What a book to return to reviewing with! I think my emotions are still reeling, but I’ll do my best (as always) to try and put them into some sort of coherent thought.

Liesl has always been second to everyone in her life.  She walsys puts the needs of those around her above herself.  When her sister is taken from her by the Goblin King, Liesl agrees to take her place and become his bride.  In doing so, she learns so much about herself and the Goblin King.  In the end though, they’re forced to make a decision that could change them and their world forever.

This book destroyed me, but in the best way possible.

It was the book I needed to read right now.  I wasn’t expecting it to be, but it was.  There were a few issues I had with it, but overall, I really enjoyed it and I thought it was rather refreshing compared to many YA books out there.  It certainly doesn’t follow the usual tropes.

The plot moved slowly, but steadily.  I was expecting more to happen at the beginning.  I really loved Liesl, or Elizabeth as she’s later called, and the journey she takes.  There’s a true sense of self growth. Her sister, Käthe, and brother, Josef, were great supporting characters for her and really shape who she is–until she meets the Goblin King.  The Goblin King. I wanted more of him.  We see glimpses of his back story and why he is the way he is, but in the end, his story is a bit unresolved.

In terms of categorizing this book, Liesl is 19/20 years old and some scenes are rather strong in subject matter for a YA.  I can see how they get away with it, but still.

That ending.  THAT ENDING.

That ending was the source of my destruction.  But, like I said, in the best possible way.  I kept expecting a different scenario to occur, but I was proven wrong in the end.

What I loved about this was it touched upon the idea that people come into our lives for a reason.  They change us and make us who we are — for better or worse.  I love that the author was brave enough to explore this when many often stray from that.  Sometimes a happy ending isn’t the type you wanted, but the type you needed.

I'd like to start this review with a story: I first saw Labyrinth sitting in my bunk bed on an Air Force Base in Afghanistan. One of my best friends on deployment was obsessed with the movie and was appalled that I'd never seen it! I remember sitting on my bed wondering what in the hell I was even looking at on my laptop screen. Still, something about Labyrinth hooked me. Even though the puppets are bizarre, the music is weird, and Sarah is annoying, the character of Jareth has always fascinated me. When I found out about Wintersong and realized that the Goblin King was going to get a romance, I had to have it!

Wintersong is unique because, while it is a retelling of the Goblin King and does sort of feel like Labyrinth, it is an entirely new story. The main character is Liesl and, instead of trying to rescue a baby brother, she is trying to rescue her sister Käthe. In order to retrieve her sister, Liesl must agree to marry the Goblin King and stay with him Underground. But of course, there wouldn't be much of a story if things didn't become a bit more complicated than a quick marriage.

Let me be clear, I loved every character in this book. Liesl is the ugly sister, the plain one who has only ever wanted to compose music. She's insecure and unsure of everything about herself and I identified with her so hard! I loved her unsteady strength and independence and her relationship with her siblings. But even more than I loved Liesl, I loved the Goblin King.

He remained mysterious all the way until the end, but I loved it. I have always had a thing for love interests who are a little hard to pin down and the Goblin King certainly kept his secrets. Although he has a distinct character apart from the Goblin King of the film, I pictured him as having (younger) Jareth traits and it made the reading experience that much more fun (for me, at least). His story did become more clear towards the end, but I feel like there is still a lot that could be learned about the Goblin King and I'm really hoping for another book!

I've seen some mixed opinions on the actual romance of Wintersong, but I have to say that I loved that too! The relationship between Liesl and the Goblin King was tense and a little angsty and their romance was definitely a slow burn. The Goblin King has his own past to contend with, while Liesl is trying to figure out what it is that she wants. I am not usually one to enjoy slow burn, angsty romance, but this one was sweet and perfect.

Although this is marketed as YA and the main character certainly fits that category, Wintersong didn't necessarily feel like a young adult book. The writing was heavy and lyrical and, while the romance isn't quite to the level of Sarah J. Maas, there were (thankfully) some bits that you might not find in a typical young adult book. I felt like Wintersong combined the best of both worlds. The ending of this book is also not as clean cut as you may be used to. I've seen that some people didn't love the way it wrapped up, but it definitely left me wanting more!

I expected to love Wintersong when I was granted a review copy (thank you, Netgalley!) and I was not disappointed. This is already at the top of my 2017 reads list and I am anticipating that it will stay in my top five. I honestly can't say anything negative! If you're a Labyrinth fan, this is definitely the book for you! Even if you've never seen Labyrinth, though, I think Wintersong is a book that any fantasy lover will enjoy.

I struggled with Wintersong. Most of it I really enjoyed--especially the first half. Liesl spends much of the first half of the book looking for her sister Kathe, finding her in the Underworld, and then figuring out a way to escape with her. The Goblin King is constantly making this difficult for her, but Liesl is determined to rescue her sister--she must do so. The pace of the first half of the book was fairly quick.

I had a hard time really liking Liesl in the beginning. She never chose herself. She was always looking at herself as less-than and therefore her needs and desire were less-than. Her entire focus is on taking care of others--but not herself. In order to make sure others are taken care of, she must deny herself. But by the second half of the book, she embraces her desires, her wants, her needs. Unfortunately, I still didn't like her that much. But I was still rooting for her.

The writing itself is beautiful. Despite the fact that you're in a fantasy world, it's easy to picture yourself there and to see what Liesl sees. You can understand much of what she's feeling and the pain. SPOILER ALERT!: When the Goblin King refuses Liesl's advances, I felt for her so much that I thought I was going to cry. Liesl doesn't understand--and neither did I completely--and she is hurt in so many ways that this is just one more thing he has done to her. Every time he refuses her, I felt her hurt.

One thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the romance between Liesl and the Goblin King. It was haphazard, confusing, and off and on. Her desire for him was intense within romance scenes, but then it would fade out and I couldn't tell if she wanted him because she wanted him, or if she wanted him because he broke her down--which she spoke of often. That's what really pulled me out of the romance. Every time they had intense romantic scenes, they were described in very rough and animalistic ways, which isn't a big deal to me. It was the afterward that brought me out of the story. Liesl spoke about how he broke her down. There were many references to his breaking her. In most cases I would not be okay with it, but knowing the rest of the story, maybe I can accept this? But can I?

The pacing is where I really wasn't happy. Like I said at the beginning, the first half of the book was well-paced. We're with Liesl and her sister when the Goblin King first appears in their fringes, we're with her as she tries to come to terms with the fact that her sister has been taken, when she has to fight her way to the Underworld. We're with her when she finally arrives and must navigate the confusing parties and goblin lore as she tries desperately to save her sister. Then she becomes the Goblin QUeen and everything just slows down. Not much happens besides the romance scene and playing music. I'm also not much of a musical person so a lot of what Liesl talks about in the way of composing sonatas was lost on me. It something I had to get through in order to get to the next part of the story where something else happened.

Overall, I enjoyed Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. It could have been paced a little quicker in the second half, but it was still good. If you're looking at this for younger readers, there is some pretty heavy sex scenes, a lot of talk about death (he is the king of the Underworld after all), and other themes that don't sit very well for younger audiences. I would say readers should be at the very least in high school--not a middle grade book.

***My review will go live at the link below on Feb 7th and I will cross post to Amazon and Goodreads.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones is exactly the sort of book you want to read on a deep, dark winter night while snow is falling steadily. Once I saw the cover and read the summary for this book, I could not resist reading it. I opened it up on my Kindle and as expected, the pages just kept turning and turning themselves until I had finished the book. Wintersong is quite a gorgeous read, and if you’re a fan of imagery I think you’re going to love it.

S. Jae-Jones’s Wintersong follows main character Liesl, a young woman who composes music and loves her family so deeply. Liesl opens the book hanging out in this part of the forest near her home called the Goblin Grove. There, she has promised a boy who is a little bit odd that she will marry him someday. The two play all the time and so, she thinks it is just a game.

Flash forward and Liesl and her family who own an inn are all aflutter. Dad’s friend is this famous musician and he’s come to audition Liesl’s little brother, Josef for an apprenticeship. This could pull their family out of poverty. Meanwhile, Liesl’s sister is about to marry Liesl’s crush, Hans. But then, her sister disappears and is pulled into the world of the Goblin King aka that boy that Liesl promised to marry. And so, it’s up to Liesl to save her sister and sacrifice herself instead.

Liesl makes an admirable protagonist for Wintersong. I mean, she’s not portrayed as a great beauty like her sister. However, she’s got value. She cares more for her family than herself. She loves her sister and brother with all her heart and will do whatever it takes to ensure their safety and happiness. Outside the realm of her family, Liesl has a gift for composition. So, of course this is an overture that we see again and again threaded throughout the story. Her music skills do come into play and have a good reason for being a part of Liesl’s character. I’ll leave it at that.

As for the romantic lead, the Goblin King is not really a whole lot like the Goblin King in Labyrinth, Jareth. He’s a bit more serious. He’s also not the first to take on the role of Goblin King. In fact, you might see him as a bit of a doomed character. Alas, it is up to Liesl to figure out just what his origin story is, while also falling in love with him. Meanwhile, she’s also trying desperately to figure out if there’s any way for her to live and reunite with her family.

Probably the single element besides the music that I liked best about Wintersong was the portrayal of family. Sure, Liesl’s family isn’t perfect. Her dad is an alcoholic. Her mom is, well, she tries, but she’s so practical. Liesl’s grandmother, Constanze gets the whole Goblin thing and tries to protect the family but because she’s old, the family ignores her. The bond between Liesl, Josef and their sister (I am blanking on her name, I think it’s Katya or something, ahhh) is strong. I mean, Liesl is the glue. So, when she disappears into the Goblin Grove and into the Goblin world, it makes sense that her siblings are trying their hardest to hang onto their memories of her and hopefully to save her as she has saved them over and over and over. I truly loved reading this bond.



I loved that the setting in this book was Austria while Mozart was around. Also, I am so so bad on years, but it’s not a time I often get to read about when reading historical fantasy. I loved that this world allows for the existence of people of color as well as gay people. The strong role of music within this book is also not something to be discounted, especially if you enjoy reading books with music as a main theme. I also really enjoyed the doomed feeling of the romance. I think if you’re looking for a darker sort of romance where it doesn’t wrap up so neatly, you’ll be into Wintersong.

Nineteen-year-old Elisabeth (Liesl) Vogler has always been the protector of her younger siblings Käthe and Josef. She helps out her parents in a Bavarian Inn. Although she is the oldest, Käthe is prettier. Liesl creates music with her brother but because she is a girl, it is frowned down upon. During an audition, Käthe is kidnapped.

Liesl plays by the Lord of Mischief's rules and tries to save Käthe but the The Goblin King makes it quite difficult. Through a labyrinth of rounds, Liesl tries to outsmart The Goblin King but finds out it's a lose-lose situation. In an exchange for Käthe's freedom and to save the world from eternal winter, Liesl makes the sacrifice to take Käthe's place. A life for a life. A hand in marriage. However, that's not the only thing Liesl sacrificed.

Liesl puts her family before her. Her sacrifice is for the greater good. Unlike her sister who is fickle and a dreamer, Liesl is quick thinking, determined and is selfless. The Goblin King is very mysterious. Although he cares fondly about Liesl, he doesn't play by any rules. He doesn't make any promises because after all he is the Lord of Mischief. He is a very interesting and complex character and I would love to know more about his backstory. Twig and Thistle are quite the pairing. Both are attendants of Liesl when she is in the Underworld. They are blunt but they mean well. However, you can never fully trust goblins.

Wintersong is a dark yet lyrical fantasy novel. It's beautifully written. S. Jae-Jones writes a novel showcasing the power of love, music, the soul and freewill. You can hear the transcendent music resonate throughout the novel. S. Jae-Jones does a fantastic job creating a world which reminds me a little a bit of the The Labyrinth, "Little Red Riding Hood" and the Greek myth about Persephone. German folklore of the "Der Erlkönig" is also woven into this novel. I can even hear "Mein Herr" from Cabaret.

Wintersong teeters on the cusp of being Young Adult and New Adult. I would suggest teens 16 years and older to pick up this novel due to the sexual content in this book. I found that Liesl lusted after The Goblin King throughout the book which I fond very awkward and slightly disturbing. She pines for him all the time and cannot refrain herself. The pacing of the novel slowed down toward the second half of the book.

Wintersong is exquisite in every sense and it's definitely a book to read slowly and savor. If you're looking for a quick read, you might want to skip this one. If you're a reader who loves gorgeously written prose, this is a book for you! I highly suggest this novel to those who are entranced by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Caraval and The Star-Touched Queen.

For a magical experience, listen to the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack when reading Wintersong. It will give you goosebumps!

Liesl grew up on tales of the Goblin King. Tales spun by her grandmother and built on an old system of beliefs Leisl's own parents have long snubbed.

But when Liesl's own sister is taken by the Goblin King himself, she realizes the tales are all too true. Now it's up to her to sacrifice everything to save her beloved sister. But how can she outwit the ultimate trickster, much less one intent on finding and keeping a bride?

S. Jae-Jones combines elements of Labyrinth and the Persephone myth in her masterfully unique debut. But she turns both on their heads, basing it in an actual historical setting - well an actual historical setting for the pieces that take place in the "real" world, that is. And it's pretty cool, as well. Steeped in historical Austrian culture and music, the story makes use of folklore with a definite David Bowie leaning.

Liesl is the daughter of husband and wife innkeepers/musicians. But her father has long given over his own talent in lieu of the bottom of a bottle. Now the family fame and fortune rests squarely on the shoulders of Liesl's little brother, who is set to audition for a musician of extraordinary talent.

But Liesl has her own musical aspirations. Aspirations she keeps under lock and key and secret from everyone except her brother. Her hidden talents are what the Goblin King thirsts after. As it turns out (we learn in the prologue but it takes Liesl some time to remember), Liesl has known the Goblin King since she was a child.

But the Goblin King is a trickster. Liesl is the one he wants, but takes her sister as bait.

The imagery in Wintersong is amazing! The Underworld is at once beautiful and creepy, as evidence by the far away vs close looks at the decorations in Liesl's own chambers there. And again, the Goblin King is a trickster. But he allows Liesl herself to see the truth of things, increasing the horrors of the world tenfold.

For someone who grew up watching Labyrinth, the idea of a sort of Labyrinth retelling is awesomely appealing, but with understandable reservations. Readers, I have to say that S. Jae-Jones does the world and the legend justice, all the while making it 100% her own!

Wintersong is chillingly cool with just the right blend of dark fantasy and steamy romance to appeal to a broad audience.

A beautiful, lyrical story full of music. It is at the core about love, self, griwth and sacrifice. I loved it and was sad when it ended. The writing built the varued places with great skill and each character is deep, full of flaws and strength.

At 60% into this book, it hit me: this story is remarkably similar to The Star-Touched Queen but with a thousand references to classical music thrown in. While neither of these things are inherently bad, I have to say I never had any intention of <i>rereading</i> The Star-Touched Queen, nor do I have much interest in music. This book was simply a bad fit for me.

3.5 stars

This book is a riddled tale that is both intriguing and convoluted. It is like climbing a mountain where you see the peak and when you get there, it isn't the summit and it is only the final pages where questions are answered and things mostly make sense.

The man without a name, Der Erlkönig, the Goblin King, is the star of this show. He's elusive, inviting, mean-spirited and a lost soul. The timelessness of his nature is rather confusing and I suspect my own words in this review are slightly confusing as a result. However, I constantly wanted to know more about him, how he came to be, why he wanted Elizabeth and what his role in the underworld and the world above was.

Elizabeth, Leisl was also a great character. The sensible young woman within her family, understated and brushed-over. Yet, she had caught the eye of Der Erlkönig. I longed for a life of satisfaction and blossoming for Elizabeth.

This book left me somewhat unsatisfied with a sense of lack of completion and many questions about what could have been and what could happen later. The story was a little too elusive in narrative but the characters were so well developed. I enjoyed this but I wanted more.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for an honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

When Liesl was a girl she would go to the Goblin Grove to dance and play with the Goblin King. She eventually grew up and stopped going, pushed those memories into a dark place in her mind, and went on with her life, forgetting all about it. But when her beautiful younger sister disappears, she knows exactly who took her and is determined to get her back. She is willing to give up her life, her family, and her music to return her sister. Even if it means becoming the Goblin King's bride.

I was originally ecstatic about the idea of this book. I grew up watching The Labyrinth and fell in love with that movie. I never saw the Goblin King with a romantic interest but I can sort of see the appeal as an adult. I was a little disappointed to see that this isn't so much a retelling as it is an entirely new and different story with the Goblin King at the core. It is very loosely based on The Labyrinth in that it has a Goblin King as well as that a sibling is stolen and Liesl must play the King's games to get her back.

I did enjoy that it was it's own story but in the back of my mind I hoped for something a bit more like the movie, with it's crazy maze and creepy creatures. I was hoping for fantasy and got mostly romance instead. In a way, I really did enjoy it but my expectations got in the way a little. The story revolved around music and romance and I wanted something a little different, I think.

I didn't entirely relate to the MC and found her back and forth emotions to be a little exhausting. She started out as a great character. She had a hobby that she kept semi-private (composing), a deep loyalty to her family, and a wish to see her talented little brother become famous. But then her entire character seemed to flip flop and she became this entirely new person. Who she was with the Goblin King was entirely different than the character we were introduced to, it seemed.

Likewise, I had a hard time with the Goblin King. His character seemed to fluctuate from the devious man we know the Goblin King to be, to this entirely different, innocent boy that spent most of his time in a chapel praying to God. More often than not, he didn't seem like the Goblin King at all and it was definitely not what I was expecting.

There were times when the 'magic' of the underground felt a bit like a dream and that reminded me of the movie but overall, this story seemed to revolve around Liesl's music, her emotions, and the odd relationship between her and the Goblin King.
I would recommend to go into this with no expectations or at least none connected to the movie The Labyrinth.

So beautifully written, captivating & enthralling. I have never been so enthralled by such a beautiful piece of work. I just loved it. Love love loved it.

A beautifully written novel with multi-dimensional characters, exploring bravery, confidence and the love of family and music.

I really enjoy the book and the cover to it. Thanks for letting me read it.

This book kept my interest through the whole thing. The story line is great. And i enjoyed the characters. I will recommend this book to patrons.

I stumbled back and forth on this one as to whether to give it a 4 or 5 star review. There are amazingly wonderful things in these pages, but there was one element that left me a little short. Since I read this in one sitting (and wasn't intending to), I'm hitting the 5-stars. Anything that can grab my undivided attention, and leave me reading long after bedtime, deserves it.

This story rubs elbows with several other tales: Der Earlkoenig (a German poem from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe), the Labyrinth, and Hades/Persephone. What I appreciated--and was not expecting--was the poetic, dark beauty in the writing. The descriptions are simply a treat. The author brings a cruel, lovely, sinister and alluring world to life through elegant depictions and writing. Not only the familiar human world comes to life, but the Underworld with all of its quirks and oddities gains clarity and lures in. In other words, it's not the lightest read.

The story has depth, not action. The pacing is steady and tense due to character depth, decisions, self-discovery and emotions. The main character, Liesl, does run into danger a few times, and although these do create angst, this is not the style which dominates the story. I believe this is a book readers will love or dislike, and much of that is based on whether the reader connects to Liesl or not. She is the center of the plot--how she comes to terms with the task, the world, the Goblin King and, mainly, herself. Everything rotates around her relationship/attitude to the Goblin King. So if she, as a character, falls flat for the reader, than the plot doesn't have much of a chance.

That's my biggest problem with this book as well. I did find Liesl intriguing and thoroughly enjoyed the masks and layers of the Goblin King. But there weren't as many layers to the plot. The first half of the book promises more intrigue as the Goblin King lays his trap. The side characters are present and have a stronger interaction in the tale, offering various possibilities and angles. The second half, however, switches to a concentration on Liesl and the Goblin King with only shadows of other players involved. Liesl has only one direction she can basically head toward, and this narrows the possibilities for surprising layers or unknown twists down, making the second half a little deeper and slower than the first.

I received this book as a Fantasy for young adults (YA), but it does not come across as a YA read. Not only is Liesl slightly over the border age wise, but her sights are set on goals more associated with new adults (NA). The topics, themes and her desires lean toward an older audience and don't fall into the main YA stream.

Summed up, this was a read which pulls into a creepily poetic, beautiful world. The Goblin King is as dark, layered and mysterious as promised, and his realm comes to life with all sorts of horrible creatures and details. It's eerie, alluring and tempting. Fans of fairy tale re-tellings, the Labyrinth and dark, mythological undertones should definitely pick this one up and dive in.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. I have a hard time getting into this book. The first 10% reminds me of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas because it's basically saying beware of the monsters.. do something to prevent it from coming.. putting salt around the house.. go into the woods.. etc.. then 17% into the book and all that music talk and virtuoso talks, I thought maybe the book is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera.. and then that Goblin King being a neighbor.. I find myself skipping through the narration and only reading the conversations.. even that.. I still find it hard to continue. I have decided not to read it further because I don't want to write a bad review and blast it all over the internet. This book is just not my cup of tea. How can they afraid of the Goblin King and do all that to prevent every year when he's a neighbor that Liesl plays with the whole time.

This story about goblins and music and romance has a good foundation, but I find it to be overwritten. What began as an engaging tale became exhausting 2/3 of the way through. Review from e-galley.

I ended up giving up on this because I couldn't get into it and it didn't seem like something my high school population would be interested in.