In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton

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October 22nd 2011, Clarion Books
288 pages, Paperback
Received as Teen Scene Book Tour
Second in Goblin Wars series
Young Adult Fiction



More in Series: Tyger, Tyger

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.

Opinion:

Everything is going good for Teagan after repeated heartbreak in the last book. She’s back at home with some new friends surrounding her. Cat-sidhe and other Fir Bog haunt her, but overall everything is going great. The large part of the beginning of this book is about life calming back down after the first book.

The thing about this series is that regardless if the action is constant or a bit slow it’s an eccentric ride. One that leaves a smile on my face throughout. Finn is adorable and Teagan’s dedication to her goals is refreshing. Aidan is still my favorite character in the book though. His little resident fairy just adds to the cuteness of little Aidan.When they are in danger you can’t help but care. By care I mean sit up and start reading at supersonic speed.

Everyone has come away with injuries in Tyger, Tyger, but they have bonded in a odd little family. The family is made up of people that are so diverse and should be enemies and yet when one is threatened they bond together to fight the outside force.

The mythology is one of the most intriguing and fleshed out in such amazing detail that the world seems completely plausible at the same time it seems completely magical. I get that Mag Mell is a terrifying place, but it’s also so charming I’m not sure I’d be able to stay away.

I adore this series and can’t wait to read more! This was a great sequel to the amazing debut Tyger, Tyger!

Rating:

Rie

I'm a wife, student, and a dog-lover who reads when I should be folding laundry (bane of my existance), I write (rarely as academic papers consume my life), and love getting wrapped up in fiction.

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Tyger, Tgyer by Kersten Hamilton

November 15th 2010, Clarion Books
308 pages, Hardcover
Won from The Bookish Type
First in Goblin Wars Series
Young Adult Fiction

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

    Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Opinion:

I’ve had this book sitting on my bookshelf since March. I kept putting it off, because I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised.

The characters were delightful, the action was fierce, and the prose was beautiful. I truly enjoyed this book. It was action packed in most places and I got seriously freaked out by the cat-sidhe. Those are some freaky little buggers.

My favorite character was Finn. He was brave, caring, and so loving even in spite of legendary enemies. The love story between them seems like one the most natural love stories I’ve read in awhile. Teagan was so caring about her little brother. She seemed to easily step into the roll of caretaker, which isn’t surprising with her love of animals. She was a very goal orientated character and I appreciated the fact that she kept her goals in mind at every stage of this book.

The only issue I had with this book was the pacing was a bit off. It would have a ton of action and then not really resolve the action and then everything would simply slow down. The pacing didn’t throw me off enough to disrupt my reading pleasure.

The mythology was painted beautifully from page one. The characters all had ancestry links to the world in which this book was set. Mag Mell is a place I’d really like to see with my own eyes. It simply seems so magically beautifully dangerous. 

Rating: 4/5

I'm a wife, student, and a dog-lover who reads when I should be folding laundry (bane of my existance), I write (rarely as academic papers consume my life), and love getting wrapped up in fiction.

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