WARNING: This review does contain spoilers for Tyger, Tyger, the first book in the Goblin Wars series, so if you would like to enter the giveaway and haven’t read Tyger, Tyger, then scroll down to the end.
Caitlin: In the Forests of the Nightmay look short, but a lot happened to Teagan, Finn, and Aiden. It starts off with everyone, and I mean everyone, living in the same house. The characters have to deal with the usual problems of living in a crowded house. A man turning into a raven just as a social worker is coming over. Going to school with a fairy living in your hair. The love lives of gorillas. Normal everyday things.So, it’s a bit of a shock when evil, moldering cats show up. Not to mention shadow-y, ghost like things with portents of death!
Christine: It’s important to note that this book starts off exactly where the first one ends. I both liked and didn’t like that. I liked it because it was like a real continuation of the first book, when usually we have to catch up with what happens between the first and second book with summaries and vague references. And I didn’t like it because I’d had to wait for so long between books that I’d forgotten what happened in the first one. Thank goodness we wrote a review about it so I could familiarize myself again.
From the word ‘go’, this continuation never lets up. It’s scene after scene of action, answers and fighting off really gross, sick cats whose guts are coming out of them. (Seriously.) Aiden is still adorable, Teagen is still rational and Finn is… well, Finn.
Caitlin: It is very important to note that Aiden is, indeed, still adorable. I highly enjoyed the dinner he arranged so he could sing something specific. And the fairy living in his hair. He’s just the best.
And I liked how Teagan still had her own ambitions and desires despite all the new people in her life and the new desires that came along with finding who and what she was…and meeting Finn. She was willing to change to fit everything in but she was not willing to give up what she wanted. I liked that about her.
Christine: Me too. Teagan is such a great character. Sure, sometimes she might have hair-brain ideas, but for the most part, she’s able to reason and specify what she wants and what she’s doing. I can easily follow her train of thought, thus I’m able to understand her and empathize when things don’t turn out exactly as planned. I like her.
Now Finn is another matter entirely. He’s rough and always tries to be the hero, which I have a feeling will one day put either him or Teagan in a very precarious situation, most likely one that might lead to one of their deaths. But he’s also unwavering in his devotion and romantic to a fault. I love it when he calls Teagan ‘girl’. It’s so Irish. It makes me want to roll my eyes and grin at his attempt at an endearing pet name.
Caitlin: I really liked when Finn told Teagan he’d protect her and she turned that back around and said she would protect him. I’m not expressing this correctly, but it was a good scene between the two of them. Encapsulating their characters very well.
And how dare you imply that one of them isn’t going to make it out of this. That’s just not cool.
Christine: I’m just saying, it’ll probably come down to a choice, or a really intense action sequence that puts either one or both of them in jeopardy. You know it’s going there, too, especially with the changes in Teagan and how that’s going to affect her and Finn’s relationship eventually. As much as they might want to believe it’s all going to be okay, it’ll be an issue that comes up again.
Caitlin: Honestly, the couple I absolutely need to make it out of this in one piece is the gorillas. I was little torn up about what happened to them. I don’t even care if this is weird. I love those gorillas.
Christine: I love the gorillas, too. And even though there was some heavy stuff that went down in this book, Kersten Hamilton still made it a fun read. It was light and enjoyable, and went by faster than I wanted it to.
And because Ms Hamilton is so cool, she’s giving away a paperback copy of Tyger, Tyger, the first book in this series, to one of our readers! (*jumps around excitedly*) This is one of those times I wish I could enter our giveaways. Alas, it cannot be.
How you enter is simple: leave a comment on this post to get one entry; follow the other options on Rafflecopter to get more. This giveaway will end December 14th at 11:01PM CST. This is open INTERNATIONALLY! (The book will be signed if you’re in the US and coming from Book Depository if you’re elsewhere.)
Good luck!