This book felt light and easy, even with the darkness in it. It was a romance about two people being saved by each other.

Meryn used to be a Goblin who stole gold and killed. Now he is back int he real world, 2000 years later. He is lost, but he is smart. He mourns in family, and the darkness of the Goblin hangs over him. But he is a nice guy, a man who just want to live again..if there was something to live for.

Nadine is a nurse who have nightmares (yes goblins there too). He father is in jail for killing her mother and she has blocked that out. She may go on about her life, but there is something there. Something sad. Then Nadine and Meryn meet. Something pulls them together. They are meant to be. But first they have things to go through. He needs to let go of his past and she needs to deal with her past. Not to mention that you know the whole Goblin thing is gonna pop up and mess things up.

A good romance, 2 people just meant to be. Throw in a little paranormal and there you have it. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Intriguing story about two people overcoming their emotional shortcomings – with just a hint of the paranormal.

Opening Sentence: What was it about the full moon that turned the emergency room into an overfull level of Hell?

The Review:

For the Love of a Goblin Warrior picks up not to long after Meryn escapes from Dai’s apartment in Kiss of the Goblin Prince. Meryn is eventually picked up by police and instead of going straight to jail the police bring him to a hospital to have him checked out and examined by the beautiful Nadine. Nadine doesn’t think much about the crazy man who can’t speak English until after he is given a shower to clean himself up. She becomes fascinated by Meryn and his strange behavior but after he disappears from the hospital she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find out his story.

The third novel in the Shadowlands series was definitely more of a book about two people figuring themselves out, learning to trust and build a relationship. Meryn has to overcome almost everything from his past, including watching his wife and children die, and the fact that he has lived as a goblin for the last two thousand years. Nadine has grown up believing that her father killed her mother when she was a little girl, this has left her with a lot of anxiety and a fear of the dark (she refuses to sleep at night). Nadine’s father has just been released from jail and it is just one more anxiety that she must overcome.

It seems that the Shadowlands have followed Meryn to the Fixed Realm. His dreams and fears have become reality and he must learn to control and master his fears if he is able to destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. As a child, Nadine grew up on The Goblin King fairytale and has her own connection to the Shadowlands.

I read the first two novels in this series and I couldn’t wait for Meryn’s story. I was very intrigued by the fact that he was a goblin in the last two novels and this would be his transformation. I enjoyed how he knew nothing about the world but seemed to keep a level head when it came to not knowing the language and the technology. What I didn’t like was the fact that he wanted no help, didn’t want to ask for help and when someone tried to help him he would whine about it. I know sitting and watching people can help you learn, but I don’t think that in just two weeks of people watching that Meryn would have such a grasp on language as he did. It proved that he was a hands on learner but it just seemed a little quick.

Nadine is a very serious person and she definitely has a routine going on with her life (work during the night, run and then sleep during the day). She doesn’t trust anyone except her best friend Gina and she believes that love will only turn ugly. Her fascination with Meryn just leads her down a road that could just turn her life upside down.

The other novels in this series had more of a paranormal, goblin take on the storylines. While For the Love of a Goblin Warrior did have some elements of the Shadowlands, it was really a story about Meryn and Nadine’s relationship and the emotional turmoil they must go through in order to be together. The story while intriguing at first flowed much more slowly as the story developed. As a reader, the main points that you knew would be revealed just weren’t that surprising when they were revealed. This novel is told in the third person from Nadine, Meryn and Nadine’s father’s point of views.

Overall, the final book in the Shadowlands trilogy was a decent conclusion to the series. Although, I would have liked more action and an antagonist other than Meryn’s own mind (although now that I think about it – it really does make sense in the context of the series) where he must overcome the goblin inside. If you want to check out a series that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves, I would say to give this series that is set in Australia a try.

Notable Scene:

At first nothing happened. The goblin remained still, watching him.

He was used to putting his faith in weapons and plans, not wishes. But he knew the power of nightmares and also of dreams. Nadine was in the dreams he wanted for his future. Her kiss lingered in his mind even if he couldn’t taste her on his tongue.

He wanted to find love again and be seen as a man, not a goblin.

He wanted to be free of the Shadowlands once and for all.

A breeze swept through the clearing with a hiss, making the trees shudder. The goblin screamed as if in agony, then raised his knife, intending to stab Meryn in his bed. Meryn twisted and deflected the blow. He kicked the goblin in the chest; it felt real enough beneath his boots. The other nightmares had crumbled when he touched them. This one was different. The goblin fell back into the coals. He howled in pain, his fingers curling as he scrambled to get up.

Meryn placed his knife to the goblin’s throat. “I defeated you once, and I will defeat you every time. I do not fear you. Be gone and trouble me no more.”

He drew the blade across the gray skin. Black blood stained the knife. He expected the body to turn to dust the way the others had, ready to reform another night. It didn’t. Meryn stood up and looked at the body of the goblin. He wiped the blade clean on his trousers.

FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Casablanca provided me with a copy of For the Love of a Goblin Warrior. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Meryn was cursed to be a goblin warrior and now he's out of the shadowlands he has to learn how to be human again. Nurse Nadine Gilbert has lived with the fact that her father killed her mother. Little does she know the reality of the event, that there were goblins involved and in fact her father is innocent. He's near the end of his term in jail but she wants nothing to do with him. How will she react to the former goblin? How will he cope with the modern world? How will he cope with humanity after years of being a goblin?

I got this one from Goodreads as an ARC in their competition and I was very happy with it. It was a good read, a satisfying read that pulled me along and kept me reading well past my bedtime. I would like to read more in this series to find out more about the world and the other characters, while it was a book that stood well on it's own, there were things I knew I missed from not reading the others. Occasionally it did feel a bit rushed but otherwise I enjoyed it. ( )

For the Love of a Goblin Warrior could be read as a stand alone as this installment mainly takes place in the modern world, with the Shadowlands only occasionally intruding, but I think the previous two novels, The Goblin King and Kiss of the Goblin Prince provide some contextual depth for the story.

Once a Celtic warrior, Meryn was banished to the Shadowlands for his loyalty to his King. After being forced to witness the murder of his wife and children by the Roman legion, Meryn was unable to find the strength to resist the ‘fade’ and lost his soul to the curse, joining the goblin horde. When the curse shatters, neither Roan nor Dai considered that Meryn’s humanity would be restored until Dai hears his desperate cries and brings him back to the Fixed World. Adjusting to 21st Australia is a struggle for the warrior who is still more goblin than man, but with time and love he will rediscover his humanity, and happiness.

In For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, Husk focuses more on the individual characters of the romantic pairing, Meryn and Nadine, two damaged people who are drawn to each other. Meryn is dealing with feelings of guilt and misplaced shame while struggling to make sense of modern life. He doesn’t believe he deserves a second chance at happiness, but is touched by Nadine’s kindness and compassion.
Nadine is afraid to risk her heart, having effectively been orphaned at a young age when her father was found guilty of murdering her mother, a murder she was thought to have witnessed but repressed.
As they both begin to confront their pasts, they find they are on the same journey – they must both let go of the past in order to move forward and create a future together.

With such focus on introspective, emotional conflict there is very little action in the story, and though that is not exactly a bad thing, I did feel the lack. The pacing is a little awkward at times (for example Meryn is speaking almost perfect English within days) but I wasn’t unduly bothered as the compressed time frame made it necessary.

Overall, I enjoyed being able to read straight through this trilogy, starting with Roan’s story in The Goblin King, moving on to the Kiss of the Goblin Prince featuring Dai and finishing by following Meryn’s journey in For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, which provides closure for this appealing series. I think Husk has left herself the means to return to the series should she wish and I know I will happily return to the Shadowlands again. ( )

Second chances are hard to come by, but Nadine may just be his.
This is a hauntingly beautiful tale of second chances and true love. This series continues to amaze me with its beautiful settings and engrossing characters. Meryn longs to make Nadine his and make a future together, but his tragic past could cause a rift between them that may never be breeched. The story was heartwarming and highly engaging. There were some great action scenes and a good number of sweet moments between Meryn and Nadine.
Nadine is a beautiful woman inside and out. I would be proud to have someone like her as a friend. She is reliable and kindhearted, but she cannot forget the atrocities from her past. She is drawn to Meryn, but is also very scared. She grows to learn that you cannot change the past, but you can’t let it rule your life either.
Meryn just wants to move on, but his past keeps coming back to haunt him. His is a great man who deserves happiness and being with Nadine helps to heal him. I loved getting to know more about this scarred warrior and seeing him falling in love with Nadine. He was a courageous and memorable character that I grew to love.
This is a beautiful read that you won’t want to miss! ( )