The Goblin King by Shona Husk, A Review-ish Type Post

The Goblin King, by Shona Husk

Back Cover Synopsis:
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 him forever.


May I take a moment to talk about the cover?  The guy looks like Dean Winchester.  And he's supposed to have dread locks with gold and amber beads in his hair.  Anyway...

3 stars

Okay, okay, why am I reviewing a book I only gave three stars to?

I finished it a few days ago, and it hurt.  It was by no means easy, nor funny, and the whole guy is millenia older than the girl...

It hurt to read.  It was slow.  Flat characters, could've been better...

But, but, but, but, it was a functional story.

Guy met girl years ago.

Didn't try to keep her.

Guy meets girl again some years later.

Creepy nightmare stuff.

Eliza agrees to be queen to escape her abusive fiance and because she loves Roan, the Goblin King.

Curse still unbroken.

They kill the druid who placed them under the curse.

Curse still unbroken.

ALL IS LOST!

Eliza sets up a goodbye dinner for Roan, and his brother Dai.  She cries in Roan's arms, and breaks his heart.  The gold encasing the flesh breaks, and his heart beats again.  He loves her more than he loves his gold, and he hurts because she's hurting.

Roan is now human again, hm hm hm hm, human again!

And they live happily ever after.

Okay, now that I've gone and ruined the story, this is why I'm kind of giving it a review:

Roan's heart had to break.  It didn't matter how much he thought he loved her.  His heart had to break for her.  There's something about reaching the breaking point that will enact a change.  You know what I'm talking about.

So, I don't know if I'll get the rest of the series, but I liked this one.  Roan could've been a lot worse than he already was, but I don't think, not within the course of the book, he ever did anything that truly bothered me--and a lot of stuff heroes do in romance books bother me.  Some things you just don't do, guys.

Roan gets the Zuko Award.  Eliza grows a pair as well with dealing with her abusive fiance.  It was nice to see her come into her own.  She's a fitting queen.

So, even though it wasn't great literature, I don't think I wasted my time reading it.  It made me think and hurt and feel things I don't like feeling.  It's the sort of thing I'll remember.  It also had that dark fairy tale feel to it.  There's a lesson somewhere here...