Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones Pages: 436
Published by Thomas Dunne Books on February 7, 2017
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.
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.
Wintersong is a young adult magical fantasy by S. Jae-Jones. Wintersong is the story of the Goblin king. It is also a retelling of Labyrinth, but I know very little of that story so I can’t really speak on how good or bad of a retelling it was in that regard. But I can tell you that this was an enjoyable story with lots of music woven in. I liked the musical elements of the tale best. Overall, I found this story to be lacking…something…but I don’t really know exactly what it was. I’m not really sure it was that was holding me back from going from like to love with this one, but it was something. Overall though, Wintersong was a good read. I enjoyed it.
Wintersong is the story of the Goblin King and Liesl. I loved the musical feel of the writing. Music plays a big part in the storyline of Wintersong but it also played a part in the flow of the story. Author S. Jae-Jones does a fantastic job of making her words have a cadence. They felt musical. But sometimes the pacing felt a little too slow. I think that was my biggest downfall with the story. I was really interested in the world and the characters, but I did find myself getting a little bored at times. I wish it had been a bit more of a fast paced story however, for the most part the slow and deliberate pacing worked well with the Goblin King and Liesl. ( I know that might not make sense. I liked the slow pacing for parts but not for the whole thing…if that makes any sense. )
I really liked Liesl. I admired her for going to rescus her sister when she was taken, and I admired her journey from start to finish. Wintersong has a melancholy feel to it and it extends to all parts of the story…the characters, the romance and even the ending. In some regards I loved that about the story. It felt different and it was certainly emotional, but on the other hand it bummed me out a bit. I wanted a bit of a happier ending.
Bottom line: Wintersong is a beautifully written story of the Goblin King. I haven’t read anything quite like it before. I enjoyed this one, but I didn’t fully love it. It is very well written and for that reason, I can’t wait to read more from author S. Jae-Jones.
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About S. Jae-Jones
S. Jae-Jones, called JJ, is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and the author of Wintersong, forthcoming from Thomas Dunne in February 2017.
Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, she lived in New York City for ten years before relocating down to Dixie, where she is comfortably growing fat on grits and barbecue. When not writing, she can be found rock-climbing, skydiving, taking photographs, drawing pictures, and dragging her dog on ridiculously long hikes.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Julie @ Happily Ever Chapter
I haven’t read too many overwhelmingly positive reviews for this one but I think I am still going to eventually give it a try. I’m too curious not to! lol. Just about everyone has said that they wished for a happier ending to this one. I saw somewhere that their may be a sequel, so maybe that will change some things and end happier?? I like my happy endings so I kind of hope so. lol Great review!
Brittany
I really enjoyed this book, though I can see how certain parts were kind of slow. However the ending left me really upset, so I was thrilled to discover that there was a sequel in the works! Lovely review 🙂
Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
Victoria
Beautiful cover & thanks for sharing your review!
Colleen (CM McCoy)
I loved Labyrinth, and this book has been sitting on my shelf waiting patiently for me. I don’t usually go for lyrical tales or slow-paced story-telling, but I’ll still give this one a go. Plus the cover is gorgeous and I love bookstagramming it <3
Lisa Coomer Queen
I love this cover! I can’t wait to read this book. Thanks!
Meigan
I keep reading so many mixed reviews for Wintersong, so I’m still on the fence about whether or not to pick it up. I may just get it from the library, which I need to do more of anyway (at least, that’s what my wallet tells me 🙂 )
Excellent review. 3 1/2 stars is promising, so i’ll probably move this one up on my list.
Autumn
I’m really excited for this one. I feel like this area of fantasy isn’t done often in ya.