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Shadowsong A Novel Wintersong S JaeJones Books

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Shadowsong A Novel Wintersong S JaeJones Books

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

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: ★★★★★


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Shadowsong A Novel Wintersong S JaeJones Books Reviews

I couldn't wait for this book to be available. Immediately after I read Wintersong, I looked for a sequel, saw that it was coming soon, and pre-ordered it. When it was delivered into my content this week, I was thrilled! However, I am sorry to say that this was a mediocre follow up to Wintersong. The story feels disjointed and confusing, with chapters that move back and forth in time, and in between different characters' experiences, with little explanation or context. Many scenes and conversations are brief, unfulfilling, and anti-climactic, to the point of being frustrating. Finally, The Goblin King barely makes an appearance until the very end of the book, and even that reunion is abbreviated and disappointing! I am sorry to say that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this book.
"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!
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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 ★★★★★