The Goblin Wood

Makenna is a hedgewitch in a world in which only the priests' magic is allowed. After her mother's persecution, she escapes to the forest and befriends the goblins who are also suffering. She determines to take revenge, while protecting the goblins from people who would invade their wood.

Hilari Bell is one of my favorite fantasy authors, especially her Knight and Rogue series and the Farsala trilogy. The Goblin Wood is one of her earlier books, but she is going to be continuing the story into a trilogy, so I decided it was time to read it. I could see some early beginnings of the way she shifts perspective in her later books, though Tobin and Makenna's points of view aren't as finely done as, say, Michael and Fisk in The Last Knight. show more Makenna was a difficult character to like, as her reaction to her mother's death seemed ruthless to me. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to reading The Goblin Gate when it comes out in the fall. show less

I liked this book ok, but definitely not as much as I did when i was in High school. Good overall, but just seemed a bit predictable and less nuanced than I remember. The whole southern barbarian thing seemed vaguely racist (desert outsiders condemned for their savage customs, ect) which was disappointing. I may or may not continue reading the series. This one was a reread, but I haven't picked up any of the sequels before and despite some criticisms I'm curious to see where the series might lead.

When Makenna's mother is killed by the villagers that she's known all her life, Makenna runs away to escape her mother's fate. Like her mother, Makenna is a hedgewitch, and witches are being persecuted more and more by both the government and the people of the land. After stealing an apple from an orchard protected by goblins, Makenna finds herself pursued by the creatures . . . until she learns more about them and comes to an understanding with them. Goblins, like witches, are being driven out of the settled lands and into the wilderness. Though they are crafty and gifted with magical talents, they need someone who can organize them if they are going to have any hope of surviving. Makenna, feeling hostile and resentful of her own kind, show more throws her lot in with the goblins and never looks back.

Tobin is a knight and heir to his father's lands, until he rescues his younger brother from a political scrape. When he takes his brother's place and accepts responsiility for the scheme, Tobin is beaten, demoted, and disinherited. He's given one chance to regain his honor: capture the sorceress who has power over an army of goblins. He has hardly a chance against such powerful magic -- but the only other option is a life of shame, and by capturing the sorceress, he would be saving his country as well. However, when he meets Makenna and her goblins, he begins to question everything he has been told about this "sorceress" and her "army."

This was a quick and straightforward read, without a great deal of depth to either characters or plot, but enjoyable nonetheless. show less

Makenna is a young hedgewitch on the run after her mother is killed by the very villagers she grew up with. During a period of hiding in the woods, she encounters a group of goblins, and after some altercations, she grows close to them and they take her in as one of their own. Together, they begin working against a group of priests known as the Bright Ones, who are slowly eradicating all sources of magic that are not their own... the very same group that killed Makenna's mother. On the other side of this battle is a young knight named Tobin, who is working for the Bright Ones. However, once he meets Makenna, he begins to see how corrupt the group truly is, and sides with the goblins against the oppressive collection of priests. While show more the story leaves little room for character development, the plot is engaging and full of action. It's a fantasy novel stands out on its own, equipped with a unique and enthralling storyline and courageous characters full of wit. show less

I have had this book on my TBR pile for awhile and was excited to read this. I ended up reading the first 200 pages of this book and just couldn't get into the story, so I stopped. It was written in a very simple style and ended up being very boring. No matter where or when I read this book I kept falling asleep and I rarely fall asleep while reading.
The story bounces back and forth between a young hedgewitch named Makenna and a young knight. Makenna has befriended the goblins in the woods and is harassing the ruling kingdom with her goblin army. The young knight is sent to find her and lead a group of church sorcerers to stop Makenna’s rebellion.

I struggled with the stark writing style and how slow the story moved. I didn’t find show more the characters, the storyline or the world-building to be all that interesting or engaging.

Overall I didn’t like this book and stopped reading it after the first couple hundred pages. I won’t be continuing with the series, this was just not for me. show less

A wonderful story of a hedge witch named MaKenna who had a band of goblins to help her defend the magical creatures. There was a knight that was sent out to destroy them. In a twist of fate he gets captured only to discover that his feelings toward MaKenna and the other magical creatures changes and ends up on their side. It is an opportunity for students to see how they can judge other people on the word of others and not really feel the same at all.

When Makenna's mother is killed by the townspeople, she vows revenge on them. However, it is not until she traps a goblin who has been stealing her food that she is finally able to truly cause trouble for not just the townspeople, but everyone living in or around the woods. Bell keeps the plot moving with many entertaining plot twists. Recommended. Ages 10-13.