Review: Shadowsong (Wintersong #2)

Shadowsong (Wintersong #2)
S. Jae Jones

Published By: Titan Books
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Date Read: January 26, 2020
Genre: YA - Retellings
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 390

From Goodreads:
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 Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can't forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her.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?

Wintersong was one of my favourite reads of 2017. I honestly loved it so much. Growing up I was a huge fan of the movie Labyrinth so to find a YA book based off the idea of The Goblin King I could not have been more excited and it didn't disappoint. I was at the same time ecstatic and terrified at the prospect of this sequel. Ecstatic because I wanted my happy ever after for Liesl and The Goblin King and terrified because what if it didn't live up to my expectations? Unfortunately, it was a case of the latter. I am completely heartbroken to be writing this review as I really didn't enjoy Shadowsong at all.

Shadowsong follows Liesl six months after she left the Underground and the Goblin King and she is trying desperately to further her and her brother's music careers. Honestly, this disappointed me so much. I wanted more of The Goblin King but I got a really somber, in-depth tale of Liesl battling with bipolar and it was more about her, her mental health and her brother, a character I had no emotional connection with at all, and it kind of forgot about the character we all fell in love with in the first book until the final 50 pages.

I wanted to love this book so, so much. But due to it following characters I didn't really like or care about the more I read the more I disliked this book and the more I grew bored and not wanting to finish it. I did finish it and I'm glad I did because I loved the final 50 pages and I got my ending that I was wanting... I just wish it had been added to the end of Wintersong rather than having it tacked on the end of what felt like a totally different story.

I think the author is incredible and she has a fantastic writing style. I also loved that she was brave enough to give her character a mental health condition that she herself lives with. That is such a personal thing to put out there for the world to read. However, I feel like the book became wholly focused on that mental health element and ignored the fantastical elements that are necessary in a fantasy book. That mental health coverage would have been perfect and I would have enjoyed every moment of that journey had it been in another book with other characters. I went into this book wanting to see the magic and romance between Liesl and The Goblin King and I just didn't get that.

I wish I could say I loved Shadowsong but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I am so, incredibly heartbroken at this considering how much I loved the first book but it just seemed like a totally different story and different feel than the first book. It's not one I would read again unfortunately.

"What our grandmother should have told you was that it isn't life that keeps the world turning. It's love."