Review + Playlist: Greta and the Goblin King (Blog Tour)

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs 

Release: November 13, 2012

Source: e-ARC from publisher 

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While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. 

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. 

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back..

Greta and the Goblin King was an interesting read about a bounty hunter just trying to survive. Ever since Greta fell through a fire portal into the world of Mylena, she's been trying to find a way back home. The world of Mylena is imaginative, filled with goblins, witches, curses, and a snow-covered landscape. It's very haunting, fascinating, and atmospheric. 

However, I wanted more. For example, what was Greta's training like? How did she specifically become a bounty hunter? How do Goblins and Humans differ in appearance? I don't think that distinction was ever made clear. 

In addition, the romance was frustrating. I liked Isaac. He was a fascinating character. While forceful, he never actually hurt Greta. He understood his boundaries, and never became obsessive. What I didn't like was the inclusion of a love triangle. It was ill-placed and had no purpose. At least Isaac and Greta's romance made sense, based on their past. I just wish Chloe Jacobs stuck with a straight-forward star crossed romance between Isaac and Greta. The little time spent developing the love triangle could have been used to describe Greta's first few years in Mylena. I would have loved to see Greta's growth in those years as she trained and hunted. 

But I do understand why Jacobs chose not to begin the story with Greta first falling into Myelna. It would have ruined the pace, and it would have taken forever to get to the heart of the story. Still, I want to know more about Greta's prior life and how she made a name for herself in Mylena. 

My favorite aspect of the book was the homage to fairytales (i.e. Peter Pan and Hansel and Gretel). I also think Greta was a strong, competent character, and she carried the story well. 

I enjoyed Greta and the Goblin King but there were a few key issues that kept me from loving it. If you are looking something quick, interesting, and fast-paced with a wintery and atmospheric setting that's filled with mythical creatures, then this might be the book for you. The ending promises more adventure, though, so I'll definitely check the sequel out if/when it releases. 

RATING: 3 SLICES

And, as part of the blog tour, here is my (very short) playlist: 

1. Stay With Me (composed by Clint Massel for The Fountain Soundtrack)

This song is so...atmospheric and perfectly describes the opening scenes of Greta and the Goblin King. 

2.  Morningside by Sara Bareilles 

The strong piano cords and defiant lyrics very much remind me of Greta. It also somewhat represents the sort of relationship Greta and Isaac have.

3. Sway by Vanessa Carleton 

4. Set Fire to the Rain

I sort of think this also represents the relationship between Greta and Isaac. At this point, Greta is more broken, less sure of herself, and confused. But there's no denying her love.  

5. Moombassa (composed by Hans Zimmer for Inception Soundtrack)

This instrumental song fits the mood of the end of the book perfectly. There's a lot of secretes revealed. lots of fighting. The stakes are high, and this song depicts the fact-paced movement so perfectly. 

And lastly (but not least ) a GIVEAWAY

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