Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Kiss of The Goblin Prince by Shona Husk

This is a nice romance and fast read.

Kiss of the Goblin Prince: Shadowlands series

by Shona Husk

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140226206X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402262067

Available in Kindle and other ebook formats.

Genre:  Paranormal Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012 | Series: Shadowlands

"Steamy, sensual, and dangerous...Dark and delicious."—Fresh Fiction on The Goblin King

The Man of Her Dreams

He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter's illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares

After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his new found freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he's accumulated, he still doesn't know how to heal Amanda's daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he'd risk anything...including a return to the Shadowlands.

Review:
Dai is an ancient warrior whose family was cursed as goblins for nearly two thousands years.  Now that the curse has been broken (Book 1, The Goblin King) Dai and his brother Roan are able to live again as humans in the “Fixed Realm” which is the human world instead to the dark Shadowlands where the Goblins dwelled. Dai sought out magic for years trying to break the Goblin Curse.  He has become a mage but wants to make better use of the magical skills.  He is in conflict with the Birch Trustees who are refusing to return his library of magical books.

Amanda meets Dai at the wedding of her sister-in-law, Eliza, who is marrying Roan.  Amanda lost her husband seven years ago, before their daughter, Brigit, was born. Amanda has clung to the memory of her first love as she struggles as a single mom taking care of a child with serious asthma illness.  For the first time in seven years Amanda is drawn to a man.  Dai immediately notices the thread of attraction and desire between them. He has been abstinent for an even longer time with his tortured past and secrets keeping him from making love to any woman.

There is a lot of magical use woven through the story and I enjoyed Ms. Husk’s method of showing the weave of magic within objects through Dai’s eyes.  An eerie character from Birch Trustees, Vexicon, shows up to question Dai’s use of magic. There are other characters who turn out to have a past life connection to Dai, including his cousin Meryn who turns up human and hiding in the Shadowlands. Dai stages a rescue even though Meryn doesn’t recognize him and attacks Dai during the rescue. I’m am curious to see what the author has in store for Meryn in book three.

I enjoyed the reluctant passion between these two.  Amanda must decide to give up the loyalty to her dead husband so she can have a present life.  Dai must risk sharing his scars with Amanda in the hope that she might love him in spite of his horrible past. There is some repetition of their respective struggles but fortunately the story keeps moving. Although the romance is the focus, the persistent warmth and charm of it kept me interested until the action scenes appeared near the end of the story.  If you like a warm romance with magical overtones this is a solid entertaining selection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Here are two quotes regarding Dai’s visual gift:

If he let his vision slide, he could see the threads of magic that made everything...or that everything made, depending on the school of magical theory.  Location 194

Amanda was changing the fabric of his reality with just a glance and a smile. Location 2953.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing this book for review.

This is set in Perth, Australia for the Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to my ARC challenge list.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for ARC Copy:
1. Tell me if you know another story about Goblins Or share why you would like to read this book. This is required for entry.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower on any media (GFC, Twitter @MSEREADS, Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/ReviewsByMarthasBookshelf , Goodreads or Linky - links on right sidebar) or tell me if you are already a follower.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Two total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on May 18, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on May 19. 
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Q&A Interview with Shona Husk, Author of The Goblin King

Shona Husk Interview, Author of The Goblin King

Q1.  Do you find writing in different genres requires different techniques?

SH: I write paranormal and fantasy romance so I find them quite similar in that both require believable world building. But where paranormal is grounded in reality with fantasy I can create anything—as long as I don’t break my own rules :). In both cases I build the world and characters together.

 Q2.  When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one or do the subsequent books flow from the first book?

SH: That depends on the series…The Goblin King was originally intended to be stand-alone but as I wrote it I realized there were other stories to tell (Dai, his brother, was too interesting to not explore further) and from there the other stories grew. With my Vampire rock stars for Ellora’s Cave I had them plotted before I started as I wanted each of the stories to be very different and yet be linked by the things the band, Lucinda’s Lover, was going through.

Q3.  Do your work career/hobbies/interests influence your writing?

SH: I think there are similarities between my day job and writing in that both are creative up to a point and then it’s all about editing and fine-tuning. My interests are quite varied. I love history so that definitely influences my world building. I also read nonfiction about whatever takes my fancy (On my to be read shelf at the moment is a book on the history of swords and also ‘the world without us’). Ideas come from all over the place and no writer is a blank canvas. We all bring our life experiences with us even if it is subconsciously.  

Q4.  Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

SH: No. My characters are not based on real people—or me (I’d run from a goblin or a vampire!). That said I have written my first red-haired heroine, Jaines in Dark Vow, but that’s all we have in common.

Q5.  Which authors have influenced you most and how?

SH: I grew up reading fantasy novels so I think I absorbed the love of world building early (and a love of heroes with swords). These days my favorite authors are still the ones with the ability to take me somewhere else, either back in time or to another world.

Q6.  What is the biggest obstacle you have to overcome when you want to write?

SH: Time at the moment. But while I might be blocking out my evenings for edits, I’ve found writing 500 words during my lunch break a great way to progress something new and then when I do get a week or so between edits the story is already a few chapters in and I can get the rest down fast. I like a fast first draft to capture the story and then when I type it up it gets its first edit before going to my crit group.

Q7.  Please share with us your most rewarding experience since being published.

SH: I just did my first solo book signing on the weekend and it was great to meet people and talk books and writing. It was really nice to be on the other side of the table.

Q8.  If you could have readers finish a sentence what would it be?

SH: My favorite paranormal creature is…

***Check my review and giveaway where two commenters can win a copy of this fun read!***

 THE GOBLIN KING BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES OCTOBER 2011

Once Upon a Time…

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debut author Shona Husk is a civil designer by day and an author by night. She lives in Western Australia and through history, myth and imagination she creates heroes that are armed and dangerous but have a heart of gold-sometimes literally.  For more information on Shona and The Goblin King, and where to download the FREE prequel, The Summons, please visit: http://www.shonahusk.com/.

Book Review and Giveaway -TWO COPIES: The Goblin King by Shona Husk

Yes - I like fairytale romances.:-)

The Goblin King

by Shona Husk

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402259859
• ISBN-13: 978-1402259852

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

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

Review: Here are Goblins you can really like.
Roan, the last King of his clan, was unfairly cursed a thousand years ago.  Roan might have given up over the years but the curse also included his brothers and members of his clan.  There were six originally but now only three remain.  The others were killed in goblin wars, lost the struggle to remain human and succumbed to the lore of gold and became fully Goblin or killed themselves rather than become goblin.  One of the same fates await Roan and his brothers unless they can find a way to end the curse.

Roan is summoned by Eliza when she is threatened by her power grabbing fiancé, Steve.  Eliza had called on the Goblin King to rescue her nine years earlier when she was only 15. She can’t remember the details but has had vague dreams and a warm sense that the Goblin King is real and can help her.  Note - If you read The Summons (available at Kindle, Barnes & Noble or ITunes) it tells the earlier encounter and I think helped the flow of this book.

When Roan recognizes Eliza he is even more convinced that she should stay in Shadowland and become his Queen.  Roan and his brother, Dai, think perhaps a woman who would come willingly to be Queen could break the curse.  Eliza sees good still in Roan and wants to help but she doesn’t really want to stay in the land of greed, rot and death. And why would she want to leave one loveless relationship for a guy who doesn't even have a heart to love with?

If Roan keeps Eliza he would be risking trapping her in Shadowland when he turns full Goblin and has no recollection of her. Can they find a way to compromise to be together or a way to break the curse before the lure of greed overcomes him or he dies trying to kill the druid who now threatens Eliza?

I was not familiar with the Goblin King legends so this was all new and fun to me.  I really liked these characters and was rooting for Roan and Dai. I felt the disappointments when the curse wasn’t broken by the actions they hoped would work.  The story moved quickly and was an entertaining read. I liked Dai’s character as well and hope he finds a HEA in his book although I can’t imagine how the next book could have the magic and deadline of doom suspense that helped drive this book.

On a personal note - My main disappointment with The Goblin King was that the cover didn’t show Roan’s beaded dreadlocks which were described so nicely in the book. Oddly dreads aren’t something I normally like but I liked the amber beads that made music for Roan and Eliza.

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Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to  review and for offering two books for giveaway.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for TWO COPIES:
1. Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you found there. This is required for entry.

2.  For two extra entries comment on the Author Interview.

3.   Two more entries for answering Question #8 from Author Interview.

4.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

5. For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Eight total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 4, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
TWO WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on November 5. 
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.