S. Jae-Jones

The conclusion to the gorgeous and lush Wintersong duology. "A maze of beauty and darkness, of music and magic and glittering things, all tied together with exquisite writing. This is a world you will want to stay lost in."--Marie Lu, #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author.

A Novel

Shadowsong

Courtney

This is an amazing conclusion to the duology! I am beside myself in a melodic daydream replaying the writing and chapters of this masterpiece. It had such a folkloric feel with darker elements that are likely going to give me nightmares! I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review and I struggle to find the words to express how more than anything, this book made me feel. I was in suspense the entire time! I loved the ending and feel like we maybe could have seen a bit more there, but overall am going to be recommending this duology to everyone!

dija

Tragic. The author had all that build up, all that interesting lore in the first book and decided to do whatever this book was with it. I will pretend wintersong doesn't have a sequel.

Shay Henrion

This did not live up to my expectations AT ALL. Probably should have been 2 books, one about Josef ( honestly does anyone actually care about him?) and one about her return to the underground. Both felt rushed and like there was zero plot development. After the amazing writing in the first book, this just fell really flat and felt like a total copout.

Ages 14 - 18 years 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 Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can't forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her.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?

Livia

2.5

It took me one month. ONE. MONTH. And I finally finished it.

After the last book had me shooked, I kinda expected a lot from this book. But I have to say that this one is a let down. From the synopsis, I was expecting at least half the book is Liesl returning to the Underground and making things right. But for most of the book, she's just going from one place to another and I got confused as to what happened. The beginning is really, really boring and nothing significant happens. What did happen is the inner turmoil inside of Liesl, which I got bored of reading because she basically feels the same way throughout the whole book. 

And it's unfair how we almost didn't see Liesl and The Goblin King together until the very end, and even then I'm not really into it. Somehow. Which is disappointing because I love their relationship in the previous book.

And the ending is too easy and didn't really seems resolved enough. I still have so many questions but at the same time I have no more interest in knowing more.

I do like the complicated relationship Liesl and her brother has in this book, even though at times Liesl is being difficult and would refuse to talk.

Celeste Richardson

Actual rating: 2.4 stars, rounded up.

This was… fine. It wasn’t a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, but this sequel minimized the aspects I loved, like music, and expanded those I didn’t in Wintersong. It was so overly dramatic. Every character was struggling, but there was something about how each dealt with issues that bothered me deeply. Mostly because, for the majority of the novel, no one was actually dealing with anything. I understand that the author was portraying mental illness in various ways, but it didn’t evoke the same sympathies and emotion in me as other novels I’ve read dealing with similar issues. The first book was dramatic, but Shadowsong was a soap opera. I rounded up the rating because the writing is still gorgeous, and the world is still a delightful blend of lush and decayed.

Mary Rose Luksha

2.5 stars for minimal Goblin King but rated up because Jones’ prose is so damn beautiful.

this wasn't spectacular and i am not quite sure about some of the choices made, narratively speaking (for example, it felt like it barely featured the main romantic couple). still, i found it enjoyable enough and i liked the liesl and josef dynamic, i just wish the book had done more.

Steysha

Well, honestly, if the last chapters of this book were added to the first one, I think it would have been a wonderful story. Almost the whole book seemed inconsequential. There was no plot, only Liesl's woes and reasonings about common sense. The real events happened only in the last 10% of the book, while the remaining 90% lacked in content. Though I love author`s writing style and the atmosphere she creates, I think it would have been better, if Wintersong was a stand-alone.

Becky

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.

soph

what
even
why was there no josef-françois stuff here s.jae-jones you have a lot to answer for

Sheila Goicea

See this FULL review on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

1) Wintersong: ★★★★★

For anyone who has read (and loved...or disliked) Wintersong, be prepared, because this sequel is probably not what you are expecting. But trust me, if you allow yourself the opportunity, this book can sweep you away in a storm of folklore, complexity, and utter lyrical beauty all on its own. 

Just as I had written in my review for Wintersong, the writing in Shadowsong has a way of making me feel raw. These characters, Liesl, Josef, Kathe, the Goblin King, are utterly stripped of their complexity and bared for the entire world to see their soul. The writing quality has surpassed my expectations in this series and made me appreciate Jae-Jones as an author immensely. What I appreciate most is the risk she took to also bare her own soul within these characters.
Madness is a strange word. It encompasses any sort of behavior or thought pattern that deviates from the norm, not just mental illness. I, like Liesl, am a functioning member of society, but our mental illnesses make us mad. They make us arrogant, moody, selfish, and reckless, They make us destructive, to both ourselves and to those we love. We are not easy to love, Liesl and I, and I did not want to face that ugly truth.
In the author note, she also noted that there is content such as: self-harm, addiction, reckless behavior, and suicide ideation. These traits are shared among several members of the cast.
How can I go on when I am haunted by ghosts? I feel him, Sepp. I feel the Goblin King when I play, when I work on the Wedding Night Sonata. The touch of his hand upon my hair. The press of his lips against my cheek. The sound of his voice, whispering my name. There is madness in our bloodline.
Despite this fact, I think this was a wonderful read. I was utterly surprised by the complexity of this duology. From what I gathered in Wintersong, I did not foresee the path in which this plot would traverse. Shadowsong is a mix of retellings between Goblin Market, the story of Hades and Persephone, and the Wild Hunt. Majority of the time, the plot walks a narrow path, dipping toes in both the fantastical and reality, obscuring which is which. I believe the way in which this book is written is figurative to Liesl's experience as a character. Her constant battle between living in the "real world," yet, being enticed by the underground and back to her beloved is palpable. 
I who had grown up with my grandmother's stories, I who had been the Goblin King's bride and walked away knew better than anyone the consequences of crossing the old laws that governed life and death. What was real and what was false was as unreliable as memory, and I lived in the in-between spaces, between the pretty lie and the ugly truth. But I did not speak of it. Could not speak of it.
Liesl's fears and deliberations are not without merit. She knows, along with those that still hold to the Old Laws, that there are consequences for each and every action. The Old Laws must be appeased. By thwarting them, the Wild Hunt occurs, seeking souls to balance the scales. As the threat draws nearer, Liesl grows more erratic in her deliberations, trying to protect her sister Kathe, repair her relationship with her brother Josef, and learn to live with herself and accept who she is. Acceptance proves to be a main theme throughout this story. Each character struggles with acceptance of a certain truth in their life, but instead, try to ignore it by 
I was so focused on being Elisabeth, alone, I had not thought about what it meant to be Elisabeth, entire. And that meant embracing my past as well as uncertain future. I was so determined to not wallow in my misery that I made myself lonely; I pushed away memories and feelings and connections not only to the Goblin King, but myself. I had mourned, but I had not let myself grieve. I had not let myself feel. Don't think. Feel.
While I wish there had been more appearances from the Goblin King himself, I'm glad there wasn't. I think that after Liesl's experience in the underground required this sort of backlash in her character. Her transformation from the Goblin Queen back to Liesl required addressing. No matter how "romantic" her experience in the underground may have been, (although, it was definitely twisted) Liesl experienced much that required more attention. It is in Shadowsong where Liesl truly becomes a woman and owns each part of herself--whole and broken. That is the beauty of this story--learning to accept that we all have attributes, experiences, memories, and influences that make and break our character. It's how we deal with those points that define who we are. I couldn't help but feel forced to look inward and evaluate parts of myself I wished to ignore while traversing these pages. It also forced me to consider others and observing these same qualities that makeup people around me. 
"Who are you?" I whisper. He nods at me. You know who I am, Elisabeth. "You are the man with music in his soul," I tell him. "You are the one who showed me a way to myself when I was lost in the woods. My teacher, my playmate, my friend." I choke a little on the sobs rising from my throat. "You allowed me to forgive myself for being imperfect. For being a sinner. For being me." If my brother is my grace, then the Goblin King is my mercy.
As I said in my review of Wintersong, this book may not resonate with everyone. In fact, I'm certain it won't. It's not the typical YA/NA fantasy for today's era, and I'm so glad that it's not. It has potential to truly challenge its reader and forces them to evaluate more than just a fun, light-hearted plot with a shallow romance. No, Shadowsong has a lot to offer.

Vulgarity: Minimal! I only counted 3 words!
Sexual Content: Unlike Wintersong, there is very little regarding this area in this book. While Liesl does think about her times with the Goblin King, she doesn't go into explicit detail.
Violence: Moderate. Due to the nature and tone of this book, there are definitely some points (including the content warning listed by the author) that are not light topics for discussion. I still believe this is a New Adult Fantasy, and not quite appropriate for Young Adult readers.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Katie

What an abrupt decline from the first book. Still written in beautiful prose, but the plot was S E V E R E L Y lacking. meh all around.

Emily

DNF @24% I just cannot continue reading this. It's tedious and boring and I would like to leave my impression of this story with how Wintersong ended. Overall 1.5 stars for the characters being good and the writing being really pretty.

Alexis 

*I Received This as an ARC from NetGalley in Exchange for an Honest Review*

This was on my Anticipated List for 2018. I was not disappointed. It was Mystical and Intriguing as well a fantastic sequel. This picks up shortly after where we left off in Wintersong . There was a while there it got supper creepy, but I'm also a big baby. Also I'm still shook from that ending.

celeste

Well, this was bittersweet. I'm sad that this is the end of Liesl and The Goblin King's story, and I'm also sad because this wasn't everything I hoped it would be. It was a little bit disappointing, and the ending felt way too rushed, when more than half-way through this book nothing much seemed to have happened. Still, I think that SJJ's writing is some of the best I've seen in YA fantasy; the way she has with words is mesmerizing and she was able to create such an atmospheric story, which is why this duology is special to me. I wish we could have had more from The Goblin King in this sequel to be honest, but I guess it was a kind of satisfying ending to the story overall.

Samantha Bass

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

If I had just read Wintersong, I may not have thought much about this series. The first book was good, but a bit weird to me and I was hesitant to see what happened in book 2, but I was not disappointed! Shadowsong is not only more action packed, but beautifully written. I have always been a fan of German folklore and this story enthralled me. Liesl's escape from the Underground is exciting and creepy, but her story after she arrives back home is even more captivating and shocking. I was so anxious to find out The Goblin King's story and his name, but I did not expect what this book gave. 

I absolutely adored this book! To finally have Käthe, Josef, and Liesl together again not only added some drama but some well needed humor! I was intrigued by the new characters introduced, but I wish Jae-Jones went into the Countess' background more! I wanted to know her and her ancestor's history, but I never got the answers I was looking for. Although most of my other questions from Wintersong and from the beginning of the book were answered by the end!

All in all, this book was exciting, revealing, fun, and mysterious. So much better than Wintersong in my opinion, and I'm excited for everyone to read how S. Jae-Jones has grown as an author! I'm so thankful I was able to receive this book for review and I hope that everyone picks up this book and reads about Liesl's never-ending love for her family and for the Goblin King. You will not regret it!

everlinet

Honestly, I loved the first book much more! This was beautifully written, but it felt empty. There was a lot of description which I like, but lack of actions. It was happening mainly in characters head and what she felt inside. It was very emotional and pretty, but I still missed something more. The relationship between her and The goblin king was beautiful in the first book so I expected it will be more about them. I was a little bit disappointed. 
The message about love and importance of sacrifice is so important and deserves attention! 
Maybe the book should have been shorter. It had bigger potential I believe.

Heather Killeen

*sigh*
I love Jae-Jones writing style. It's lyrical and every line is full of emotion, but the overall plot of this book left me wanting. There was not enough at stake for most of the book, and the tension she so carefully built up in Wintersong was lost in this one. I am really sad because I absolutely loved Wintersong, but this one was just a mess. 

I really hope she writes more books though, because I want to read them.

Gabriela Roxana 

Well, to be fair, this was a pretty bad book.
To be even more fair, I am truly upset with this book. Angry. Heartbroken. It could have been beautiful. Could have been amazing. Oh well.

If there is one thing I kinda dislike with series is how one book "forces" you to read the sequel. By ending on a cliffhanger or leaving everything unsolved. Wintersong was such a book. Which would have been fine if this book would have actually continued the story. Instead, it took such a dissapointing turn.

The first book was magical. The love story between Liesl and the Goblin King was magical. I only wanted to read this book because I craved seeing them reunited and living happily ever after.

Oh, this book was a mess. The author tried so hard to change everything and make this sequel something brand new. To summarise the plot : it depicts Liesl's trial to reconcile with her brother that for no reason decided he can't stand her anymore. That's it. That's the whole plot. Yes, the author tried to lure me with historical aspects and beautiful writing (although imo, the writing was MUCH better in the first book). But it didn't change the fact that the purpose of this book felt like a pointless trial to make POOR SAD PITTIFUL Josefz forgive his sister (for not murdering him in his sleep, in my case).

Josefz is changed too. Sure, he was pretty annoying before as well, but at least he was also relatable. He becomes this selfish, bitter whiny monster for NO reason. Just imagine that he turns into a kind of Tamlin of Sarah J Mass'. Just imagine that everyone is gravitating around this little bastard that feels sooooooo soooo SAWWW sad. UGH. I wanted to strangle him all the time.

Sorry for the rant. But I am genuinely upset.
Overall, there were also beautiful things about this book. The way mental illness was presented made it feel very authentic and relatable. Liesl becomes even more loveable. And the reunion of her with the Goblin King truly was beautiful. But all these weren't enough to save this book from being such a complete let down.

Geneviève Rouleau

I absolutely looooved Wintersong, it read as the perfect dark and twisted fairytale. S. Jae-Jones has a beautiful, unique and captivating writing style. I loved the German inspired setting, as well as the whole haunted folklore aspect. So I was expecting to feel as entranced by its sequel. I was sorely disappointed 😥 The writing style was just as amazing, however I felt like the book had a very slow start (Wintersong did also, but I dunno why I loved it so much more??) I feel like the characters became complete opposites of how they were depicted in the first book. And I'm absolute trash for the dark Goblin King, but he was barely present in this story. Also, the author mentioned at the beginning of Shadowsong that her main character is explicitly showing signs of having a Bipolar disorder (which is honestly amazing in itself, as well all know how mental illnesses are still so taboo in today's society and literature). But if I hadn't read that special note, I never would've figured it out. So that disappointed me also. I was just expecting so much more!!! I'm sorry for dumping all my disappointment on you people, but please PLEASE read Wintersong. It is worth it and I'm sure you'd feel satisfied with the ending, even without reading Shadowsong. Thanks for making it so far into this long review😆🙌

Shadowsong A Novel

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