Wintersong is a retelling of Labyrinth (which I've had no previous experience with). The cover is absolutely stunning it's one of the reasons I wanted to pick this book up! The main reason, however, was because the story line was very similar to Danielle L. Jensen's Malediction Trilogy which I loved. For those of you that have read the Malediction Trilogy this novel was nothing like that. Wintersong is definitely unique in the way this story is presented.

This story takes place with Elisabeth and the Goblin King. Elisabeth is a composer of piano sonatas. The Goblin King is a violin virtuoso. I enjoyed the classical music aspect to this story. For those of you reading this story that have no musical background this could potentially be difficult to get through.

Wintersong is a very slow burn. If you like action packed stories this wouldn't be one for you. The story was able to keep my interest even though there wasn't a lot of action. I didn't like how often Elizabeth put herself down and compared herself to her sister. This story constantly reminded you how Elisabeth was not beautiful and she therefore seen herself as worthless. Eventually, Elisabeth began to gain confidence in herself.

So I will admit I am not a Labyrinth fan. Blasphemy I know. But I really really enjoyed this book and I didn’t need any knowledge or liking of Labyrinth to get there.

This is the story of Elisabeth, called Liesl. She is the oldest of three and the sparrow to her sibling’s beauty and talent. Liesl dreams of composing but she must hide her music away to care for her family. When Kathe is taken by the Goblin King to be his bride, Liesl goes after them and makes the bargain of her life.

This is a take on the old legends of the Wild Hunt and the Goblin King and changlings. I adored it. Wishes have consequences, even unspoken ones. Names have power. You are everything you could be and nothing at the same time. Memories are possibilities and music can be dangerous.

The writing of this book is so lush. The descriptions are perfect, there is enough detail to capture the imagination but not every nook and cranny described. There is dirt, glamor and out of season dangerous fruit. Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market was visible and so gorgeous. I found this book the perfect homage to that poem.

Music was an integral part of this book and I was in love with it. I feel that the setting of Bavaria was perfect, because of the music. There were points in the book when I could almost hear the notes and I finished with my head full of melodies.

I did have two reservations. There a couple spots in the text where the narration switches from past tense to present tense. I did not like it. I don’t know if it was part of the ARC I was reading and the format is different in the published book but it threw me out of the story every time it happened.

My other problem was with the ending of the book. When I finished this book I was so mad. I hated the ending because it was an ending but it left everything expect one major plot point up in the air. But then I found out that there is a second book. Which is a huge relief because I was so angry. My savage beast soothed, this review is a lot better than the angry rant it almost became.

I am looking forward to the next book because I want to know what is going to happen with Josef and Kathe and the Goblin King. I want to know his name.

I will add a tiny warning. There is sex and it was more explicit than I expected for a YA book. Think Court of Thorns and Roses.

**** Thank you to Thomas Dunne for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review****

Okay so I know not a lot of people have been loving this book and when I first started reading I wondered why because it was so good! Unfortunately that didn’t last and I’m left somewhere in the middle with mixed feelings on “Wintersong”, it had both good and bad.

PLOT

With the way this book started out I would have thought it was for sure a 4 or 5 star book but once I reached 50% it all went downhill fast. I loved that at the beginning of the story we are drawn in immediately when Kathe, Elisabeth’s sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King and she must play a game against him in order to win her sister back. Now I love when there are wagers of life or death in books and the main character has to be cunning in order to beat the mythical/powerful “bad guy” and this was interesting and even a little dark too, however, as I said once I reached 50% this was all over. The sister’s kidnapping conflict is resolved at the half way point of the book and that’s what kept me reading to start with so with that done there wasn’t much of a plot left and definitely no more action.

The last half of the book is hellishly slow and tedious and focuses more on the characters of Elisabeth and the Goblin King than any real action or plot. Now character driven stories are all well and good but it only works when I’m not confused out of my mind, there just seemed to be a lot of plot holes and things missing so I never really understood the characters are what was happening and why. Sooooo many plot holes, I was left with so many questions at the end of this book!

Then that ending…..what? Remember the plot holes I mentioned? Those really came into play for the ending of “Wintersong” because I was really confused about a lot of things including why the story ended the way it did. Also the question “how?” comes into mind a lot too. It didn’t end the way you’d expect and I liked that it was unpredictable but overall it was unsatisfactory.

Another thing that kind of took away from the experience were the constant in depth descriptions of playing and composing classical music, now I was in band and choir while I was in high school so it’s not like all of it was flying over my head but it got really old really fast. They were CONSTANT and there is such a thing as too much detail…..

I’d also like to mention that this book is marketed as a retelling of the movie “Labyrinth”, which I personally have not seen but know the overall gist of. Keeping that in mind I would like to say that this book doesn’t seem to have much in common with the movie other the character of the Goblin King really.

The writing was very pretty and poetic which I liked and is honestly probably one of the few reasons I even made it through the second half of the book. I’d still be very interested in reading future books by this author.

I did like that while this book is YA it never really feels like your typical YA book while reading, it feels just a little more like an adult book or maybe even new adult. However, it’s nice to see a “YA” book that isn’t full of the usual cliches.

characters

As I mentioned earlier “Wintersong” is more of a character driven story, especially in the second half, so the characters are very important. Unfortunately as good as they were there was still a lot that I felt was missing and in the end I felt they felt a little flat, distant, and confusing. I did still like them overall though!

I really did enjoy Elisabeth’s character because she is plain but very talented. Not something we usually see in YA, which I liked. However, I didn’t like being reminded just how “plain and ugly” she is all the time….got a little annoying.

The we have the Goblin King and while I loved him for the most part throughout the whole book his character changed quite drastically from the first half of the book to the second half. We started out with the mischievous, dark, sexy, and mysterious Goblin King and then we got the mushy, almost kind of spineless Goblin King who also had a lot of problems making up his mind about stuff. He does however still remain pretty mysterious at the end of the novel which kind of frustrated me but also I appreciated it because I didn’t want the image of the mythical, immortal Goblin King being ruined.

The other characters that really made any other appearances were Elisabeth’s family in which only the siblings and grandmother were important. Each family member had a different and important effect on Elisabeth’s self esteem, the grandmother believes in the old myths (the Goblin King) and raised her grand kids to as well, Kathe is pretty and vain but still very much wants her sister to love her, Josef is her musical muse and helps her grow her talent, her father and mother both kind of put her down though. I still loved that after all her family puts her through, Elisabeth still loves them fiercely.

romance

The romance is a major factor in this book and while I really supported it and wanted it in the first half of the book, I found myself really doubting it in the second half. Overall I just sort of found it to be…..okay. Which it could be worse.

While this is not necessarily insta-love since the Goblin King and Elisabeth used to play together in the Goblin Grove I still feel that it resembles insta love because of the fact that we don’t really receive any backstory on this relationship they had before the current timeline in the book. There also seems to be a lot of angst and tension between the two characters and it kind of got old after a while and again I will say because of the second half of the book.

in conclusion

I REALLY LOVED THE FIRST HALF OF THIS BOOK! Seriously if the second half would have been anywhere near that level of goodness I would have easily rated this book higher but alas that wasn’t the case. The second half only dragged on tediously, made me start to question if I really liked the characters or romance at all, and just overall really confuse me. Seriously the confusion was real. I was given information that was never again talked about or resolved.

So in the end I can only give this 3 stars and that extra star is only because of how much I loved the first 50%.

What I Liked:

All of the characters were pretty well done including Elisabeth and the Goblin King
Did I mention the first half of the book was amazing yet?
The dark atmosphere
The romance was alright and I shipped it
The writing
Not a typical, cliched YA book

What I Didn’t Like:

Slow pacing
The second half of the book was soooooo boring
Over detailed explanations of music
Lots of plot holes and things left unexplained
Also lots of confusion in general about certain plot points
No real backstory on the Goblin King
Kind of unsatisfactory ending

RECOMMEND

Overall I can’t say I have an opinion on recommending this book, if there was a way I could recommend only reading the first half I totally would in a heart beat. I thought this turned out to be a little disappointing but the writing was very nice and if you can look past some of these negative points then give “Wintersong” a try!

Gorgeous writing, yet, I confess to being less enthusiastic about the plot. Perhaps its because I'm not a classical music fan, but I personally found Wintersong to be a little too slow moving for my taste. The characterization of Elisabeth was lovely as was her progression from quite mouse to independent young woman. Considering how much I enjoyed the characterization, I was surprised at my lack of interest in the plot. For me, there was too much focus on music and its creation and not enough exploration of the world and the other characters in it. As that is my sole issue with the book, I suspect that Wintersong will appeal to fans of lyrical writing and have a high interest in music. Sadly, that reader is just not me. There will also be huge appeal for fans of fairy tale retellings since this very much evokes that tone.

This is going to be a really quick lil' review because I honestly don't have a lot to say because I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book.

Let me start off by saying this is one of the most unique books I've read in a while, which I appreciated. That being said, this book was weird af and I didn't understand half the shit going on in it. It was very... weird. Yeah, weird. I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters and the romance was just really unhealthy and creepy to me and made no sense. Like seriously this girl goes from taking her sister's place and thinking of the Goblin King in a negative light to constantly wanting to have sex with him and be the apple of his eye. She becomes quite needy and their whole dynamic is just off to me.

As a violinist, I kind of appreciated the music aspect that was stitched throughout the entire novel, but it just seemed overexcessive at times and even though I know music, I feel like those who aren't musically talented wouldn't understand the terms and language being used.

Damn this more than I thought I had to say... So overall, I thought it was alright, but it didn't blow me away. It left me with a weird feeling.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 February 8

NOTE: I do not reveal any specific plot details in this review, but I do talk candidly about my feelings on certain parts, especially the ending, which could be considered a spoiler by inference. Please read on at your own discretion.

I feel very conflicted about this book, and I think partially that may be because this book seems conflicted in what it is.

Wintersong is gorgeous in its rendering, lush in its detail and aching in its emotions. Basically, this story is pretty all the way around: beautifully written and wondrously atmospheric. Elisabeth's home in historical, provencial Bavaria is enchanting. The theme of music is woven through the entire tale in a breathtaking way. Our narrator Elisabeth (sometimes Leisl), is written with care and complexity, as is The Goblin King, though it takes visible effort to get below the surface of him. I especially loved Leisl's brother Josef, and her relationship with him, and though she could be selfish and self-centered, even their sister Käthe grew on me. I can understand the hype for this book, for so many reasons. That said, I also have a lot of questions about this story, and it feels unsettlingly incomplete to me at this point.

At some point in the story, Elisabeth says, "I would appreciate if the Lord were a little less mysterious and a little more straightforward." And I felt that a lot while reading this. I get that these are the very things that make work, a story about a mortal girl and a Goblin King, lord of mischief and lover of all games and tricks. And the mystery was part of the magic, but it also served to obscure the point of this story a little bit for me. Eventually, I just wanted everyone to start speaking plainly and give some answers. I know this is a labyrinth retelling, and perhaps I've missed something in not knowing that tale well. But frankly, I was confused while reading this and I still feel that way.

Part of the trouble for me is that this book seems to be several things at once, and not all of them fit for me. The story is basically split in two halves (you could call them rescue missions). 1) Leisl finds and rescues her sister Käthe from the clutches of the Goblin King, and forfeits herself to the King in her sister's place. 2) Loosely, "Elisabeth finds and rescues herself." This half about Elisabeth awakening to herself. Finding her strength and voice, when she's always been seen - and sees herself - as small, ugly, less than). It's also where the romance comes in, and that's where I became muddled.

As I said, the personal awakening part of this narrative is heavily romance focused, and that's where I start getting confused about the point of this story. If this story is a romance, it doesn't much make sense to me as it stands with this ending (which came abruptly, and which I didn't like). Although this is part of a duet, so its hard to make a judgement about that at this point.

The romance also doesn't make sense to me in a YA book, and I think that confused me a bit too. I know this book was originally sold as an Adult fantasy and then later changed to YA (the author talked about this in her newsletter), and the story has a maturity to it - not just in content, though that is mature - that doesn't match the way it was ultimately sold. I can see why it was changed to YA - the first half especially fits, as does Elisbeth's general road to 'finding herself'. But some things in here seem better suited to staying Adult Fiction, especially the fact that Elisabeth and the King wed and there's a huge theme of surrendering fully to each other - emotionally, mentally and physically. Also the metaphorical ways in which sex was used in the story: to awaken Elisabeth's abilities and also the consequences she faced from it, were very mature. I don't know what was cut from the story to make it YA, besides certain detailed scenes, but if these mature themes were going to be in here, I wanted them to be explored a little more. I think it would have helped with my understanding of the story.

This has more to do with characterization, but I struggled to figure out the Goblin King through most of this and that heavily affected how I saw the romance. The power imbalance between him and Elisabeth appeared so great at first that I was uncomfortable and struggled to read the story as romantic until the last quarter. I just couldn't figure out his perspective at all and it made it hard to trust him. However, I'm glad that we started to get answers about the Goblin King by the end, and I ended up liking him even more than I did Elisabeth.
Still, I have many questions about him and what was happening to Elisabeth in this book, and pretty much everything else going on. I'm very curious about what the sequel will entail.

I feel like I can't come to a full conclusion about this installment until I have a full picture of where it's going. Especially because if this were The End, I would have been deeply disappointed, because what's the point? As a story of self discovery, it makes sense. But the romance is decidedly unfinished and unsatisfying (at least in the way I prefer), the ending is rushed and Elisabeth just seemed selfish to me at the end. Also, no overall, large scale problems have been solved in this book, although many are teased - if obtusely. (For instance, can the Goblin King ever escape his role? Is there another way to reorder the Human and Goblin worlds so that things change from how they are now?) These questions were teased but completely left undone, and I'm hoping the sequel will take up the role in answering them.

Tl;tr: Wintersong is beautifully written, but I felt conflicted about many elements of it, especially the way the romance was presented. I'm very curious about what the sequel will entail, and sort of wished I'd waited  to read this book until I knew more about it.

Love Triangle Factor: None - ultimately it is all Goblin King/Elisbeth, although you have to cut through a lot of clutter to see that (as in his feelings are hard to decipher). I thought the part at the beginning where the Goblin King takes Käthe he would bother me the most, but that did not at all. Elisabeth does fancy a local boy at the beginning, but that is not dragged out, and not an issue at all when she goes to the Underground.
Cliffhanger Scale: The ending tries to make you think the story is over, but this is the first in a duet, and I was unsatisfied by this ending in a way that felt like a cliffy to me. So Low/Medium depending on your perspective.

Wintersong is beautifully written and read like a classic fairy tale while still feeling new and interesting. But the p[lot and characterizations were king of hit or miss for me with the split plot points and some good and some not so good character developments. I think this is definitely worth a read. If you are a fan of fantasies, especially ones that have heavy romance I think you will really enjoy this book.

Once again, another 2017 debut novel has bewitched me, and this time I have been enchanted by Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. Set up as a retelling of Labyrinth, I interpreted Wintersong more as a mashup of Christina Rossetti's cautious poem "Goblin Market," the fierceness of "Beauty and the Beast," with sparks of Jane Eyre's "plain-Jane-with-an-independent-will"shadowing the burning flames of Liesl and the Goblin King's story. I don't say this lightly, but after reading this novel, I just wanted to shout, "F!!!!CK, this book is so good!"

First, I loved the storyline and pacing of Wintersong. After devouring 150 pages in one sitting, and noticing that the book was 448 pages long, I slowed my reading speed in order to savor the story a little longer. S. Jae-Jones writing is so beautiful and engaging. I really enjoyed how her writing illuminated such strong passion and raw affection on the page. I personally found her storytelling and characters leaving more than a story buzzing in my ear. In my case, Liesl and the Goblin King haunted my dreams, whispered in my thoughts, and begged that I finish their story whenever I put the book down.

Liesl and the Goblin King's relationship is not set up as any typical young adult trope. Instead of instant-love, these two characters carried a flame for each other since their youth, where they laughed, danced, and played music in the Goblin Grove. And as they grow older, their infatuation for one another remained an ember slowly bursting into flames of desire. Their relationship is filled with anger, misunderstandings, tenderness, excitement, and such intense devotion. The chemistry between these two characters is breathtaking--it cracks, it sizzles, and it purrs. They are two independent beings, eager to please themselves and each other.

In the end, I found Wintersong to be a vibrant story about caution, close family bonds, sacrifice, fiery passion, trust, and love. Although the ending is left open-ended, I would love to read a sequel. I'm being selfish here, because I want more Liesl and the Goblin King! (Sorry not sorry.) I cannot recommend this novel enough. If you enjoy the intense and complicated relationships portrayed in Victorian novels, a dash of German language, crossing the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, and the slow burn of two characters connecting in a novel, Wintersong is the perfect book before you.

OMG OMG OMG OH MY GOD OHH MYYYYY GOD OMG O-M-G!!!
Is it a review if I keep repeating this? One DinA4 page with just O-M-G?! And I am not even the kind of girl who runs around saying "O-M-G", but this book made me that kind of girl.
I have to admit, I wasn't really interested in it from the cover and description. Don't get me wrong, the cover art is lovely, it's just not something that would attract my attention. But the title kept creeping higher and higher in the most requested space and it made me wonder. WHY would people want to read about "Käthe" and "Liesl" and Goblins? Goodreads surprised me again: Almost only 4-5 Star ratings.. WHAT was going on here? I was just too curious to not apply for a galley. Thankfully, I got it. But it still needed 6 weeks for me to get started with it. What a waste of time! I was basically chanting "Oh my god"'s the whole time while reading. This is just SO SO GOOD! The eerie atmosphere just grabbed me right away! And Käthe was a nice new touch of heroin. So reliable. I've read that the writer wanted a hero for 16 year old self. A little outcast. Well, there a million girls like this out there and they should all love Käthe. And the Goblin King, gosh, could you tune it down more and still got the goosebumps? Incredible writing here! So much feeling in just one line. And the reader knows. he knows.
This book had me crying in the end. I do love Unhappy Ends, I always want characters to be miserable in the end, but Jones made me wish for a sequel just so the Erlkönig can be freed and be with her. I mean, come on! THAT ENDING?! It made me furious. I loved it. Every page of it. In the middle I was a bit worried, what could still happen, now that they're married, but the pacing never got boring, the story never dull. It's a page turning adventure, a little creepy and little dark and oh so romantic.
It reminded me of the book thief, but for music lovers. I cannot wait to have this in my store and basically force all my customers to buy this. For their sakes. And now the wait for Book 2 begins.

Wintersong hooked me from page one. The writing is gorgeous, lyrical, and just kept drawing me into the story. I really liked Liesl as a character. She was incredibly honest and flawed at times, and I felt like there was something about her that was just so... authentic. I could sympathize with her struggles even though I didn't always share them. I liked how she wasn't afraid to say that she wanted to know the feeling of someone being attracted to her, to show her attention the way people did to her sister.

Speaking of her sister, there is so much focus on family relationships in this book, which is another thing that I loved. So much of the plot revolves around Liesl trying to determine what is best for her family, finding a place in her family, her duty to her family. And I really loved her siblings, and even her mother and grandmother! I could have lived without her father, but I suppose his indifference toward her talent was probably pretty realistic for the time period.

Oh, and her talent! Yes, Liesl and her brother Josef both have quite an affinity for music, but in different ways. Josef plays, Liesl writes, only no one ever knows that she is behind the music. Usually, music in books for me is tolerable at best but in this case, I actually found myself caring about it! Which... I don't know, it says quite a bit about the author's ability to draw me into a subject I am usually apathetic toward. It fit into the story in a lot of really perfect ways, and I appreciated that.

The romance was slow to start, but once it did, I shipped it a lot. There were a lot of swoon-worthy moments. A. Lot. I don't want to say much more about the romance because it would be spoilery, so I am just going to say that I really liked it and move on. There was one aspect I wasn't as fond of, and that was that (and this is a spoiler, so... I will tell you guys not to read it but you will anyway. I know how you all operate!) (view spoiler)

There are slower moments, and sometimes they were completely fine- like I said, the writing is so stunning, the character development so well done, that I didn't mind most of the slower moments. But there were a few times, especially in the second half of the book, that I felt that maybe speeding things up, or perhaps just not including a few repetitive parts, would have helped.

Bottom Line: This was such a lovely book, with characters that I grew to care deeply about and a magical story that had me hooked throughout. I was so happy to hear that there would be a companion novel, as I cannot wait to jump back into the characters' lives, the world, and the writing!

Did you beware the goblin men? Or did you fall under the spell of the Goblin King himself?

Wintersong is a magical song of a story, woven with lyrical prose and a simmering romance that will make you swoon. Drawing inspiration from the movie Labyrinth, this new YA fantasy will have you composing to your own Goblin King.

When I first went to read this book, I couldn't get into it and it wasn't the book, it was the then-me. Then I decided to give it another go after some time passed but not before I was convinced to watch Labyrinth first (now that was quite the experience). I think if I hadn't, I wouldn't have noted the subtle nods to the movie within the book. The first half of Wintersong reminded me of the movie more than the second but if you haven't seen the movie, I don't think you'll miss out on anything.

Now I'm a bit conflicted about this book. It's divided into parts but I felt like there was a natural break in the story between the first half of the book and the second. The first follows Liesl as she attempts to rescue her sister from the Underground, lorded over by the Goblin King. The second is her romance with the Goblin King. I don't feel like that's much of a spoiler since it's all but said in the synopsis. My struggle comes with talking about a book that has two distinct parts that have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The first half moves quick and the tension is high. I devoured it in about an hour, I couldn't get enough. The constant fear that someone could die, of all things, is certainly something to keep you on the edge of your seat. Plus, the writing is absolutely gorgeous.

Things slowed down for the second half where the romance consumed the plot and had a few swoon-worthy moments. But when I say "slowed down" I mean I felt like nothing really happened. And, honestly, it really didn't. I should mention that I read that Wintersong originally was intended as an adult book but those not-so-safe-for-work scenes were altered to make it more YA friendly. The problem with knowing this is that I think it needed those scenes. The second half of the book builds to this climax but never quite reaches it and then...the book ends.

Wintersong reminded me a lot of my experience with reading The Star-Touched Queen. I enjoyed the beauty of the writing and there was a story underneath, but the prose and romance masked any tension or action that would've kept the pacing similar to the first half.

In short, this book had pacing issues.

But I enjoyed the characters. Liesl is both selfish and selfless, an adventurer but also scared. She was a fun character to read about but I can't say I found her remarkable in any way. As for the Goblin King, I had the issue with picturing him as David Bowie since I watched the movie right before reading. I expected a crueler character but in the end the Wintersong Goblin King was kind of a softy and I got it and all, but I wouldn't have minded him being a bit more villainous either.

I think that's what I was missing: a villain. A true villain. There wasn't enough conflict, desperation to achieve a goal, after the first half of the story.

All in all, this was a very lyrical read and I will definitely be buying it and reading any future work by S. Jae-Jones. But on its own, my feelings are very mixed on this one. It had its highlights but also its faults. If you enjoy absolutely gorgeous writing and a fairy tale-esque story, then this is a perfect fit for you!

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet because (Sorry, I tried.) I feel like if you already love the movie Labyrinth, you'll really enjoy this book, which is semi-based on it. Maybe. Probably. I did. But I've seen others struggle with it. Mostly because of length and how long it takes for the plot to really get going. And it does. But...it's also totally worth it?

I really wish I'd written this review immediately after I finished reading the book back in October. I had such eloquent and though-provoking things to say about it then. They would undoubtedly be no less true now, but I can't remember them. Probably should have re-read the book first. But time is of the essence and I have oh-so-little of it as it is. I will definitely re-read this story in the future, especially if it becomes available on audio -- oh, please, please let that become a thing because I can only imagine how enticing the Goblin King would sound -- and as the release of the second book nears.

I still remember my older sister coming home from the video store with a copy of Labyrinth on VHS when I was just a youngling. And I remember the intense and immediate love I felt for Sarah and her plight...and Jareth, the Goblin King. I was raised a David Bowie fan from the cradle, and so seeing him in this role was tantamount to all of my wildest dreams coming true. And then to find out recently that an author was furthering my dreams by writing a story set in that world? Be. Still. My. Heart.

It was difficult, at first, not to picture Jareth as Jones' Goblin King. But she does a great job of reminding the reader what he looks like, how different he is from that other character, and how very nameless he is, and it works well to help you separate the two entities. Yes, the same magnetism exists between Liesl and the Goblin King, but in this story, he's actually able to reach the heroine in a way that Jareth never was able to.

I went into this story expecting it to be heavy on the romance. But it doesn't really start out that way. In fact, it takes a very long while to reach that point. Instead, I felt that the story was more heavily influenced by music and sacrifice...and how inexorable sacrifice seems when love is involved.

I've discussed this book at great lengths with friends, and whatever issues they've had, I've been able to overcome them. I don't know if it's my loyalty to the original story or just that I absolutely loved the writing and atmosphere of this book -- probably a little from Column A and a little from Column B, if I had to guess -- but I found this novel exquisitely lovely. So much so that I was inspired to create a t-shirt based on it, when given the opportunity.

Beautiful Writing
The writing is beautiful. The work is eloquent and offers a variety of descriptions for the world. There is an aesthetic quality to the diction that adds a very elegant feel to the writing and the story.

Abstract Concepts
I love music, and to have this story so very rooted in music thrilled me. I felt I could relate to the story because I played music and understood music and… knew absolutely nothing about what was going on in this book. *sigh* The problem with music is that it is a sound. Sure the notes are written on paper, but at the end of the day, it’s a sound and how one feels about said sound. Thus, it doesn’t translate well into literature. For that reason, much of the basis of this book just felt very abstract and unattainable, making it difficult to really get a feel for what was going on in the story.

Lack of Character Interaction
I was quite disappointed with this book in the regard that there was a severe lack of character interaction between our MC, Liesl, and the Goblin King. Yes, they interacted, but the interactions were either so subtle that I must be completely oblivious to them or non-existent in the story. Thus, the story kind of boiled down to little more than world-building and abstract musical qualities.

Published 1/31/17.

So I’ll start right off by saying I absolutely adored WINTERSONG. Like ridiculously. With that being said, though, I do think that my opinion of the book is clouded by my undying love for Labyrinth, by which WINTERSONG is inspired, and I think that allowed me to slide past issues that I normally would be more critical of in any other book. So take this review with that information in mind.

With that being said, oh god, this book is love. Jae-Jones nailed the Goblin King in both an homage and her own original character so succinctly that I couldn’t help but swoon. The pain that Elizabeth goes through over the course of the book is heart-wrenching and joyous all wrapped up into one. Yes, there were tears at the end. I’m a sap. Don’t tell anyone. The rescue of Kathe from the Underground was perfection. Jae-Jones made my fangirl heart sing with some of the lines she used (“I’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted. I’m tired of living up to your expectations.”) and some of her descriptions (“The Goblin King was lounging against one of the alder trees in the grove, one arm draped against the trunk, the other resting casually against his hip. His hair was in wild disarray, ruffled and feathery, like thistledown, like spiderwebs, illuminated by the full moon into a halo about his head. His face held all the beauty of angels, but the grin upon his face was positively devilish.”) Nailed it. Truly.

WINTERSONG is a fairy tale for a new generation, wrapping up old world charm and warning with modern day desires and wills, making Elizabeth something everyone, male or female, can relate to with the decisions she’s forced to make and how she actually feels about them. Jae-Jones creates her own world in the village where Elizabeth lives and draws on elements from old faery tales and Labyrinth to create an Underground entirely her own. She created a life, a past, for the Goblin King that a lot in the fandom wanted, that played into the fan service of giving us a Goblin King who isn’t entirely heartless and isn’t entirely inhuman (but still plays that inhuman card incredibly well). WINTERSONG is beauty, plain and simple.

With that being said, I did take issues with a couple of things, namely pacing and descriptions. The pace of the story was exhausting simply because it crescendoed multiple times. Where you think the story ends it can’t possibly end and then it launches into what is rightly a second story of its own to complete the premise. It made the book feel longer than what it should have been, however, once I got settled into the second story of the book the pacing picked up and before I knew it I found myself closing in on the end.

As for the descriptions, toward the end, probably from the halfway point on is when I really started noticing it, they were redundant and repetitive. It felt like they were there for the sake of tone than to actually describe something. Austere young man is one that really comes to mind because Elizabeth used it A LOT. This then played into voice a little bit. For the most part I didn’t have any issue with the voice, however, I do felt it reaching every once in a while. Just trying a little bit too hard to be that blend of faery tale and Jane Austen type of voice that speaks to a particular type of story. But it wasn’t distracting enough for me to not like what I was reading.

Like I said, WINTERSONG is beautiful and it ended in the absolute perfect place. My heart. I do think I’m giving a pass to some issues because of my ultimate love for Labyrinth and the feels this book incites in me, but I’m okay with that. At least I’m being up front about it. I’d still recommend it, I’d still buy it for people, because it’s a book that should be read. It deserves to be read. So read it.

4

For those expecting something like the Labyrinth, this does have aspects of it but it honestly felt more like the Phantom of the Opera than anything else. Whilst it was beautifully written, I just didn't connect with the characters or engage with the story like I wanted. I didn't hate it by any means though, and actually quite enjoyed the last quarter. I'm sure this book will be loved by a lot of people but it just wasn't my thing.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones has a gorgeous setting that begs to be explored, but its characters failed to draw me in. Liesl has grown up in a family that doesn’t quite appreciate her. Much of her life revolves around taking care of her younger brother, Josef, and helping him grow into a talented musician. Though Liesl once had her own dreams, she chose to bury them deep in order to help her brother succeed. Her relationship with her sister Käthe is much more rocky. Liesl’s practicality is juxtaposed with Käthe’s easy nature. Liesl is haunted by memories of an otherworldly childhood companion, memories that she is convinced are just a figment of her imagination. When Käthe is taken, Liesl can no longer deny these memories and must enter the Underground and claim her sister before she is lost forever.

Liesl is supposed to be a sympathetic character and for the most part, I did sympathize with her. She had loads of musical talent herself, but was forced to play second fiddle to her brother. Käthe was always looked at as the pretty one, while Liesl has come to accept that she is plain. Unfortunately, Liesl spent far too much time bemoaning these things. She continually put herself down and at every turn, denied her own talent because in her mind it would detract from her brother. What bothered me more was Liesl’s insistence on describing herself as plain. She seemed far too wrapped up in this fact and after a while, I tired of her putting such importance on how she looked. Liesl’s character does shine when it comes to music. A talented composer, Liesl has had little time to devote to her art and it was only when she was embracing this side of her, that I really felt moved by her character.

Liesl’s relationship with the Goblin King is confusing. Der Erlkönig is many things, beautiful and dangerous, one moment he is callous and the next surprisingly shy. Unfortunately, this made me feel like I was reading about two different characters that I was never able to reconcile. These contrasting traits made it even more difficult to feel anything when it came to the romance. Liesl and the Goblin King’s exchanges were at first filled with tension and it kept me reading, but quickly became tedious, especially when the protagonist didn’t quite understand her feelings and never really seemed to question them. We are told these two were friends when they were children, but are given little to no backstory regarding this. I would have liked a couple of flashbacks, just to put their relationship into perspective.

I did appreciate that Liesl finally came into her own and Jae-Jones had such beautiful descriptions when it came to the Goblin King’s world, but in the end I was left wanting more.

https://librarianonthelake.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/wintersong-by-s-jae-jones/

The one thing I knew for absolute certain about Wintersong before I started reading it was this: it was inspired, in ways, by the film Labyrinth. It had been years since the last time I saw Labyrinth, so I went out of my way to watch it again in January and refresh my memory. High on the musical numbers and the affection for the characters, I dove straight into reading this debut novel.

Wintersong is about Liesl, a practical, hard-working gal devoted to her family. She is also a girl who secretly dreams of composing music, inspired heavily by the Goblin King. She hasn't seen him since she was a child, but his reappearance in her life is sudden and startling - especially when her sister Käthe is kidnapped and taken underground to his realm. Liesl makes the journey to rescue Käthe, but is forced to offer her hand in marriage in exchange for her sister's freedom. As she grows accustomed to life underground, Liesl soon discovers that she still harbors a strong connection to the Goblin King, her childhood playmate who is now her husband. But even as sparks fly, even as her musical abilities soar, both Liesl and the Goblin King are forced to reevaluate just what sacrifices they are willing to make.

The parallels between the film and the novel are obvious - the self-centered nature of the protagonist, the kidnapping of a beloved sibling, and the journey underground. All of these things are really front and center in the first half of Wintersong, when Käthe is kidnapped and Liesl goes after her. It is this part of the novel that I really liked best, as I'm always partial to stories of strong sibling relationships and exciting adventures of rescue. In addition to the story, I found the setting wonderfully immersive since Jae-Jones does well in bringing the variety of settings (village, the inn, the woods, the underground) and characters (Liesl, Liesl's family, the Goblin King) to life. Throw in the way music is woven in, the warring natures in Liesl (selfless versus selfish), and that'll basically be all the reasons I thought the first half was pretty good.

You might be wondering - what about the second half of Wintersong? Well, before going into it, I actually thought that the entirety of the story was about Liesl's journey underground to rescue Käthe. So, I was surprised to discover that the second half of this story was something else entirely: an in-depth look at the blossoming romance between Liesl and the Goblin King, coupled with Liesl's flourishing musical talent. It was definitely an unexpected change of pace! I liked that Liesl felt free to express herself musically, and that she was provided with the means to do so. But I'm of mixed stance on the romance, since there were both sweet moments and uncomfortable ones in turn. I wound up not being entirely fond of this part of the story, even though I was still interested enough to find out how it would come to an end.

In sum, my feelings are quite mixed towards Wintersong. I enjoyed the first half, but didn't love the second half. I didn't connect with any of the characters or feel like I truly got to know them, but I thought the setting was immersive and the incorporation of music well-done. While I wouldn't be quick to give this one a general recommendation, if you think it'll be your cup of tea, then I would say go forth and read.