https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2204679749?book_show_action=false

Shadowsong filled the hole in my heart that was left by Wintersong to the point of overflowing contentment. But not before taking readers through a rigorous emotional trial; in which the reward leaves you breathless. S. Jae-Jones truly outdoes herself with the hauntingly beautiful sequel to Wintersong. Be sure to leave room on your shelves for this one.

While I am very happy with the way Shadowsong ended, it took a lot to get there. A lot of stress and heartache, and more pacing. After we were left with our hearts on the floor, by the ending of Wintersong, I needed this book to put me back together. While Wintersong was about love, Shadowsong was about healing. Healing of families. Healing of hearts and healing of minds.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into, when I first started. But soon I realized that this book was going to be nothing like the first. In fact, when I read the author's note, I knew this was going to be totally different than the first book.

We rarely saw the Goblin King, but I understand why. It wasn't really about him. It was about Liesl's and her brother, Josef's journey. They both are broken and troubled and trying to discover the pieces they need to put themselves back together. My heart was breaking for both of them. In the first book was find out why Josef is struggling. He is different but he doesn't know it. Liesl needs to help him, while also helping herself.

This book was harder to read than the first. It was making me manic. The twists and turns of Liesl's world had me reeling right along with her. The world is falling a part and she's the only one who can stop, but she doesn't know that. And when she does, she has to make sacrifices that don't only affect her, but her loved ones as well.

Again, I am happy with the ending, but I feel there could've been just a little bit more. There's a few open ended stories that need to be written. *hint hint*

*I Received This as an ARC from NetGalley in Exchange for an Honest Review*

This was on my Anticipated List for 2018. I was not disappointed. It was Mystical and Intriguing as well a fantastic sequel. I would definitely recommend reading this!

As I’ve said so many times before on this blog, I love the “Beauty and the Beast” trope. So I was all about Wintersong I was also super excited to read Shadowsong because the question of what you do aftery ou experience something fantastic is also really interesting. Which may be why I like Susan from the Chronicles of Narnia. But I digress.

I enjoyed Shadowsong, but it’s a very different beast than Wintersong. Wintersong walks very standard beats and has a satisfying ending. Shadowsong calls that ending into question. The world opens up and it turns out there’s a lot more going on than just Liesl’s experience of the goblin kingdom.

I liked the opening up of the world, but I also feel like it wasn’t fleshed out enough. It turns out there are all these groups in the human world who are involved in the goblin world. We don’t really find out how, though, just that they have a long history. I want to know more!

What I did enjoy was the expansion into more characters. We occasionally see what’s happening to Käthe, François, Josef, or even the goblin king, even if Liesl isn’t around. I loved this, especially the bits in the human world. I want a book about Käthe. I couldn’t get enough of her. She serves as a good foil for Liesl, but we need more of her! She does a lot more in this book and has a lot more of her own internal motivations, though we don’t see a lot of them because of her limited page time.

I also found myself rather interested in François, but oh my was his relationship with Josef a let-down. Josef was a bit of a let-down for me overall. I didn’t really understand his motivations, and he mainly just moped about.

Complaints aside, I thought this book was really interesting and a good counterpoint to Wintersong. I also couldn’t put it down. I love the world. If you enjoyed Wintersong, I definitely recommend Shadowsong, and looking back at Wintersong now, they do go well together. They’re two different books, but they’re both very good.

It's over! I'm both happy and disappointed by this. After the way Wintersong ended, I knew I needed its sequel immediately. I only wanted this story to end one way.

So this picks up a few months after the end of book one. Things are somewhat back to normal for Elisabeth/Liesl. Except something is missing. And then there's Josef. The brother who had finally gotten all their father wanted. Both are suffering, miserable. And it seems neither are safe. The old laws need to be paid. Until then, innocents suffer.

Shadowsong is crazy straight out of the gate. I was ready to jump right back into this world. And I was afraid of what would happen. How it would all end. This part of the tale focuses mainly on the mental health of both Elisabeth and Josef. How they're changed. Changing. After a death on the family, things seem to be further spiraling. But then, by some stroke of luck, a benefactor contacts Liesel, and seems to save them all. The catch? A move to Vienna.

There is a lot to take in again. New aspects of the story. New pieces to the puzzle of the Goblin King and the Underground. It's a puzzle, a mystery to sort. And at the end of the tunnel is hope. Hope that somehow, someway, Elisabeth can find a way to save everyone, but especially her austere young man.

Fans of the Goblin King will be sad to know he's not present much this time around. His presence IS limited, but for the direction the story needed to go, it makes sense. It's still captivating. And really, this is more emotional than Wintersong. Liesel has to make tough choices; harder than those the first time around. Her pain is palpable.

The writing is once again outstanding. So beautiful. I think it's part of why I have been so caught up in the story. It's easy to get lost in pretty words, even when the story itself is dark.

A great (fingers crossed) ending to this story. I don't think I could've asked for anything more! Unless, maybe she wants to write something for Kathe and Francois.

I loved Wintersong when I first read it and I adored this one as well. There are so few books these days that handle the subject of mental health, let alone YA books that broach the subject. I'm a special education teacher, and very few of my students understand that there is nothing wrong with them and that a mental illness is no worse than a physical ailment.

However, one of my biggest book pet peeves is when the problem could be solved by a conversation, and sadly if the characters in this one spoke to one another it would have been a lot shorter.

I guess I should say I'm at least thankful I didn't "dnf" this, since I was tempted to. And yet, I'm still disappointed. Quite. I mean, I didn't enjoy Wintersong too much either. I had given it 2.75 stars a few months back. But, still. I had expected more. A lot more.

Sometimes the second book in a series will surprise you, and that's what I was hoping for with this one, which is why I was thrilled to have received a copy of it. Only to be disappointed worse than before.

Honestly, I don't know what to say. I always have such trouble reviewing books I didn't like at all. Instead, I have a tendency to just want to say, "I didn't like it," and move on. But, I also like giving some reasoning behind my low ratings. However, sometimes there isn't a concrete reason. Sometimes, you just didn't like the book. And this happens to be one of those times.

With Shadowsong, I had a hard time connecting with the writing, which is a huge reason behind my low rating. But writing style preferences vary for everyone. One of ya'll might love it and connect with it. I, on the other hand, could not. This was also an issue I had with Wintersong, that only got worse with this novel - which is a shame.

Another aspect that got worse with this novel was the plot. Again, I didn't feel like there was much going on! Either that, or I didn't care. I'm not sure. It could be a bit of both. But the fact that I couldn't imagine anything from the writing didn't help.

Overall, I don't want to give too much away since the book isn't out yet, and won't be until next month. However, I really don't want to stir any of you away! I feel like I didn't enjoy this novel because I had trouble connecting with Jae-Jones's writing. Some of you might love this, so please read it. Especially if you loved Wintersong.

5 out of 5 stars

Ahhh what a glorious conclusion to the duology! This duology is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read and JJ did not disappoint. Honestly, Wintersong could have been a stand alone, but JJ really pulled her weight and created a beautiful ending.

Shadowsong picks up with a shattered Liesl, back at home, heartbroken and no one to turn to. Her brother, Joself, is ignoring all of her letters. She cannot speak to her mother or sister, and worst of all The Hunt is after her, searching for the maiden who escaped the clutches of death. However, fortune smiles upon Liesl and she receives a patronage of a mysterious count and sets off with Kathe to Vienna, to help her brother and continue her music.

I will begin with saying that Shadowsong deals with some very dark subjects, suicide and self-harm among them and if you are dealing with these thoughts – you are not alone, please reach out for help. We, all of us have demons to deal with. It is not a light topic to deal with in a book and JJ really gets into the characters’ thought process, their rationality, their drive and isolation. JJ really lets her characters speak and is not afraid to delve into the darkest corners of their mind. Liesl’s struggle to choose between her family and her love (selfless vs. selfish) resonated with me so much. As a daughter of an immigrant, family comes first, there is no individual in a family unit and if you choose yourself you are deemed selfish and despicable. This is something that I struggle with every single day and it never gets easier. And I can already hear people complaining about the purple prose of this book. But you know what, JJ like Laini Taylor can do purple prose very well and I for one, will read all the purple prose that they write.

Shadowsong also gives us the back story of Der Erlkönig. It was beautifully done, and while we, the readers, do not get Der Erlkönig as character much in this book, the backflashes of the events that led up to him being one are very well done.

I look forward to reading more books by JJ.

3.5 stars

I’m not really sure how to feel about this one, but I think if I reread it again when it’s a physical copy, my rating will change. The formatting of my e-arc is jumbled and full sentences are displaced and the chapter headings didn’t make sense. It made it difficult to follow along at times.

First off, the thing I loved most about Wintersong was Liesl and the Goblin King together. Their tension and chemistry was fantastic. All of that is missing from this story because they are separated the entire time. Okay, that’s not entirely true, but the scenes of him coming to her were for brief seconds and very odd to me. Oh, and there’s no kissing.

Plot wise, this book is all about the relationship between Liesl and Josef. I enjoyed getting more of their dynamic, especially once things started unraveling. It does move a bit slow and while the writing is lovely, it did get dense in some parts. I liked that there were full explanations to everything and the last 3 or so chapters {I’m guessing. See above about the headings.} were absolute perfection.

Overall, it was captivating and satisfying, yet it is still missing something to make me rabid for it. I will try this one again when I get a finished copy and I can’t wait to see was JJ puts out next.

**Huge thanks to Wednesday Books for providing the arc free of charge**

3/5

I'm giving this 3/5 because i really enjoy the love ad relationship between Lisel and The Goblin King.
Well, I really didn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Wintersong. I really really really wqanted to love this book as much as I loved wintersong but alas, I did not.

I would really have liked to see more of the Goblin King in the book because there really wasn't that much but I do understand it was more about Lisel and being able to fix what she broke when she was released from the underground.

The story follows Lisel on her journey after being released from the underground and coping and dealing with the loss of the Goblin King. She is also reunited with her brother Josef.

I really could have done without Josefs and Kathe's perspective in the story, I found his perspective rather dull and unnecessary. I would have been happy with just Lisel and the Goblin King's.

I believe the ending of the book is supposed to be shocking and heart wrenching and maybe if I were a little more invested in the story or enjoyed the story more I might have felt something but I just ended up feeling indifferent about the book and really it felt unnecessary.


I was sent a copy for review via Netgalley

I loved Wintersong and couldn't wait to read the sequel; as soon as I was approved on NetGalley I pushed it to the front of my reading queue. This was a good follow up however it wasn't as gripping as the first. At one point I completely forgot about The Hunt, which was supposedly hunting her down but never really seemed like a threat to Leisl. The novel is much darker than the first and the pacing was very slow, it only picks up in the last handful of chapters. I enjoyed this novel but I didn't love it.

I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you!!

This novel was a darker novel compared to the first novel in the series. There are topics discussed that some might not be comfortable with reading so beware.....
The novel begins 6 months after Wintersong, which needs to be read before reading this novel. Liesl has returned from the underground and her father has died. Her family is struggling, The Goblin King let Liesl leave and she has not forgotten him. She struggles daily with this and can be selfish. She has thought about her brother, Josef, who is playing in Vienna. When she receives a letter from him asking to come to Vienna, Liesl hesitates, for they do not have the money, among other reasons. However, Liesl receives an offer to play in Vienna by a mysterious count and accepts, knowing it will bring her closer to her brother, but also for her own selfish reasons. She tries to forget the Goblin King, but he continues to be a "presence". The barrier between the worlds is thinning and Liesl has the power to stop it, but it involves understanding the old laws and the price that must be paid. What is Liesl willing to sacrifice?

I enjoyed Wintersong and was excited to read it's sequel, Shadowsong. I would recommend reading the books in order, as the characters are key and without having read the first story, you will struggle, I think, to connect with them. That said, the sequel is much darker but just as rich and poignant. The forward speaks of the author bring bipolar and her use of this in the story. If I hadn't seen this, I might have missed the connection, but mental status and thought are key to the story. I found this intriguing and I enjoyed the rich and distinct perspective. A surprisingly quick read for how deeply the story wound itself. A good read.

After I finished Wintersong in the beginning of 2017 the long wait for Shadowsong began. I'm usually not a fan of happy endings and I celebrate whenever a story doesn't end well. Rarely lives end well in reality, I appreciate when a writer dares to mirror real live. Wintersong was one of the only titles where i actually wanted a happy end. I was furious 8 in the best way ) at the ending and could not wait for Shadowsong to put things right.
So a year of waiting has past and I have been approved to Shadowsong, to end 2017 the same way as it began: With Jea Jones writing.
And write she can! Wow how I love her style.
Sadly this was about all that I loved in Shadowsong. As brilliant as I found the first book, as bored was I in the sequel. I kept waiting on something to actual happen. It feels as if all Liesl does is sit around somewhere and peopale are TALKING. After 48 % in the book it still felt like a first chapter where you get to know whats going on so the storyline can happen. After 70% I was wondering if there would be a third book? As in, Shadowsong is just the prelude to her going back in the underworld and book three would have all the story? But no, still nothing much happing. Josephs fate was pretty clear to me from the beginning so the actual ending wasn't surprising. Also another fear came true: a rushed ending. For all the waiting I did for something to happen... what finally did happen only needed like 20 pages?
I don't know what I actually expected, but sadly shadowsong was kinda boring and did not live up my expectations.

I enjoyed the second novel much more than the first. It was darker, more cohesive and entertaining. I feel in the first one the author was struggling with balancing the emotions she wanted to portray as well as the storyline and it ended up being repetitive and the voice of the main chapter Leisle was irritating. In this book, however she finds a stronger voice for Elizabeth and the story goes ebeyond her desire for the goblin king and thus a more interesting plot emerges

5 stars for Shadowsong.

The conclusion to Wintersong blew me away. Shadowsong picks up with a shattered Leisl, who is trying to make sense of the world and her heart after escaping the Underworld. The Hunt is out for blood and her brother Josef, the other half of her soul, is not responding to her letters. With the help of a mystery benefactor, she sets out with Kathe to reunite with him. Torn between her love for her brother and The Goblin King, Leisl is forced to make the ultimate decision to set the world right.

Jae-Jones' portrayal of Leisl's struggle was so good that at times I think I felt the descent into madness with Leisl. I know a few readers are going to say that this book had too much. Too much purple prose. Too much imagery. Too confusing. In spite of that, I still love this duology. Why? Because Jae-Jones captures emotions so well.

<I> How I could make myself understand. The restlessness, the anxiety within me. The feeling of incompleteness and dissatisfaction, my frustration with my inability to execute my ideas on the page, either in words or in song. </I>

She could have simply said she was frustrated but then we would not have felt that rising panic. That bubble of fear and hopelessness Leisl felt around her inability to compose.

There were times where the plot slowed; particularly when the backstory unravels at Lake Snovin. The ending was not all that surprising. I think most could predict the next Der Erlkönig. Nevertheless, it was beautifully done.

Five stars for a beautifully composed conclusion. I look forward to reading more novels by Ms. Jae-Jones.

"Shadowsong" is the YA/NA fantasy continuation of "Wintersong" but with a darker overall tone. This book takes place 6 months after Wintersong ended and follows primarily Leisl and Josef (about 98% of the book with only a few glances at the Goblin King/der Erlkonig). Leisl's family is struggling to run the Inn since her father's death. They cannot afford food or other goods, and no one is willing to extend the line of credit for a widow and her daughters very far. To make things worse, Constanze (Leisls grandmother) is losing touch with reality and calling Leisl and Kathe by her sisters' names and pouring salt everywhere, seemingly to protect them from The Hunt (composed of goblins and The Goblin King). Leisl has lost touch with her music, unable to compose, and unable to finish her Wedding Night Sonata.

Josef is fading away, a husk of his former self. His master works Francois and him hard to perform music well and has prevented them from playing Der Erlkonig, Leisl's composition. The only time when he feels like himself is when he plays it, as it seems to thin the veil between worlds. After one fateful night when they perform it anyway, their master ends up dead and Francois and Josef find themselves destitute. They end up staying at a brothel, where laudanum (opium) is freely partaken. Francois is unable to protect Josef and fears he is taking laudanum, so he sends a letter to Leisl to come and get Josef in order to save him.

Leisl finds hope when she receives a missive from the Count and Countess Prochazka, offering money and a trip for her and her family to where her brother is located. She and Kathe travel to them but find Josef distant and aloof, a shadow of his former self. There are also mysteries shrouding the Prochazkas, and nothing is what it seems. Meanwhile, The Hunt rages on, and Leisl has to decide whether/how to save herself and Josef.

I won't say much more than this about the plot to avoid spoilers. As other reviewers have remarked (as well as the author herself in an apt foreward with content warnings for mental illness), this book is very different than Wintersong in style and overall feel. This is not to say it isn't worth reading, because it certainly is. This book is much darker than the first, but still maintains a lyrical quality that ebbs and flows with the characters' passions for music. This book is masterfully written. Leisl, Kathe, and Josef have all evolved quite a bit in this book, and they no longer feel like the same characters to whom we were introduced in the first book. The Goblin King has a very minor role in this book, as it focuses on Leisl and her evolution/growth as well as her mental illness. While this was set to be the second/final book in a duology, I feel there is still room for another book, as not all the plotlines could be closed within this one.

Jae-Jones maintains the ethereal feel to her writing in this beautifully composed sequel. Although the content and overall tone is much darker, it is an absolute pleasure to read and is a book that I think will stick with me for some time. There is quite a bit of heavy symbolism with many layers of potential meanings, and it gives you a lot to think about. I highly recommend it (but also with the consideration of the author's foreward, of course).

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.