This review was written by: C
Received: Checked out from Library
Date of Publication: February 2017
Pages: 436 (Hardcover)
Stars: 3.75/5
Official Summary:
Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.
All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.
But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.
Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.
My Thoughts:
“This was the Goblin King. The abductor of maidens, the punisher of misdeeds, the Lord of Mischief and the Underground.”
~Elizabeth
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't picked up this book solely because the summary reminded me of Labyrinth. In fact, I have never come across a book before that even mentioned the Goblin King (aside from perhaps a few that referred to him as a creature that was more fairy-like and held the position of king of the fairies), but when I saw the previously mentioned movie, I thought that the concept was magical and strange. So you can imagine my excitement when I chanced upon a book focusing on the Goblin King or Erlkönig. The idea is fascinating, and I wanted to find out how S. Jae-Jones took the mythology of such a figure and wove it into an enticing tale.
Wintersong's female protagonist is Elizabeth, eldest daughter and child of innkeepers. Her father was once renowned for his musical abilities and her mother for her beauty and voice. Out of all of her siblings, Elizabeth seems to have the fewest prospects in life. Käthe has her beauty and way with men, Josef expertly plays the violin, and Elizabeth lacks physical beauty and a father who will not allow her musical talents to flourish (simply because she was born female). Thus, Elizabeth feels lost in life, and often only sees herself as a caretaker for Josef, whom she composes for.
One day, Elizabeth's sister is stolen by the Goblin King in order for him to attain the one person he truly wants -- Elizabeth. They once played together as children in the Goblin Grove, but her childhood memories of this boy have been long forgotten. Nonetheless, she chooses to give herself to the Goblin King for the love of her sister and to protect the world above from an eternal winter. Once the ceremony is complete, their marriage must be consummated, but the Goblin King refuses her, claiming that he wants all of her, not just a few pieces:
“There is music in your soul. A wild and untamed sort of music that speaks to me. It defies all the rules and laws you humans set upon it. It grows from inside you, and I have a wish to set that music free.”
~The Goblin King
This brings us to an interesting topic. First of all, Elizabeth often mentions that she is quite ugly in regards of what is defined as beautiful. She envies her younger sister, who possesses immense physical beauty and understands how her body affects those around her, especially men. In fact, she often mentions it in the beginning of the book:
“What I wouldn’t give to be the object of someone’s desire, just for one moment. What I wouldn’t give to taste that fruit, that heady sweetness, of being wanted. I wanted. I wanted what Käthe took for granted. I wanted wantonness.”
~Elizabeth
She also learns that Erlkönig's previous brides were all physically beautiful. What's interesting, though, is that the goblins in the market mention this:
“That one,” the merchant said, pointing to Käthe, “burns like kindling. All flash, and no real heat. But you,” he said. “You smolder, mistress. There is a fire burning within you, but it is a slow burn. It shimmers with heat, waiting only for a breath to fan it to life.”
This is a particularly fascinating passage when even the Goblin King mentions that she is physically unattractive, but he explains that she possesses something that is far more beautiful and unique -- her soul. I thought that it was a perfect choice for Jae-Jones to make Elizabeth physically unappealing. The author doesn't go into great detail as to what Elizabeth looks like and Liesl often mentions that she knows she is not the "apple" of anyone's eye back home. However, her beautiful soul is something that is far more valuable and amazing than her outward appearance, and I love the fact that this is the reason as to why the Goblin King fell in love with her. Her music is a reflection of her soul and deepest emotions, and he fell for a talent and intangible aspect of Liesl that few acknowledged. You don't really see this in many YA novels of today, as the protagonists are usually attractive and this results in an attractive love interest. In the end, this love seemed far more sincere, wholesome, and real.
Jae-Jones also has an amazing writing style. The book was truly a work of art in this sense. In fact, it was pure poetry. Just read this:
“You are a man with music in his soul. You are capricious, contrary, contradictory. You delight in childish games, and delight even more in winning. For a man of such intense piety, you are surprisingly petty. You are a gentleman, a virtuoso, a scholar, and a martyr, and of those masks, I like the martyr least of all. You are austere, you are pompous, you are pretentious, you are foolish.”
~Elizabeth
As you can see, Jae-Jones doesn't just have a way with words, she's capable of truly portraying what's on a character's mind. The emotions are tangible and brought forth with such vigor. The characters were emotionally complex, well thought-out, and I just adored the chemistry between Elizabeth and Erlkönig. Most of all, I loved experiencing all aspects of the main characters, including their sadness, joy, anger, beauty, and darkness.
There were only a few things that I was disappointed in with this book, one being the origin of Erlkönig. The Goblin King mentions a story of how this being came into existence, but there's a bit of confusion as to who the original Goblin King was or how the power passes from one to another. I believe this ambiguity was intentional, but the Goblin King himself often insists that the Goblin King always was and always will be. Thus, even though it seems as if multiple people possessed the mantle of Goblin King, Erlkönig acts as if it has only been one entity.
The second confusing aspect was the explanation of how changelings come into existence. A few exist in the Underground, but their origins are mysterious and the goblins don't like them very much. There seem to be various ways in which they can come into existence, but the poetic explanation didn't come across very clearly.
Lastly, most of the book takes place in the Underground, so there isn't much change in setting. Although the Underground is interesting in some ways, it can become doldrum after a while, especially when Elizabeth spends so much time in the same rooms. Also, I felt that the entire consummation arc of the story drug on quite a bit. It seemed as if sleeping with the Goblin King was validation of being truly loved by someone and she just seemed to pine a little too much for this event to finally occur. It's also revealed that the consummation is the beginning of Elizabeth's end. Thus, her life begins to feed the Underground and allow spring to return. It was just a little strange that they referred to the consummation and further visits to the Goblin King's bed as "lighting a candle." Maybe it was just a euphemism I could have lived without:
“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.”
Overall, I would definitely recommend Wintersong. I have never come across anything quite like it before and it's definitely a work of art. I also can't wait to see what Jae-Jones does with the next installment.
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