Witchling Wanderer: Yummy Goblin King + Almost Hades and Persephone Retelling

When you just know you're looking at one of your top ten books of the year. Wintersong was that beautiful for me...

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Add To Goodreads

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.

Thank you so much to Thomas Dunne for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Completely caught off guard with this story. I went right into it with no expectations since I have never seen Labyrinth and everyone says this is a retelling of that. But wow did I ever love this more than I thought I would!! It captivated my heart from the very beginning to end. A book I didn't know my heart has been desiring for a while since my reading slump.

Liesl is a character I just admired for always putting her family first before herself. Willing to even sacrifice herself. I really pitied her though. I felt like her family just used her and always left her behind. Not to mention the fact that she composes songs her younger brother plays and gets the attention for. And she gets no credit like she's some puppet behind the stage curtains.

The Goblin King is such mysterious person who we don't know much about. We get to see the fragile and kind side of him but we see a cunning and villainous side as well. His backstory is something that intrigued me a great deal and I feel like there's still much more I don't know about him. I'm oddly attracted to him.

I have to say that the music is a big central part of the story but I just had trouble connecting with it. I had trouble just getting past it even though I did really enjoy the story.

I really loved how this felt reminiscent of Hades and Persephone's retelling with a darker atmosphere (it is the Underworld after all) and I'm all for that type of romance!! It was hard waiting though because I just wanted Liesl to get herself straight to the underworld and share some swoony scenes with the goblin king!! I really appreciated all those not so PG-13 scenes they shared. And I may have tabbed them and reread them.

Those particular parts aren't exactly explicit but this is more mature than your usual YA book.

The writing was just so breathtakingly beautiful. This book is centered on the main character's passion for music so it makes sense that it sounded so lyrical. The author just has a way with words. I loved that it wasn't too complex and I could follow along without getting lost.

I think the way the story started was very solid and easy to jump into. Most of the times, I have trouble with the start of any novel but not this one. The middle is where it started to drag a little for me. But the pacing at the end was so quick and that's when I could no longer put the book down.

I stayed up late at night just to finish it and once I did, I had trouble falling asleep. How does someone move on after such an ending?! I need the next book NOW!!

Don't mind me while I go cry in a corner (literally crying here). I'm a little broken inside but I'm sure I'll live and dying to get my hands on the sequel.

Wintersong is definitely worth your while and you need to check it out. It is beautiful. It is enchanting. And you'll be left wanting more!! Especially with the way things ended.

I would highly recommend this!! S. Jae-Jones is definitely one to watch out for. I can't wait for any future novels she has in store for us.

5 Stars: It was completely captivating!!

S. Jae-Jones, called JJ, is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and the author of Wintersong, forthcoming from Thomas Dunne in February 2017.

Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, she lived in New York City for ten years before relocating down to Dixie, where she is comfortably growing fat on grits and barbecue. When not writing, she can be found rock-climbing, skydiving, taking photographs, drawing pictures, and dragging her dog on ridiculously long hikes.