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Fight like a Girl

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Book review: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Publishing date: 7th February 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Retelling

Synopsis: 

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.  

Rating: 3 Stars

“The kiss is sweeter than sin and fiercer than temptation. I am not gentle, I am not kind; I am rough and wild and savage.”

When this book first came out in February 2017 I read a lot of positive reviews which raved about its beautiful story. Now that I finally read the book myself I can't say that I have the same opinion. When I started reading the book I was really confused by the first chapters because some events just seemed pretty weird described and I had the feeling the author just tried too hard to make things happening. In the first 100 pages so many events happened to help the world building which are necessary for the rest of the story but just seemed to be rushed. As soon as Liesl was held captive in the underground by the Goblin King I had the feeling that nothing happened anymore. I think the rest of the story really lacked some events.

There was also a lot of talk about music in this book which is perfectly fine, but for me, it was just too much. I don't know much about music and I never played an instrument so all the terms which were used to describe the music and the process of writing it did nothing for me. I didn't know what they meant and I mostly didn't care, so after a while, these parts just felt boring for me and I skipped some of them. Since they are a great part of the book it was a little bit sad that so many parts of the book felt wasted for me.

A great deal of the book focused on the romance between Liesl and the Goblin King. Like so many young adult romances this just felt wrong. The Goblin King is basically holding her sister captive and afterwards Liesl herself. But she just falls in love with him and emphasizes a lot how he helped her to be her true self. This relationship just gives off some huge Stockholm syndrome vibes in my opinion.

As you may have already read I can't use the term Erlkönig in connection with this book. This is mainly because as a native German I've spent a great deal of my school time with Goethe and his Erlkönig and I just felt that the character in this book couldn't be compared with this Erlkönig. The book constantly used this name to refer to the Goblin King and also some other German phrases and words were included in the book. What really bothered me about this is that they were so often used wrong. I think it is necessary for the author or publisher to check if they are used correctly and it is really not that hard to let some native German read and correct the book before publishing.

"I am the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground,' he said, mismatched eyes glinting. 'I am wildness and madness made flesh. You’re just a girl'—he smiled, and the tips of his teeth were sharp—'and I am the wolf in the woods."

I don't really want to give the impression that this book was awful because it was not. I really liked the general idea of the book, even if it is not original. I also enjoyed how dark and brutal it was. The goblins and the underground were fascinatingly described in their horribility. The writing and descriptions were beautifully written and often I had to read passages again just to realize how detailed and descriptive they were (in a really positive sense). I also really enjoyed the world building. The rules concerning the goblins and the mystery around the Goblin King really interested me and I would have hoped if they were much more included in the book.

I would have really liked if the story would have focused a little less on the relationship of Liels and the Goblin King and a little more on the rules under which the goblins have to life and the reason why the Goblin King is their ruler and they have to stay on the underground.

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Book review: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Publishing date: 21st February 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis: 

Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies. THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED... The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise. WHO WILL CRUMBLE? Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive? WHO WILL RISE? Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible. WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL? And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

Rating: 5 Stars 

I waited really long before I finally picked up this book, mainly because it is kinda huge with more than 600 pages, but also because I didn’t want this series to finish. I read the first book back in 2015 when it came out and loved it so much. For me this was fantasy on a whole other level and my first experience with the genre that doesn’t just follow some typical young adult clichés.  The second book was no exception to this feeling and I hoped that the third and final book would also hold up to my expectations.

And it did. This book was one of my best reads this year. It was thrilling and funny and beautifully written. I loved absolutely everything about it and had some tears in my eyes when it ended.

One thing that actually pretty impresses me every time I’m reading one Schwab’s books is her way with words. I really enjoy her writing style. It’s so interesting and I love the language of Red London and the explanations.

“Anoshe was a word for strangers in the street, and lovers between meetings, for parents and children, friends and family. It softened the blow of leaving. Eased the strain of parting. A careful nod to the certainty of today, the mystery of tomorrow. When a friend left, with little chance of seeing home, they said anoshe. When a loved one was dying, they said anoshe. When corpses were burned, bodies given back to the earth and souls to the stream, those left grieving said anoshe. Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.”

I was also sooo in love with all the different characters. I think they are all very unique and interesting and the combination of them was fantastic in this book. I really enjoyed the scenes from Holland’s past and how they are brought together in the end. I’m so happy that there were more scenes involving Holland together with the other characters.

I’m also pretty much in love with Kell and Lila’s relationship. I just loved everything about it in this book and they’re definitely one of my favourite otp’s of all time.

“Kell swept Lila up into his arms, amazed at her lightness. She took up so much space in the world—in his world—it was hard to imagine her being so slight. In his mind, she was made of stone.”

So many scenes in the book were also hilarious and funny. I liked how the characters interacted with each other. Especially Kell and Alucard, but also together as a group with Lila, Rhy and Holland. The relationships in this book were so fantastically described that I fell in love with every single combination.

“A low whistle behind him as Alucard appeared at the entrance. 'Picking out a gift?' asked the captain. 'No.' 'Good, then take this'. He dropped a ring into Kell's hand.  Kell frowned. 'I'm flattered, but I think you're asking the wrong brother.”

The different pov’s definitely helped a lot to understand each character more. The only character where this didn’t work for me was the queen. I just don’t think that I actually know anything about her after reading the book.

Th ending of the book was really emotional and I already miss all these fantastic characters. I just love them all so much. This was a pretty fantastic read and I can’t wait to finally read more books from Schwab.