Taming the Goblin

The McGunnegal Chronicles #2

by Ben Anderson

"Taming the Goblin" is the second book in The McGunnegal Chronicles series, continuing where "Into a Strange Land" left off. The strangeness of the McGunnegals continues to unfold as Colleen begins to glimpse the latent power of the ancient bloodline that runs true in her veins. Frederick also has something within him - the poison of the Goblin Phage that threatens to transform him into one of the hideous creatures of the night. He must leave Colleen in this strange land in order to save himself, and to seek the help of a long-dead king back in the world of Men. Colleen goes on without him, but has again encountered the goblin, Nous, whose life she once saved. She must convince her companions that he is worth befriending. She must trust him to lead them to the Witch's dungeons, and there help her to free its captives, and hope that he does not betray them all. High adventure, storms and monsters at sea, creatures of legend and myth, captures and escapes, magic and invention, terrible loss, fool-hearty daring, and a journey toward finding one's true self all come together in these epic tales.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 16, 2013

Reviews

[M.L.S. Weech · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I finished Strange Land, I downloaded its sequel. Taming the Goblin expands on the world Anderson introduced us too. It impressively builds on what is actually an enormous cast. I’ll admit the shift of the other McGunnegals and their exploits pulled me away from what I liked most about the trilogy, but it was obviously a necessary process to set everything up for the conclusion of the story (which I’m almost done listening too. I’m pretty behind with reviews).


Colleen is still the star of the show, but a helpful Goblin worms (forgive the pun) his way into the reader’s heart as the story progresses. This book on it’s own probably wouldn’t hold up (the reader would be a bit lost without the first book). It’s also not quite as strong as the first book. Those opinions don’t mean the book isn’t entertaining. Remember, I’m still already 90 percent through the third book in the series. What Anderson does is give the reader more characters to meet and learn to care for. He also develops the scope of the world, setting up what will likely be a new set of adventures.

The ending is not exactly a cliffhanger, but I admit I would be frustrated if I couldn’t jump straight to the next book. The story is solid. The plot progresses nicely, and it sets the table for what should be a solid ending.

This book takes the Irish folklore of the last and trades off a bit of the charm for a little more drama, making it a tad more mature without straying too far from the younger audience I think it’s intended to please.

It’s a solid sequel that preps the reader for the end of a quaint, charming fantasy tale.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd of a series of children's fantasy books set in famine-beset Ireland in the mid-1800s potato famine. Inspirational fiction. While aimed at children, the story is still engaging for adults. Historically accurate, well researched, in the vein of Narnia. I highly recommend the entire series!