*deep breath* *screams* S. JAE-JONES IS ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS *squeal* I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS STORY! I'LL LEAVE A FULL REVIEW ON GOODREADS

The duology was an enjoyable foray into folk tales. I think the first book was stronger than the second, the second book was a bit repetitive and slow. However, it was a nice conclusion to the first book.

As a huge fan of Wintersong, I completely fell in love with S. Jae-Jones writing and was so excited to begin reading the sequel. I read it slowly as I wanted to savour every word, The author has the most beautiful writing style but Unfortunately I found it slightly more difficult to read and I was a little disappointed as I was hoping it would be more focused on the relationship between Liesl and the goblin king. Having said that, the writing is just as beautiful and if you have read Wintersong I do recommend you read Shadowsong. Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read.

A vivid, engaging sequel that will keep readers guessing.

I finished Shadowsong a few weeks ago, but it's taken some time for me to gather my thoughts. This read was much different from Wintersong. There was less time spent Underground, and much less of The Goblin King. That did take some getting used to, because I'll admit it, that's what I absolutely LOVED about Wintersong. While it sounds drastically different because it was mainly set above ground, it was just as similar. The writing was the same beautiful prose. The story of Shadowsong is mainly focused on the relationship between Liesl and Josef. The brother/ sister bond was such a delight to read. The last 40 pages were just exquisite and bittersweet. They are what made the book for me. I'm very melancholy that the story is finished, but I absolutely love the journey.

I really enjoyed Wintersong, so I was super excited to read Shadowsong, I really tried hard to like this, however, I personally don't think it was as good as the first book.
I found the 1st half of the book to be really slow, I struggled to get into it, and I'm still not sure if it was actually relevant for the storyline. The 2nd half of the book picked up speed a bit and was slightly more interesting, despite being extremely confusing and complex. Once I finished the book I felt like the complexity was probably a good thing as I was learning and finding out information along with Liesl's character. I just feel it was unnecessarily complicated.
All that being said I enjoyed the end, even though I felt this was a little rushed compared to the rest of the book, it was an ending I had not considered and think it was a pretty good way to end this duology.

After returning from the Underground in Wintersong, Liesl has struggled with finding her place in the Above. Unable to talk about what happened to her and what it meant for her, she hasn't composed much since her return. When a patron offers to move her and Käthe to Vienna, Liesl thinks all of her dreams are finally coming to fruition, but nothing is as simple as it seems.

I loved how Shadowsong put Liesl's personal growth and struggles in the forefront of the novel. Shadowsong is far more interior than the first novel, putting the reader in Liesl's head as she tries to figure out what it means to be elf-touched. Madness and genius run in her family. Liesl just doesn't know where she lies on that spectrum.

S. Jae-Jones' second novel is just as intricate and lyrically beautiful as her first, but more streamlined as she finds her voice in the young adult fantasy community. I highly recommend this one.

OMGoodness! After Wintersong, my heart was in shambles and I needed Shadowsong ASAP! Luckily I was provided with an ARC.

I don't even know where to begin, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I love this story SO much. It is a magical, lovely, dark, and beautiful journey. The immaculate details woven throughout are exquisite. Although there wasn't as much action and the Goblin King wasn't as present in Shadowsong, I still loved it!

Leisl/Elizabeth grows so much as a character, and to watch how she changes is so empowering and wonderful! I love it so much! I always LOVE watching a female MC become stronger, and more independent.

Shadowsong had me laughing and crying, ALL THE EMOTIONS!
Anywhoo, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!

4/5
#NERDGIRLNIGHT

Shadowsong is the sequel to Wintersong, and picks up shortly after the first book. A little time has passed, Liesl's brother Josef having risen to semi-stardom under the tutelage of his musical master in Vienna. Trying to outrun her small town, suffocating family, and heartbreak concerning the Goblin King, Liesl and her sister Kathe travel to him after the untimely and suspicious death of his master's death.

I enjoyed reading about the Underground and the wild magic infiltrating more civilized, urban life. The way that Liesl and Kathe function in a different world, with nobility and outside of their contained, rugged inn, is interesting and reveals more about the characters. I also enjoyed Josef and Francois and the relationship they have in the time period and society in which the story takes place. Liesl's conflict between wanting to do what's best for siblings and trying to ignore her own impulses to follow her heart is dark and grinding and pained. This isn't your normal fairytale, in the way that Wintersong wasn't your traditional fairytale.

There are moments, especially in the beginning, where I felt the plot lagged a little. So much of the struggles are internal, and while I appreciate that aspect of the story (for it is an integral part), I felt that it sometimes caused what is already a fairly slow moving plot stagnate a little. It wasn't until Leisl and Kathe were in Vienna, which doesn't happen until around 100 pages in. I was also annoyed with Josef, for he never really seems to understand everything Liesl has done to try and give him the best life, even at the cost of her own success and happiness.

Shadowsong is the story of what happens when what you thought you wanted is no longer an option and you do your best with what is left. It's hard but it's also beautiful and shows not only Liesl's but Kathe's and Josef's perseverance as well. While the writing style and the content might not be everyone's cup of tea, those who are looking for a twisty, complex, dark fairytale with a strong female character will like this book.

While I did like reading Wintersong, I expected Shadowsong to be far better from the description. The Goblin King was the major reason I loved Wintersong as he is such a complex and conflicted character. However, he was barely present in the book and that was disappointing for me. The middle part of the book was also pretty slow. What redeemed the book for me was the ending. I was nearly in tears as I read it and it did give me a great sense of closure when it came to all the characters of the book.

<b>Rating:</b> 4,5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this book, I really did but... There is a but. Maybe it was because of my waaaay too high expectations, but still. I could't help but feel a but.

First, let me tell you all the reasons that <i>Shadowsong</i> freaking rocks okay, because it does. The emotions in this book are so goddamn raw, I swear, my heart starts aching all over again just thinking about it and it's been weeks since I read this. This sequel kicks off about six months after <i>Wintersong</i> and it's a mess (in a good way).

Like I'm pretty sure every reviewer on GoodReads has already mentioned, this was absolutely nothing like its first installment. Honestly. This book is so much darker and twisted, and personally, I loved every single minute of it. S. Jae Jones did such an amazing job writing every dark and heavy thought and feeling, it mesmerised me. There are, however, some trigger warnings necessary, which the author included in the book as well. What I also loved was seeing more of Liesl's relationships with her family. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Goblin King, but the development and depth in this book was more than I could ever wish for.

BUT

This is also the point where I start whining about what I didn't like. In fear of spoilers, I'm gonna keep this short though. *takes a deep breath*
What kind of... Annoyed me, througout the book, was that it felt dragged out a little too much. There are some entrenched feelings between Joseph and Liesl, mainly because of the events that occurred in <i>Wintersong</i> I think. And however unjustified, they are kind of understandable. But I think that partly because the pace was so slow, that it came off as too much. They were stuck in those feelings for too long and it started feeling unnecessary to me. Seriously. There were moments where I felt like screaming: “JUST STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE” or “DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!” so yeah.

Those moments were kind of disappointing but don’t mind my whining ass because this book was still amazing and did I mention the amazing writing style????? Yeah that was something that definitely did NOT disappoint.

This is one of those books that is going to stay with me. I can't quite put my finger on how I feel about it quite yet but it definitely left me with A LOT of feelings.
I really enjoyed Wintersong and was very excited to see the continuation of the story in Shadowsong but felt like the book was a departure from what I had enjoyed in the first part of the story. If we're being honest, I wanted more Goblin King but that aside this installment of the story brought it to a whole other level.
This was a haunting, dark, rollercoaster ride of emotion for me. The author has hit that subtle balance of desire, want and need and it keeps you engaged throughout the book. I'm not used to seeing books that are so focused on sibling relationships but it was an element of this book that I really enjoyed. I am struggling to write this review without giving away spoilers but I will say that the ending is so worth the wait. Enjoy the slow build up, savor the writing (there are some many great pieces of quotable writing here) and let the book play with your emotions. It's heavy but worth it!

The thing is that I really enjoyed Wintersong. I couldn't wait for this book to be released. I so wanted to read more about Liesl and the music that was in that book. This book went in a completely different direction. The romance that seemed to bloom between Liesl and the Goblin King doesn't seem to exist in this book. This book was primarily told in dialogue and parts of it went in circles. There was an adventure and that was fun. This book took place mainly in

Vienna which was nice to explore. The main relationship in this story was between Liesl and her brother. Although he is part of the lore told about in Wintersong, this book did not explore more of that lore, or the underground. The last 25% of the book was pretty good but overall I was unsatisfied with this series ender.

As with Wintersong, I found that Shadowsong somewhat missed the mark for me.
That being said, I did find the writing to be quite lovely; S. Jae-Jones has a way with words and she makes them dance across the page. I also enjoyed the German inspired setting and the exploration of the relationships between siblings.
I had a couple issues with this novel which is why I think it fell flat for me. One big thing was the pacing; Shadowsong is very slow going and it dragged at several points. My biggest issue, however, was that I just didn't feel invested in this story or these characters.
I definitely think that other readers will really enjoy this series but it just wasn't for me.

I received with thanks an ARC copy of Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) from St Martin’s Press & Netgalley.

This is my true and honest review of Shadowsong by S Jae Jones. This was released for publication on 11th February 2018.

I am happy that I have finished this duology. I did love Liesl and the Goblin King. For the me the underworld was more enjoyable that when we spent time with Liesel’s family. I did prefer this one to the 1st book. My main downfall was at the start. All the letters are made to look as if they were handwritten, this at times made it difficult to read. This is a dark and haunting tale that will last with me for a while.

I adored Wintersong. It was a lovely take on goblins and music and sisters and love. The romance between Liesl and the Erlking was awesome. I loved it.

Shadowsong was a bit tepid for me. It lacked the whirlwind that Wintersong was. I liked what was going on with Josef but I missed the Erlking. He was a thought and a memory and a force to be reckoned with in Wintersong and I felt his absence here.

I do wish that the note about mental illness was after the story. I think is colored my whole reading of the book. So I was constantly looking for it and analyzing actions of characters, I think that it actually changed some of my enjoyment of the story, especially my ability of a reader to guess what is going on instead of being told.

So overall I enjoyed it but no where near the level of awesomeness that was Wintersong.

I had been eagerly anticipating this book ever since I’d finished Wintersong. That first book had an ending which left me wanting more and needing resolution. I needed this book in my hands as soon as possible. I even preordered this book because I needed to know how it would all end. I was in no way prepared for the story given in this book and I enjoyed it but I have spent the past two days struggling to put into words why I loved it.

Just as a warning there will be spoilers in this post because it was hard enough writing a review, any review, so editing it down to not include spoilers would be too damn hard. I don’t hate myself that much.

The premise of this book is simple. It’s in the summary above, but Liesl has been out from the underground for a while and strange things are happening. Her brother is not ok and she is not ok and both aren’t willing to admit it. It’s a book about Liesl dealing with her grief at leaving the one she loves. Struggling with the madness which lies in her family and the concern of what that means for her. She struggles with trying not to delve into the madness she experiences composing in the underground by avoiding her music altogether.

It’s so hard to explain this book because the story itself is relatively simple. Not a lot happens. Like the first book, the pace is slow and is far more about character development than fast paced story action. As the author mentions at the start, Wintersong ‘was her bright mirror’ showing the brighter side of who she was whilst Shadowsong is the dark one showing ‘how all the monstrous parts of the Underground’ and how they were facets of herself. This really reflects within the books. Whilst there were manic aspects to Wintersong with Liesl suffering with her creativity getting to the extreme lengths composing music, it was always magical and charming and never as dark as Shadowsong gets. Shadowsong feels a lot more hopeless in how it’s written. Liesl seems to accept the inevitability of her life outside of the underground and denying the magic which she knows exists… maybe in concern that her experiences were a sign of madness.

I think my love for this book came from the character journey rather than a fast paced storyline (because fast paced this book is not). I loved the exploration of Lisel’s character and her discovering who she is and what it means to accept her whole self. It was about Josef realising who he was and what his differences meant. And it was about the Goblin King getting to lead his own life with those he loved and that it shouldn’t always be about sacrifice.

Look, this book wasn’t anything like I expected and whilst at first I struggled with the slow pace as Liesl seemed so accepting in her angry existence denying her love. I did adjust to the pacing of the book and love exploring the characters thoughts and slowly seeing the story unfold. It was such a satisfying ending to a magical ending. It had the exact same feel as the first book did but also a whole different vibe. I loved it and cannot fully explain why but it was an excellent read and if you’ve read the first you definitely need to check this out.

Um.. what? What was that? I don't get it.

First of all, Shadowsong like Wintersong, is NOT the book to read when you're trying to get over a reading slump. Time slows down, everything slow down, time freezes and it's just you and endeless words in random order trying to become something. This is what reading Shadowsong felt like.

If you take a small part of this book and add it to Wintersong, it's perfect. These two books could have been two standalones that happened to be in the save universe and the readers could choose which book to read. The one with the Goblin King, or the one without. Because let's face it, we're all here for the Goblin King and he was a no show so what gives.

I appreciate the trigger warning and I totally get what the author did with this, but, this is not a sequel to Wintersong.

As a note. The Author’s note actually gives a trigger warning for Self-harm, Addiction
Reckless behaviours and Suicidal ideation.

I’m not even sure what I was expecting going into Shadowsong from Wintersong. I had loved Wintersong and I was actually okay with the ending. Sometimes I don’t mind seemingly loose ends. I feel Shadowsong really does a great job of wrapping up the ending in a way that makes sense.

The plot had a slow start for me. I was frustrated with both Liesel and Josef. Josef was being such a jerk and Liesel, well it felt like she was a shadow of the kick butt girl I remembered from the first book. She is so clearly wrapped up in her struggle to leave behind the Underground and the Goblin King that she is completely unaware of things happening around her. There is a point where things change and the book picks up in all the ways it needs. Once the Countess and Count enter the picture things get more interesting.

This book is more about Lisel and Josef and their relationship then it is about Lisel and the Goblin King. Although he is not completely absent either. Again I was frustrated with Josef for being a jerk but it was interesting to see Lisel see herself from Josef’s eyes. Despite my frustrations with her, she actually experiences quit a bit of growth. To see the things she has done and how that has affected others. Kathe and Francois felt a bit under used as characters but they also still have a presence.

There is more insight into what Der Erlkonig’s own really means. We also get to delve more into the history of the Goblin King and the first bride. I found those aspects really contributed to the understanding of the world as a whole. I was excited to learn more. I loved the way the pieces slowly fit together and eventually will reveal what makes the Goblin King, the Goblin King.

The writing is lyrical and haunting. Almost like you are lost in the pages of a song. You can still feel how much music is a part of everything. Since it’s such a special part of Lisel, Josef and the Goblin King. I’m glad that it didn’t fade from the first book.

I enjoyed the book. I really like how things were wrapped up in the end.

I absolutely loved Wintersong, it was my favorite book of 2017. But somehow Shadowsong was so much more to me. It was darker, more lyrical, had more realism. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. I still can't get over JJ 's author's note. It was powerful, it spoke to the reader, and it made me connect to Liesl's story just that much more. The added part of Josef's struggle was magical and I'm so happy she included his struggles along with Liesl's story. Wintersong was about Liesl saying yes to herself. Whereas Shadowsong was about Liesl saying yes to others. I can't get over the ending still. I'm so happy I was able to read this story before it was released. Thank you, S. Jae Jones, for once again writing a beautiful, heartfelt story that really stuck with me.