This is a wonderfully written story about sisterly love. The plot and the characters were all well written. I found it hard to put down because I just wanted to know what would happen. I recommend this read for sure.

4 1/2 stars

I've never been a huge fan of fantasy and some science fiction. I'm not going to shrug and tell you that I don't know why. I do. Typically it's as elementary as the names. Authors in fantasy frequently dig up (or make up) the longest, most unpronounceable names for their characters, which, after a few chapters gives me brain freeze. (It's the same with math, which is neither here nor there.) The unfortunate consequence is that I tend to stay away from fantasy, and a novel like Wintersong is overlooked.

However, on this occasion, I read the blurb, with its recognizable names, and chose to read a fantasy novel. I'm glad I did.

Wintersong is a beautifully written, almost poetic, novel by S. Jae-Jones. It's part of a duology, the second of which will come out on February 6, 2018 (Shadowsong).

The poetic writing harmonized extremely well with the realm of beautiful music, forest magic, and goblins.

Liesl, although an extremely talented, read genius, composer, is overlooked by her musical father due to her brother, Josef's expertise with the violin, not to mention, of course, that Josef is a boy. After much emotional battering, Liesl lets her music die, folding herself into the background as the support for her family.

As the support for her family, it is only natural that when Liesl's sister, Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl would offer herself in her sister's place. It soon becomes apparent that this is not a hardship for in the land of the goblins, Liesl is free to be herself and fall in love.

While Wintersong is wonderful when expressing the beauty of music and love, Liesl's angst can sometimes be grating, but then I typically would rather read minimal angst on most days. However, with a novel that had me continuously flipping pages, it's obvious that I dealt with the angst in favor of a powerful, sensual love story. For at its essence, Wintersong is a love story, not just that of a woman and a man, but of family and music and the qualities that make us human.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

More specifically three and a half stars.

This rating is surprisingly low, even to me, considering how popular this book was and how much I enjoyed it in the beginning.

I will be honest here: as a reader, I actually enjoyed it. But as a reviewer, this book is definitely flawed.

My problems on this book go from our desperate heroine to the slow to the no-progression-at-all-storyline. I was surprised that it ended that way, especially when the first half was so fast-paced. I was expecting romance, but I really didn't know that it would be the core of the story. Especially when we were hinted slightly that something bigger was at work here, that there's a bigger problem arc, but we didn't see any of that at all. Because of this, I was disappointed by how much the whole storyline just revolved around the not-too-good love story between the Goblin King and Elisabeth, instead of an actual fantasy/problem arc. In other words, it can almost be said the entire book was just about around miedvel (often cheesy) dialogues, fancy riddles about love, and romantic/dramatic description about music (except this actually wasn't too bad).

I'm especially disappointed by how Elisabeth and the Goblin King acted in the relationship. I was to a point, shocked and almost disgusted by Elisabeth's desperation for the Goblin King's love (both physically and mentally), and how the Goblin King acted disappointedly human instead of being more monster-like (since he was an underground monster king for at least a century, maybe the author should've taken that into consideration). I can't remember how many times I thought about how other books wrote a better Goblin King-like character when the character was not even a monster, while I was reading the book because the fact that the king of Goblins, Lord of Mischief, Ruler of Underground, Der Erlkonig, is so much, like my shy, teenage boy classmates who don't even have the guts to ask a girl out.

Don't even get me started on Elisabeth. She was so strong, so admirable. Her insecurity about her average appearance and constantly not getting recognition was so relatable, which was why I saw such potential in her character. So imagine how upset I was when I saw how the author turned her character during the book from the strong heroine we see into the beginning, into a girl who just wants to "do it" with the too-human-like-teenage-version Goblin King.

But I can still see why this book was so popular. Next to the flaws, there is just as much good stuff I can say about this book than about the bad stuff. The world-building, especially the scenery descriptions are some of the best I've ever seen in a young adult fantasy novel, and how the author "wrote out" the feeling of music along with Elisabeth's love for music is just plain magical. It's also a good thing that the themes of the book is stated out so clearly - because the themes are usually the core of the story that makes everything from the atmosphere to the story. In result, you didn't have the story being totally confusing with anything feeling out of place.

I really do wish though, that the author could've made the hate-love relationship better, and in the next book focus more on the story instead of the romance. Beside from that, I will give this three and a half stars, still recommend it to YA fantasy lovers, and will continue the series with love. I also am confident the second book will get a better rating from me, because this book was actully not that bad, only with a few factors that kind of bugged me. So it shouldn't be a surprised if I eat up the next installment.

I'm so excited to start the second book!

I featured this book in a roundup on Twin Cities Geek: http://twincitiesgeek.com/2018/01/6-books-to-warm-up-your-winter-reading/

I am clearly, obviously the ideal audience for this book. I think a lot of people my age will be, what with its blending of German mythology, music history, and the movie <i>Labyrinth</i>. But what flaws that <i>Labyrinth</i> did have, mostly due to it being a 2-hour movie (Sarah not really having any interests other than "ugh, why the little brother," there being no other real female characters, the Goblin King being attractive but on really nothing more than a superficial level), were more than solved in this book.

Liesl is a musician, a composer; her brother Josef is a violinist, the virtuoso of the family at age fourteen. Their sister, Käthe, isn't a musician, but she, like the rest of the family, still has a connection to the Goblin Grove nearby, and she's the one who ends up Underground, lost to the Goblin King. Liesl must go rescue her sister--and possibly lose herself and her freedom in exchange.

The story has elements of the Persephone myth as well, as well as Der Erlkönig (the poem originally by Goethe but mostly the song by Schubert), but what enchanted me was the breadth and depth of the details about music history. I've got a degree in music history, and I'm used to writers not thinking it's worth their time even to research to, say, discover whether a particular composer even wrote a particular kind of piece, but every single detail rang true, whether it was about Guarneri del Gesu violins or Vivaldi's nickname or bow repair.

That having been said, the characters also won me over, from Liesl to her grandmother Constanze (also the name of Mozart's wife) to the Goblin King himself and the members of his court. The pacing was slow but meticulous, the settings finely drawn; the overall structure felt incredibly solid to me, and I'm sure I'll read this book over and over again. I am very excited to read not only the sequel but also any future works by S. Jae-Jones.

This was lovely--a coming-of-age story with a mythological bend--that kept my interest and sucked me into the world that was created. I especially liked the music connection emphasized throughout. I would recommend this for a variety of genre readers. Those who like mythology, fantasy, YA romance and historical fiction would probably enjoy this. I can't wait to read the next one!

Wintersong is both haunting and lyrical, a tragic and eerily beautiful folklore telling.

Liesl/Elisabeth is an ordinary heroine, and that is what makes her so perfect in this story. She is less than average (even depicted as ugly) in physical appearance, and as such, she lacks any value in the mortal world. Furthermore, life circumstances and feelings of worthlessness have led her to hide her true self, even from herself.

Not until she meets the Goblin King and exists in the Underground does she come to realize and acknowledge her worth. She has fierce love and loyalty for her family, she is musically gifted, she is both selfish and selfless. She is greater than fleeting physical beauty.

Speaking of the Goblin King....more, MORE! This anti-hero is wrapped in mystery and intrigue, and he makes you love and hate him in equal measures. I want so many questions about him answered in the next book. Please!?!?!!

Then, there is Elisabeth and the Goblin King together. I truly enjoyed the way Jae-Jones developed and built their relationship; for them and for this story, it worked so well.

I MUST read Shadowsong, where I hope all my questions will be answered and I will find closure.

***A copy of this book was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

I don't read much from the fantasy genre, but I do love fairy tales and always loved the movie Labyrinth. So, I thought I would give Wintersong, by S. Jae-Jones a try. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it and I will definitely be reading Shadowsong, the next book in the series. I can't wait to see how the story continues. Thanks, NetGalley!

“You are the Monster I choose.” A few days after I finished the book and that line along with the imagery from the book are still invading my thoughts. The book was haunting, with prose that brought the world and characters into reality. The book was darker and far creepier than I was expecting but it worked wonderfully for the story. The plot was enough to draw me in and keep me reading. The fact the Liesl is plain and physically unattractive is a large part of the story and I thought that added a lot of value to the story because we see the other traits she has that make her an amazing person. The fact that she doesn’t suddenly become beautiful was also refreshing as that is too often the case in YA books. I also appreciated the unexpected ending. I’m not sure where the second book is headed but I will certainly be picking it up! The only thing that took it down a star for me was the slightly slow pacing and the fact that there was too much music and not enough labyrinth. The book was slightly unbalanced in that regard. Otherwise it was a fabulous read.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.- Goodreads

I almost didn't finish this book. I was a chapter away from putting the book down. But I didn't and surprisingly I enjoyed this read. But there were things that needed to be in this book that weren't there.

Firstly, Liesl is desperate and doesn't have life to her as an adult. Yes, she goes through some changes which causes her inner child to disappear but once given the opportunity to be free in a sense, her freedom is just anger and it is like that for most of the chapters. Even then her anger seemed forced, her music seemed forced. Liesl is not necessarily the strong independent character you would think she would be become or be. Yes, she pushes through things but the lazy way to explain why is because she had the power of love help her -_-

Lisel relationship with the Goblin King is forced. There is no way around that. Did he love her? Yes, I think and felt that he did. But Lisel. . . I don't think she truly loved him. Maybe as a child but not as an adult. He was a means to an end and as opposed to trying to figure things out and fight to be with the one she loves, she accepted things for what they were and went about her business. 

Granted these are strong points to not like this book and Liesl and her crap personality and romance was the reason I was going to put the book down. But I didn't because I liked the Goblin King and the author was able to keep me wanting the truth about the King's origins and ultimately the curse. 

There wasn't enough focus to try to find that information, which made me even more disappointed in Lisel. For the most part, she didn't care and when there was a glimpse that she would, it disappeared. I wished the author incorporated more mythology into the story. It would have gave the book much more cushion to sit on. 

However, surprisingly enough the plot moved at a really good pace. There wasn't a whole lot going on in the second half of the book, which sucks but as a reader, I was I was pulled into the promise of Lisel saving the day and mythology. 

I can see why some people didn't enjoy this book. I can also see why people did not finish this book but I enjoyed it despite wanting more. I'm curious about the second book and that is more because of the Goblin King and less of Lisel.

Overall,

2.5 Pickles

3 stars because my god the writing!

“You are the one who wanted a happy ending, my dear. So you tell me, how does the story end?"
Tears slipped from my face, and he wiped them away with his thumbs.
"The foolish young man lets the beautiful maiden go."
"Yes." His voice was clotted thick with unshed emotion. "He lets her go.”

This book is not for everyone. First of all it is slow as fuck, 30% in and nothing had happened, I had to push myself most of the time to actually finish it and that's never a good sign. But I did, once I pushed myself past the 30-35% mark, it picked up pace and it got to the plot, which lasted about another 30-40% before it dropped again. So really, you can reduce this into a novella and not miss a moment. It. Is.THAT. SLOW. And it has a lyrical writing that combined with the pace, it makes for a very slow reading experience. But you know what? I liked it.

“Love is the bridge that spans the world above and below, and keeps the wheel of life turning.”

This is a retelling of Labyrinth. Which I'm not familiar with, but I saw it on NetGalley and I loved the cover, the blurb sounded awesome and I went for it. Liesl, a young girl who loves music and her sister Kathe are the two protagonists that get trapped in the Underground by the Goblin King. This is my first book about goblins and I kind of find them fascinating in a disturbing way? The power they had, the underground and all of the creatures, I've never read anything like it before. Once the story gets to that part, it all becomes so rich. In dialogue, in characters and the potential this plot has.

“This was the immortality humans were meant to have: to be remembered by those who loved us long after our bodies have crumbled into dust.”

Lyrical writing is something that if done right can make a book so damn good and this one was good. Liesl and the Gobling King form a romantic relationship - which happened sort of out of the blue for me so I didn't get it at first and I wanted more time to get there but with Kathe to the mix and how he affect the world above as well as the little tales we were told during this about the history of these people, it was so damn good. Although the sisters are not my kind of people, sometimes I just wanted to reach in the book and yell at Liesl because FOR REAL GIRL WTF ARE YOU DOING WAKE THE FUCK UP, but you know what not all fictional characters have to be perfect and I'll leave it at that.

“Does the crown serve the king or the king serve the crown?”

There's a hint of politics among worlds, a ton of music that might annoy a lot of readers, some creepy stuff and slow, so damn slow progression with anything that will make you go mad but 80% in I had already paused my reading and went to request the next one. Hopefully it will be a bit faster because there's so much to read about this world and I know the pacing will make a lot of readers DNF this. But if you're in the mood for something slow, this is most definitely it.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel for an honest review.
"“A candle unused is nothing but wax and wick,” I said. “I would rather light the flame, knowing it will go out, rather than live in darkness”.
Oh this novel...it’s enchanting, full of music, dark, engrossing and just so well written.
Liesl or Elizabeth was wonderful. She started out as a young and scared little girl, wise yet not educated. She ends with such an excellent source of character development. It was exciting to see her grow. The quotes about herself were so pleasant and encouraging. She really is a heroine in my book.
I am definitely going to pick up the next book in this duology. I feel like I need both on my shelf. It will be a reread in the future.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing such an enthralling read S. Jae-Jones.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I've seen it here and there in the almost year since its release and it always made me curious but never made the top of my list. I'm bummed I didn't discover this story sooner.

I wasn't sold at first. The beginning was plodding and the Christina Rossetti poems kept causing flashbacks to this terrible class I took in college to fulfill a requirement (Pre-Raphaelite Literature). As much as I shudder to remember that class, it did give me a foothold into the mythology of this story.

This isn't a new tale. If you've studied any amount of mythology, there's a solid chance you know how the story ends. But the blend of ordinary and extraordinary, mythical and mundane, kept me from being confident in my assumptions and I loved it. Instead, I sunk into the story like a beloved and often played piece of music; I knew where the story was going but I was content to be in the moment with the characters and enjoy the ride.

I recommend this book to anyone:
- who likes mythology and fantasy
- who is craving a story just outside the mainstream
- who wants to curl up with a good book during the winter months, soaking in the story like a warm bath

This was truly a pleasure to read. I would happily read the sequel!

I fully own up to my own failure and idiocy regarding this one. Back when I first got the ARC, my excitement was high. The cover! The Labyrinth-inspired tale! I couldn’t wait to indulge. But, for whatever reason, when I stepped into the tale, I felt nothing. I was bored. I felt cheated. I DNFed.

You’re probably wondering why, then, nearly a year later I decided to give it another shot. I get that, because I have no idea myself. But, I saw a sequel in order and figured maybe, just maybe, I’d missed something that first time around.

Clearly, I had. It’s still the same tale. Nothing was changed. This time, though, I was thoroughly engrossed. Elisabeth, the Goblin King…being unwanted, plain. It all just struck me. I’m not a musician but I found the musical background enriching. And beyond all this—love. Of all kinds. Not just romantic (although, swoon!) but familial. And that was essentially the gist.

This was a tale of love, sacrifice, selflessness. The learning of lessons and of oneself. Is it perfect? No. Nothing is or can be. But it was perfect for me in this moment. It was just the story I needed at the right time.

Wintersong has inspired me to not give up so easily on a story. It could just be the wrong time to read it. Perhaps, had I waited a bit longer, I could’ve raved about it all year. Now, it’s sequel, Shadowsong awaits me on my Kindle. And I can’t wait to see the next portion of Elisabeth’s story.

4 out of 5 stars

This was such a fun, entertaining read. I love the world that Rachel Hartman has created! Tess is such a fiesty, stubborn and fun character. I loved watching her grow! She started as a sullen teen, who lashed out at everyone and grew until she became a strong, capable woman. It was an absolute delight to journey with her!


ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

P. S. It took me awhile to read this simply because I started it, then had to backtrack. I highly recommend reading Seraphina and Shadow Scale before reading this. Just to get an idea of the world and some of the characters a little more clearly.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2162609367

This wasn't a bad book, but it didn't feel like one for teens either. The prose is dense and heavy and the story is slow moving. It isn't that long but it took me a long, long time to get through for all that the premise and the fantasy elements of the book are engaging. A lot of the technical explanations and exploration of the music was also lost on me. I am not that interested in music, so it didn't pull me further into the story. I wished for a bit of a quicker pace. The beginning has a nice sense of mystery with regard to how the goblin world connects or doesn't connect to the outside, real world and the lore surrounding that. The world building is strong. The book definitely gets more interesting as we descend in to the goblin court. It isn't until over half the book that the Goblin King takes Leisl as his bride and the real conflict begins, by that time I was tired and not sure I cared anymore. Leisl is a good, strong character and I liked that she wasn't some beautiful, princess, but was valued for a her skill at playing music and her intelligence, unfortunately even that didn't make me like the book much.

This book blew me away. The cover is beautiful. After beginning to read it, it reminds me of the Labyrinth. We meet Elisabeth, a young girl, who thinks she is a plain girl. She has a beautiful sister and a brother who is very talented in music. She lives in their shadows. As a young girl, her grandmother would share stories about the Goblin King and the "underground". Elisabeth played with the goblin king as a child in the Goblin grove but he appeared to her as a young boy. They would play music together and other games. Many times he would ask her if she would be his bride. Playfully, she would say yes. As time passes, she grows up and the playtimes come to an end. But the Goblin King did not forget her.

This story is beautiful. It's very poetic. The author is so descriptive that I could perfectly see what Elisabeth sees, smells and tastes. It's so great!

I have seen other reviews that criticize the sexual undertones and the age of the Goblin King. The Goblin King is immortal. This is a young adult. In the book, she turns 20. Having sexual fantasies is normal. If you are familiar with folklore then you know that there is plenty of sex in folklore. The book doesn't get too graphic as I've seen in some other books. Some might find it disturbing. I would say, are you an adult? Do you have sex? As a young adult did you fantasize about what your first time would be like? If you answered yes to those questions then the book should be fine. As far as the ages go, do you support vampires having sex with a teenager in high school (twilight)? Vampires are immortal, there is no difference here.

I enjoyed this book. The storyline was beautiful and engaging. I am so happy there is another book coming out.

I feel like this book is very music oriented to the point that the target audience are the music lovers. While listening to music with vocals might make you appreciate this, I mean that this is more targeted to those who have played instruments and love to listen and compose.

Personally I have played the viola, cello, clarinet, piano, and some guitar so the lingo used is very familiar to me and I can appreciate it. However if you're not the kind of person who knows what a crescendo, decrescendo, clef, vibrato or just a note is then I think this might have a hard time pulling you in. I could totally be wrong, maybe the story will get you. I have never read anything this music oriented and while the synopsis mentions it I didn't realize 95% percent of this is solely about music composed and played.

I thought that this would have a little romance but I feel like the romance is between the reader and the music written about.

Liesl and the Goblin King only have music in common so when the "romance" comes into play I feel like it is completely fake. Liesl is a plain ordinary girl bordering on "ugly". She knows that she isn't worth much because she is always told this. The Goblin King sees the music in her soul and loves that part of her thus making him "fall in love with her". Yet he always tries to stay away from her and won't give her the affection she so desperately seeks from him.

I expected a little paranormal or supernatural happenings but everything seemed all humane. This is a story about a Goblin King and while there are scenes where the "monster" comes out, nothing really happens that would make you see the world for what it is.

The writing itself in this book is excellent though. It is so descriptive that there are maybe 2 parts you might be left questioning but everything else is very vivid. So while I liked the writing I didn't really like the story. The synopsis was misleading for me.

From reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure it was something I'd be into - goblins? - but I got an e-mail invitation from Netgalley and decided to take it as a sign. After reading the first chapter, I got sucked into the novel's dark magical world, and would recommend it - with some reservations.

Wintersong's main character, Liesl, lives in Bulgaria with her family. There's her alcoholic father, who was a famous violinist in Salzburg. Her hardworking mother, who runs the family's inn while Liesl looks after her siblings. In fact, she's so selfless that she is happy when her beautiful sister Käthe becomes engaged to the boy she liked, and when her musically gifted brother gets an opportunity that may take him far from home. Liesl shares the family gift for music, her talent lying in composing rather than performance, but will never be able to achieve fame for it because she is a girl. There's also her superstitious grandmother, who warns the children about the Goblin King, Der Erlkönig, and though Liesl is too old for such nonsense she has fond, vague memories of a childhood spent playing with a strange little boy in the wooded area she and her siblings called the "Goblin Grove."

Though Wintersong is a fantasy, references to real musicians like Mozart place the storyline in the 1790s or early 1800s. With this setting, it was easy to forget that Jae-Jones based the novel on the 1980's Jim Henson movie Labyrinth, but both stories share a common initiating event: a sibling stolen by the Goblin King. When Käthe goes mising, Liesl must travel into the underworld to free her from the beautiful, frightening ruler - and in doing so, finds her own power. Jae-Jones is a self-professed English literature nerd, and there are shades of Jane Eyre in Wintersong - along with moments that reminded me of Beauty and the Beast and the story of Hades and Persephone. Her prose style perfectly suits the dark fairytale flavor of the novel, though she does have a few overused words and phrases - I got tired of the King being called "austere," Liesl's "décolletage," and the underworld's many "objets d'art."

School Library Journal recommends Wintersong for grades 9 and up, and it's marketed as YA, but I would not feel comfortable putting it in a ninth grade classroom library due to several romance scenes that, while not as graphic as an adult romance novel, leave little to the imagination. I also feel that narratives about relationships like Liesl's with the Goblin King - in which the lonely girl "fixes" a cruel, controlling man with her love - can be downright dangerous to some young women readers. For me, this book belongs in the New Adult section, and maybe that makes me an old prude. That said, this old prude will be seeking out the sequel, Shadowsong, to find out what happens next for Liesl and Der Erlkönig.

I'm having a hard time putting my feelings on this one into words. I liked some parts and disliked others. Overall, I would say I enjoyed that the writing was atmospheric and lyrical, but it was a bit slow-moving for my taste. Story was intriguing, though.

Surprisingly fresh and engaging for this sub-genre of fairytale-like Young Adult Fantasy, Wintersong felt like a stew of other books and other stories while still, somehow, maintaining its individuality.

Throughout the book, Wintersong reminded me of others I had read before this. With hints of everything from to Hades and Persephone, Beauty and the Beast, alongside Cruel Beauty, The Star-Touched Queen, Wicked Lovely, Uprooted, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and with even a dash of elements of Rumpelstiltskin, somehow Wintersong remained interesting and separate. But, I suppose it's like saying all fairytales are alike. Of course, they are; just as all mysteries are alike. Like comparing one sunset to another, the similarities are most certainly there, but each can be unique and all its own without sacrificing any enjoyment.

That's what I found here. A good, well-written fairytale. Nothing extraordinary—Jae-Jones didn't recreate the wheel, but what she did tell was a decently constructed story that makes me want to read its sequel, Shadowsong.