Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs

Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles)

by Chloe Jacobs

While trying to save her brother from the witch three years ago, Greta was thrown into the fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon. To survive, 17-year-old 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 determination to escape. But Greta's not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil being knows she's the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the boys she finds stranded in the woods will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back ...

Reviewed by Angie on

4 of 5 stars

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I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Greta and the Goblin King was a book that I requested on a whim. The title didn't particularly call to me, but goblins sound fun, and it was getting great ratings from GR friends, so why not? About a third in, I was really glad that I took a chance on it!

Immediately, this book stood out from other YA Paranormal novels. Instead of having a teen girl unknowingly stumble upon supernatural creatures (typically in the form of a hot teen boy), Greta is already fully immersed in a fantasy land. She's been stuck in a world where she doesn't belong for four long years. She also has an established relationship with the hot goblin King. Not a romantic one, although there is an obvious attraction. It's a kind of antagonistic relationship, but Greta admits to not wanting to get attached to anyone in Mylena since her number one priority is getting back home.

Isaac, the goblin King, is a very interesting character. Despite being the King, he keeps no servants. He isolates himself from his kingdom and seems unhappy in his position. Why is that? I'm not really sure, but I'm eager to get to know him better in the following books. He's also one of few Mylena citizens who wants to protect Greta. Or is he? She can't really tell.

I loved how this had a mash-up of elements from multiple fairytales, including Hansel and Gretel and Peter Pan. It made it all the more fun seeing how these tales can be related to each other to make up one new story. Of course, there's also a lot of unique mythology, like all of the creatures in Mylena shifting to a more primal state during an eclipse, and Isaac having access to Greta's dreams.

Greta and the Goblin King is a highly engaging read full of sword fights, evil fairies, magic and romance. I could barely put it down! The ending is a bit rushed, and there's no complete resolution, so I cannot wait for the next book!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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  • Started reading
  • 16 December, 2012: Finished reading
  • 16 December, 2012: Reviewed