Magical and mysterious - Shadowsong ARC Review

*Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley in exchange for review consideration. This does in no way affect my opinion, and all thoughts expressed in this review are unbiased and my own.*

Title: Shadowsong

Series: Wintersong #2

Author: S. Jae-Jones

My rating: 4 hearts

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pub. date: February 6th 2018

Publisher: Wednesday Books

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 Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her.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

Wintersong was one of my favourite reads of 2017, so I had really high expectations of Shadowsong. And I was actually a bit disappointed. Okay, I really liked this book. I enjoyed reading it. I love the magic in this duology, and I like Liesl, too. And I liked the changes in her. And I need to acknowledge the author’s note in the beginning of the book. I know a lot of people has already talked about this, but it’s just great that she included a trigger warning. But the plot was a bit slower than in the first book, and I would’ve liked a bit more action in it.

I really like Liesl.

I actually liked her better than in Wintersong. I was a bit annoyed by all the heartache and hopelessness, but I like her. She’s interesting to read about, and I liked how the author portrayed her. She feels realistic.

I missed the Goblin King!

In the first book, the Goblin King was what made the entire book go from ‘good’ to ‘amazing’. I liked the mystery he added to everything, and okay, I just love the Goblin King. Simple as that. I love him. And I really missed him in this book. And the romance. I would’ve really loved to see some more of that, too. I found their romance so interesting and different, and absolutely loved it. I really wish there would’ve been more romance in this book.

The plot was a bit slow.

The first half of the book was really slow, and I just kept waiting for something to happen. I felt like the plot didn’t really start up until after half the book, but once it started, the mystery and magic was amazing. I just needed to know what was going on, so I think the second half made up for the first slow part.

I love the magic and settings!

This book has so many interesting settings. First the small town Liesl lives in, then Vienna and finally another, very mysterious setting that you’ll have to read the book to find out more about *wink wink*. I loved how different all the settings were, it made the book feel more alive and interesting. And the descriptions are amazing and vivid. Plus, I love the magic in this series, it’s so different and unique and interesting to read about!

Overall, it was a good read. The mystery is great, and I like the characters. It was a little slow at first, but it’s worth sticking it out, because it gets so much better, and the second half is great! I would recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, especially if you want something original and unique.