The Gobin Wood - Hilari Bell

How much do I love this book? ALL OF IT. ALL OF THE LOVE. I have read this book pretty much every summer since the year I first signed up for our local library's teen reading program, which works out to about 8 years now. (And suddenly, I feel old.) Despite reading it over and over, I still find myself racing through to find out what happens. The primary issue within the novel, which is told from the perspective of two very compelling characters on opposite sides, is complex enough that you may very well find yourself switching between sides.There are very few books that I would recommend without having to add a caveat, and this is definitely one of them.

Makenna is a hedgewitch, or at least she will be when her mother teaches her a little more about their magic. Despite being declared insufficient for priesthood at birth because of her lack of strong magic, Makenna is content to live in their little town and learn while her mother treats the villagers for various injuries and problems. Lately, it's been getting more difficult to continue their work uninterrupted as the priests, under orders the ruler of the land received from the Bright Ones, begin cracking down on unholy sources of magic. Suddenly, goblins that had previously lived in uneasy truce with humans are cast out and hedgewitches that were trusted members of a community are punished. For Makenna, everything changes the day her mother is murdered by the very people she had served. Grief-stricken and alone, Makenna flees into the forest with nothing but her mother's precious spell books and her rage to support her.

While she tries to eke out a living in the woods, she unwittingly angers a group of goblins who, in typical goblin fashion, make her life miserable in creative and extremely irritating ways. Soon, she learns the goblin system of trading; if she sets out enough food, they'll return the pack they stole the night before or mend her broken gear. When she finally manages to capture one of them and promptly sets him free, she inadvertently gains his indebtedness to her for the unbalanced trade. Cogswhallop, for so he is called, becomes her ally and, eventually, her friend, bringing her food and providing information about the road ahead. Just when it seems he has paid his debt, he comes to her and asks for her help to rescue a goblin family that is about to be killed by a mob nearby. Despite her best efforts, she only manages to save some of the family, and the heartbreaking screams of the rescued goblins as their family burns strike a chord in Makenna. From that point on, she vows to lead the goblins in a war against the humans that mindlessly slaughter their people and betrayed her mother.

On the other side of the conflict, Sir Tobin finds himself an unwilling accomplice to a treasonous plot that would've resulted in execution for his brother, the real perpetrator. As his father's heir, the punishment Tobin faces for his supposed involvement is much lighter than the one his brother would've faced. Stripped of his knighthood and disowned by his father, Tobin is desperate to recover his honor. Soon, he is approached by Master Lazur, a priest of the Bright Ones who offers Tobin a chance for redemption; help capture the sorceress that reigns in the Goblin Wood and all will be forgiven. Unwilling to commit murder even for the return of his honor, Tobin learns that barbarian attacks are slowly but surely driving the people of the realm further north towards the wood where the sorceress and her goblins have made their new home; unless the goblins are driven out so the people can relocate, the realm faces utter destruction. Master Lazur gives him a stone from the mysterious Otherworld which, if planted close enough to the sorceress's camp, will allow the priests to scry for it and determine the location of the rebels. Tobin travels to the Goblin Wood with every intention of carrying out the plan, but the sorceress, who turns out to be a mere hedgewitch, proves to be more elusive than he expected. When he is captured and forced to live among the goblins, he realizes the issue isn't as black and white as it seems.

Have I mentioned yet that I love this book? I honestly feel like this review doesn't do it justice, but I tried. As I said previously, the issue facing the characters is a complex one with valid points on either side, which is what makes it so interesting. It's showcased beautifully by the passion of each character to their cause and the insight we're given into what they're thinking. The novel is part of a series, but the book addresses most (if not all) loose ends that are presented. I seriously can't say enough about this book, so I think I'm just going to stop there!

Pros:

• Complex, engaging dilemma (not to be confused with "dilemna", which is apparently NOT a word. That's 21 years of my life I'll never get back.)
• Likable, relatable characters
• Great writing, fabulous storyline, and no iffy content! (Is this the Holy Grail of young adult fantasy lit?!)

Cons:

• I legitimately can't think of any
• Nope
• Not even one