Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones Published by Macmillan ISBN: 9781250079213
on February 7th 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Pages: 448
My rating:
Check it out in Goodreads
Synopsis
“Wintersong is a maze of beauty and darkness, of music and magic and glittering things, all tied together with exquisite writing. This is a world you will want to stay lost in.” —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling authorDark, romantic, and unforgettable, Wintersong is an enchanting coming-of-age story for fans of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast.
The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride...
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.
But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds—and the mysterious man who rules it—she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.
Rich with music and magic, S. Jae-Jones's Wintersong will sweep you away into a world you won’t soon forget.
"This was Labyrinth by way of Angela Carter. Deliciously romantic, with a nuanced Goblin King and a strong heroine, this story was rife with fairy tales, music, and enchantment." —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
So why, why didn’t I love it?
I got bored.
In paper, it all sounded great! Compelling characters with a magical and interesting storyline! The writing was beautiful but… I just couldn’t connect with anything that happened after Liesl made her way to the Underground. This was one of those cases where I’m pretty sure it was me, and not really the book’s fault.
I finished it, though! And I’m happy about that. I only wish I had enjoyed it more.
Why I stuck with it to the end
Wintersong is a story about a girl becoming a woman. Liesl comes Elizabeth. The inkeeper’s daughter becomes The Goblin Queen. She’s a composer but she’s afraid of sharing her music, of owning her music. It got a bit confusing towards the end, but what really spoke to me was the repressing part. She represses her artistic side in favor of more practical notions and that’s something a lot of us can relate to.
The relatability factor was its saving grace for me.
Would I read the sequel?
I think I would. I hope it gets more interesting! Fortunately, Wintersong did leave me hooked enough to want to follow Liesl’s journey. I loved her and the Gobling King and her family and this world. Something went wrong along the way but I’d definitely like to know what happens next!
I really liked Wintersong, but as I was reading it I did think it was one of those books that wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste. Especially because there is a big shift in tone after she goes into the Underground, so I can see where you’re coming from.
I wish you had enjoyed it more, because it definitely does suck when you have you have high expectations for a book and it doesn’t meet them.
Great review! 🙂
Yeah, it was a bit… I just don’t think I got what the book was trying to say. So many other people felt connected and touched and I just… didn’t. So that’s what ruined it for me.
I was SO excited to read this book. But sadly I wasn’t able to connect to the characters either. And the fact that they compared it to Labyrinth (which I loved!) led only to the hugest let down ever. I’ll be passing on the squeal, but I hope that you end up enjoying it a lot more! *fingers crossed*
I never watched the Labyrinth lol, but I loved how it all sounded. I saw a lot of readers and authors had absolutely adored this book so I really thought I would too.
Thanks for the wishes! :3
This book has been on my list for so long, it’s a shame you didn’t enjoy it that much! Hopefully, you’ll find the rest of the series more interesting!
Yes, thank you! And I hope you enjoy it more than I did then! Happy reading!
It’s really frustrating when you know you’re reading a lovely book, but you just can’t seem to get into it. 🙁 I’m glad you saw the relatability as something to keep you pushing through! Lovely review, and your blog is SO cute! <3
– Aimee @ Aimee, Always
You have no idea. The same just happened with An Enchantment of Ravens. I just hope my next read is more exciting XD
AND THANKS I live for comments so THANKS for visiting too.