So, if you read my last post (has it really been a month?!) I recommended the book The White Stag by Kara Barbieri. And a month later, nothing has changed. This dark fantasy has been in my thoughts solidly, and with the release date coming next Tuesday I thought I’d bring it back to the top of my recommendations. This fantasy completely immerses you in its world & makes you seriously consider what makes someone human and what makes something monstrous. And it definitely explores where those two intersect.
Written by Kara Barbieri in a small Wisconsin town at the age of 18, this story began as a Wattpad favorite, being read more than one million times. Publishing under the name ‘Pandean’, this story was released in fragments & loved by readers. Now it’s available in one concise book and it’s worth the wait! (Bonus, Kara is also a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – a show I was addicted to growing up!)
I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but it involved ‘goblins’ who are pretty much the same as fairies, something I realized in the first chapter. But while the word ‘fairy’ connotes almost whimsical magic, the author sets the tone by calling her creatures goblins. There is nothing whimsical about The White Stag. The journey through this book keeps you on the edge of your seat. And the conclusion will have you begging for the sequel!
From the back of the book.
As the last child in a family of daughters, seventeen-year-old Janneke was raised to be the male heir. While her sisters were becoming wives and mothers, she was taught to hunt, track, and fight. On the day her village was burned to the ground, Janneke―as the only survivor―was taken captive by the malicious Lydian and eventually sent to work for his nephew Soren.
Janneke’s survival in the court of merciless monsters has come at the cost of her connection to the human world. And when the Goblin King’s death ignites an ancient hunt for the next king, Soren senses an opportunity for her to finally fully accept the ways of the brutal Permafrost. But every action he takes to bring her deeper into his world only shows him that a little humanity isn’t bad―especially when it comes to those you care about.
Through every battle they survive, Janneke’s loyalty to Soren deepens. After dangerous truths are revealed, Janneke must choose between holding on or letting go of her last connections to a world she no longer belongs to. She must make the right choice to save the only thing keeping both worlds from crumbling.
The White Stag will be available Tuesday, January, 8th! You can purchase The White Stag here.
You can visit the Amazon page for The White Stag here.
You can find the author on twitter as @PandeanPanic
