Scan barcode
ollieoxnfree's review against another edition
3.0
It took me longer than I would have liked to get into this book. The first third felt somewhat disconnected from the rest. By the halfway point is when I started to enjoy the story. I love how there is so much dynamic to the plot and unanswered questions that lead into the second book. It felt like it was written from real old world lore!
zoe_424's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not exactly sure how to rate this book. I loved it. It was a slow burn and I loved trying to put together the pieces of this world as it was revealed to me.
marlellow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
Nnnnnnnope, I was really hoping I'd like it but the romance was just- nope. Keywords: fairytale set in Austria with music and magic, wintry setting and romance with the dark devil sort of person. Lots of stuff was done well but I just wasn't in the mood for it and I didn't want to keep reading a romance I hated... I still think it had potential though.
dweebess87's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
nathalyalvarez's review against another edition
3.0
Don't get me wrong, me gustó pero hay algo que no me convence sobre el libro. Tal vez la secuela me convenza un poquito que esté so I'm looking forward to it.
oxlabyrinthxo's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.
This book is one of those stories that changes you after you read it.
The book starts out with a young girl names Liesl who is friends with the Goblin King and as she grows up she forgets about him and her promise to marry him one day. Flash forward to 19 years later and Liesl is a dutiful daughter who has put her dreams aside for her family. She composes music only for her talented younger brother to play, and she dedicates her life to watching over her sister who is devastatingly beautiful and all the things she is not. Now yes there are obviously echos of the plot from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, which only makes me love it all the more.
Like the movie Labyrinth Liesl's sister gets taken by the goblins and she must journey to the Underground to save her, but unlike Sarah, Liesl did not wish her sister away. Käthe instead tastes the forbidden goblin fruit (in a beautiful reference to the poem The Goblin Market) and is trapped in the Underground.
Liesl does save her sister but instead she must remain with the Goblin King as his wife in order to save the world above from eternal winter. The longer she stays with the Goblin King she has come to love, the more of her spirit and life is taken from her. Liesl finds herself slowly wasting away and she must decide what is more important, love or her life.
Over all this novel was fascinating and I would definitely recommend it to all my fellow fantasy lovers. As I said after I finished this book I felt as if it had changed something within me. Similar to when I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I related to the character Liesl so well (as I did with Cath from Fangirl) that it opened old emotional wounds. But that is the great thing about books, you learn and grow from the characters that are so close to you that their stories hurt. I loved this book and desperately hope for a sequel.
This book is one of those stories that changes you after you read it.
The book starts out with a young girl names Liesl who is friends with the Goblin King and as she grows up she forgets about him and her promise to marry him one day. Flash forward to 19 years later and Liesl is a dutiful daughter who has put her dreams aside for her family. She composes music only for her talented younger brother to play, and she dedicates her life to watching over her sister who is devastatingly beautiful and all the things she is not. Now yes there are obviously echos of the plot from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, which only makes me love it all the more.
Like the movie Labyrinth Liesl's sister gets taken by the goblins and she must journey to the Underground to save her, but unlike Sarah, Liesl did not wish her sister away. Käthe instead tastes the forbidden goblin fruit (in a beautiful reference to the poem The Goblin Market) and is trapped in the Underground.
Liesl does save her sister but instead she must remain with the Goblin King as his wife in order to save the world above from eternal winter. The longer she stays with the Goblin King she has come to love, the more of her spirit and life is taken from her. Liesl finds herself slowly wasting away and she must decide what is more important, love or her life.
Over all this novel was fascinating and I would definitely recommend it to all my fellow fantasy lovers. As I said after I finished this book I felt as if it had changed something within me. Similar to when I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I related to the character Liesl so well (as I did with Cath from Fangirl) that it opened old emotional wounds. But that is the great thing about books, you learn and grow from the characters that are so close to you that their stories hurt. I loved this book and desperately hope for a sequel.
silvia_gio's review against another edition
1.0
Terrible. Imagine reading a fantasy instead you find yourself with a/an (awful) Labyrinth fanfiction seasoned with spicy embraces with the king of the goblins on duty. Bad and disappointing, from ALL points of view. Full of references to music, incomprehensible to anyone who has not left the conservatory. Not to mention the nonsense (elves drinking brandy. Seriously?!). Stereotypical characters, straight out of an ordinary Harmony (with all respect for Harmony; at least in that case the reader has exactly what he expects). Rejected (and personally NOT recomended).
mallikadesai's review against another edition
4.0
When I picked this book up, to be honest, I just picked it for its cover - attractive, mysterious, and the first decent book I could get my hands on. As I read this book, I discovered that not only the cover, but the writing was exquisite. Each page made me want to quote it. Here are some of my favorites:
“Love is the bridge that spans the world above and below, and keeps the wheel of life turning.”
“Life,” he said softly, “is more than flesh. Your body is a candle, your soul the flame. The longer I burn the candle...” He did not finish.
“A candle unused is nothing but wax and wick,” I said.“I would rather light the flame, knowing it will go out than sit forever in darkness.”
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/44394042-wintersong
My main reason for reading this book was its beautiful writing, which sounds sappy and was something I've never done, but trust me, its worth it. However the plot line was mystical, dimensional, and dark. The characters were of the likes that I have never heard before, and although I'm not sure I will read the sequel, it is a must read for avid readers. Wintersong "plucked my heartstrings" and I hope it will do the same to you.
By the way, I am not a huge fan of romance books but as I stated above - it is a must read.
“Love is the bridge that spans the world above and below, and keeps the wheel of life turning.”
“Life,” he said softly, “is more than flesh. Your body is a candle, your soul the flame. The longer I burn the candle...” He did not finish.
“A candle unused is nothing but wax and wick,” I said.“I would rather light the flame, knowing it will go out than sit forever in darkness.”
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/44394042-wintersong
My main reason for reading this book was its beautiful writing, which sounds sappy and was something I've never done, but trust me, its worth it. However the plot line was mystical, dimensional, and dark. The characters were of the likes that I have never heard before, and although I'm not sure I will read the sequel, it is a must read for avid readers. Wintersong "plucked my heartstrings" and I hope it will do the same to you.
By the way, I am not a huge fan of romance books but as I stated above - it is a must read.
smithrachaelynn's review against another edition
1.0
I just didn’t enjoy reading this at all. I thought about not finishing it a bunch of times. I finished it, but I never got into this book.