The Quick Cut: Girl continues to deal with the fallout after escaping the Goblin King and the Underground. Six months in, the trouble takes a dramatic turn.

A Real Review: Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

This book has a VERY different feel and pace from the first in the series, Wintersong. Here, things are heavier, tense, and in a way - dark. The consequences of the lightness in the first book are felt strongly here and it's very throwing if you don't expect it.

Huge kudos to the author S. Jae Jones for her Author's Note at the beginning of the book. Not only does she provide a content warning, but she also gave some insight to the characters background. I loved this and wish more of it happened. Liesl having bi-polar makes sense considering the journey she takes emotionally and using that additional lens, you see a little of what that feels like.

Liesl has an incredibly tough time adjusting to being above ground after being with the Goblin King - between the lifestyle adjustment, her brother being gone, and the family business struggling to survive. Soon enough the routine gets shaken when someone agrees to be here benefactor after hearing her brother Josef play the music she wrote. There's also the added drama of the Wild Hunt - dedicated to getting their sacrifice after Liesl escaped.

A lot of reveals happen in this one that were brought up in Wintersong. A great example of this is the first woman to escape the Underground (Liesl's number 2 to do so). I won't reveal too much about what happens, but we get a lot more information on her and what happened. A second one is the better understanding of why Liesl's music is so enchanting. So much information in a short span can make your head spin and in the few chapters they do this, I would have hoped they would have stretched this out a bit more.

Overall, Shadowsong is a strong sequel. The book struggles with the incredible amount of information provided and the new pacing - which while interesting, didn't interest me as much as the first.

I’m not really sure where to start with this book. 3.5 stars. I was excited and interested during the beginning of the book. Then the plot didn’t really go anywhere. It left me bored. Wanting more of a story between Liesl and the Goblin King as we had in the first book. I also wasn’t keen on the relationship between Liesl and Josef. In the first book it is all about their love for each other. In this one, Josef is distant, cold, uncaring. This book lacked the magic, passion, and the intensity that I loved about the first book. The ending for this book was abrupt; rushed. I wish the author would have included more romance and mystery. What I loved most about this book was the authors openness to her mental health and the warning of triggers this book might have for some who struggle with mental illness, addiction, and/or self-harm/suicidal ideation. I liked that the author showed us a glimpse into Bipolar Disorder. Overall, I still ended up enjoying the book. It was entertaining enough to finish but didn’t meet my expectations for a sequel.

The writing was still absolutely beautiful. The book focused on the relationship between Liesl and her siblings. Also, the book was mostly about Liesl dealing with the loneliness after escaping the underground. It was sad and a recurrent theme was sacrifice. I actually liked this book a lot more than Wintersong because Liesl does grow as a character. The reader gets a glimpse on the mind of her brother and there are new characters thrown into the mix that may help explain some content in the first book.

There were numerous flashbacks and I think some people may not appreciate it, because I notice how it slows down the plot. At the same time, I believe that these flashbacks were essential because it gave the reader hints on ‘certain character/s.’ In a way, there was sort of ‘very little plot.’ If I were to briefly talk about what happened in this book, my recollection of it would seem rather insufficient.

In my opinion, there was not enough Goblin King content. However, he was not the most interesting character in this book. Josef’s POV chapters had been the most overly dramatic. There was more to this child prodigy than what was portrayed in the first book. Josef’s relationship with Liesl was the highlight of this book, and their relationship dynamic had been enjoyable to read. Some people may not like Josef but I think I understand his character, which made it easier for me to sympathize with him.

The book does take a darker turn even if the Goblin King had not been around 90% of the time. I felt that the author took a risk on this one because it was an emotionally ‘heavy’ book. I appreciate how a trigger warning had been included in the beginning.

Overall, I was satisfied with the conclusion of this duology. The pacing was still slow (like the first book) but I am satisfied. Thank you, S. Jae Jones!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Shadowsong is the highly anticipated sequel to Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. It continues the tale of Liesl who now free of the Underground, but not free of her feelings for the Goblin King, tries to go back to her life before she was the Goblin Queen. Liesl finds she doesn't fit into the place she previously held due to the changes she underwent while Underground. This book shows the struggle Liesl faces trying to carve out a place for herself in the world, along with some fun new challenges.

When Liesl was released from the Underground she denied the Old Laws a sacrifice, and now the Wild Hunt is searching for her, corrupting the Goblin King and the Underground and finding all the others who are "elf-touched" (people who have received gifts from the Underground like Liesl and Josef). With this new "plague" running rampant Liesl is invited to Vienna by a mysterious benefactor. Excited to join her brother on a new adventure Liesl takes the opportunity and brings her sister Käthe along.

But everything is not what it seems. Liesl finds herself more discontented as time goes on, and Josef has lost touch with reality. Can Liesl find a way to save everyone from the new threats they face? Can she trust her mysterious benefactor? Or is Liesl in way over her head?

This book was amazing! Liesl's struggle after leaving the Underground is palpable, and her slow descent into madness was incredibly well written. I was incredibly sorry to see this book (and series) end. Finding out the past of the Goblin King was also very interesting. It was a look into what made him the man he was in the first book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, fairy tales, or Labyrinth!

3.5
I would like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday Books for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I read Wintersong I felt completely heartbroken and just sadness and it continued in this second book of the series Shadowsong. I was hoping for a more upbeat conclusion to Liesl and The Goblin King’s story but that did not happen.
I’m having a hard time writing a review for this book. Even though I liked it, I felt like there was some thing missing. I wish there were more of Liesl and The Goblin King in the book and just not towards the end. I wish there wasn’t so much sorrow… I just felt a little depressed reading it. The pace was a little off in this book as it was in the first book as well. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I did in the first book and I don’t think that has ever happened to me before.
Now saying all that there were things that I did like. I liked that questions were answered. We find out who he is. Who he was. How he came to be The Goblin King. I liked that there is a disclaimer with this book for those who have suicidal tendencies and those who have self harming tendencies. I also liked the plot twists in this book and not really knowing where the story would go.

Liesl left the Underground and her austere young man behind but six months later things have gone awry. Her father is dead, her brother in unreachable, they are struggling to keep the inn afloat, and her grandmother seems to be lost in the old ways more than ever. When a letter from her brother urges her to come to Vienna, to help him, she is put on a new course. But is she running in the right direction?

Wintersong took me by surprise and when Shawdowsong came up for request I could not have clicked my mouse faster. The story of Liesl and the Goblin King captured my heart, leaving my wanting for more which the contents of Shawdowsong happily filled.

Much like the first book in this duology, Jae-Jones has created vibrant settings populated with three dimensional characters. You can feel the wind, smell the earth and the loam, see the crowds bustling, and the swirls of dresses as the men and women spin across the dance floor. This is, of course, balanced by the corruption of Liesl's austere young man into the Lord of Mischief, a twisted, horned, and dark version of himself. The Unholy Host is ghastly, wraiths riding about taking the lives of unbelievers, looking to return the world to the old laws.

This novel took twists and turns, losing me in the labyrinth if Jae-Jones' creation and I loved every minute of it. If you love a good fairy tale, the dark ones especially, then this duology should be next on your reading list.

I am so happy that I was able to get this book through Netgalley. In the conclusion of Liesl and the Goblin King’s story, Liesl is faced with many inner battles as she fights to save her brother, the Goblin King and humanity. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book, in anticipation of what would happen next. The love, anger, and heartache shown by Liesl made me so sad for her and I kept wishing for her happy ending. S. Jae-Jones definitely has a way with words, and I loved her twists and turns, as well as how she really made me feel Liesl’s love for her Goblin King. The only thing better would be to continue the story. But then, I never wish for them to end.

I was actually pretty excited when I got Silentsong from Netgalley. I really liked Wintersong!

But this...I'm not even sure about this. I love the cover of this book! It is simply stunning. But the plot just lost me. And PDF formats get in the way for me sometimes. I tried to ignore that, but the spacing issues kind of made it hard for me to get back into it at some points.

I think I might need to check this out from the library as an actual book to try it again in the future.

It's not a terrible book, it just sadly fell short for me. It's a two out of five read for me until I get an actual book to try again soon sometime in the future. Again, I really did want to like this book. Thank you publishers for giving me the chance to read it.

In Shadowsong, Liesl continues her labyrinthine journey of self-discovery. I thoroughly enjoyed the nods to the movie, and the musical theme that allowed Liesl and her brother to express their emotional turmoil. As with Wintersong, I felt a stronger emotional pull and connection between siblings and friends than between Liesl and the Goblin King. Filled with beautiful and sometimes dark imagery, the conclusion of the Wintersong duology is perfect for those who enjoy giving part of themselves over to fantasy, muse, and strong emotion.

I loved the first book and wanted more when it was first released and I'm so glad I was able to have an ARC through NetGalley for the sequel. Wonderfully written book and I'm so glad I got to read the ending that I wanted this book to have so badly. To love is to be mad.

Wintersong broke my heart. Shadowsong healed it. These stories grab your soul and make you care about the characters, even the ones of legend...

Wednesday Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 6th.

Liesl is hoping music will save her from her sorrow. She's tried hard to help her brother in his musical career. But they're not a team anymore. He's hiding something from her. It doesn't help that he's in Vienna and she's home. She's about to lose her mind trying to keep the inn going and dealing with no income. Then she gets invited to a party. She and her sister are going to go and see if they can find her brother. His mentor has died and they don't know where he went.

What they find is an odd woman and her husband. They tell them it's time for the hunt and they want to keep her safe. She doesn't know what's true but she's not sure she believes them. They know she's the Goblin Queen, so it will take all she knows and all she can do to get away from them.

The hunt is coming for a life. Whose should they offer? Who will make a difference?

They all make sacrifices before the end of this story. The good news is that it ends well. There's a bit of sadness but there's more happiness. That's what life is made of.

Scheduled to post 1/27/18.

So without the ridiculous love of Labyrinth to ride me through WINTERSONG's sequel, SHADOWSONG, I find I enjoyed this book a lot less than the last one. It just doesn't really hold together all that much.

The pacing issues I had in WINTERSONG are still there in SHADOWSONG, but it's a different kind of pacing problem. In the former the pacing was such that is felt like two books smashed into one, with two distinct beginnings, middles, and ends that created a rather disjointed story. In the latter there's nothing. Very little actually happens for about 95% of the book. It's a lot of Liesl pining over a Goblin King that's next to non-existent in this story and lamenting about her lost relationship with her brother. It's this flat line of nothing, no real movement, no agency, and then 96% of the way into the story Lisel finally makes a decision that ultimately makes for a great ending to the story, but there were 350 pages of not a whole lot in order to get there.

The repetition of descriptions was diminished, but still. The only way for Liesl to describe the Goblin King is as her austere young man. Literally the only description. And it's repeated over and over and over again. It got old in the last book. It's downright ancient here.

Jae-Jones did preface the book with information about how SHADOWSONG was about her dealing with her bipolar disorder and that's why it's so dark. I don't have a problem with dark. And this book had peeks of it, especially as Liesl was trying to make her way through the hedge maze at the ball. It had excellent moments of dark whimsy that I really did love. But the otherworldliness of the last book is lost here. You get it in snips and fits and starts, but nothing like the beauty of the last book and that's a shame.

Take this next opinion for what is it because I don't have a mental illness. However, the illness that Liesl suffers, I'm assuming the same bipolar disorder as Jae-Jones although it's not expressly named, felt very flat. She seemed to just alternate between using the words mania and sadness or depression, but I felt a detachment from Liesl that kept me from feeling much for her. She talked about her own illness in a way that felt like she was trying to gloss over it and at the same time hammer it home it using very basic language. Where the rest of the book had flourish that aspect of it, that was supposedly so personal to the author, felt flat and simply forced into the story.

Quite frankly I felt this story more belonged to Josef than anyone. He had far more compelling things to say, a better character arc, and a more tragic end. Not that the current ending was bad. I just didn't feel all that much for Liesl here. I didn't really care. She didn't really change much from beginning to end, she had little to no agency throughout the entire story, and when she did try to get personal everything felt all the more distant. It just didn't work for me.

SHADOWSON had its moments. There are some truly beautiful descriptions littered throughout the book and I really did love the ending. But ultimately I think this series is hinging way too much on Labyrinth love to drive it forward. There are major pacing issues in both books, and in WINTERSONG Liesl isn't much of a character. Those around her are far more compelling as she simply spends most of her time lamenting her current condition as outside forces shove her along in life. It got old and it was a lot to read for so little return.

2.5

This was an absolutely stunning read. As with Wintersong, the author's prose is lush and descriptive and evocative. I loved learning more about the history/mythology and what Liesl needed to do to save herself and her Goblin King. This was a story about Liesl discovering herself all over again, this time above ground, and while it was hard to see her struggle, to see her and Josef so at odds when their sibling relationship was such a strong part of the first book, it was also wonderful to see how much they loved each other at the end. I was a bit heartbroken over Josef, but I felt like that might be how the story ended and he seemed like it was something he needed/wanted. The only thing that really disappointed me was that there wasn't enough of the Goblin King. His and Liesl's interactions and their passionate relationship was part of what I enjoyed so much about the first book, so I was sad not to get as much of that in this one. Still, this was an absolutely lovely read, and I recommend it!

SO I am not going to lie. I had a really hard time getting through this novel.

I absolutely adored the first novel and read it in one sitting. This one was a bit of a struggle for me. I felt like the begging was just a lot of struggle and back and fourth. I was just waiting for it to have that BAM moment where things really started to get into it.

For me that moment wasn't until around 65%. From that point on though, I got invested and was excited to see where it went.

The ending was NOTHING like I thought it was going to be and I loved that it caught me so off guard. I have to say the book did come around for me and I truly did enjoy the series.

Though the underworld is a dark and unforgiving place for Elisabeth it was full of music, passion and love. Leaving it behind was a matter of life and death, which she lived to regret. Der Erlkönig is and will forever be her muse. This is beautiful, dark, musical, twisted, magical; Full of love, jealousy and change. If you love a fantasy based around the Fae and all things magical, then you’re bound to enjoy this (Hopefully as much as I did). This book will be available from the 6th of Feb...in the meantime you can fall fo this series by reading Wintersong (The first book).

I really wanted to like this. I enjoyed the first title, Wintersong but the second title failed to capture my attention and I found it a challenge to finish.

First things first, I really loved the author's note at the beginning. There's a trigger warning and a discussion of the content of the book that really lays the author bare, as it's clear she put a lot of herself into this book. On a technical level, I greatly admire that and I think she did a wonderful job. On a personal level, I have mixed feelings. With Wintersong I had mixed feelings, but I definitely liked more things than I disliked and I kept thinking about it for days after I finished it. With this sequel, I finished it and I haven't really thought that much about it at all. It just left me feeling a little blah. It felt like a rehash of the first book, which was disappointing because we've already covered this, shouldn't we be on to something new? One of the things I enjoyed the most about Wintersong was the relationship between Liesl and the Goblin King and that's almost entirely missing from this book. What we do get is interesting, but it wasn't enough. Instead we focus on the relationship of Liesl and her brother, Josef (once again leaving the sister on the sidelines, which made me sad). Not a lot happened, plot wise, for a good amount of the book and then suddenly things are happening and it's a little overwhelming so things didn't quite make sense to me. I REALLY liked the flashbacks and I would probably read an entire book made of that storyline/those characters. I thought they were really interesting.

So, yeah, I liked this book, but it didn't quite stay in my thoughts like Wintersong.

"I can only live, either altogether with you or not at all."
-Ludwig Van Beethoven, The Immortal Beloved Letters

Whatever your opinion may be of this book, know that this is an honest review and in no way coerced as I wasn't the biggest fan of Wintersong. Obviously it resonated with me enough, because I jumped on the chance to review an early copy of Shadowsong; looking back in hindsight I think most of my issues previously were due to the book being inappropriately marketed (at the time), therefore setting my expectations in a place they never should have been. I'm not going to rehash everything here, but if you'd like to catch up and read my thoughts on Wintersong, you can do so HERE . All that to say, my expectations were in exactly the right place for this installment; I was hungry for the author's signature prose and romantic style of storytelling and that is exactly what I got.

They say the Hunt rides abroad when there is an imbalance between the Underground and the land of the living.

I had crossed the barrier between worlds, had walked away from the Goblin King and my vows last summer. Had my leaving caused a rip in the fabric of the world, allowing the spirits and ghouls and denizens of the Underground to escape? Was I in danger from the Wild Hunt?

It's funny, because most of the issues I keep seeing people having with this book are the very ones I had with Wintersong. People seem to be expecting the sequel to be a little sexier, to feature Liesl and the Goblin King's relationship in a little more of a, ehem, physical sense, but you won't really find that here. In fact, the Goblin King is fairly absent for this novel; we don't see or hear much from him until nearing the end of the book. This was a deal breaker for some, and I get it, but for me it wasn't. I wasn't invested in the physical part of this relationship post my reading of book one; this book, in my humble opinion, was about so much more. While you won't find as much of the technical musical jargon here, you will find that same beautiful writing and heart-wrenching emotion as previously throughout. I was 100% invested in Liesl's relationship with Joseph and this being the focus was a huge plus for me. There was a bit of intrigue and mystery sprinkled throughout which also pleased me greatly.

"Can our love persist otherwise than through sacrifices, than by not demanding everything?"
-Ludwig Van Beethoven, The Immortal Beloved Letters

Oh Lord. I've been sitting on this review for almost a week now because I cannot contemplate how to do Shadowsong justice. The ending is what has held me hostage; I cannot imagine how to discuss the final 50 pages of the book without spoiling it for you, so I just won't. I will say that it is full of raw emotion, balancing both supernatural and human need, desire, and want on such a fine line that I found myself holding my breath until the very last page. It was completely unexpected for me, as I'm used to reading many mysteries that I have figured out early on, but I was wholly caught off guard by how Jae-Jones chose to close out this chapter of her writing career.

The Faithful are those who have been touched by the Underground, like you and me. Those with the Sight, or those who have escaped the clutches of the old laws. They are keepers of knowledge, and a family bound by belief, not blood.

I'm going to wrap this up, but I want to end by stating how glad I am that I went into this with an open mind. I truly believe that if I had gone into reading Wintersong free of expectations and assumptions that I would have enjoyed it just as thoroughly as I did Shadowsong. As I read I found myself wanting to copy down every single word as quotations for my review, but instead I find it easier to just shove the book at you and proclaim "Read it!" If you do decide to embark on this lovely and terrible journey, please make sure you start at the beginning with Wintersong, as these novels do need to be read in their proper order. Bravo Ms. S. Jae-Jones, and I look forward to more of your work!

*I think it's worth noting that the author took it upon herself to include a note on trigger warnings for suicide in this book. I found this completely honorable and highly respect her for doing so!

It seems like a lot of people have been disappointed by Shadowsong, but as for myself, I really enjoyed it! I was thrilled to return to the dark, haunting world S. Jae-Jones has created. As with Wintersong, I feel like people will either love the writing or feel disconnected to it. I absolutely love the lush, lyrical writing and descriptions and find it matches the tone of the story perfectly.

Shadowsong differs from the first book in that the story focuses almost entirely on Liesl and her growth as character, including her changed relationships with Josef and Käthe. Because it’s much more character driven, the story does move at a much slower pace as there’s not a lot going on plot-wise. I love Liesl’s character and felt very connected to her, so to me this wasn’t an issue, but I could see how it could be bothersome to others. My only gripe was that there was not enough Goblin King! Although we do learn a lot more about the Goblin King, such as his background and – finally – his name, even the interactions between him and Liesl were sparse, which left me wanting. Overall, I was ecstatic to be thrust back into the world S. Jae-Jones created and was very pleased with the sequel!