Review: When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears (Goblin Wars #3) by Kersten Hamilton

Source: Received an ARC from Thomas Allen and Sons for an honest review.
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Number of Pages: 400 pages (Hardcover)


Description from Goodreads:

“People will die.”

Locked doors are opening, and uncanny creatures are tumbling through mysterious portals from Mag Mell, the world-between-worlds, into the streets of Chicago. The Dark Man has marked Aiden with a new song that’s scared him badly, and a frightening new group of sídhe is lurking nearby.


Teagan knows this is war, and she must protect her family. She leaves her flesh and bones behind to join Finn in hunting the evil beings across the city. Meanwhile, their relationship is heating up—almost faster than they can control. But he is still bound to fight goblins his entire life . . . and by blood she is one of them now.


Then the gateway to Mag Mell cracks open again, and the Wylltsons find themselves caught in a trap. As her loved ones begin to die, Teagan realizes that she must destroy the Dark Man and his minions once and for all in order to save those who remain . . .

. . . before it is too late.

Oh boy!!!! I absolutely loved the first two books in this trilogy, and When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears does not disappoint as a conclusion! This book completely blew me away. I expected to love it, and I did, but I did not expect all of the things that happened in this book. I tend to predict a lot of things as I'm reading, but Kersten Hamilton ALWAYS keeps me on my toes, and I LOVE that! I also love Finn...just had to get that out there. :P

I'm not going to go into too much detail because this is the final book in a trilogy, but I will tell you a bit about it. We see Teagan come into herself even more in this book, and she kicks some serious butt. We also see Finn be awesome as always, and the rest of the fabulous characters also play their parts. Overall, this trilogy is one of my favourites and I wholeheartedly recommend it to absolutely everyone. This trilogy is completely amazing, and all three books were fantastic on their own, but together they create one amazing trio of books. They will have you laughing, crying, and they'll have you grinning like a giddy school-girl.

The Goblin Wars trilogy is amazing. It's unique, and frankly it covers some of the paranormal that I've never even dreamed about before...after all, it's not often that you read stories about goblins...or at least I hadn't before this trilogy and I haven't since. These books are refreshing, they're heartwarming, and they're all-around awesome. Seriously, if you haven't started them yet, you need to because you will love these books, and you will simply adore the characters. I don't think I'll ever forget Tea, Finn, Aiden, or any of the others...and I definitely won't forget about the magic of Mag Mell.

I recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal books that are different, and especially if you like intricate folklore and worlds that fit seamlessly into our own...this trilogy is similar to Cassandra Clare's in that way. Just as the Shadow-world fits into our own, so does the world that the goblins and other beings come from in the Goblin Wars trilogy. :D Also...if you like hot YA dudes and adorable romances, I think you'll enjoy Finn and his relationship with Tea...they're fantastic together. :D

Add the Goblin Wars to your Goodreads to-read list:

1. Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1)
2. In the Forests of the Night (Goblin Wars #2)
3. When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears (Goblin Wars #3)

Well...I got a bit fangirly there, but what can I say! I totally love these books, and I hope that some of you get the chance to read them because they're amazing! The titles of the books also all come from William Blake's poem "The Tyger"...it's pretty neat actually, and the poem pops up throughout the trilogy. Here's a link to the poem online if you'd like to read it: "The Tyger" by William Blake.

I also just have to say, I'm super smitten with these covers, too! They're gorgeous!


So...what do you think?
Have you read any of the Goblin Wars books yet?
Do you want to?

Review: In the Forests of the Night (Goblin Wars #2) by Kersten Hamilton

 Source: Received an ARC copy from Thomas Allen and Sons for an honest review.

Publisher: Clarion
Number of Pages: 288 (Hardcover)

Release Date: November 22, 2011

(Goodreads Link.)


Blurb from Goodreads:

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.

Teagan 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.

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To say that I was excited for In the Forests of the Night is a severe understatement...I have been anxiously awaiting this book since the moment I finished...no, maybe the moment I started Tyger Tyger...yup, I love this series that much. As soon as I start one I'm anxious for more...and more. I've got a pretty big To-read pile, so I haven't taken much time to reread a story in a while, but I made an exception for this series. I didn't want to start In the Forests of the Night without remembering all of Tyger Tyger, so I reread it beforehand...which was an excellent idea, not only did it help me remember, but it also gave me a double dose of Finn MacCumhail, that sexy beast, his words not mine...although I may have called him something similar to that in my head once or twice. ;)
 

Moving on from how much I love Finn...okay, I'm totally lying, there will be plenty more gushing about Finn in this review...anyways. In the Forests of the Night takes off immediately after Tyger Tyger, the last few pages of Tyger Tyger are actually the same as the Prologue of In the Forests of the Night, which is awesome if you choose not to the first book...plus those few pages are so freaking adorable, and awesome! I can't even reread them without smiling a gigantic grin and if I'm in the right mood, tearing up.

Teagan was fantastic in this one! I loved her in the first book, but she's really starting to grow into herself, and discover what she's capable of in In the Forests of the Night. She's starting to accept what she's found out about herself, even if she doesn't like it, and although she's still not happy with it, she knows that there's nothing she can do to about it all. And in some other big news Cindy the Chimp gets a boyfriend! :D Sorry if I spoiled that for anyone, but you will love that part, seriously it's so cute! :D If you can't tell, I'm also one of those people that see a puppy on TV and starts in on the babytalk...it's really hard to not do, seriously, they're just so cute, like Cindy and her boyfriend! :D

Since I've already told you about Cindy, I'm going to talk about the action in this one. There's lots of running. That is all. Okay, that's not all, but that's all I'm going to tell you so that you aren't completely spoiled by this review. :P There are also lots of goblins, and you get to see several different kinds. You also learn more folklore about the first Finn MacCumhail, and more of the Travellers' history. I absolutely loved learning about the history, and the former MacCumhail, and pretty much everything about this book. Honestly, In the Forests of the Night completely blew all of my expectations for Tyger Tyger's sequel out of the water. It was so much more than I expected, and I probably couldn't have loved it more than I already did. There was some epic use of foreshadowing in this one, and throughout the story I was kept on my toes, trying to figure out what would happen next.

In the Forests of the Night was an amazing sequel, and I think all fans of Tyger Tyger will be thrilled when they read it. Just as she did with Tyger Tyger, Kersten Hamilton has once again woven a wondrous story that draws you in right from the first page. The characters: Aidan, Teagan, Finn (♥♥♥) to name a few, welcome you back into their world as if you'd never left, and you'll be spellbound until the very last page. I, for one, am already anxiously...and I mean ANXIOUSLY, awaiting the next book!

Have you started the Goblin Wars series yet?
And if you haven't, why not?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) by Kersten Hamilton

Source: Originally read on NetGalley, but I also received a copy for Christmas from my little brother. :)

Publisher: Clarion Books
Number of Pages: 308 (Hardcover)

Release Date: Already released.

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

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.
Kersten Hamilton is the author of several picture books and many middle grade novels. When she's not writing, she hunts dinosaurs in the deserts and badlands outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives. This is her first novel for young adults. For more about Kersten, please visit www.kerstenhamilton.com.

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Before reading Tyger Tyger, I'd never read a story with goblins in it, and I must say, after Tyger Tyger, I will definitely be looking for more of them! :D Although to be honest, the thing I mostly want more of is Finn Mac Cumhaill. :P

Tyger Tyger is a fabulous story. It has an amazing narrator named Teagan, who is so smart, but has lived a pretty normal and sheltered life, so she's not experienced with adventure at all. It was like you were taking your first adventure with her. I loved Teagan! She was so goal oriented, and I could relate to her so well. Her family and friends were fantastic, too. Aidan was such a cool little kid, and his singing...just imagining it made me smile. Elvis Impersonators...so funny! Her best friend Abby would say whatever was on her mind, and I was constantly laughing during her parts. Her parents were awesome too, and their family history about Merlin and all that, so cool! I just loved all of the details in Tyger Tyger, they were so intricate, and I loved learning little things about Irish travellers and their history. :D

Kersten Hamilton has crafted a wondrous world in Tyger Tyger. One woven out of stories of old, and placed into the world that we know. She's taken a classic Irish hero and made him into a YA heartthrob. After all, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one swooning over Finn and his magical duct tape that can fix anything. :P I thought Finn was AMAZING! He's definitely one of my favourite book crushes, and I could reread this book over and over and still never get my fill of the Mac Cumhaill! ;)

Along with the magical story that Kersten has created, the relationships between characters is remarkable and realistic. I love Finn and Teagan! Absolutely love them! They're so innocent...well Teagan is, Finn's past is kind of a mystery. :P I especially love how much they go through with each other, and how their relationship evolves at such a gradual pace, at least when you combine the way they both feel. :P For Finn, his love is pretty much instantaneous! For Teagan, though, it's much more gradual, and I loved the authenticity of that growth...the love, not the whole situation with the goblins. haha

I thought that Tyger Tyger was a beautiful story! It was imaginative, and full of adventure, with a side of romance that kept me on my toes! I definitely recommend it! :D

Have you read Tyger Tyger yet?
If you have, what did you think?
And if you haven't, what's holding you back?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur