This story blew me away. I never imagined I would love it as much as I did! It was such a thrilling, suspenseful masterpiece that I never wanted to end!
I cannot wait to see what happens next!

"I was not a child of beauty; I was a child of the queer, the strange, and the wild."

Wintersong is not a story that everyone will appreciate. I say that because of the style in which it is written. Its prose are beautifully artistic, but may not resonate with every reader because of the depth of conversation to which it addresses. Instead of a story being handed to the reader on a silver platter--no questions to ask, no thoughts or feelings to decipher, no reflection to behold--it is a story which challenges innermost thoughts with notes, images, feelings--not words. And I loved it.

If there is one word to describe this book, it would be raw. Raw experiences. Raw emotions. Rawness on all accounts.

"It hurt. Hearing my music like this, played in the hands of someone who understood me so completely---in a way, not even my brother had known---hurt. My music was elegant, transcendent, ethereal, and I could not bear to behold its beauty. I longed to pull it back beneath my skin, to hide it away in the shadows where it properly belonged, safe where no one could judge it for its flaws."

It has been a while since I have read a character with such developed inner-monologue and outer-dialogue. We travel through the labyrinth of thoughts, wishes, hopes, and dreams Liesl embodies. We see her make difficult decisions, for selfish and selfless purposes. We see her transform from the unremarkable and "plain" girl Leisl, into the woman Elisabeth. We see her understand what it means to sacrifice for another.

"I do solemnly swear that I accept your sacrifice, the gift of your life, selflessly and selfishly given."

Leisl, (and Elisabeth's) relationship with the Goblin King is tumultuous, bewitching, and real; besides the fact that he's a Goblin King...It glimpses upon the passage from maiden to matronhood and the trials of what marital union call of a person. I love the dark alluring character and mystery of Der Erlkönig and the Goblin King, as they are two halves to a whole.

"The Goblin King had his tricks, but I had my stubbornness. We would see who prevailed in the end."

Wintersong had a Phantom Of The Opera feel to it: an enticing and elusive man wants a girl for her music, not to mention her soul. Because of the dark undertones and mature nature of the story, I personally wouldn't recommend this book for young adults, along with the fact that there are some descriptive sexual scenes. I tend to be more conservative, but I'd say this book is for eighteen and up.

My one and only issue with this book was that it was a bit drawn out in the middle. The book is almost divided into two separate stories, and once the second story took center stage, the pace began to lag. I understand why it was drawn out, because it takes a person time to sort out their feelings, to grow and to understand themselves and others at a deeper level. I think this aspect may turn some people away from the book. However, I found it to be all more realistic and relatable. I appreciated that Jae-Jones didn't force her characters to miraculously change overnight, and allowed them to change naturally and upon their own accord.

Hands down, 5 stars. This may be a new favorite. I appreciated how much the reader could take away from this story, and it wasn't strictly written for entertainment purposes. There is a heart behind its words, pulsing and humming with life and thought. I am highly anticipating it's companion read, to be published in 2018.

I was so excited for this book and very much appreicated the publisher sharing this story with me to read and review. However, I quickly realized the story was just not for me. I was very bored even early on and could not become attached to the main character at all and did not like the Goblin King either. I was also extremely bored by the music. I feel horrible for not immediately falling in love with this book but I know I would just continue to be bored and dislike it if I continued to read it. I can see why this would be a perfect book for some people but it just wasn't for me.

I want to give a big shout out to St. Martin's Press and Netgally for letting me read Wintersong in exchange for the honest review.

What drew me into wanting to read the book was the synopsis provided. I never read a book about Goblins before, and combined that with music it was a must read for me. Each of the characters are fantastic in their own ways. The story is character and plot driven. One of my favorite parts of the novel is the romance. I have seen a lot of romance plots done poorly, and this plot is beautifully written. The beautiful, haunting writing has etched it's way into my mind.

The novel has a decent set of characters, and although we see Kathe, Josef--Liesl's siblings-- as a reader we don't see a whole lot of building on them. The main focus of the novel is Liesl and The Goblin King. I loved The Goblin King he sort of reminds of Khalid from Wrath of the Dawn, but is drastically different in most ways. We never see the violent tendencies mentioned in the fairy tales that Lisel is told as a child. Liesl goes through extraordinary character development. In the beginning of the story she is only focused on Josef, and persevering her family. She has given up on her love for music, and is told numerous times by her father that she will not amount to anything. However, when Kathe is taken by the goblins it triggers a journey that changes. On this journey Liesl goes on. Liesl ends up discovering her true self. I do have to admit there are times in the book where Liesl character does drastic personality shifts. The only reason that came to mind for that is Liesl is finally getting a chance to be her trueself.

S. Jae-Jones presents readers with a beautiful love story. To some readers it may feel like an insta-love story, but Liesl has always possessed a love for The Goblin King. She will always have this love for The Goblin King.

Going forward, I want to see more about the Goblin King, and most importantly who he was before he became the Goblin King. From the sound of Shadowsong, the second book, readers will be getting just that.

This review is entirely spoiler free due to the fact Wintersong was only released back in February.

I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book and I really wanted to read this for the longest time, but I never got around to it. We’re introduced to a new element, at least to me. Goblins. It’s always been elves and such for me. I’ve never read anything about goblins so I was definitely curious about how this would pan out.

Liesl has always been around the Goblin King, ever since she was a child. The rest of her family, besides her grandmother, has outgrown the tales. When Liesl’s sister gets taken by the Goblin King, Liesl trades her sister’s freedom for her own freedom, ultimately becoming betrothed to the Goblin King and forced to live Underground.

Details

I really thought the description of the Underground and the emotional aspect of the characters were implemented really well. Some moments definitely seemed to be repeated. For instance, Liesl goes back and forth with her emotions regarding the Goblin King and her family. It was hard to decipher how she really felt about being trapped, though she seemed to be quickly...content? A lot of tension, mostly sexual, is described between the Goblin King and Liesl. At times, I did wonder if it was necessary and too fast. Somehow, though, in the end, it seemed to fit together. It’s hard to describe, though. I’m not sure how else to talk about it other than what I’ve already typed.

Liesl

Liesl is the forgotten child of the family, even though she is the oldest. Her sister is betrothed to somebody and her younger brother is meant to be a musical prodigy. Liesl definitely has musical talent, but her father pushes it away because she is a woman and he constantly labels her as naive. I definitely found that demeaning, but I’m assuming that’s meant to be “normal” for the time period. She still has a child’s imagination regarding the Goblin King and she has known him since she was a child. I do think that her connection and growing love for him stems from the childhood experiences. As I was reading her scenes with the Goblin King, I kept getting uncomfortable with how quickly she was throwing herself at him and how quickly their relationship was progressing. However, they kept talking about their time together when she was younger and I started to understand that their feelings have been there this whole time. It’s just been hidden with her music and Underground. It’s definitely a relationship that helps bring out Liesl and her confidence and I find that to be very beautiful.

The Goblin King

I definitely see him as an asshole, but it’s obvious that is just a cover. He has been alone for so long, craving for Liesl to be his betrothed and to hear her music again. He’s got this wall around him and it’s hard for him to break it down in front of her because he is obviously afraid she will disappear or want to return home. His heart is fragile with so many secrets. His character is just sad and it made me sad for him. The ending really hurt, as well. If you’ve read this book, you now what I’m talking about. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for the king himself. I really hope that more of his story will be revealed in Shadowsong considering that’s meant to be the end of this series.

The Bottom Line

I did love the language elements. It made it much more romantic, in my opinion. I think it also helped me to enjoy the story more. Like I said above, some details were repeated and the back and forth with Liesl’s feelings about her predicament were kind of too much. However, what really captured me was the relationship she and the king had together and how damaged it actually really is. That seems to be the main focus connected with her desire to express herself through music. Her music that comes out in this book does stem from her strong emotions with the king. I’m definitely eager to find out how everything will be resolved in Shadowsong.

I'm torn, mostly because of the exquisite writing but also the ending, which leaves me wanting more.

A gorgeously written book, Wintersong ensnared me from the very beginning and this is the kind of fantasy that I have been searching for. The magic and dreams of the Goblin King's world are like jewels adorning a crown, and the root of this book, the emotions and love between Liesl and the Goblin King, was like a beautifully composed piece of music, one that may seem foreign and complex, yet compelling all the same.

It didn't quite reach the tendre of five stars for me, regarding Liesl and the Goblin King's connection, and I cannot help but wonder if it would have, had this book been left as the original book, and not tailored to the YA genre.

Still, this is a book not to be missed, and I say that with great sincerity, as I finished this in one sitting, and it will haunt me with its darkly riveting charm for quite some time.

I would walk the world and play, until someone called me by name and called me home.

Wow! Read this in one sitting and that hasn’t happened to me in quite some time. What an interesting and unique story.

Wintersong was a dark romance where a young girl named Liesl longs to be recognized by her musical talents and desired by her best friend Hans. But her younger brother is the one who is praised for his music and her sister is the beautiful one engaged to Hans. Feeling as though no one appreciates her, it isn't a surprise when Liesl is drawn to the mysterious, yet familiar man who she knows to be the Goblin King. She's heard of him before - the ancient one her grandmother use to tell her stories about as a child. But the Goblin King is more than what he seems, and Liesl must play the king's game in order to save her sister from becoming the next Goblin Queen. But Liesl doesn't have much time, and if she doesn't figure out what the Goblin King really wants and beat him at his own game, she will fail to save her sister and be doomed to live in the Underworld until she withers away. I really enjoyed the story and the complicated Underworld of the Goblin King. You really feel for Liesl and the situation she is in. Jae-Jones does a great job of creating a lot of emotion and drama! Can't wait for book 2 - Shadowsong coming Feb. 6, 2018!

*A DRC was given for an honest review.

So sometime in 2015, I think this author did a mad scramble to pull down all of her Labyrinth fan fic so she could publish this.

It's not bad. Too prose-y for me. She doesn't go off the deep end with it, I suppose, which is good, but it's trying to be poetic and doesn't quite get there. It's a bit pretentious, which is probably why it was rated so highly by the NYT. It's not bad overall, but I can tell it's basically Labyrinth fan fic. However... she's not P.D. James, you know? I read about half of it before I got bored because nothing was really happening.

There might have been one or two things I didn't care for, but I can't deny the simple fact that this is beautiful storytelling with gorgeous whimsical writing and a breathtaking romance. Well done!

I was so, so excited for this book, and I was so, so let down by it. Look, you can have all the pretty prose you want but that won't distract me from realising that absolutely nothing is happening.

I requested this book for the shear reason that it was being marketed as more of an adult version of the movie The Labyrinth. Overall I did enjoy the story and the characters, but didn’t feel like this was much of a Labyrinth reimagining. It felt more like Beauty and Beast mixed with the Persephone/Hades mythology. I really would’ve liked more descriptions of the Underground, and would’ve preferred more time spent in the Labyrinth itself, with more details and perils. I just didn’t feel like the character of the Underground and its inhabitants were explored to the extent they could’ve been, and I really would’ve loved to see more of the dark nature of the creatures and environment. I definitely plan on reading the next one in hopes that I’ll get more of that, and I am curious to see what will become of the Lord of Mischief. As it stands, I knew this was going to be a romance, but I expected more from the setting and environment. The romance and angst between the two MCs took up way more of this story that I believe was necessary, and a lot of the hum drum stuff was overly descriptive to the point that I believe a good 100 pages could’ve been cut out from this story and it would’ve had the same effect on the reader, maybe even more of an effect because we wouldn’t be bogged down in unnecessary detail.

Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love The Labyrinth film so I was intrigued when I came across this book, I thought it would steal some of the magic from the film but it only added to it. I can't wait to read more from S Jae-Jones.

An enchanting faerie tale, set in 18th century Bavaria with a strong female protagonist.

Touted as a retelling of the 80s cult classic Labyrinth, this novel actually stands on its own. The writing is rich and poetic, the characters sympathetic and well-developed, and the world-building is breathtaking. When a musically-inclined young girl must travel to the goblin-filled underworld to rescue her sister who has been abducted by the Goblin King, she ends up taking her place as his bride. Learning to love her new husband and live in his Underworld has ramifications that reach both above and below ground. The reader will be eager to get their hands on the second book in the series, out in 2018.

There's an atmosphere to this novel that completely took me in from the very beginning. There's something about the writing and the world that completely immersed me into the story. Jae-Jones did such an amazing job creating a world, with the rich descriptions and integration of the very culture that Liesl is a part of. Not only Liesl's world, but the Underground was also so rich in detail and livelihood that it felt real. This beautiful writing and elaborate descriptions were one of my favorite parts of Wintersong.

Another aspect so well done was the characterization of each and every character in the book. Jae-Jones did such an incredible job with the characters. Every single character, even side characters were so well developed and alive in a way that I haven't encountered in a book for awhile. Even the side characters had their own arcs through the story as well done as the main characters. It gave an elevated realness to the story that made the characters feel real. This wonderful characterization was another element that made it easy to be transported into the story.

Speaking of the characters, I can't do this review without talking about the romance. The romance was so steamy and swoony. Which I wasn't really expecting, but was a part that I was definitely happy to see. I can't resist a good swoony romance. Just a note, that there are some details during some romance scenes that make this an older YA novel.

While the romance had some great aspects, there's also a part of it that felt a bit disjointed to me. It felt choppy at some parts. To explain, there would be some parts that felt like they were progressing in their relationship but then it would seem to jump back to square one with nothing in the plot implying that should have happened. I'm not sure if there were some parts I was missing or not connecting with but while I think the romance was swoony, I couldn't get completely past this disjointed feeling I had when reading it.

The story itself took me away every time I picked up the book. There were some slow parts, the middle of the book was a bit slow as it focused more on character development than plot. This slow feeling could have been me, since I'm a big mood reader. Although it felt a bit slow, it didn't keep me from reading or even thinking about putting the book down. The writing and richness and character development kept me going. And I loved the addition of music into the story. Music brings things alive, and this was yet another part of the book that really brought it to life for me.

Overall I highly recommend this if you like dark fantasy, swoony romance, wonderful world-building and writing full of richness.

***I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.***

Where do I begin? Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones was my most anticipated debut of 2017 and unfortunately it did not live up to the hype in my head. A story inspired by a childhood favorite of mine — Labyrinth — I was just expecting more: more fantasy, more romance, more intrigue and suspense. Don’t get me wrong though this book could really be labeled as a romance and nothing more.

"Once there was a little girl who played her music for a little boy in the wood…"

Liesl, or Elisabeth, is a young woman who takes a journey of discovery in this book. Somewhere between her childhood and now, she’s lost herself, her passion for music, and her own joy. Instead she pours it all into her baby brother, a child prodigy. She gives of herself over and over again to her family, even her baby sister has been engaged to the boy she thought she loved and would be hers. The older, ugly sister always passed up for her beautiful sister and talented brother. Do you see the self-pity in those words?! This character is a shadow in the beginning and I loved seeing her progression throughout the story.

The Goblin King was once a friend, a playmate of Liesl as a child. But now he is all grown up and come to claim his bride. As love interests goes, I was unimpressed with the Goblin King. He was mysterious and stand-offish, then he would be overbearing and seductive. He was a contradiction that I’m still trying to grasp. But he did not frighten me, even when I thought he should have frightened Liesl. She was his Elisabeth (say that in a German accent and swoon a little please).

The book itself could really be split into two sections: the first a maze Underground while Liesl tries to save her sister, the second Liesl’s marriage to the Goblin King. During the first part, I was most reminded of Labyrinth. Liesl is a girl who is trying to save her sister. She’s terrified of the goblins and changelings that inhabit the Underground, but she puts that terror aside to rescue her family. The second part is a romance plain and simple. The Goblin King tries to trap Liesl into staying, he keeps her when she doesn’t want to stay and she slowly withers. I think my biggest issue with this story is the fact that it is labeled young adult. There is nothing young adult about the second part of this book. It had me, a thirty year old, blushing while reading. That’s just wrong on so many levels.

Overall the story was just okay for me. I was both impressed and disappointed in the Goblin King’s world. I did like the tie in to historical fact about the time period, I liked Liesl, and the writing itself is beautiful, prose-like in its quality. However the romantic scenes were a bit much in my opinion for a young adult book. I know I wouldn’t let my teen read it, not until they were at least 17, maybe not even then. So that friends was a let down. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, historical fiction, and a bit of mystery, you may enjoy this book. It just didn’t work for me.

This book is everything I expected it to be and more. The hints of German, the setting, the goblin king. My heart cannot handle it. If Caraval was a book that captured my soul, this book captured my heart. I have forced so many people to read this book because I loved it that much. I cannot wait for more.

Beautifully told, I found this book a refreshing change from the current YA fantasy books out there with its folky, fairytale roots and focus on evoking all the senses through some fantastic descriptive narrative. I enjoyed the emotional and literal journey that Liesl and the Goblin King take through the story, though I found myself frustrated at times by the slow pace and repetition of scenes; Liesl repeatedly runs away - again, emotionally and literally - only to return again, which destroys a lot of the tension when done too many times.

Some of the writing could have been tightened up a bit more, but overall this book was a great read and I can't wait for the sequel.