Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Jae-Jones follows up her best-selling debut, Wintersong (2017), with this introspective, ethereal sequel. Wintersong followed Liesl, a nineteenth-century Bavarian composer who journeyed to the Underground to rescue her sister, stolen away by goblins. There Liesl lost her own heart to the Goblin King. If the first book detailed the slow awakening of Liesl's passion and independence in the Underground, this second book is its mirror image: now Liesl must navigate the real world and her own worsening mental health as everything around her threatens to fall apart. Her violin virtuoso brother, Josef, has grown cold, his music lacking soul when he plays anything other than Liesl's composition Der Erlkönig. As Liesl struggles to reach him both physically and mentally, it becomes eerily clear that the Underground is encroaching on the real world, and that the Goblin King's choice to let Liesl go may have dire consequences on both their worlds. This neatly dodges some of the pacing problems that plagued its predecessor by shifts in perspective: Liesl's first-person narration gives way to third-person chapters from Josef's perspective and fable-like sections that illuminate more of the Goblin King's past. The all-consuming romance that dominated the first volume now takes a far backseat to Liesl's relationships with her siblings, her art, and her own mind. An elegant conclusion to a wholly original duology.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 19th-century Bavaria, Jae-Jones's debut tells the tale of 18-year-old Liesl Vogler, an innkeeper's daughter who dreams of being a famous composer but is resigned to a life of minding her siblings and helping her mother run the family business. When the Goblin King abducts Liesl's younger sister, Kathë, Liesl travels to the Underground and secures Kathë's release by agreeing to marry the King in her stead. Freed from her earthly responsibilities, Liesl can finally dedicate herself to her music, with the Goblin King serving as both collaborator and muse. But as she falls in love and finds her voice, the Underground begins to drain her life force, and soon Liesl is faced with difficult decisions. While Jae-Jones writes beautifully about the magic of love, the power of music, and the importance of free will, she gives short shrift to the more elementary aspects of her story. The plot meanders, the stakes are ill-defined, and the characters lack depth and verisimilitude, keeping the book from reaching its full potential. Ages 12-up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-This YA fantasy is a richly detailed journey through German folklore and 19th-century Europe. Often overshadowed by her musically talented brother and her beautiful sister, Liesl assists her parents in running the family's inn. When her sister, Käthe, is taken by goblins, Liesl makes a wager to secure her release and travels underground to the alluring Goblin King's world in an attempt to win freedom for both herself and Käthe. This fantasy debut is rife with intricate details and world-building, as well as the charged relationship between Liesl and the Goblin King. Fans of Gregory Maguire's Egg & Spoon or E.K. Johnston's A Thousand Nights will be drawn to the in-depth depictions of the goblins' realm. Others may find the story's length and its emphasis on description rather than action overwhelming. The slower pace allows for additional character development of Liesl, although Käthe and their younger brother, Josef, remain in the background. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger collections.-Jenni Frencham, Columbus Public Library, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Germanic legends and the Persephone myth blend with the Labyrinth film to deliver a torrid fantasy romance.When der Erlknig (or "Goblin King") ensnares a Bavarian innkeeper's daughter for his bride, her sister, Elisabeth, dares to rescue herand take her place. "Queer and strange and unlovely," Elisabeth devoted most of her 19 years to supporting her younger siblings. Now she can finally indulge her secret longings to compose musicand for the Goblin King himself. But at what cost? Elisabeth's first-person voice is all extreme passion: jealousy, self-loathing, frustration, rage, desire, rapture, and grief, expressed in lush prose that feels poetic in small doses but eventually becomes exhausting. Despite all the physical sensuality, it is the descriptions of music which are most compelling; perhaps because der Erlknig (an explicit David Bowie insert) remains shallow wish fulfilment, transforming from "austere young man" to mischievous playmate to rapacious lover to devoted swain, all with exquisite tortured angst. The remaining characters barely register; a hinted same-sex relationship between her brother and a black slave (seen as exotic in this white European setting) seems to serve mostly as a counterpoint to Elisabeth's romantic arc. Structured as a sonata, the final movement culminates in a bittersweet sacrifice that will leave readers either savoring the delicious tragedy or irked by the unresolved plot holes. Like fruit from the Goblin Market: luscious at first bite but ultimately overripe, cloying, and empty. (Fantasy. 14 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
