In the Forests of the Night: The Goblin Wars, Book Two (The Goblin Wars, #2)

by Kersten Hamilton

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man's forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea's goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea's family and friends. Tea knows she doesn't have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she's still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that's destroying her--that's destroying them all--has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

• ISBN10: 0547853491
• ISBN13: 9780547853499
• Publish Date: 20 November 2012 (first published 1 January 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kelsenator]

Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf.

After rescuing her father, Roisin and Thomas from Mag Mell, Teagan tries to get on with life and continue with school. It seems almost normal to her with all of them staying at her house, including her friend Abby. Cat Sidhe keep harassing and following them, other shadowy creatures showing up during the night, and then there’s the possible threat of Highborn Sidhe coming out again. So it’s never dull for all of them.

Teagan and Finn start to get somewhere in their relationship, Finn is taking it very slow, with advice from her father. He wants to be good for her in many ways, smart and kind but also being able to protect her. Teagan is confused as to what to do, since this is her first boyfriend, but she’s not going to give up her dreams of college and helping animals. There’s a little bit of romance in this book, but there’s still loads more action going on, it’s a good combo that works well.

Aiden still has magic around him when he sings sometimes, and Fear Doirich wants him now more than ever. He fears Aiden because of what his ancestors did way back when, and what Aiden could do in the future. They keep him safe as best they can, but there’s still the worry that they will need to go back into Mag Mell, when they barely made it out last time.

Then Teagan meets Kyle again, the goblin that stole her father from before, and he does something which ignites and starts to change her, to awake the goblin inside her. She has to fight it, to stay true to herself, but running a fever and trying to keep everyone else safe isn’t going to be easy for her.

They do eventually go into Mag Mell again, and this time was even better than the first, you get to see many more characters, and the dangers that surround them. You even get a glimpse at Mab, which was pretty cool!

This book went a lot more in depth to the stories of myths, and into all of the different characters, and it was awesome. I liked this one even better than the first, and I can’t wait for the author to announce a third book!

Recommended for young adult fans of fantasy!

[Kim Deister]

I absolutely love this series! The blend of Celtic mythology with a contemporary time and place has created a world that borders on reality. The author takes the fantasy beasts and creatures of Mag Mell and brings them out of their realm and into Chicago in such a way that it feels like it could be a true possibility. From time to time throughout this book and the last, she mentions those little shadows and glimpses that we all get from time to time and attributes them to those things like the cat sidhe... those things that we can't see but just may be there, lurking just out of our sight.

There is a fairly large cast of characters, all of whom contribute to the story. There is Teagan and Finn, her BFF Abby and her little brother Aiden, Thomas and Aint Roisin, Mameio and her father, The cat sidhe Grendel and the sprite Lucy. This is a hefty cast, especially when you add in all of the other supporting characters, but they all have their place in the story... and in the Wylltson household!

Teagan goes through a lot of personal growth in this book as her previously dormant goblin blood comes to the surface. Goblin she may be, but her heart is human and that is what she strives for. Part of what makes her so endearing is her compassion and need to care for others. We really see that in this book, in her attempts to care for her brother, for Abby, her father, and through her job at the zoo.

Finn is also a star in this book! He is the epitome of a great Book Boyfriend. He's smart and capable, funny and supportive. He loves Teagan, accepts her for who and what she is... which is a big thing in this case as she is a goblin and he is sworn to protect against her kind. He loves her brother and is noble to the point of frustration in how he handles his feelings for Teagan, out of respect for her father.

Things to love about In the Forests of the Night...

--The folklore. I love, LOVE, LOVE the folklore that is such a big part of the story. I love how it is woven into the contemporary world of Chicago that they live in.
--Cindy. The scenes with Cindy in the zoo, with her interactions with her "boyfriend" and the doctor... hilarious!

My recommendation: A fantastically wonderful read that makes you wonder about those things just beyond your sight!