Song of Trails

The Singer Tales #5

by Deborah Grace White

Gisela and her brother have been lost in the woods for years…that doesn’t mean they want to be found

Gisela has had one purpose since she was seven—to protect her little brother Haiden. Abandoned by their parents, he’s vulnerable to anyone who would exploit his singing ability. If they stay hidden deep enough, they might also outrun the terrible prophecy the elf princess spoke over Haiden as a child—the one that destroyed everything.

Crown Prince Otto has little experience of the forest, but he’s determined to do a good job of the task his father set him—to save the Forest of Ilgal from the wild magic overwhelming it. Except the deeper into the forest he goes, the more he realizes how little he knows of Ilgal. The elves seem to be at the heart of the mysteries—if only he could reach them in their sequestered forest city.

When Gisela and Otto cross paths, both of their courses are changed forever. Otto finds himself drawn to the reserved forest girl, in spite of the secrets she clearly harbors. And it takes everything Gisela has to remember that however honest he might seem, the prince is the last person she should trust. Especially when dark rumors are growing and singers are disappearing. And worst of all is the fear growing in Gisela—that the chance connection with the prince will force her to choose between protecting her brother and saving her kingdom.

Song of Trails is the fifth installment in The Singer Tales, a series of interconnected standalone novels set on the continent of Providore, where magic is harnessed by singers. Each story follows a different heroine navigating everything from miniature elves to brutish giants as she chases her own happily ever after. If you enjoy strong heroines, clean romance, and fantasy worlds with a dash of intrigue, discover the world of The Singer Tales today.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Retellings, Fairy Tales

426 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2023

About the author

Deborah Grace White was more or less born reading. She grew up on a wide range of books, from classic literature to light-hearted romps. Her love of fantasy was inevitable from the time her father read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy to her and her siblings when she was four years old.

The love of reading has traveled with her unchanged across multiple continents, and carried her from her own childhood all the way to having children of her own.

But if reading is like looking through a window into a magical and beautiful world, beginning to write her own stories was like discovering she could open that window and climb right out into fantasyland.

Now she gets to live that childhood dream amidst the fun and chaos of life with her husband and their four kids.

Visit Deborah at her website: http://deborahgracewhite.com
Or follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DeborahGrace...
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Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ✨ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling


I enjoyed so many aspects of this story! I knew I would really like Otto after seeing him in the prior book in the series, but I also really liked Gisela and her brother, Haiden. (Which I’m very excited to read his story as soon as I finish the sixth book in this series.) Otto made the book for me, but I was also invested in it for the mystery of what’s happening in the forest, the sibling dynamic, and also the bonus romance and banter of Monty and Valerie. Otto is one of the best crown princes I’ve read about out of all the books I’ve read; he cares about his country but is also just so lovable!

I’ve read a lot of fairytale retellings lately, quite a few that have to do with adventures and romps through a magical forest, but I would say this was my favorite one of out them all. Second favorite in the series so far, after the third book.



Main Content-
Pretty magic heavy despite the main characters not being magic users (called Singers in this world) because of Gisela’s brother being one and trying to protect him & Otto is trying to help solve the magic crisis of the forest; Magic is used by others, discussed and mentioned often, & the main characters see and experience it (including positivity like starting a fire and finding the right path to take and even healing someone’s injury & negatively with being threatened and tied-up); The forest is able to change its paths deeper into the forest Elves are frequently mentioned, discussed, & seen throughout this book; Giants are also mentioned; Elves are able to mine magic from the land and Singers are able to use/control magic if trained; Talismans are used by non-Singer humans and Elves which are objects that can hold magic for a special reason; Elves has gates throughout the forest that can take anyone who passes through them to another part of the forest; Elf royalty have a power in their blood that can tell the future (prophecy) or at least “tell things others can’t see”; Elves do bargains and are sealed with magic, if one part of those who do the bargain (Elf or human) do not keep their word, there are serious consequences (including possibly death); Haiden received a prophecy from an elf and the fear of it coming true has haunted both him and Gisela; Gisela believes that Haiden’s singing is a gift and shouldn’t be hidden or ashamed of it.

Mentions of Singers being hunted or exploited for their magic ability; Mentions of a land where the magic has become so wild, it’s deadly for humans to step on the land (Book 1); A few mentions of magically-enhanced animals (Book 4); A couple mentions of it being almost sacrilegious for some people to leave their home/area.


No language stronger than ‘blasted’, ‘stupid’, and ‘heavens’; Eye rolling & Sarcasm.

*Spoilers from Prologue, about child abandonment* After their mother realizes that Haiden is a Singer (which her ancestors have been incredibly harsh towards because of a past war), she tries to abandon him in the forest; Their father realizes what is happening and makes Gisela promise to alway protect her brother “even with people you think you can trust” and tries to find them each time his wife attempts to abandon them and is upset with the mom; *Later Spoilers* Gisela and Haiden realize eventually what is happening and decide to leave home a few years later; This majorly hurt both of them and Haiden makes negative comments about their mother because of her actions; They run into their father later who says he looked for them but realized that they had planned to leave and looked after his wife instead because she wouldn’t have cared as well without him; *Major Spoilers* When the siblings accidentally/surprisingly meet their mom, Gisela recalls that she learned enough to know that her mother’s beliefs were that she was doing the right thing because of the prophecy; Their mother is also a Singer who had tampered down her abilities and ended up cursing her children; The siblings share some harsh comments to their mother because of her past actions, but at the very end, Gisela invited them to her wedding as a step forward because both parents want to make amends *End of Spoilers*.

Seeing two deaths & someone else stabbed (barely-above-not-detailed); Fighting, Being attacked by others and by animals, Near deaths, Being held at knife-point, Being kidnapped and tied-up, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to a handful of sentences).

Mentions of wars, fighting, a prison, people being kidnapped, threats of death and harm of loved ones, murders, & prejudices; Mentions of attacks, animal attacks, injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, & passing out (up to a few sentences); Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of rumors/gossip; Mentions of hunting & animals caught for food; A couple mentions of deaths of parents; A mention of relieving one’s self.


1 fingers to lips touch,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Nearness, & Noticing (up to a few sentences).

Seeing a couple kiss (two sentences);
A side character (Monty) often flirts with a girl on the trip (Valerie).

A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of flirting; A few mentions of of knights/guards trying to show off their manliness in front of a young woman; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of kisses & seeing a couple kiss; A couple mentions of an elf woman hurrying to produce an heir and bypassing the formalities that her royal status should have had.

[Viola Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I love a series that can tie so many beloved characters together. And I really enjoyed that this book had a completely different setting in the same kingdom. The singular adventure in the forest was a little different than the other books and I enjoyed that.

As usual, we get flawed but mature characters, good communication, and clear good v. evil (unless you're an elf, I guess). Wonderfully done.

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really neat retelling of Hansel and Gretel that actually deals with the trauma and abandonment the children would feel. I really loved the sweet romance in this one, and Otto was my favorite! He's so adorable and sweet and sincere! This series is building toward a big reveal (even though each book is fully standalone), and I can't WAIT for the next book!

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Deborah Grace White's Sacrificed Hearts book, Island of Secrets and Sacrifice, I decided to check out Haiden's origin story in the Singer Tales after reading most of the other books in the series. Song of Trails is a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel" set in the world of the Singer Tales. Though "Hansel and Gretel" has never been one of my favorites, this book featured Prince Otto as a love interest, who I had previously admired as Rosa's stepbrother in Song of Moonrise. With so many familiar characters, this book should have been the perfect storm to improve upon the original fairy tale. However, it follows a "road trip" format that drags on and on to the point where it seems like nothing interesting will ever happen until close to the end.

Gisela and Haiden are troubled children whose mother regularly tried to abandon them in the woods after an elf prophesized that Haiden would use his singer powers to take down a kingdom someday. Overly protective of her brother, Gisela does everything she can to keep them safe, even when that means running away from their childhood home and surviving on their own in the woods. Years later, when they get lost among the many enchanted even trails dotting the forest one day and cross paths with Prince Otto and his traveling party. Otto's heart goes out to the two beleaguered siblings, and he offers to let them travel with him. The group continues traveling through the woods getting to know each other better in the process, while Gisela keeps her guard up to try to prevent Otto from learning about the prophecy. Much of the book continues his way with little action or progression to the story.

In the final third, the traveling party encounters a wicked woman who kidnaps singers. This is meant to tie into the wicked witch character from "Hansel and Gretel," but there is no magical gingerbread house or oven. In fact, the ties to "Hansel and Gretel" are rather vague and mostly metaphorical. Between the two stories, the original fairy tale is more interesting than this generic road trip that ends with a stereotypical fairy tale romance. This is unusual for Deborah Grace White's books. Many of her other Singer Tale retellings improve upon the original fairy tales. Since "Hansel and Gretel" was not originally a love story, the romance comes off as forced. Prince Otto admires Gisela for her determination to protect her brother, and she must learn to let her guard down to trust him. Their dynamic is similar to the love story in "The Wild Swans," which may have provided a better basis for this book than "Hansel and Gretel."

Like the other books in the Singer Tales, this story has a strong cast of supplemental characters. The side romance between Valerie and Monty, who travel with the group, is in some ways more interesting than Gisela and Otto. There is also a lot of drama with the elf family and their unique system of values and government. Deborah Grace White's development of the elves in the Singer Tales as a neuro-divergent magical race with their own morals and speech patterns is similar to how she builds up dragon culture in several of her other series. She excels at worldbuilding, and this book is no exception. However, so much of it consists of nothing but characters walking and talking that it couldn't hold my interest like some of the more action-packed books I have read from her in the past.

Song of Trails falls short of its potential as the penultimate entry in the Singer Tales series. Despite featuring beloved characters and a richly detailed world, the book's meandering "road trip" format and forced romance between Gisela and Prince Otto make it a disappointing read. While Deborah Grace White's worldbuilding and supplemental characters shine as always, the story's slow pace and lack of meaningful plot progression hinder its ability to engage. Compared to other books in the series, Song of Trails fails to improve upon the original fairy tale of "Hansel and Gretel," making it a skippable entry in the Singer Tales series.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonus points for having a side character named Valerie who didn't like to be called "Val." ;)

[Shawna Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

And the mystery deepens. Song of Trails picks up with Prince Otto, Princess Rosa’s stepbrother from the previous book, and his own journey exploring the wilds of the Ilgal forest. The wild magic there is building faster than ever and the Prince is trying to find Singers in the forest who would volunteer to help release the excess magic from the land before it becomes toxic to non-magic wielders.

Gisela and her brother Haiden have lived in the forest their entire lives; the last 5 of those entirely on their own. Having been given a prophecy when he was 4 and Gisela 7 hearing that Haiden is not only a Singer but that he will bring about the Kingdom’s downfall has horrified their mother to the point where she tries to lose him in the woods. Gisela, not knowing how or why manages to save them both, and her father charges Gisela to always put her brother’s safety first and to protect him.

Little would she know that her mother would continue to try and lose Haiden and Gisela many times before they decided to no longer find their way home and instead strike out on their own. Gisela, only 13 fights to keep her 10 year old brother safe as they wander the woods, never staying long in any one place.

Until the fateful day 5 years later when the Prince and his envoy stumble across Gisela and Haiden and decide to let them join the party as forest guides.

Neither feel comfortable about the situation, but both parties are determined to reach the same destination- the very heart of the forest where the elven leader lives. For Haiden it’s a means to learn more of the elven prophecy laid upon him and for Prince Otto, a way to ask the elves for help keeping the wild magic from growing further.

But where are all of the forest’s Singers? Whispers say they are being kidnapped and held for an unknown purpose, but is it the monarchy doing this or the elves?

Read to find out.

This is a fun twist on the Hansel and Gretel story, though there are no gingerbread houses or ovens involved. Instead you will find enchanted paths that can disappear beneath your feet or suddenly shift and sending you wherever the forest wants. Wild creatures live in the forest and not all are benign, and you never can fully trust strangers you meet in the woods… or can you?

[Jacquelyn 💐 {This Rapunzel Reads} [Jesus Christ, my Living Hope] · Rating 4 out of 5]

🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨

This a Hansel and Gretel retelling and my first one! It was very interesting and confusing with all of the magic aspect. I really liked Otto in the last book so I was excited to see his story in this one! I think he’s my favorite MMC of this series! He was so good and protective! I loved him! Gisela is a protective character, determined to take care of her little brother. She could be slightly annoying with being overprotective of her brother. I didn’t care for how rude she was to Otto. I really enjoyed Monty too! He was hilarious! Wow! There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming! Otto made this book so good! It wasn’t quite a five star, but a very good for my first retelling of Hansel and Gretel! Can’t wait to see how this series ends!

Quotes that I liked:

🪨 Otto didn't seem to share her discomfort. "I suppose I never introduced myself properly, did I? I'm Crown Prince Otto, and I'm in Ilgal on behalf of my father, King Ryker."

🪨 He laughed. "Ouch. You and Valerie should team up. I'll have no ego at all by the time this expedition is over."

🪨 "No, please speak freely," he said quickly. "I always want you to be honest with me, Gisela. You don't have to tread carefully around me. I swear I'm not prone to royal wrath. And I truly want to understand the thoughts behind your words."

🪨 She smiled mischievously back at him. "The trails seem to have wound their circuitous way to the right destination, don't they?" “I don't mind where they lead from here," said Otto comfort-ably, his arms fitting so naturally around her. "As long as we're walking those trails together.”

🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨

[Bethany Aich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all of The Singer Tales, I think this one is my favourite so far. I loved the plot and the characters— so many of the characters, even more than a handful of the side characters. There was humour and seriousness and real emotion. Even though I have not dealt with the issues these characters have, I found Gisela and Haiden to be very relatable and I was able to empathize with them well.

While this can be read by itself, I think it would be best enjoyed after reading previous books in the series as there are several cameos. There is also a background plot that runs through the books and this book really sets up the final one. So excuse me while I cut this review off and go start that, now that it’s released. : )

Violence: some fighting, some death, kidnapping. It doesn’t feel like violent book, however. Those were just necessary or the story wouldn’t have been realistic without them.

Romance: it’s a HEA but totally clean, in my mind. Think the good ol’ fashioned Disney princess movies for a rating. And honestly, I find Ursula more scary than this book, violence-wise.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up


For a fairytale that is outright gruesome in its original form, White did a great job at reimagining it for her series.

There is a brother and sister hurting from abandonment, adulthood thrust on them way too young, and the fear of trusting others solidified in their psyche. This story, however, really fleshes out those feelings and issues without being a heavily emotional read.

Gisela really had to fight for the ability to trust and let go of her fear. Her reactions and instincts toward Otto were justified because of her abandonment insecurities, and thanks to great writing the reader can fully comprehend just what is going through her mind. And her protectiveness over her brother made so much sense, and it was satisfying when she was finally able to let go. Otto was a perfect gentleman and I really enjoyed getting to know his story. Also, the cast of side characters were a fun fit.

I just wish that they could have encountered some more exciting things in the forest.

I look forward to the next book for the conclusion to the series.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins with siblings ages 10 and 13. Then there’s a time skip to 11 years later when they’re 21 and 24. For a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, the story hits the highlights while still feeling new and exciting. Instead of a gingerbread house, you get intrigue, conspiracies, and lots of magic. Prince Otto from the last book appears as the main character this time as we see him continue to work on the Ilgel wild magic problem. I enjoyed this book. The plot kept me guessing in the best ways without losing me. The characters were well-developed. Half of the plot’s end felt a little rushed, but overall, great book! I look forward to seeing what happens next. Highly recommend. Among the best Hansel and Gretel retellings I’ve read!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story and the characters in this book. I thought that the sibling relationship between Gisela and Haiden was so well done and I enjoyed watching the way they interacted like real siblings and also the way that they learned to trust each other and make decisions on their own too, which would have been really hard after their childhood.

I absolutely adore Otto, and I have ever since Song of Moonrise. I was so excited for him to get a book, and it did not disappoint. I love that he's fun and silly and trusting, but also very competent and a genuinely good leader.

The only issue I had with the book was that the romance between Gisela and Otto fell a little flat in my opinion. As much as I love both characters and really like the idea of a relationship with them, in practice, it kind of felt like they just suddenly decided they were in love with each other when Gisela especially was still trying to decide for sure if she trusted him. I think it would have helped if there had been just a little bit more one-on-one interaction and discussion of personal things beyond just what was useful for their mission.

Valerie and Monty were adorable and perfect though.

[Anna Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventure, new and familiar locations and characters. For a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, the story hits the highlights while still feeling new and exciting. Instead of a gingerbread house, you get intrigue, conspiracies, and lots of magic. This was a good addition to the series. I am so looking forward to finding out more about why magic is building up in Ilgal and what is happening across the continent.

[Dianem · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weak link in an otherwise strong series. The story drug on at a much too slow pace. At times it felt as if the goal was to reach a word count rather than to tell a story. I have hopes for the next book and would not discourage a reader as this story does advance the overarching plot of the series.

[Amena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying the building plot and the exposition of this world’s fantasy races and culture. I also appreciated the time the author devotes to the depiction of poverty — and the chivalry of the prince. I loved how he created a space for Gisela where she felt fully safe.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that Deborah Grace White weaves larger stories over time of her stories, and does such interesting detailed plots. Excellent read.

[Lorin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book! I liked the characters and the plot! I like this retelling of Hansel and Gretel! I will be reading the next book in this really wonderful series!

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[LaShunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

These trails have led us everywhere! This is another excitingly tense tale that we cannot wait to hear the conclusion of. A truly winding read!

[Mildly Mad Hatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Definitely my favorite out of the series so far.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains: kisses, mother abandonment, some fighting.

Don’t quite know what to think of this one. It seems like we’ve had a couple books in this series where the overall story isn’t moved along very much. (I guess I was hoping that after Song of Winds things would progress more). We have a heroine with major trust issues and a hero who kinda seems clueless as to the ways of the world. (I always wonder why a king would allow his only heir to go on a dangerous expedition. Doesn’t seem like it makes much sense to risk the kingdom’s stability like that.) I think my biggest issue with the book is, how can two people fall in love when they are keeping secrets from each other? Giselda never opens up to Otto. Their “love” is probably based on forced proximity and him being one of the few humans she’s spent a lot of time around.