I'm torn, mostly because of the exquisite writing but also the ending, which leaves me wanting more.

A gorgeously written book, Wintersong ensnared me from the very beginning and this is the kind of fantasy that I have been searching for. The magic and dreams of the Goblin King's world are like jewels adorning a crown, and the root of this book, the emotions and love between Liesl and the Goblin King, was like a beautifully composed piece of music, one that may seem foreign and complex, yet compelling all the same.

It didn't quite reach the tendre of five stars for me, regarding Liesl and the Goblin King's connection, and I cannot help but wonder if it would have, had this book been left as the original book, and not tailored to the YA genre.

Still, this is a book not to be missed, and I say that with great sincerity, as I finished this in one sitting, and it will haunt me with its darkly riveting charm for quite some time.

I would walk the world and play, until someone called me by name and called me home.

Wow! Read this in one sitting and that hasn’t happened to me in quite some time. What an interesting and unique story.

Wintersong was a dark romance where a young girl named Liesl longs to be recognized by her musical talents and desired by her best friend Hans. But her younger brother is the one who is praised for his music and her sister is the beautiful one engaged to Hans. Feeling as though no one appreciates her, it isn't a surprise when Liesl is drawn to the mysterious, yet familiar man who she knows to be the Goblin King. She's heard of him before - the ancient one her grandmother use to tell her stories about as a child. But the Goblin King is more than what he seems, and Liesl must play the king's game in order to save her sister from becoming the next Goblin Queen. But Liesl doesn't have much time, and if she doesn't figure out what the Goblin King really wants and beat him at his own game, she will fail to save her sister and be doomed to live in the Underworld until she withers away. I really enjoyed the story and the complicated Underworld of the Goblin King. You really feel for Liesl and the situation she is in. Jae-Jones does a great job of creating a lot of emotion and drama! Can't wait for book 2 - Shadowsong coming Feb. 6, 2018!

*A DRC was given for an honest review.

So sometime in 2015, I think this author did a mad scramble to pull down all of her Labyrinth fan fic so she could publish this.

It's not bad. Too prose-y for me. She doesn't go off the deep end with it, I suppose, which is good, but it's trying to be poetic and doesn't quite get there. It's a bit pretentious, which is probably why it was rated so highly by the NYT. It's not bad overall, but I can tell it's basically Labyrinth fan fic. However... she's not P.D. James, you know? I read about half of it before I got bored because nothing was really happening.

There might have been one or two things I didn't care for, but I can't deny the simple fact that this is beautiful storytelling with gorgeous whimsical writing and a breathtaking romance. Well done!

I was so, so excited for this book, and I was so, so let down by it. Look, you can have all the pretty prose you want but that won't distract me from realising that absolutely nothing is happening.

I requested this book for the shear reason that it was being marketed as more of an adult version of the movie The Labyrinth. Overall I did enjoy the story and the characters, but didn’t feel like this was much of a Labyrinth reimagining. It felt more like Beauty and Beast mixed with the Persephone/Hades mythology. I really would’ve liked more descriptions of the Underground, and would’ve preferred more time spent in the Labyrinth itself, with more details and perils. I just didn’t feel like the character of the Underground and its inhabitants were explored to the extent they could’ve been, and I really would’ve loved to see more of the dark nature of the creatures and environment. I definitely plan on reading the next one in hopes that I’ll get more of that, and I am curious to see what will become of the Lord of Mischief. As it stands, I knew this was going to be a romance, but I expected more from the setting and environment. The romance and angst between the two MCs took up way more of this story that I believe was necessary, and a lot of the hum drum stuff was overly descriptive to the point that I believe a good 100 pages could’ve been cut out from this story and it would’ve had the same effect on the reader, maybe even more of an effect because we wouldn’t be bogged down in unnecessary detail.

Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love The Labyrinth film so I was intrigued when I came across this book, I thought it would steal some of the magic from the film but it only added to it. I can't wait to read more from S Jae-Jones.

An enchanting faerie tale, set in 18th century Bavaria with a strong female protagonist.

Touted as a retelling of the 80s cult classic Labyrinth, this novel actually stands on its own. The writing is rich and poetic, the characters sympathetic and well-developed, and the world-building is breathtaking. When a musically-inclined young girl must travel to the goblin-filled underworld to rescue her sister who has been abducted by the Goblin King, she ends up taking her place as his bride. Learning to love her new husband and live in his Underworld has ramifications that reach both above and below ground. The reader will be eager to get their hands on the second book in the series, out in 2018.

There's an atmosphere to this novel that completely took me in from the very beginning. There's something about the writing and the world that completely immersed me into the story. Jae-Jones did such an amazing job creating a world, with the rich descriptions and integration of the very culture that Liesl is a part of. Not only Liesl's world, but the Underground was also so rich in detail and livelihood that it felt real. This beautiful writing and elaborate descriptions were one of my favorite parts of Wintersong.

Another aspect so well done was the characterization of each and every character in the book. Jae-Jones did such an incredible job with the characters. Every single character, even side characters were so well developed and alive in a way that I haven't encountered in a book for awhile. Even the side characters had their own arcs through the story as well done as the main characters. It gave an elevated realness to the story that made the characters feel real. This wonderful characterization was another element that made it easy to be transported into the story.

Speaking of the characters, I can't do this review without talking about the romance. The romance was so steamy and swoony. Which I wasn't really expecting, but was a part that I was definitely happy to see. I can't resist a good swoony romance. Just a note, that there are some details during some romance scenes that make this an older YA novel.

While the romance had some great aspects, there's also a part of it that felt a bit disjointed to me. It felt choppy at some parts. To explain, there would be some parts that felt like they were progressing in their relationship but then it would seem to jump back to square one with nothing in the plot implying that should have happened. I'm not sure if there were some parts I was missing or not connecting with but while I think the romance was swoony, I couldn't get completely past this disjointed feeling I had when reading it.

The story itself took me away every time I picked up the book. There were some slow parts, the middle of the book was a bit slow as it focused more on character development than plot. This slow feeling could have been me, since I'm a big mood reader. Although it felt a bit slow, it didn't keep me from reading or even thinking about putting the book down. The writing and richness and character development kept me going. And I loved the addition of music into the story. Music brings things alive, and this was yet another part of the book that really brought it to life for me.

Overall I highly recommend this if you like dark fantasy, swoony romance, wonderful world-building and writing full of richness.

***I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.***

Where do I begin? Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones was my most anticipated debut of 2017 and unfortunately it did not live up to the hype in my head. A story inspired by a childhood favorite of mine — Labyrinth — I was just expecting more: more fantasy, more romance, more intrigue and suspense. Don’t get me wrong though this book could really be labeled as a romance and nothing more.

"Once there was a little girl who played her music for a little boy in the wood…"

Liesl, or Elisabeth, is a young woman who takes a journey of discovery in this book. Somewhere between her childhood and now, she’s lost herself, her passion for music, and her own joy. Instead she pours it all into her baby brother, a child prodigy. She gives of herself over and over again to her family, even her baby sister has been engaged to the boy she thought she loved and would be hers. The older, ugly sister always passed up for her beautiful sister and talented brother. Do you see the self-pity in those words?! This character is a shadow in the beginning and I loved seeing her progression throughout the story.

The Goblin King was once a friend, a playmate of Liesl as a child. But now he is all grown up and come to claim his bride. As love interests goes, I was unimpressed with the Goblin King. He was mysterious and stand-offish, then he would be overbearing and seductive. He was a contradiction that I’m still trying to grasp. But he did not frighten me, even when I thought he should have frightened Liesl. She was his Elisabeth (say that in a German accent and swoon a little please).

The book itself could really be split into two sections: the first a maze Underground while Liesl tries to save her sister, the second Liesl’s marriage to the Goblin King. During the first part, I was most reminded of Labyrinth. Liesl is a girl who is trying to save her sister. She’s terrified of the goblins and changelings that inhabit the Underground, but she puts that terror aside to rescue her family. The second part is a romance plain and simple. The Goblin King tries to trap Liesl into staying, he keeps her when she doesn’t want to stay and she slowly withers. I think my biggest issue with this story is the fact that it is labeled young adult. There is nothing young adult about the second part of this book. It had me, a thirty year old, blushing while reading. That’s just wrong on so many levels.

Overall the story was just okay for me. I was both impressed and disappointed in the Goblin King’s world. I did like the tie in to historical fact about the time period, I liked Liesl, and the writing itself is beautiful, prose-like in its quality. However the romantic scenes were a bit much in my opinion for a young adult book. I know I wouldn’t let my teen read it, not until they were at least 17, maybe not even then. So that friends was a let down. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, historical fiction, and a bit of mystery, you may enjoy this book. It just didn’t work for me.

This book is everything I expected it to be and more. The hints of German, the setting, the goblin king. My heart cannot handle it. If Caraval was a book that captured my soul, this book captured my heart. I have forced so many people to read this book because I loved it that much. I cannot wait for more.

Beautifully told, I found this book a refreshing change from the current YA fantasy books out there with its folky, fairytale roots and focus on evoking all the senses through some fantastic descriptive narrative. I enjoyed the emotional and literal journey that Liesl and the Goblin King take through the story, though I found myself frustrated at times by the slow pace and repetition of scenes; Liesl repeatedly runs away - again, emotionally and literally - only to return again, which destroys a lot of the tension when done too many times.

Some of the writing could have been tightened up a bit more, but overall this book was a great read and I can't wait for the sequel.

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Okay, this is going to be a mini-review because I finished this book a week and a half ago, but didn't write the review until now..... stupid, lovely, addicting K-dramas distracted me.

Anyhow, I wasn't a fan of this book. I was looking forward to a quick-witted main lead who could hold her own with the tricky Goblin King, but that definitely isn't what we got. I was expecting a love story that made sense and built up until we could feel the forbidden love between them-- all I felt was desperation and surrender. I don't know why they love each other or how it happened. I don't know really what the point of the book was. There was no takeaway for me or something that I'll hold from it or even a line I can say I remember or feel when I think about the book.

The scenery was nice and some of the music stuff, although it went so far that I think I did not fully understand the book because I couldn't understand the music and I know music convenes feeling, so perhaps that is why I feel like I missed something from the book???

Perhaps I'm not being too fair to this book and my only excuse is that after a week, I can't remember if I liked anything about it :/ I only remember what I didn't like and how relieved I was when I finished it.

People who like and know music may enjoy this book more than I, so I'd be more likely to perhaps recommend it to them.

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

A fast romantic story about wit and bargains. Sisterhood is a main theme in this novel. Fun read with some angst.

I’ve never seen the movie Labyrinth, so my dislike of this book is not because it didn’t compare to the movie. I was extremely excited to dive into this book. I soon found myself very disappointed with Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. The main character Elisabeth is extremely whiny and annoying. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get into this story. It is really hard to like a character that comes across pathetic and uninteresting. The Goblin didn’t help himself either. I found myself not wanting to finish this book at all. My determination made me finish especially since I was on the blog tour. As you can see my review is coming much later because I was not a fan.

I have mixed feelings on this book. It has been a few weeks since I read WINTERSONG. I remember going into this book with apprehension due to the mixed reviews. The good news is that I enjoyed this story very much. In fact, I found it almost impossible to walk away from.

Liesl is a fun heroine, but I found some of her skills were not well described. Liesl goes through so much growth in this story. She starts as a girl only focused on elevating her family, then on saving them, then on saving herself. Liesl really grows as a character in this story and I enjoyed the transformation.

This story focuses a lot on family and music. I don’t have an opinion about the music either way, but I think fans of music will really enjoy this story. Liesl writes music for her brother, the prodigy. Her focus is on him only at first and not her sister. Her affection for her sister is described much later. Liesl is not the pretty one or the talented one, she is the worker. Her family runs a bed and breakfast of some sort near the Goblin woods. Her grandmother is really superstitious and has a healthy fear of the Goblin king from those woods.

Something happens and Liesl is forced to surrender herself to the Goblin King instead of her sister. Once she gets to the underground, the Goblin King’s home, the story gets really good. I found the underground a bit confusing, but also very appealing. It’s almost as if anything could happen in this place and a lot of weird stuff does. I actually loved reading about Liesl in the underground. The little goblins were fun and tricky. There are also little changelings that are a bit scary. Liesl really comes into her own here and flips the script on the Goblin King, who btw has been married many times. Liesl’s quest to find out who he really is leads her to really learning about herself.

I loved the descriptive language and the Germanic folklore influence in this book. There is a dark romantic vibe to this story and I am so glad I got to read this. I found some pacing issues with this story. It is almost like 2 separate books where the first book is above-ground and the second book is everything that happens below. Whatever issues I had with this book faded completely by the 55% mark when I couldn’t wait to find out where the author would take us. I am really happy to hear that this book will have a sequel. That ended almost killed me.