The Goblin War

Goblin Wood #3

by Hilari Bell

After crossing over from the Otherworld where they have been trapped in mortal danger, Tobin and Makenna must figure out how to stop an army of barbarians from taking over their Realm.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Adventure, Fiction, Romance, High Fantasy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2011

About the author

As far as writing is concerned, I call myself the poster child for persistence. Songs of Power, the first novel I sold, was the 5th novel I'd written. When it sold I was working on novel #13. The next to sell, Navohar, was #12, and the next, A Matter of Profit, was #9. The Goblin Wood was #6, and the first Sorahb book, Flame (later renamed Farsala: Fall of a Kingdom), will be #15. You get the picture.

My reviews: Mea culpa! I got onto Goodreads years ago, and haven't been reviewing--but I now mean to start! I should add that as writer, I tend to read a bit more critically. Or at least, when I think a book is going off the rails I usually see technical, writer problems with it. In short, any time a book stops working for me, that author becomes an honorary member of my writing critique group--whether they want to or not! So I apologize in advance for any technical critiques my fellow writers may recieve.

Biography: My personal life? I was born in Denver in 1958—you can do the math. I'm single and live with my mother, brother and sister-in-law. I used to be a part time reference librarian for a mid-sized public library, but in the beginning of ’05 I achieved a writer’s dream and quit the day job. Librarian turned writer is a very schizophrenic state—when I try to urge people to buy my books, I have to beat down a lifetime of professional reflexes demanding that I tell them to check them out at the library instead.

I enjoy board gaming and fantasy gaming, both table top and live. But my favorite thing to do is the decadent version of camping my mom and I practice. We have a pop-up trailer with a fridge, a sink, a stove and (if electrical hookups are available) a space heater, heating pads and a toaster. Our motto is "No unnecessary work." We don't cook, we don't wash dishes, we don't...you name it. What we do is spend all day, every day, reading and hiking and reading some more. Camping is the only time I can get in enough reading. Well, I take that back—when it comes to reading, there's no such thing as enough.

Reviews

[Astra Sato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not as good as the first one BUT I loved the ending.

[coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! Though not as good as the first. If I could read the first and the third without missing important information, I would. Alas, I can't. **SPOILERS**

The second book left off with Jeriah leaving for the south and Cogswhallop going into the Otherworld to save everyone (pretty much, though the priority was Tobin):

1. I'm SOOO glad to finally be able to hear Makenna, the general, taking charge and all that good stuff. I had missed her! Throughout the series she has changed quite a bit. The first book showed her with a deep hatred for humans because they killed her mother when she was only ten. She no longer identified with humans and so she began to see herself as part of the goblin race. As time passed and she was in the camp where Lazur was at (and she met some nice humans who helped her out), her views changed. More so because of Tobin. Her character is just amazing! I was quite disappointed because I didn't really see her in the second book but now she's back!

2. While Makenna was back, I did miss the fact that the lot of the book wasn't told in her perspective. Because Jeriah was now a big participant, the book was then split into three narrators (Jeriah, Tobin, Makenna). The format of it was interesting and it let us glimpse at so much within just a few pages! We learned about the barbarians and their customs and the spiritworld/Otherworld. It was only at the end of the book where I had to stop for a second and think, it's been two months! It certainly didn't feel like it.

3. I was semi-disappointed with some characters, like the bookerie woman (starts with a K...). I felt like she could have been left out and yet she was important. I guess what left me iffy was her change in attitude so quickly. I was expecting her to be more on the defensive and maybe on the angry side. Makenna kind of falls in here too. I guess my issues are with her being more human and yet that's one of the things I loved! The change in her character. Tobin also, sadly, falls here. He seemed rather different. Maybe I remember him braver or maybe he just wasn't brave enough compared to the barbarians. I'm not sure. He was rather quiet (though I guess that's necessary when you're hiding among the enemy).

4. The ending! I'm slightly angry because I was hoping to see some romance with Tobin and Makenna. Maybe a bear hug from Makenna, the joy she may have felt at finally having Tobin safe? The point of view was from Jeriah, which I can see why. He was able to see something that they both would have denied (though he states that Tobin hadn't realized it yet). Everything was just bundled up and I felt it could have been slightly longer. It kind of just ended. I don't really see a problem occurring any time soon (unless the barbarians come out of the Otherworld triumphant and decide to wreak havoc among the Realm), so I'm rather sad the series is ending. I did, however, like that everything was figured out and solved. (I think...)

5. Wait! What happened to the old man and the woman who wanted to escape? I figured they stayed in the camp as all the warriors left, but I'm rather curious to know how that was going to work out. Also, the agreement with the goblins and that evil guy who's name starts with a B and who knew about the drugging of the H-guy?!

I'm not sure what else to say...
Maybe one more thing...she's 15?!
I kept forgetting this small fact

[anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's my least favorite of the Goblin Wood books, mostly because all of the obstacles and roadblocks faced didn't seem resolved in a very satisfying way. I have a black, black heart and I like to see irritating and annoying characters get their comeuppance.

And, as a person who hates it when romances are shoe-horned into adventure fantasy books...I actually wanted more Tobin/Makenna interaction. They spent 99% of this book apart, and I just wanted to read about them facing challenges together! Instead, I get a bunch of Jeriah, and you'll never convince me that he doesn't have some sort of brother complex. :D

[Kātlyn Manka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Goblin Wood back in high school and ever since, it's been one of my favorite stand-alone books of all time.

I read the sequel at some point and never realized it was a trilogy. Honestly? It was 100% worth finishing.

This was such a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. Tobin is one of my favorite male leads because of his compassion and empathy for others. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that this book was a pleasure.

[Jacob Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilari Bell is a master of thought provoking fantasy, where the lines between good and evil are really for you to decide.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, I'm sure I'm biased, but I loved this book. Hilari Bell has a way of building stories that just sucks you in.

Over a decade ago now, I read the first book in this series, The Goblin Wood. At the time, I was under the impression it was a standalone book and it was fantastic. The characters had depth, they made mistakes, they had to make difficult choices and no one ever comes out smelling like roses. In short, they were realistic.

The plot moved at a good pace, there were no needlessly dramatic moments brought on by a simple lack of communication, and (most importantly to my annoyed teenage self) the romantic lives of the characters were of little importance as compared to, you know, life and death circumstances. As it should be.

All of this is also true for the following two books (and, indeed, for most of Hilari Bells books.). But this last book. It ties up so many plotlines, while also creating this whole new dynamic at the same time.

The ending is abrupt, but not in a bad sense I think. Not gonna lie, when I realized the problems the characters were facing with so few pages left, it definitely made me anxious. I won't go into details, because spoilers. But I was certainly satisfied with the conclusion.

All in all, definitely a good read, and here's hoping I come back to the series in another decade to see that there are two more books. Cross your fingers.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

The barbarians from the south seem unstoppable. Their death magic heals all but instantly fatal wounds. But the people of the Realm are reluctant to flee their lands to take refuge behind the Goblin Wall to the north, and after the treason of the high priest who supported such escape is revealed, there is little political will to make them. Enter our heroes: two brothers who are in WAY over their heads, and a young witch and her band of goblins. The Goblin Wood is a delightful fantasy trilogy, and this third book in the series provides a satisfying conclusion while leaving the door open for further adventures. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Caty Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Goblin War was alright, very YA. Jeriah's chapters always felt slow but I always looked forward to Makenna and Tobin chapters. There were inconsistencies between this book and book one, like Makenna's age. It's not a big deal, but it seemed kind of sloppy. Decent book, relatively satisfying ending to the series.

[Eric Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is decently written, with interesting characters, world building, and overall plot, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired. The romance is not properly developed or played out, the role of the spirits is left uncertain, and we never learn the final fate of the antagonists. This author does a fine job creating a story, but has a poor execution with endings.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXTREMELY FUN. If "The Goblin Gate" suffered from middle book syndrome, the third in the series has enough payoff to make the journey worthwhile. A very satisfying fantasy adventure, with a lot of good heroics. just great fun, I'm so glad I got to revisit and see more of this world.

[Deanna Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good grief about to give me a heart attack with the insanity of worrying about Tobin. Good wrap up, going to see if anyone wrote fanfiction of some fluff domestic aftermath of Tobin being Makenna home to his parents.

[Samantha]

This was such a satisfying ending!!!

[Brandi Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitting end for the series! Wish there had been an epilogue, though!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but all my questions were answered so I was happy about that. 😁

[KC · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Redeemed itself from book 2. Still recommend stopping at book 1, but this was a decent wrap up to everything.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise wonderful trilogy.

[Orchid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review taken from my blog, The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia.

First Sentence (ARC):

She was beaten.

First off, I cannot believe that in a matter of months I have read the entire series. While I am saddened to see The Goblin Wood series draw to a close, I am happy with how it played out in the end.

The Goblin War picks up pretty much were The Goblin Gate left off, in that Makenna, the goblins, and Tobin are still stuck in the Otherworld and slowly dying do to the world leeching their powers (Makenna and Goblins) and life force (Tobin).

The last book in a series is always bittersweet for me. On the one hand I want to know how the story ends and what will become of the characters that I have grown to love, while on the other I just want things to continue on.
With that in mind, you can imagine how I wanted both to blaze through the The Goblin War and devour the fantastic writing, plotting, and characters that Ms. Bell created; and make it last as long as possible. In the final book Ms. Bell, takes the reader on a pretty wild ride as each of the characters fight for the good of those the care about and set right some of the wrongs that they have caused throughout the span of the series.
I thought she did an excellent job in regards to the characters and bringing things to a pleasing end. One that both fit in and complimented the books.

As the last fifty pages of The Goblin War were barring down on me I was starting to wonder if everything was going to be wrapped up, or if it was going to have an open ending. The reason I mention this is because with so few pages left there seemed to be quite a few things unresolved, like, whether or not Tobin was going to make it out alive and if the Realm would survive the onslaught of the Barbarian attack. While a bit worrisome, everything turned out good and all loose strings were tied up.

One of the things that makes this entire series so good is the character development that goes on throughout all three books. I loved how the three main characters, Makenna, Tobin, and Jeriah, changed over the course of each book, and that the alliances each of them made helped to shape them into better people.
I liked how with each book Makenna became a little less wild, and slowly started to consider herself part of the human race again. I thought it was interesting to see how she changed as she was forced to interact with Tobin; who was probably the first human she had anything to do with since the death of her mother when she was younger. While she did lose a bit of her callousness, I was glad that she didn't turn into a sobbing mess and still had the stubborn take charge attitude that made her a great character.
Tobin was one of those characters that stills the show little by little. With each passing book I came to look forward to every appearance that he made because without Tobin there would have been no happy ending. I loved that even when his life was in peril he pushed forth and did what he knew needed to be done, and not because he was brave or trying to be a hero, but because it was the right thing to do. In my opinion, Tobin was the best character in the whole series.
Jeriah, I didn't care too much for him in the first two books, I thought he was too flighty and was trying too hard to prove himself. So the fact that I came to like his character is quite an achievement. I really liked that he finally started to see that each action has a consequence and that he started to think things threw before leaping into action and causing more trouble for everyone involved.

One thing that stands out must about The Goblin War would have to be Ms. Bell's writing, and how she brought all the different threads of the storyline to a fairly neat ending that left me completely satisfied. Her writing is definitely spot on, and one of the best fantasy writers I've read in quite some time.
The one thing that I did not like about The Goblin War would have to be that Makenna did not play all the big of a role in the final book. I would have liked to have seen more of her in the final book since she is one of the most fascinating characters in the whole series.

Content (may contain spoilers; highlight to see):
The only thing I can think of that needs to be covered, content wise, is that there is a fair amount of violence in The Goblin War. While there is some violence there is really only one scene with mild to heavy violence, and that would be when Tobin is being tortured by the duri, the warriors of the barbarians, and the shaman the two times he is caught by them. The latter being the worse of the two.
As far as I can recall, I don't remember there being any swearing in The Goblin War.

Final Verdict: The Goblin War a solid ending to a fantastic series.

The Goblin War earns 5 out of 5 pineapples.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Goblin War by Hilari Bell
Source: ARC from HarperTeen in exchange for a fair and honest review

The Goblin War by Hilari Bell (Third book in the series)

My summary:

While the Realm has been fighting with itself about what to do about the barbarians bearing down on them from the south, the barbarians have been growing stronger on the strange magic of the death amulets. Only Jariah, Makenna, and Tobin figure out what’s really going on. But will they be able to wade through the political mess left by the traitorous Priest Lazur to do any good? Fighting a losing battle and torn away from each other, the three will have to come up with the craziest battle plan yet to pull this one off.

My thoughts:

5 stars – a must read

So I have loved the whole series that Hilari created. While I like to read fantasy, I sometimes get bogged down in the many creatures and magic that I can’t enjoy the story. Hilari has struck that perfect balance of fantasy with fabulous plot so that neither is overwhelming. I have loved that about all three books. Her world building is right on.

I also realized while reading this one how much I loved rotating through the different POV. I found I missed Tobin in book two and was so glad to have more of him in this book. And the rotation made the book more appealing to read. Makenna was sometimes harsh, Tobin heroic and Jeriah idealistic but with the different POV, I learned so much more about them and grew to love all three of them. I also loved how this story wasn’t about the romance but Tobin and Makenna obviously loved each other. That made it all the more real to me.

The story was action packed and thrilling at times. Plans and schemes that were developed never went off quite right. Everything that could go wrong often did. If you were to stop and ask yourself, what is the worst possible thing that could happen on the next page, then turning the page you would probably find that it did. But the ending was masterfully developed to bring closer to a wonder series. I highly recommend the whole series to those who love fantasy. The book releases October 11, 2011. Happy reading.

[Samantha]

5 stars


Tobin is freed from the poisonous Otherworld, but only to become a prisoner of the bloodthirsty barbarians who would love to make a meal out of him. Makenna and her goblins are still stuck in the Otherworld, unable to open a gate large enough to bring them all home, not with the land soaking up all magic, and all life. Their only hope is the spirits who have shown them no mercy. Jeriah has his own share of troubles, for the Relocation has come to a halt because of him, and so if the people of the Realm perish, all of the blame falls onto him. Separate, Tobin, Makenna, and Jeriah can accomplish nothing. Together, they might stand a chance. But the barbarians are nigh invincible, and time is running out. The Realm could very well fall.


A darn good conclusion to a trilogy, I think. Everything from the first two books played into this third, and it made Makenna’s struggles in the second book mean so much more than I originally thought. Not everything was tied up into a neat little bow, but it give me enough to feel satisfied with this ending, and the rest is fun to speculate about.

I’m not sure how I felt about Tobin in this book. I felt as if he was kind of… bland, I guess you could say. He wasn’t as strong of a character I remembered him being. I did enjoy reading his parts, but I felt I didn’t get to know him as much as I did Jeriah and Makenna.

I don’t have many complaints, however, as the writing was great and I loved all of the characters. I love the insights they have of each other, and how easy it is to forget how powerful the main characters are because, when in their POV, you know they’re just human and are doing the best they can while hoping it is enough. Which is what we all do, really.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid conclusion to the Goblin Wood trilogy, especially after a more lackluster book two. All the different storylines and plots were nicely tied together in a meaningful way - Makenna with the goblins, Tobin with his family, Jeriah with the revolution. Not to mention that I finally started to like Jeriah...his character definitely matured, becoming more responsible as well as less head-strong. I was particularly fond of his musings on being a hero (which I found incredibly tedious in the second book!), especially his realization that it's pretty hard to set out to be a hero. Instead, it's the ordinary everyday of strong values and pretty much just doing what needs to be done that has a higher likelihood of creating a hero. I was also a fan of how political changes were addressed and discussed in the book - that lasting changes don't necessarily happen with revolution, that things don't happen overnight, and that there's always a lot of hard work to be done to make ideals into reality. There was also a lot to be considered in terms of the spirits and the barbarians - races both set on destruction of the other, but for different reasons and with different levels of understanding. How do you engage with a race (or species or culture) that is completely foreign to your own ways? Or with one that can't or won't communicate with you? Great conversations could be spurred by this book! Although I was definitely left wanting more at the conclusion of the book (especially in terms of the personal lives of the characters!), I was certainly satisfied plot-wise.

[Kelsie Beaudoin (The Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more reviews at: http://readbookwormread.blogspot.com

The Goblin War was a great ending to the series, but for me left something to be desired. I realize that these books are aimed at a younger audience, but Bell set up two different potential couples and then left us slightly hanging. Rather unsatisfying. I wanted the love scenes I had waited two books for!

A definite plus about this book was the amount of action. In The Goblin Gate I said I didn't think a lot happened. Well in this book, lots happened. So that was nice.

What was satisfying was the interaction between Cogswallop and the Heirarch. The resolution of the war between the humans and Goblins was actually quite awesome. The interactions with the barbarians, however, were at the same time satisfying and not. On one hand, we got to learn a lot more about them, but it wasn't exactly as exciting as I had hoped.

I would give this book a 3.5, mostly because I thought the dealing with the barbarians could have been way more exciting. Their demise felt rather anti-climactic. Buy for the series overall I would give a 4. Book one really was fantastic. One of the better books I have read recently.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why I don't just read all of Hilari Bell's books at once; they are as fantastic as anything else, and perfectly plotted, and...

Oh, I'll just leave you with my two favorite quotes:

"Without people like him, people who could deal with the consequences when the plan fell apart, the heroes could end up dead."

and

"I believe there are good people...whatever inspires them to do good is all right by me. I also believe there are people who do bad things--even a few who just are bad--and some of them use magic to work their will. Maybe it is because some dark god corrupts their souls, but more likely they simply allowed their own selfishness, greed, or fear to get the better of them."

**The Goblin War, rated 12+, rated 4.8/5 stars (only because of the lack of on-screen Jeriah/Koryn at the very end, but that's the shipper in me speaking).

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and was startled to see that I had only given it 3 stars before.

I definitely upgraded it by one star and am considering adding another.

I really loved how this series ended. The characters I had come to love were all present and were still up to their daring schemes. What I especially loved is that Bell did not make it easy for her characters in this final installment. For every step forward, there was a new challenge to face. For every decision, there was a consequence. Not only is this realistic, but it's also just plain old good storytelling.

I won't say too much about all that happened (so I don't spoil it). But the loose ends are all wrapped up and leave me with enough warm-fuzzies to imagine futures for all the characters. Imaginative, magical, and adventurous, this is one series I will return to for sure.

[Shelli Castor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, although the first 100 pages or so were really slow. I wasn't really happy with how Makenna and Jeriah were not with Tobin for the majority of the book, but I do realize why it had to happen that way, and the ending was good. The plot really picked up after the first 100 pages and the story ended up being interesting. Really liked the continuance of the political issues and the action contained in the novel. Getting a look at the barbarians was good too. This is the last book with Makenna, Tobin, and Jeriah, although Hilari Bell's website says that she is looking to write another book in the same world, just a few hundred years later. I'll be happy to see what that book has to say about the fates of our favorite heroes.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Samantha Jacobus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice ending to this little triology, with a predictable solution - but there was enough entertainment and twists and suspense to still make it enjoyable. I'm still quite appreciative with the novel way Hilari Bell deals with romance - it's more of a suggestion than a theme, and the characters action's aren't dictated primarily by love or affection. It's added in as sort of an afterthought, that flavors the plot only slightly and isn't the focus of any scene. Or maybe I'm biased because I've been reading too many romantic novels lately.
Regardless, this was more noticeable in the first book in the trilogy, which I probably enjoyed the best out of these three books. But that's for another review.

[lostinabookbrb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installation to The Goblin Wood, The Goblin Gate concludes a fight over land and survival. The pacing, while I felt slowed down in the second book, seemed to pick back up with Tobin getting thrown into the mist of the enemy. It was interesting to see how it all came together in the end. I do wish there was a bit more information to what happened to the Realm afterwards.

Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third volume in world-bending species clashing fantasy series by one of my favorite fantasy writers. It doesn't disappoint - too bad the series was so spread out, though, the first was published in 2003, so the audience for that book when new would have probably aged out of YA by the time this arrived.

[Syd Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, but the ending wasn't all I'd hoped for. It just felt a little rushed to me, and it was fairly obvious where the story was going to end up from the second book, but it just seemed really disappointingly straightforward. I guess I just wanted it to be longer and more in depth, but that just goes to show how much I liked the series.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concluding book of the trilogy does not disappoint. All of the threads come together in a life and death struggle! Good series. I looked at some other books by Hilari Bell, but they didn't catch my interest as much. Have any of my friends read other books by this author which they would recommend?

[random name · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, I especially liked "One-Eye" (yeah, I'm sticking with that name). I was expecting more including I loved the book The Goblin Gates. I never actually read The Goblin Woods yet it felt like I was so connected to this story. It disappointed me a little after reading this one.