redemption story on many levels. Nadine, Meryn, and Nadine's father are all struggling in today's world and their own pasts. While the lines that connect Meryn to Nadine and her family might be very convenient to the story, if we are going to go with a Grimm story coming to life then we are going to have to overlook some coincidences as necessary. I liked that there was significant self reflection and doubt on all sides, but not so much that it became overly repetitive or annoying. The instant attraction, as well as the tight connections that draw everyone into such close proximity, might be needed to keep the book moving, and might have been a little too much, but it all played out well as a whole.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior was a good urban fantasy romance. If I see the previous too books in the library, or via Amazon download, I might pick them up to read as well- since I love a faerie tale retelling (particularly for lesser known tales). Readers that enjoy Shona Husk's work, and/or faerie tale twisted tales, will enjoy the book.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior is a romance that combines love overcoming great odds with a redemption story on many levels. Nadine, Meryn, and Nadine's father are all struggling in today's world and their own pasts. While the lines that connect Meryn to Nadine and her family might be very convenient to the story, if we are going to go with a Grimm story coming to life then we are going to have to overlook some coincidences as necessary. I liked that there was significant self reflection and doubt on all sides, but not so much that it became overly repetitive or annoying. The instant attraction, as well as the tight connections that draw everyone into such close proximity, might be needed to keep the book moving, and might have been a little too much, but it all played out well as a whole.
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior was a good urban fantasy romance. If I see the previous too books in the library, or via Amazon download, I might pick them up to read as well- since I love a faerie tale retelling (particularly for lesser known tales). Readers that enjoy Shona Husk's work, and/or faerie tale twisted tales, will enjoy the book.
February 13, 2013
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior
Shona Husk
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
January 2013
For 2000 years, Meryn has been under a curse that turned him into a goblin warrior. But then, miraculously, the curse has been broken. Now Meryn is a 2000 year old Celtic warrior caught up in the modern era and trying to deal with the crushing weight of grief he feels from the loss of his wife and children. An accidental meeting with Nadine Gilbert somehow eases some of that weight and he finds himself unconsciously seeking her out.
Nadine has her own emotional baggage. When she was a small child, her father was convicted of murdering her mother even though there was scant evidence to prove his guilt. But Nadine, raised in foster homes, can't bring herself to love anyone. Her nightmares remind her of things better left forgotten.
Meryn's sudden reappearance in the world of men is as confusing and frightening to him as it would be to any wild thing. At first, he continues to act as a goblin would - desiring gold above all else - but as he realizes he's no longer a goblin, his drive to gather gold lessens. But not before he steals the gold cross necklace of the hospital nurse, Nadine, who tries to help him. Even though the necklace is gold, it does less to remind him of his goblinhood than it does of the lovely nurse he took it from.
To read the rest of the review, go here http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.c...
I definitely recommend For the Love of a Goblin Warrior.
Shona Husk
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
January 2013
For 2000 years, Meryn has been under a curse that turned him into a goblin warrior. But then, miraculously, the curse has been broken. Now Meryn is a 2000 year old Celtic warrior caught up in the modern era and trying to deal with the crushing weight of grief he feels from the loss of his wife and children. An accidental meeting with Nadine Gilbert somehow eases some of that weight and he finds himself unconsciously seeking her out.
Nadine has her own emotional baggage. When she was a small child, her father was convicted of murdering her mother even though there was scant evidence to prove his guilt. But Nadine, raised in foster homes, can't bring herself to love anyone. Her nightmares remind her of things better left forgotten.
Meryn's sudden reappearance in the world of men is as confusing and frightening to him as it would be to any wild thing. At first, he continues to act as a goblin would - desiring gold above all else - but as he realizes he's no longer a goblin, his drive to gather gold lessens. But not before he steals the gold cross necklace of the hospital nurse, Nadine, who tries to help him. Even though the necklace is gold, it does less to remind him of his goblinhood than it does of the lovely nurse he took it from.
To read the rest of the review, go here http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.c...
I definitely recommend For the Love of a Goblin Warrior.
November 11, 2012
You see some very strange things when you work in an Emergency Room, but Nadine was NOT planning on a hunk with grey all over him who spoke Latin for Heaven’s sake! There was a good reason for the grey as it turns out, is because the hunk just arrived back in the ”Fixed Realm” from the Shadowlands where he had been for the last several Milleniums. When he was last on Earth, the Romans were running around with swords. And his whole family was butchered.
Meryn was afraid. He, the General of the Goblin King’s armies was terrified. No one could speak to him and he really couldn’t understand them either. His cousin, Dai had brought him over to live in the Now, but he didn’t trust Dai as he had been a slave so Meryn took off. He also took off from the hospital.
Nadine and Meryn meet again and try to communicate. Meryn is a quick learner of languages but is having a hard time transitioning to cars, phones, beds with sheets and all the stuff we take for granted. For Nadine’s part her father just got out of jail after serving 20 years for the murder of her mother. But did he? Nadine’s mom was fascinated with Goblins and always stayed up to watch the Wild Ride on the solstice. She had Nadine scared to death of them, although Nadine’s favorite story was The Goblin King.
What happens when Nadine’s learns what Meryn was? Did her father really kill her mother or was it something much worse? You will have to read this interesting book and find out!
Meryn was afraid. He, the General of the Goblin King’s armies was terrified. No one could speak to him and he really couldn’t understand them either. His cousin, Dai had brought him over to live in the Now, but he didn’t trust Dai as he had been a slave so Meryn took off. He also took off from the hospital.
Nadine and Meryn meet again and try to communicate. Meryn is a quick learner of languages but is having a hard time transitioning to cars, phones, beds with sheets and all the stuff we take for granted. For Nadine’s part her father just got out of jail after serving 20 years for the murder of her mother. But did he? Nadine’s mom was fascinated with Goblins and always stayed up to watch the Wild Ride on the solstice. She had Nadine scared to death of them, although Nadine’s favorite story was The Goblin King.
What happens when Nadine’s learns what Meryn was? Did her father really kill her mother or was it something much worse? You will have to read this interesting book and find out!
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