Started off a little slow, but honestly, I felt that this was the conclusion that this duology needed. There was so much emotion between the characters in Shadowsong, and yet tension too. This book is more about Liesl and Josef, which was nice to see, but more than anything, I felt like so much was explained in this book. On the down side though, I missed the Goblin King and wanted more of him. But alas, there can only be so much madness in the book, and Liesl and Josef have that covered.

I adored this book! I love reading books centred around superstition and folk tales, and Shadowsong was everything i had been waiting for. Uniquely set in germany this was a brilliantly dark romantic tale full of twists and suspense. I deeply felt for the characters and i needed to know where the journey would end.

I was in two minds when I saw that Wintersong had a sequel and whether to read it. I'm glad I did in the end, cause it gave me a sense of completion that the original book just didn't.

That said, the reason for that is that it is my belief that there is only one good book between these two novels. Shadowsong was even more repetitive in its themes and direct lines than the original book in the series, and needed a good hard edit. It explores Liesl's life after she leaves the Goblin Kingdom, renouncing her title as Goblin Queen.

We see some good hard consequences to that action, but there's really all in the last 10% of the novel. Up till that point, there's a lot about Liesl trying and failing to connect with Josef, her brother who is also a changeling.

In the introduction to the book, the author talks about this being a story about madness, an analog to bipolar, which is largely what got me over the line of the decision to read this book. It's a subject that interests me. I just really didn't like the way it was done.

I really enjoyed this series. The only thing I wish is this book had been broken up into 2 books. It felt like to much going on and wasn’t all the way fleshed out as they were trying to keep the word count down but also get it all major plot points and tie up lose ends.

This gorgeous book is full of such beauty, from its writing to the emotions that it brings to surface. I loved and hated the ever-present theme of madness in it, because I myself have suffered from depression and anxiety, and doubting reality and your sanity is a constant thing in a mentally ill person's mind... so I was at times upset at the constant use of the word "mad" for the mentally ill, and at the same time I understood it perfectly (especially in the context of the book) and wasn't upset at all. I believe it was more the feeling of madness that they feel, and that was quite fine. I have asked myself if I am mad many times, too...

The atmosphere is dark, lyrical and wild, lots of times using contradicting words to describe a feeling, and it felt perfectly understandable how the same thing could evoke such contradictory feelings... I have to say I was so entranced by this book that I even dreamed of the white-and-black ball one time. It was just to easy to lose yourself in this world.

I also love that this book has such an authentic German feeling to it, and was surprised to see the author wasn't half-German or so. It gives the story a more Grimm brothers feel to it.

I was less impressed with this book that I was the first one. It suffers from sophomore-syndrome. But it was a good book nonetheless. I honestly felt like the first book could have wrapped everything up if it wanted to. This is almost like a very long epilogue or a spin-off tv series.

I liked this book better than the first one. Obviously I liked Book 1 well enough, or I wouldn't have jumped right into this one, but Book 1 focused on the music a lot. In depth, very detailed accounts of Liesl composing and playing. And while the language was beautiful, it's not my area.

Overall the pacing for both books was slow. As for the overall vibe of the series, it felt more adult literary than YA. I think I would have liked the first book more if had been for the adult market. I would have liked more of the physical relationship on the page, but, shrugs, maybe that's just me.

Book 2 focuses more on Liesl's relationship with her brother, which I was okay with. Sure, I wanted more Liesl and the Goblin King, but we got a new location and a mystery, and pieces falling into place. I loved the way the ending came together. The last third of this book was perfection. Completely perfect. Breathtaking.

I loved the darkness of this story and the rich settings and the gorgeous language. I can't wait to see what S. Jae-Jones writes next. (I hope it's smutty) I'm definitely a fan.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley*
First: Can we appreciate how gorgeous the cover is?
Second: How can the author make a book sound? I had the sense that the book was keeping time with some music I couldn't hear.
Third: The first book was awesome, so there was no way it was going to be better. However, I think the author got a good one out of it.
Finally: Yeah, it's a good end to this duology, as it kept on with the lyrical tendency and had an interesting enough plot.

I wanted to like this book because I loved wintersong but I could not even finish the book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the book was slow and hard to read.

I can see why this book would be as polarising as it has been. This is not a continuation of Wintersong but it's counterpoint. The two weave together like a piece of music but they very definitely have their own directions and ultimately are separate entities even connected as they are by story. I am utter trash for Erlkonig inspired stories (it really irritates me that people keep calling this a Labyrinth retelling because they're clearly ignorant of the source material the inspired my favourite film of all time too...) That said, this is not the sequel to Wintersong I wanted, but maybe it was the sequel I needed. As S. Jae-Jones mentions in her foreword, this book represents the low, depressive episode of bipolar disorder, where as Wintersong represented the more manic, frenetic upswing of the mental illness. It's a really intelligent and poignant portrait taken that way. And Liesl is a wonderful character as interpreter in this world, as unloveable as she sometimes is. Jae-Jones writes the most exquisite prose. In Wintersong it was dreamlike and beautiful as well as eerie, here it's mostly dark, twisting and unsettling, though still beautiful. I'll admit I really wanted a continuation of the romance with the Erlkonig however perhaps the deep meditation on the MC becoming herself and her loving though troubled relationship with her brother, as well as her determination to further her own career against the odds - perhaps that is even more important than a finale to the romance? In short I loved these books, even when they didn't give me what I wanted.

Although I enjoyed Wintersong, I have really struggled to read this sequel and have actually given up on it now.

The second book in the Wintersong Book series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, you would understand more about the characters and overall story if you read the first book before this one. A remarkable read that I could not put down and did not want to end.

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for a review. This does not affect my rating in any way.
This book was an honest disappointment to me. I enjoyed the first one, and while it was slow, it did have a plot. This one seemed to be lacking one to me. There was also very little Goblin King at all in this one, and he is one of the main reasons people read these books. I think I expected a bit more out of this one since I enjoyed Wintersong so much. The overall story for this one made it a struggle to finish the book, and it could be because I thought the plot was too slow moving. For a sequel the world- building should be almost done, and this should have been where action and events happen, but it was definitely lacking.

I really adored Wintersong. I was so excite for Shadowsong, I was hoping that it would be as beautiful and musical as the first book but sadly, it was not. This book wasn't even in the same ballpark as Wintersong. Shadowsong was nothing but the main character wallowing in her own self-pity over the fact that she was no longer with the Goblin King and how much she wanted to go back. I feel like Shadowsong was everything Wintersong wasn't, in all the bad ways.

Published as 1/2 of a dual review on 2/6/2018:

Wintersong swept me away last year with its fractured retelling of Labyrinth. I loved the intricate, vividly-written tale, but it lacked an HEA. I craved more of the tension and chemistry that had permeated Liesl’s and The Goblin King’s bond. I had high hopes that Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones would pick up where Wintersong left us and feature and provide a happy ending for the relationship of Liesl and the Goblin King. Instead, Shadowsong embarked in an utterly unforeseen direction. I’m still pondering how I feel about it, but confess to some disappointment – totally self-inflicted because of my presumptions.

Shadowsong focuses on Liesl's self-discovery journey with a bit of mystery and intrigue. Her journey is closely tied with her brother’s so the tale delves heavily into her relationship with her younger brother from the beginning. Her story waivers between madness and melancholy. Her story is intense, graphic, somber and dark as she searches for her entire self. There’s very little in the way of apearances of her austere young man aka The Goblin King from the previous installment though there’s much longing on Liesl’s part for the Goblin Queen she was and the closeness they had shared. Not that he’s not in this tale.

He’s there, but not there. We catch glimpses of him lasting seconds, if that; and then he’s gone leading us to wonder if we really did see him. He is depicted as being more monster than man as he leads the Wild Hunt, a scary spectacle that rides when there is an imbalance between the Underground and the land of the living. Liesl actually bears responsibility for the Hunt because she crossed the barrier between the two worlds when she walked away from her Goblin King and their vows at the end of Wintersong. Her leaving left a rip in the fabric of the world allowing the spirits, ghouls and denizens of the Underground to escape. Unfortunately, the Underworld, itself, is sparse in this sequel and reliving their romance is only via rehashed memories. The end result is not bad, just not what I’d wished for.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from Shadowsong:

Be thou, with me.
---

“Take me,” I whisper. “Take me back.”
The green and gray of the Goblin King’s eyes flash white and blue, white and blue, the pupils shrinking to a pinprick of black. The corners of his lips curl, close – so close – to mine.
“As you wish, my dear. As you wish.”
A breath, a sigh, a kiss, and we are met.
---

“You can be running toward something or running from something, but you cannot do both at once,” she said gently.
“But what’s the use of running” – she lifted her eyes to mine – “if you are on the wrong road.”
---

“It is not the wolves you need fear, but the sheep skins they wear.”
---

“Madness is not a gift,” I said angrily.
“Nor is it a curse,” the Count returned gently, “Madness simply is.”

Wintersong was passionate and full of fire. Shadowsong is maniacal and cuts to the quick. Wintersong focused on Liesel’s and The Goblin King’s relationship; Shadowsong focuses on Liesel’s relationship with herself and her brother. Both books are blessed by the author’s wonderfully romantic and descriptive prose and they are each uniquely poignant tales. Unfortunately, Shadowsong dragged for me once the setting moved to Vienna and remained slow until the last fifty-pages or so. However, those last few pages re-energized the story, as it spun topsy-turvy to its surprising conclusion.

I would mention that the author includes a note of warning regarding possible triggers of suicidal thoughts, addiction, self-harm and bipolar disorder while reading as this story is indeed emotionally heart-wrenching and teeming with raw emotion. If you require sunshine and rainbows in your books, please find them elsewhere as they do not reside in Shadowsong.

If you loved Wintersong, I’d highly encourage you to pick up Shadowsong. That said, do not try to jump into Shadowsong without reading Wintersong as these novels should be read in their proper order. Since I finished it, when I close my eyes, I get goose bumps, as I can still see the poppy flowers and hear the distant hooves of the Hunt. I am sad that the story of Liesl, her Goblin King, and her siblings has concluded. I look forward to reading more from S. Jae-Jones in the future.



Suggested Reading Order:
Wintersong (Book #1)
Shadowsong (Book #2)

Shadowsong, by S. Jae-Jones concludes the story begun in Wintersong. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Shadowsong, considering it was outside of my usual reading genres. (Although I do love books about magical worlds or folklore) However, I was disappointed with Shadowsong. I was expecting a continuation of the relationship between Liesl and the Goblin King (who was the most interesting character to me.) Instead the Goblin King took a backseat to Liesl's relationship with her brother, Josef. This story line didn't really grab me and I found Josef to be kind of annoying. I really wanted to like this, but the pacing was slow and it almost seemed like it was not written by the same writer.

A dark and maddening conclusion to the Wintersong duology. This book is very different from the previous one. Leisl is on a journey of finding who she is and dealing with the loss of her love. She promised to go on in life but has to figure out how to do that. Her brother sends word for her to come to Vienna where he is pursuing his musical career but this letter is unlike him. Yet she and her family do leave to join him and nothing is what they expected.

This story deals heavily with mental illness and the many cycles it can have. The author herself states her experience with this and why she wrote this book so darkly. I ached for Leisl as she tries to solve her own mysteries and convince herself she really experienced the events of Wintersong and that she isn't crazy. When reading both Shadowsong and Wintersong I felt like they belonged to the new adult genre more than the young adult one because of the content.

If you deal with depression I would go into this book understanding that most of it is very sad. If you are like me, the mood of a book can flow into the day. I'm not saying not to read this book, the conclusion was beautiful- just to be careful.

I was given this ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones is Winterson #2. As Liesl returns to the world above things have changed, her brother has changed and things are not all she had anticipated. When circumstances cause her to return Underground she has no idea the complications in front of her. Shadowsong, like Wintersong is a complex book with intricate details. The world building is rich and the characters are challenged. To be honest Shadowsong focused different from where I thought it would, but the dynamic between Liesl and Josef that S. Jae Jones explores gives it a focus all it's own.

More than anything the writing and imagery is what I enjoyed in this book. Complicated ideas are explored that make you think and it can be more than just a book to some. As you read Shadowsong, twist and turns will abound. I recommend Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones and hope to read more by her in the future.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

SHADOWSONG has such a beautiful cover. It made me want to get lost in a musical story of enduring love, magic, and the fae. And while the writing is as beautiful as the cover, it often twisted to the melodramatic.
The back copy promises a story of a woman working to further her musical career; however, Lisel is largely a passive character. The plot drags her along, but I became bored with her lack of urgency or motivation. Even the final decision of the book is mostly made for her.

And while Lisel is the main character, SHADOWSONG uncomfortably jumps its point-of-view from first person to third. I understand the necessity of including different points-of-view considering the characters are separated geographically for a portion of the book, but throwing the reader out of the intimacy of first person into a detached third person narrative proved jarring. Overall, it was an interesting style choice to go with, but I would have preferred the entire book to be from Lisel's point-of-view.

SHADOWSONG may not be as strong as its predecessor, but it does offer a fitting conclusion to Lisel's story. Though I hoped to get lost in the magic, I already knew the twists and turns. If you're looking for a tale that could have happened before the movie Labyrinth, then this series is for you.

LOVE! SHADOWSONG is a fantastically, addictive, and enchanting sequel to WINTERSONG. I was addicted from the start, and was unable to put it down for hours and hours. I'm excited for her future stories!