Alyssa’s Reviews > Wintersong > Status Update

"When I said I wanted you entire, I meant it.”
“What part of me have I not given you?”
He smiled into my hair. “You know what it is, Elisabeth.” He hummed a bit of a melody.
My music.

Honestly I have no idea what is going on with her music at this point.

Goblin: BTW don't listen to the mermaids' songs or lean over the side of the boat or you will die.
Liesl, the literal moment she is on the water: [leans over the side and tries to touch the mermaids and almost dies]

I ran out of space for all her wishes but here's the rest:

- Something to wear (a literal magic wish)
- Something to eat (a literal magic wish)
- Something else to wear and eat (a literal magic wish)
- A door for herself (a literal magic wish)
- For someone to bring her flute (a literal magic wish)

"Don’t you ever make any wishes for yourself, Elisabeth?"

wishes Liesl has made to date:
- Time to compose
- Favors from the handsomest man in the village
- No shame/judgment
- Love (both "sacred and profane")
- For Josef to play her music
- For notes to sound the way she wanted them to
- Wantonness
- To visit the Goblin King (a literal magic wish)
- Her music (?? the stuff she burned? unclear)

"Dead to the world above. I thought of Papa, Mother, Constanze, Hans, and, with a painful twinge, Josef. In many ways, I was already dead."

Settle down.

It was at this point I began to think the author just didn't understand how to do escalating tension. The game this entire time has been get Kathe, get out. Liesl thinks she's done it but then realizes they're still underground. Goblin King admits they're not quite out of time yet. Liesl asks him to play a game. He hides Kathe as says Liesl has to find her and get out. Am I... am I the one having memory problems?

"I had forgotten my sister's existence."

Wouldn't be the first time.

"Curiosity had returned along with my wits. Something—someone was playing the violin, and the music was closer than ever."

Liesl has been repeatedly getting into and out of traps from the Goblin King. I'm glad that she has her wits about her now and won't get tricked ag--nope, she's spending precious time ogling him through a crack.

Convenient that Kathe becomes strong enough to keep Liesl from burying herself alive, when a few minutes ago Kathe wasn't strong (in will or body) enough to guide herself through the tunnels.

Glad to see Liesl is using her time well to make a map and convince her sister to--oh no, she's just scribbling some music.