Review: Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones

SHADOWSONG

Wintersong, #2

by S. Jae-Jones

Wednesday Books

YA Fantasy

384 pages

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. 

When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?

MY TIDBITS

I would highly recommend reading the first book in this duo, Wintersong, before diving into Shadowsong, since the characters and story build upon the events of the first story.

Liesl's life has gained a little bit of normality as she works with her family in the inn as they struggle to make ends meet. Still, she can't forget the Goblin King or totally break free from her memories of his world. Her grandmother isn't making things easier as she constantly warns of imbalance Liesl's escape has caused and the retribution which is bound to come in the form of a deadly hunt. Even Liesl's younger brother, Josef, has changed and the warm relationship between them has disappeared. But these troubles are only the beginning of the world falling down around her because the Goblin King and the old laws will have their sacrifice, and no one can stop them.

The first scenes ground into a past, peasant world and let the atmosphere of the inn as well as Liesl's family come to life. The author takes her time, letting everything unfold in a poetic way, which draws in and lets sights, sounds and feelings sink in. The dilemma is clear quick, and the sympathy for Liesl's situation pulls at the heart-strings, while allowing the darkness of the Goblin King's realm hang like an eerie shadow. It's beautiful but still tense, and holds this combination the entire way through the book.

And it's slow. This isn't an action packed, fast-paced novel but rather dances around an aching and shadow filled Liesl as she tries to fumble back into life but just isn't making it. Her pains are clear, the character deep and the constant sense of sadness and disappointment unrelenting. I'd lie if I said I didn't skim over pages. I did, and there were moments I felt a little lost and wondered where everything was headed. It's not as clear as in book one, the romance isn't there and even the danger is more a haunting, unclear threat than a clear reality. Like music, the entire thing almost floats around as if caught in a dream-state.

I missed the Goblin King and the Underworld. These were what made the story so intriguing in book one, and these were only brushed upon in this book. The sibling relationship to Josef appears to be the driving factor, but the Liesl and him never spend much time together, and when they do, it's a fleeting fight. The writing is beautiful, and the scenes amazing but the heart of the book. . .the driving plot is faint. Even the end—although I found myself engaged and reading every page with interest—left questions open. Thanks to the missing romance during the book, the last scenes didn't carry the punch they could have and felt like a rounding off to a tale without much impact.

This is one of those books which is going to go either way—you love it or you don't. Poetic, beautiful writing fans will be thrilled with every page, and Liesl's character depth and emotional developments stabs the heart the whole way. But actual happenings are slow in coming and the Goblin King exists as an aching memory more than an actual, dark, tempting character. As to danger. . .it's never really clear what it is, except that it's a constant threat, dark and unwanted. Whatever it may have been.

Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

WINTERSONG

by S. Jae-Jones

St. Martin's Griffin

YA Fantasy

448 pages

Coming. . .

February 7th, 2017!!!

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

MY TIDBITS

There are amazingly wonderful things in these pages--extremely amazing, but there was one larger element that left me feeling 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.

One thing that also stuck out to me (and I enjoyed this tremendously) was the very real, historical background at the beginning of the story. The atmosphere of Vienna, musicians, Mozart, the king's musical court...all of this is brought to life like a gentle fog. Although the book never visits these places completely, the roots are clear and give the story a nice, real base. The setting in Bavarian forests is also very realistic. And this glance at a true, historical reality adds a nice touch.

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.