GOBLIN KING is a much faster-paced and action-packed YA fantasy sequel. Janneke has taken the mantle of the stag, though she has not yet mastered its powers, and Soren is the Erlkonig. She is hiding something from him though - she is hallucinating and hearing her tormentor/his uncle after his death. What she is soon to learn is that his ramblings that sounded so strange and impossible may have been a portent of things to come.

They set off on a quest with danger around every corner, and every step bringing new challenges. The alternative is the end of the world, and they must persevere. Although I thought this would be the end of the series, this book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, setting the stage for another sequel.

This book is just as dark and gritty as the first. However, this one is more filled with action and less of the character deep-dives that really made me love the first. Regardless, I found it highly readable and moved through the book quickly. I enjoyed particularly the scenes where we go deeper into the psychology of different characters, though I found them to be shorter than I would have anticipated. On the flip side, this does make the book move faster, so this would have more appeal for some readers.

This sequel does a great job of recapping the first book, so it is easy to pick up after some time. I would definitely recommend reading it, as it is fantastic. There is some complexity and very dark elements to the story as Janneke is wrangling with the feeling that she needs her former torturer to achieve her goal of stopping Ragnarok (the end of the world).

Overall, I found this to be a faster-paced sequel to an intriguing YA dark fantasy series. Would recommend for fans who want to continue Janneke's story, through this does focus more on the action vs character insights.