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WORK TITLE: Wintersong
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Jae-Jones, JJ
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://sjaejones.com/
CITY:
STATE: NC
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.publishingcrawl.com/author/sjaejones/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.:
n 2016034681
LCCN Permalink:
https://lccn.loc.gov/n2016034681
HEADING:
Jae-Jones, S.
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__ |a Wintersong, 2016: |b ECIP t.p. (S. Jae-Jones) data view (1st novel; she is a writer, and an artist; she studied soprano vocal performance, both operatic and musical)
PERSONAL
Born in Los Angeles, CA.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Artist and author.
Host of podcast, Pub(lishing) Crawl.
AVOCATIONS:Dressing up, skydiving.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
In addition to her work as an author, S. Jae-Jones has an extensive background in music, with a specialty in singing. Her experiences in the latter subject feature prominently—though indirectly—in her novel, Wintersong.
Wintersong focuses on Liesl, a young woman living in Bavaria. Her life is peaceful, filled with the self-written music she plays with her family and tall tales of myth and adventure. Liesl has become used to accepting reality over dreams. While her musical skills are great, she can’t pursue a professional life with them. Society restricts her by her sex, refusing her a place in the composing world because she is a woman. However, Liesl is soon forced to accept that the impossible is anything but once her beloved sister, Kathe, is held captive by goblins. Their King wants to marry Kathe, and it is up to Liesl to bring her back. To accomplish this goal, Liesl pays a personal visit to the Goblin King’s home. It is there that she strikes a deal with him: instead of marrying Kathe, he will instead marry Liesl, all in exchange for Kathe’s freedom. The wager turns out to be an unexpected blessing for Liesl. In the Goblin King’s realm, she is treated as an equal and able to pursue her dreams to her heart’s content and with all of the support she needs. While Liesl deprograms herself of the filial expectations her family and society place upon her and truly begins to focus on her own goals, she finds there are drawbacks. Soon she must settle on where her priorities truly lie: her music and passion, or her well being. In the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Kate Quealy-Gainer remarked that the author “writes beautifully about the magic of love, the power of music, and the importance of free will.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Wintersong “a torrid fantasy romance.” Booklist reviewer Maggie Reagan felt the book was “an exquisitely and lyrically crafted tale.” On the Smart Bitches Trashy Books blog, one writer commented: “The prose is beautiful, lyrical, and it seems to surround you.” She added: “This is definitely a book that drags you into it.” Lauren Wengrovitz, a contributor to the Young Folks website, wrote: “The world building in Wintersong is beautiful and encapsulating.” She also said: “S. Jae Jones has constructed a world filled with magic and secrets that is only enhanced by the lovely prose.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2016, Maggie Reagan, “Read-alikes: Music as a Weapon,” review of Wintersong, p. 54.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, January, 2017, Kate Quealy-Gainer, review of Wintersong, p. 218.
Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2016, review of Wintersong.
Publishers Weekly, November 28, 2016, review of Wintersong, p. 68.
ONLINE
Fantastic Fiction, https://www.fantasticfiction.com/ (August 30, 2017), summary of Shadowsong.
MacMillan, https://us.macmillan.com/ (August 30, 2017), author profile.
Rich in Color, http://richincolor.com/ (February 7, 2017), review of Wintersong.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (March 8, 2017), review of Wintersong.
TeenReads, http://www.teenreads.com/ (August 30, 2017), author profile.
YA Interrobang, http://www.yainterrobang.com/ (January 2, 2017), Alison Ng, “Music, Desire & Passion: S. Jae-Jones talks Wintersong.”
Young Folks, https://www.theyoungfolks.com/ (February 7, 2017), review of Wintersong.*
S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.
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YOU ARE AT:Home»Features»Author Features»Music, Desire & Passion: S. Jae-Jones talks WINTERSONG
Music, Desire & Passion: S. Jae-Jones talks WINTERSONG 0
BY ALISON NG ON JANUARY 2, 2017 AUTHOR FEATURES, FANTASY, FEATURES
“wintersong-by-s-jae-jonesDeath and the Maiden.” Mozart. “The Sound of Music.” Together, they became a part of the foundation of inspiration for Sarah Jae-Jone’s debut novel Wintersong.
“Inspiration tends to be more of a slow accretion of things,” said Jae-Jones, who goes by JJ. “We mythologize origin stories, but don’t talk about the work it takes to bring all your various sources of inspiration together into a book. We also don’t really talk about the moment we make the decision to actually write.”
Set to release in February 2017, Jae-Jones’ Wintersong has been highly anticipated by many in the book community. Liesl, a young woman who has set aside her dreams of becoming a composer in order to support her family. When Liesl’s sister Käthe is taken to the Underground world by goblins, Liesl follows. In order to free her sister, Liesl must give her own hand in marriage to the Goblin King and figure out how to save her own life.
“I had been working on a retelling of Mozart’s Magic Flute that was dead on the page,” said JJ. But she had started to sketch another story down and began to e-mail her friend and critique partner Marie Lu about it. “What I was really looking for from [Marie Lu] was permission to start writing. To abandon the Magic Flute retelling and work on this shiny new idea. She did, and one afternoon in October, between phone calls, I started writing the book that became Wintersong.”
When the work was submitted, the title was The Goblin King. The working title? “50 Shades of Labyrinth.”
“I like the idea of erotica, but don’t always find them executed to my taste. I think I might write one. I want to write one,” wrote Jae-Jones in her “Wintersong Wednesday: The Origin Story” blog post; if you haven’t gathered already, Wintersong is filled with steamy scenes, as the book was originally an adult title.
“I don’t think trimming down the sex scenes materially affects the story, although I will say that changing Wintersong from adult to YA did require a bit of a rewrite in terms of the context of the sex scenes,” said Jae-Jones. “YA is about firsts, about uncertainty, about navigating your own sexual agency, about coming to a better understanding of your desires and how to achieve them. … I do think Wintersong is a better book for having trimmed down the sex scenes, although I do feel a slight twinge of nostalgia when I think about the initial versions.”
While one major theme is Liesl’s discovery of her sexual desires, another is her love and need to compose music. But Liesl isn’t the only musical one in the novel. Both Liesel’s family and The Goblin King are musical, making music a major component of Wintersong.
Like Liesl, Jae-Jones’ family is pretty musical and music has been a part of her life since she was very young, and thanks to Jae-Jones’ beautiful prose, the music comes off the page, emotionally charging the reader.
“I think there is an inherent relationship between language and musicality: sound and rhythm, rhyme and alliteration,” said Jae-Jones. “At the same time, there is something about music that bypasses language to get at the heart of emotion and imagery on a visceral level, and it’s that visceral reaction that resonates with me.”
author-sarah-jae-jones
Author Sarah Jae-Jones. Courtesy of Sarah Jae-Jones.
And what does Liesl’s music sound like?
“A little strange, a little unpolished, a little atonal, almost like her voice is about to burst from the seams of a structured sonata or symphony.”
Wintersong releases on February 7. For more on Jae-Jones and Wintersong, please visit Jae-Jones’ website or follow her on Twitter.
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Alison Ng
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Alison Ng is your average 21-year-old in love with trying new things (especially if that new thing happens to be food). She attends college in NYC and works in the book publishing industry.
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Home > S Jae-Jones > Shadowsong
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<< Previous book book cover of Shadowsong Shadowsong (2018) (The second book in the Wintersong series) A novel by S Jae-Jones The conclusion to the gorgeous and lush Wintersong duology. 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? "A maze of beauty and darkness, of music and magic and glittering things, all tied together with exquisite writing. This is a world you will want to stay lost in." - Marie Lu, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Similar Books by other authors... thumb Hunted (Hunted, book 1) Meagan Spooner thumb Restore Me (Shatter Me, book 4) Tahereh Mafi thumb The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air, book 1) Holly Black thumb Tempests and Slaughter (Numair Chronicles, book 1) Tamora Pierce Used availability for S Jae-Jones's Shadowsong See all available used copies of this book at Abebooks UK or Abebooks US Hardback Editions February 2018 : USA Hardback thumb Title: Shadowsong (Wintersong) Author(s): S Jae-Jones ISBN: 1-250-12913-3 / 978-1-250-12913-0 (USA edition) Publisher: Wednesday Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA Kindle Editions February 2018 : USA, Canada Kindle edition thumb Title: Shadowsong (Wintersong) Author(s): S Jae-Jones Publisher: St. Martin's Press Availability: Amazon Amazon CA Genre Pages Science Fiction Fantasy Horror Urban Fantasy Paranormal Romance Young Adult Fantasy Mystery Thriller Historical Historical Mystery Cozy Mystery Western Romance Historical Romance Romantic Suspense Sagas Young Adult Romance General Fiction Literary Fiction Inspirational Young Adult Fiction Children's Fiction Search for © 1999 - 2017 Fantastic Fiction Questions? Comments? Corrections? Please email webmaster@fantasticfiction.com Privacy Policy About Fantastic Fiction Preferences
Biography
S. Jae-Jones
S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and the author of WINTERSONG (Thomas Dunne 2017). When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram and her blog.
S. Jae-Jones
Books by S. Jae-Jones
Wintersong
by S. Jae-Jones - Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
Dark, romantic and unforgettable, WINTERSONG is an enchanting coming-of-age story for fans of Labyrinth and Beauty and the Beast. Rich with music and magic, S. Jae-Jones's WINTERSONG will sweep you away into a world you won’t soon forget.
8/9/17, 10)54 AM
Print Marked Items
Wintersong
Kate Quealy-Gainer
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 70.5 (Jan. 2017): p218. From Book Review Index Plus.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Quealy-Gainer, Kate. "Wintersong." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Jan. 2017, p. 218+. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA484717417&it=r&asid=48317419a53c4740c8f685747482a757. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A484717417
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Wintersong
Publishers Weekly.
263.48 (Nov. 28, 2016): p68. From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Wintersong
S. Jae-Jones. St. Martin's/Dunne, $18.99 (448p) ISBN 978-1-250-07921-3
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, Kathe, Liesl travels to the Underground and secures Kathe'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.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Wintersong." Publishers Weekly, 28 Nov. 2016, p. 68. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA473149979&it=r&asid=5097ac2c9c89f9d463d2fac15f6a4a78. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A473149979
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Jae-Jones, S.: WINTERSONG
Kirkus Reviews.
(Nov. 15, 2016): From Book Review Index Plus. COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Jae-Jones, S. WINTERSONG Dunne/St. Martin's (Children's Fiction) $18.99 2, 7 ISBN: 978-1-250-07921-3
Germanic legends and the Persephone myth blend with the Labyrinth film to deliver a torrid fantasy romance.When der Erlkonig (or "Goblin King") ensnares a Bavarian innkeeper's daughter for his bride, her sister, Elisabeth, dares to rescue her--and 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 music...and 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 Erlkonig (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)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Jae-Jones, S.: WINTERSONG." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2016. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA469865771&it=r&asid=5980001a37f8d2f208b1a03912edb8d3. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A469865771
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Read-alikes: music as a weapon
Maggie Reagan
Booklist.
113.5 (Nov. 1, 2016): p54. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
From the siren songs of The Odyssey to the flute that Harry Potter uses to put a three-headed dog to sleep, those who harness music so often harness magic as well. S. Jae-Jones' stunning debut, Wintersong (review adjacent) is just the latest exploration of the ways in which music can be weaponized. Here, find more titles where music is a powerful force--for good and for evil.
All Our Pretty Songs. By Sarah McCarry. 2013. St. Martin's/Griffin, $19.99 (9781250040886). Gr. 9-12.
An enigmatic, nameless narrator and her best friend, Aurora, have known each other since birth. But when talented guitarist Jack comes into their lives, their differences come to a head, as Jack's music not only inspires the narrator but awakens something old and dark in the world.
Devil and the Bluebird. By Jennifer Mason-Black. 2016. Abrams/Amulet, $17.95 (9781419720000). Gr. 8-12.
When Blue's older sister, Cass, runs away, Blue takes a guitar to the crossroads and makes a deal with the devil, who takes her voice and gives her six months to find Cass before their souls are forfeit. Blue's ensuing journey across a southern-gothic backdrop leads to encounters with a wide array of people, and even though she's voiceless, music still holds sway.
Dotwav. By Mike A. Lancaster. 2016. Skyhorse/Sky Pony, $17.99 (9781510704046). Gr. 9-12.
Ani Lee, 15, is a proficient hacker. Joe Dyson, 17, is a chip-enhanced undercover operative for Britain's classified, crime-fighting youth initiative. The two are brought together by a malicious new musical movement called X-Core. Its jarring audio frequencies might have insidious motivations: alien life, government conspiracy, and a languid empire of mind-controlled teens.
A Song for Ella Grey. By David Almond. 2015. Delacorte, $16.99 (9780553533590). Gr. 9-12.
This heady, musically written retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice story, set in Northern England, highlights narrator Claire's closeness with her best friend, Ella, until ragtag musician Orpheus appears. His music attracts Ella, and Claire witnesses her friend's meteoric romance, her untimely death, and Orpheus' devastating failure to retrieve her.
A Song to Take the World Apart. By Zan Romanoff. 2016. Knopf, $17.99 (9781101938799). Gr. 9-12.
High-school sophomore Lorelai has been told all her life not to sing, but when she falls for guitar-playing Chris, music becomes a part of her life. Gradually, Lorelai begins to realize the true power of her voice as well as the eerie abilities she possesses. But she was warned against singing for a reason, and as she becomes more reckless with her voice, the consequences deepen.
This Savage Song. By Victoria Schwab. 2016. Greenwillow, $17.99 (9780062380852). Gr. 9-12.
In a not-so-distant future, Kate Harker lives in the monster-overrun city of Verity. There are three kinds of monsters,
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the rarest of which is the human-passing Sunai. Enter Sunai August, who steals the souls of sinners through music. There are definitive sides in Verity, and August and Kate are on opposite ones until chance throws them together and sends them down a startling path.
Reagan, Maggie
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "Read-alikes: music as a weapon." Booklist, 1 Nov. 2016, p. 54. PowerSearch,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471142918&it=r&asid=fc2c3524ca6471cc9ec031f837a93bd0. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471142918
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Wintersong
Maggie Reagan
Booklist.
113.5 (Nov. 1, 2016): p54. From Book Review Index Plus.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
* Wintersong. By S. Jae-Jones. Jan. 2017.448p. St. Martin's/Thomas Dunne, $18.99 (9781250079213). Gr. 9-12. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
In nineteenth-century Bavaria, the old legends still hold sway even as an era of enlightenment dawns. Liesl, oldest of three, has grown up on her grandmothers tales of goblins and beautiful maidens, although it is Liesl's sister, Kathe, who is the beautiful one. For Liesl, magic is the music she composes and plays with her violin-virtuoso brother, Josef. It's Josefs talents that will save the family, as Liesl, gifted composer though she may be, is only a woman. But when the Goblin King, austere and clever and strangely familiar, surfaces and steals Kathe away to be his bride, Liesl travels to the underground world to save her sister. When she comes face-to-face with the Goblin King himself, odd, unlovely Liesl and her odd, unlovely music are both woken in entirely new ways. But there are forces at play that she doesn't understand, and sacrifices to be made that she could never imagine. There are plenty of nods to Labyrinth, but atmospherically, this first novel is most similar to another debut: Robin McKinley's Beauty (1978). The plot sometimes stalls, overwhelmed by the language, but this is an exquisitely and lyrically crafted tale of longing, sibling loyalty, and the importance of women in a time when women were so often overlooked. Eerie, unsettling, and, above all, frill of music.--Maggie Reagan
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "Wintersong." Booklist, 1 Nov. 2016, p. 54. PowerSearch, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=GPS&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471142919&it=r&asid=039844f8256a9d0505b99c936428d10e. Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471142919
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BOOK REVIEW
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
by Amanda · Mar 8, 2017 at 3:00 am · View all 11 comments
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
Wintersong
by S. Jae-Jones
FEBRUARY 7, 2017 · THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS
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A-
GENRE: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
THEME: Retelling
This may be the hardest review I’ve ever had to write because there are just so many things trying to escape my mind at one time. My love of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones has been broadcasted on my Twitter and I even made a super delicious cocktail for it. The prose is beautiful, lyrical, and it seems to surrounded you. This is definitely a book that drags you into it. You won’t be able to stop reading it until your eyes start to cross and you find yourself reading the same sentence over and over.
However, I will issue a vague warning on how everything ends. There is a sequel, which comes out in 2018 (*sobbing*), so I hope you’re picking up what I’m putting down.
Before we can get into the super good stuff, here’s the basics. Wintersong takes places in historically set Bavaria (19th century, I believe). Elisabeth, or Liesl, is the oldest of three children and an innkeeper’s daughter. Her sister is the beautiful one, getting married to Liesl’s crush. Her brother is the talented one, training to becoming a master violinist. Elisabeth has a gift as well, the gift of composition, but because she’s a girl, her father scolds her for spending time on her musical creations instead of being responsible and helping with the care and running of their inn.
Elisabeth’s grandmother is rather superstitious and warns the girls about the Goblin King, which causes vague, childhood memories to surface in Elisabeth’s mind. As the veil between the Underground and the human world reaches its thinnest, Elisabeth’s sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King to be his bride. Elisabeth is tasked with trying to save her, but it’s a lose/lose game to be quite honest. Because hello…she’s dealing with the Goblin King.
I’m sure you’re picking up Labyrinth parallels.
David Bowie in tight pants tapping a riding crop on his foot
But if the possibility of some David Bowie fantasies doesn’t tempt you, Wintersong also has elements of:
The Phantom of the Opera
The Little Mermaid
Hades & Persephone
Beauty and the Beast
I feel a little bit like a very shouty man in an informercials. WE’VE GOT BROODING. MORE SEXUAL TENSION THAT YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT. ORDER TODAY AND WE’LL THROW IN A BONUS UGLY CRY FOR JUST THE COST OF EXTRA SHIPPING AND HANDLING.
While romance plays a large part of Elisabeth and the Goblin King’s relationship, Wintersong is more about Elisabeth coming into her own. When she enters the Underground, she’s unsure of herself and her talents. She’s so used to giving up her dreams for the sake of her siblings being able to pursue theirs that being selfish is foreign to her. But as she learns to embrace her musical gifts, her blunt honesty, and her femininity, there’s great satisfaction in seeing the Goblin King’s growing fear of this bold, blossoming woman. While I, of course, want a man to adore me, there’s a part of me that also wants to be found intimidating.
Charlize Theron saying the key to walking like an evil queen is to think about murder
The Goblin King is more than just the mischievous anti-hero that we’ve come to associate with David Bowie, tight pants, and that…codpiece. We come to learn that the Goblin King is just as trapped in the Underground as Elisabeth is, and it’s heartbreaking seeing him war with his exhaustion at playing this role. He is no longer a man. He’s a myth. The Goblin King’s true identity, who he was before he was king, remains a secret, but we get little glimpses of who he used to be. Elisabeth desperately wants to know the man, who can play the violin and often takes solace in the Underground’s chapel.
There were also times when I started humming “Tale As Old As Time” in my head.
He cleared his throat. “Are you—are you all right, my queen?”
So distant. So formal. He always called me my dear, said in that sarcastic tone of his, or else it was Elisabeth, always Elisabeth. He was the only one who called me that, and I wanted to be Elisabeth for him again.
“I am fine, thank you, mein Herr.” I matched his distance with my own. The chasm between us grew to twice its size. I ached to bridge it, but did not know how.
Beauty and the Beast dancing
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared…
Jae-Jones’ writing is so descriptive and entrancing. The goblins and the Underground are detailed with this mix of dark romanticism, a twisted glamour where nothing is as it seems. That said, because of the detail, the reading was dense at times. It’s like eating a rich meal. You love every bite, but you know you’re going to get sick if you gorge yourself on it. You have to slow down and savor.
But I was afraid. I had danced and feasted at the Goblin Ball, but this was something entirely different: wild, untamed, and feral. The Goblin Ball, hosted by the Goblin King, had had a veneer of civilized behavior overlaying its orgiastic abandonment, but there were no such niceties now. This was not hedonistic indulgence; this was savagery. I could smell blood—freshly spilled. It smelled of copper and iron and flesh. Twining, writhing shapes copulated in the corners of my vision, and I thought of the little objet d’art in my barrow room that depicted the nymph and the satyr. Music wailed on pipes and horns and catgut lutes—rude, rustic, without refinement. The goblin wine took the edges off my fear, but the chill of it still ran through my veins.
Music also plays a large part in the story in Elisabeth’s identity, in the dysfunction it causes between her and her family, in the growing attraction between Elisabeth and the Goblin King. But I am not musically inclined. I took band for one year in 6th grade, where I begrudgingly played the flute after being denied my choice of playing the alto sax. That’s the extent of my musical knowledge, so the jargon used to describe various elements of musical composition went right over my head.
As I mentioned before, there’s a sequel planned, and thank god, because the ending made me cry. Like shoulder-shaking, full on snot bubbles, crying. The ending is bittersweet, but it’s not the ending I was hoping for and there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. The continuation of Elisabeth and the Goblin King’s story (even if I do have to wait a year) was the only thing keeping me from going into a full blown book hangover.
Everything hurts and I'm dying gif
For those who love Labyrinth or any of the elements I mentioned above, please get this book. It’s whimsical, spellbinding, and full of things that will make fairy tale lovers squee. This is Jae-Jones’ debut novel and because of Wintersong, you can guarantee that I’ll be following her writing closely, whether it’s up and down the Escher staircase or knee-deep into the bog of eternal stench.
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Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
February 7, 2017
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INTERVIEW WITH S. JAE-JONES
Posted on 7 February, 2017 by Jessica
The tail end of winter is just about as perfect as any time to welcome the new YA fantasy Wintersong, available now! Today, we welcome author S. Jae-Jones (@sjaejones) to Rich in Color to talk about her debut book and more. Check out the interview below, and enter her giveaway for a copy of Wintersong!
The moment I read Wintersong’s synopsis, I was all about it: Sisters being there for each other, everything at stake, and otherworldy romance. What made you decide to write this specific story?
We like to mythologize origin stories—we like to think that there’s a flash of inspiration, or an entire story that comes to us in a dream. The honest truth is, Wintersong is an amalgamation of things that interest me: music, Mozart, Germanic fairy tales, the Erl-king myth, underworld stories, the movie Labyrinth, the poetry of Christina Rossetti, etc. At the same time, in many ways, the book came to me fully formed: Liesl just…showed up with two siblings, a mother, father, and irascible grandmother in tow. Writing the first draft of Wintersong was almost a journey of discovery—I was racing to finish in order to figure out what happens to Liesl, pulling all my influences in along the way.
Do you see anything of yourself in the heroine of Wintersong, Liesl, or any of the other characters? What were your main influences for the characters and story?
I’ve disclosed in my newsletter that there is a little bit of me in every character I write, but what I gave to Liesl were two things: my creative process, and my bipolar disorder. I think personality-wise, I’m the most like Käthe, Liesl’s sister. Like her, I’m shallow, frivolous, and vain, but also loyal. The character I love best is Thistle, a prickly goblin girl, who indulges in all the petty impulses I cannot.
According to your blog, Wintersong was your Nanowrimo project. Did you find it easy or hard to write Wintersong? Do you still do Nanowrimo?
I found it easy to write Wintersong, so easy that I find it incredibly suspicious. While I can write a decent number of words per day, I’m not a particularly fast writer, and the speed at which I wrote a first draft of Wintersong still astounds me. I wrote the first draft (100,000 words) in 59 days. Yet despite this, Wintersong was also hard to write in the same way all my other books are hard to write: I’m a pantser, which means I’m unable to see the big picture until I finish a draft. And because I’m a pantser, I’m never sure if I’m going to be able to finish a draft at all because I have no idea what I’m doing or where I’m going. I still do NaNoWriMo, but I am embarrassed to admit that the year I “won” for Wintersong remains the only year I’ve ever won.
If you had to name a theme song for Wintersong, what would it be?
Oh man, I have so many songs on several different playlists, but I suppose Coming Down by Halsey. It’s a little on the nose, perhaps, but appropriate.
Are you working on any new projects (new books, poetry, short stories)?
I am currently working on the sequel to Wintersong, which will be out in 2018. I am always writing something, but whether or not they’ll see the light of day remains to be seen.
Exciting! Finally, read any good books lately? And are there any upcoming new books that you’re excited about?
I read a collection of short stories by Ted Chiang over the holidays, which were amazing. His story “The Story of Your Life” was made into the film Arrival (which I also loved), and it’s thoughtful, beautiful, and heartbreaking. I’m not actually much for short stories at all, but I loved, loved, loved them all.
There are so many books I’m looking forward in 2017, it would be impossible to name them all! I’m super excited for Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Lemon and A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi, both of which I’ve read and think y’all will love.
Enter the giveaway below for a copy of Wintersong! The giveaway ends February 21st, and is open to USA mailing addresses. See terms and conditions for further details.
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7 COMMENTS ON “INTERVIEW WITH S. JAE-JONES”
AMY G
7 February, 2017 at 7:27 am •
Being a fantasy-reader, I’m always looking for books that break the mold when it comes to characters, story, and setting. And I have to say that S. Jae-Jones’ Wintersong hits on all of those points. The fact that I want to read more diversely also adds another important point, so I’m even more eager to read Wintersong.
(P.S. I’m hoping my husband got it for our anniversary today! :D)
RUMMANAH
7 February, 2017 at 7:34 am •
I’m curious to see how all of the author’s inspirations work together in her debut novel. Big props for her to include and discuss mental illness as well in a fantasy series, which isn’t seen too often.
COURTNEY H
9 February, 2017 at 11:03 am •
Because of the beautiful cover, genre and description.
KM
16 February, 2017 at 9:57 am •
I’ve heard so much about Wintersong, and I have to have to have to read it. 🙂
KIARA
16 February, 2017 at 8:46 pm •
I really can’t wait to read this book! It sound perfect! 😍
KIARA
16 February, 2017 at 8:49 pm •
Honestly, I can’t wait to read this book! I’m more than ready to read more Fantasy with marginalized voices as they MC.
BREANA M.
18 February, 2017 at 9:49 pm •
Wintersong just sounds like a great book. I really enjoy fantasy, and this one sounds kind of like Labyrinth so I was immediately interested in it.
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The Young Folks Blog Tour: WINTERSONG by S. Jae-Jones
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Blog Tour: WINTERSONG by S. Jae-Jones
LAUREN WENGROVITZFEBRUARY 7, 20170 0
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Today I’m excited to be taking part in the blog tour for Wintersong, a magical debut novel by S. Jae Jones.
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.
Elisabeth is one of three children. She often feels forgotten, coming in last behind her musical prodigy violinist brother, Josef, and her beautiful sister, Kathe. Liesl struggles to find her place in a world where her own musical talents are overlooked in favor of Josef’s and she doesn’t see a happy future for herself. When Kathe is taken by the Goblin King, a figure whom Liesl thought to be only a children’s story from her past, she journeys to the Underworld to save her. In order to save Kathe, Liesl must give herself up – her self, entire – to the Goblin King and become his Queen.
Things aren’t easy between Liesl and the Goblin King. It’s a relationship filled with secrets and presided over by magical forces. As Liesl discovers that she cares about the Goblin King –when she can see through his mischievous trickery – she has to decide whether she can truly stay with the Goblin King as his wife. Her decision has potentially serious ramifications for both goblins and humankind.
The world building in Wintersong is beautiful and encapsulating. S. Jae Jones has constructed a world filled with magic and secrets that is only enhanced by the lovely prose. Her detailed descriptions transport the reader to the Underworld where the unhappy Goblin King resides over his subjects. As Liesl spends more time with the Goblin King, the truth of how he became the Goblin King and the ramifications of her sacrifice become clear. For the first time, Liesl also has the freedom to express herself musically and she embraces that by working alongside the Goblin King, who originally fell in love with Liesl for her unrestrained musical passion.
I really enjoyed the way that music is woven into the story. It’s almost as if you can hear the music that Liesl is composing as her story gets told. Jones deserves credit for bringing music to life through the written word. While the relationship between Liesl and the Goblin King is a little insta-lovey, there are some beautifully written scenes between the two of them. The Goblin King’s aloofness is a little off-putting at times, but occasional glimpses of his true character help structure him as human.
The ending will leave you grasping for more. It’s not quite a cliffhanger, but it’s close. There is little sense of resolution as Liesl makes her decision. The good news is that there is a sequel in the works. Wintersong isn’t perfect but it is beautifully written and the enchanted world is worth some time exploring.
Rating: 8/10
About the Author
S. Jae-Jones (called JJ) is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and erstwhile editrix. When not obsessing over books, she can be found jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, co-hosting the Pub(lishing) Crawl podcast, or playing dress-up. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in North Carolina, as well as many other places on the internet, including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and her blog.
WINTERSONG: A Novel By S. Jae-Jones Published by St. Martin’s Griffin **On Sale February 7, 2017**
Find it on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads
Hardcover | $18.99 ISBN: 9781250079213 | Ebook ISBN: 9781466892040
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Lauren Wengrovitz
Lauren is a twenty-something currently living in Northern Virginia. She loves to read YA books and watch movie adaptations. Lauren is passionate about many things, but reading has always been a huge part of her life. Ever since she first learned to read, her parents have always had to pry books out of her hands when it’s time for other commitments. Lauren is always eager to try a new book, author, or series. She also loves music, Harry Potter, and the Washington Capitals. Follow her on Twitter: @LWengrovitz.
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