Review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
“Her grandmother had told her to beware the wolves that prowled in the wood, but the little girl knew the little boy was not dangerous, even if he was the king of the goblins.”
Some links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase. For more info, please see my disclaimer.
The Basics
Title: Wintersong (Wintersong #1)
Author: S. Jae-Jones
Published: 2017
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books — St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 436
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, Low fantasy, Romance, Fantasy romance, Young adult, Young adult fantasy
Book Synopsis
Elisabeth grew up listening to her grandmother’s tales of the Goblin King and his realm, the Underground. As a child, she firmly believed in the stories and heeded her grandmother’s warnings about protecting herself on the last night of the year, the day on which the Goblin King is said to enter the mortal world and claim a woman as his bride. Once made Goblin Queen, the woman may never set foot again in the world above or risk condemning the earth to eternal winter.
A frightening story, to be sure, but just a story – or so Elisabeth, now fully grown, believes. But then the unthinkable happens: Elisabeth’s sister is captured by the Goblin King and taken to the Underground to become his queen. Now, Elisabeth must journey to the Underground and once there, find a way to save her sister without blighting the world. The Old Laws, however are clear: a life from above must be sacrificed to the Underground to ensure the arrival of spring.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A dark fairy tale with romance, unforgettable characters, and beautiful, lyrical writing.
Wow. It’s not often that a book leaves me speechless, but that is precisely what Wintersong has done. It is a hauntingly beautiful book with lush, lyrical writing and a dark, captivating story. Once you pick up this book, you will not want to put it down, so read it at your own risk. (Trust me, I blew through it in a little over a day.)
The star of Wintersong is Jae-Jones’ writing. Her poetic prose is a sensory experience. When she writes about a cool breeze, you can feel the chill in the air. When the protagonist, Elisabeth, is falling into confusion and despair, you feel every bit as uncertain and glum as she does. The lack of an omniscient narrator heightens this sense of immersion. The story is written in the first person from Elisabeth’s point of view, so we experience everything through her eyes. Our knowledge is limited to what she knows, so we are as much in the dark as she is with regard to what will happen next. This creates a pervasive sense of unease and suspense, which in addition to keeping you turning the pages, adds to the overall eerie feel of the story.
The plot, much like the writing, is mesmerizing. A cross between the 80s movie Labyrinth and the Hades and Persephone myth, the story reads like a dark fairy tale. There is a maiden and a Goblin King, but neither is as they seem. Both individuals are multi-faceted and flawed, and their relationship is equally complex. Is the Goblin King Elisabeth’s captor and foe or lover and friend – or both? The only thing that is certain is that there is a palpable chemistry between the two of them. There is a sensual undercurrent to all of their interactions. As you read, you cannot help but wonder what path their relationship will take.
Jae-Jones has also done a phenomenal job of crafting the folklore upon which the story depends. Constanze’s tales about the Goblin King and Underground sound like something straight out of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Her detailed descriptions of the Underground bring the realm to life. As I read the book, I could easily imagine myself walking through the dark, dirt corridors of the Goblin King’s world.
Lastly, I enjoyed the central role of music in this book. Music is used to convey the characters’ emotions, as well as set the mood for a scene. In many ways, the story itself is like Elisabeth’s sonata: solemn, joyful, and not yet finished.
The not so good
I got nothing.
Overall
Wintersong might be one of my first reads of 2021, but I reckon it will be one of my favorite reads of the year. So, what are you waiting for? Find yourself a copy of this book and start reading it.
Have you read Wintersong? If so, let me know what you thought of the book in the comments section below!
