5 starsTobin is freed from the poisonous Otherworld, but only to become a prisoner of the bloodthirsty barbarians who would love to make a meal out of him. Makenna and her goblins are still stuck in the Otherworld, unable to open a gate large enough to bring them all home, not with the land soaking up all magic, and all life. Their only hope is the spirits who have shown them no mercy. Jeriah has his own share of troubles, for the Relocation has come to a halt because of him, and so if the people of the Realm perish, all of the blame falls onto him. Separate, Tobin, Makenna, and Jeriah can accomplish nothing. Together, they might stand a chance. But the barbarians are nigh invincible, and time is running out. The Realm could very well fall.A darn good conclusion to a trilogy, I think. Everything from the first two books played into this third, and it made Makenna’s struggles in the second book mean so much more than I originally thought. Not everything was tied up into a neat little bow, but it give me enough to feel satisfied with this ending, and the rest is fun to speculate about.I’m not sure how I felt about Tobin in this book. I felt as if he was kind of… bland, I guess you could say. He wasn’t as strong of a character I remembered him being. I did enjoy reading his parts, but I felt I didn’t get to know him as much as I did Jeriah and Makenna.I don’t have many complaints, however, as the writing was great and I loved all of the characters. I love the insights they have of each other, and how easy it is to forget how powerful the main characters are because, when in their POV, you know they’re just human and are doing the best they can while hoping it is enough. Which is what we all do, really. It was a nice ending to this little triology, with a predictable solution - but there was enough entertainment and twists and suspense to still make it enjoyable. I'm still quite appreciative with the novel way Hilari Bell deals with romance - it's more of a suggestion than a theme, and the characters action's aren't dictated primarily by love or affection. It's added in as sort of an afterthought, that flavors the plot only slightly and isn't the focus of any scene. Or maybe I'm biased because I've been reading too many romantic novels lately. Regardless, this was more noticeable in the first book in the trilogy, which I probably enjoyed the best out of these three books. But that's for another review.
What do You think about The Goblin War (2011)?
A wonderful ending to an amazing series. I was on the edge of my seat for the last chapter.
—purvi
