REVIEW: Shadowsong

Shadowsong
Author: S. Jae-Jones

I love the movie Labryinth, and I'm always up for a sequel, re-telling or anything in the kingdom of the Goblin King. Last year when I read the first book in this duology, Wintersong, I knew I would have a hard time waiting an entire year to find out how the story ends! I was so excited to read this book! After reading Shadowsong,  I had to wait a few days to gather thoughts to write my review. I found this book both riveting and disappointing. The story was not what I expected. I felt a bit let down after such a long wait. But, despite the tale being different from what I expected and wanted....it is still a good story.

This second book has very little to do with the Goblin King, and more to do with Liesl's mental illness. The writing is excellent, with vivid descriptiveness. But, when compared with the first book, it just fell short of the mark for me. It's almost like it's a completely different story. I loved the fairy tale quality of the first book, the magic and darkness of the Goblin Kingdom and the excitement of the story. Shadowsong leaves all of that behind and delves deep into Liesl and her madness. It's darker and more realistic, but I wasn't looking for realism. I wanted Liesel and her Goblin King. I wanted Labyrinth.

The story is enjoyable. The writing is excellent. The cover is gorgeous! But I feel a bit let down. Just being honest. I'm rating this book based on the story and writing....and minimizing my disappointment that it lacked the fairy tale quality I really wanted. On it's own, it's an interesting story about a girl dealing with mental illness, amid memories of magic and real family issues. But I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that the character I love the most figured into this story very little.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**