I really struggled to get into this book as the story just wasn’t gripping me. I loved the concept of this book and enjoyed seeing the women standing up for themselves against a toxic group of men, but I feel like it lacked emotion. At the beginning Edith falls in love with the shepherd but I think I struggled with the connection because you don’t see them fall in love, they just do. So I really struggled to connect with Edith and understand her emotions. It’s a lovely book with a beautiful story line and meaning behind it which is why I am giving it 3 stars but I won’t be posting it on my Instagram as I don’t quite know how to explain how I feel without sounding negative. 3 stars is still a good rating for me as it means I enjoyed the book but as I explained, I just don’t know how to word how I feel about this book.

What a beautifully written story that reminded me of folk stories told to me as a child. I loved the main character and kept hoping for a disney ending but as with all folk stories this was not to be. But although heart breaking at times I still enjoyed this book and the ending. Would definitely recommend

I started listening without reading the blurb and found that the book got stuck straight in, it took me a while to orientate myself but I soon found the world building around me. 
This is a historical rural tale of village life, superstitions, relationships, love and every day life. I listened over two evenings and enjoyed it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

December is traditionally a time for magic and fairy tales, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to The Snow Song by Sally Gardner. Just look at that stunning wintery cover!

Initially, I wasn’t certain whether this was a children’s book or one for adults, and on further investigation discovered that Sally Gardner is a best-selling, award-winning children’s author, which made perfect sense. However, soon it became clear that this is a feminist fairy tale that sweeps the listener to a snowy land filled with superstition and fear. 

Set in an isolated village, where life is dictated by rules fashioned by men, life changes dramatically for Edith when she loses her voice. Once mute, the other women feel confident to confide their secrets, and as the snow begins to thaw, so the powerful patriarchy that governs the community begins to shake. The Snow Song includes all the elements required of a fable – Edith, the young heroine trapped at home with her alcoholic father; Demetrius, a mysterious traveller; the villainous butcher; the mountainous setting.

There is a lyrical quality to Amanda Bright’s narration that flowed well and felt right for a fable story. The combination of both voice and scene-setting is so vivid that it was easy to picture how the characters might look if it was adapted for stage. Hearing The Snow Song swept me back to the classroom and my favourite time of day, when the teacher would read before releasing us for home. One for lovers of magical realism or mystical tales. The Snow Song reads like a modern-day classic.

From the off there seemed to be an issue with the audiobook, it sounded like it had an echo to everything being spoken which made taking in what was said really quite difficult.
 The book though from what I could grasp of it, it does sound like a very gripping love story, mixed with folklore. I will definitely have to pick up a physical copy or try and find a stable audiobook as it does seem like a very atmospheric book.
I will find another way of reviewing this title and I will tag NetGalley in it as I wouldn’t have found it without.

This is a tragic story of abuse, rape, domestic violence, bullying and corruption it is set in such a dramatic and romantic setting it almost takes away some of the horror of what Edith and most of the women suffer. It shows the cowardice of the men and how when you can find the courage to stand up for what’s right you are rarely alone. The setting is in another time, another world but somehow feels very real and you can certainly feel how these women find a way to survive. Mixed with magic and folklore means you are not reading such sadness that drains you but uplifts you for something better.
I truly love how the women eventually stand up for each other and together

In a sheltered village, the Cabinet Maker's daughter Edith meets a shepherd and instantly falls in love. The two vow to be wed but Edith's father has promised her to The Butcher - an evil man who rules the village in fear. Edith promises that she will marry The Butcher if her shepherd does not return by the time of the first snow. What happens next takes away Edith's voice, but starts to change everything for the village, and in particular its womenfolk.

This book very much feels like a feminist fairytale in a way - not in the actions of the characters in particular but more so the overall message of the story. There were some parts of the story that were really beautifully told, and I did really like some of the imagery of the snow-covered village. I also enjoyed a lot of the storytelling aspects of the tale.

I don't really have anything particularly critical to say about the book other than I think it just wasn't one for me. I didn't really gel with the story, and by 3/4 of the way through I was just really wanting it to be over. I found the story mostly sad overall, and it was a bit depressing continuously hearing all the ways The Butcher had wrecked the lives of so many people. He was a really evil character with zero redeemable qualities.

Just not my cup of tea

Wow, I was so astonished by this novel. It's a fairy tale for adults and with a strong female lead (much stronger than she realises at first) who takes the village (and herself)  from strength the strength without using her voice for most of the novel. The narrator's voice is also very unusual, mesmerising, and perfect for telling this story.

I really did not get on with this story. Struggled to get into it and found it was dragging quite a bit. It probably just wasn't for me

𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗥𝗕:
A dark fairytale, an isolated village on mountains in the land of ancient forests, a land of secrets, superstitions, rules, and traditions under the patriarchal rule of the Elders, misuse of power, subjugation of the people and especially the women.
Edith lives with an alcoholic father who wants to marry her off to the powerful village butcher but she has promised her heart to an ordinary shepherd. 
One such winter, as the snow falls Edith loses her power of speech and becomes mute and that's how you know that it's time for the village to change.

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘:
The book is about power being misused by some and about women learning to fight back for themselves and empowering each other. 
The book has a lot of characters and though it doesn't get confusing at any point but I still felt it was disconnected at some places and I couldn't connect to it. 
Nonetheless it wouldn't be wrong to say that it was indeed a magical read and quite different from the usual fairytales, with love, loss and grief and even murders woven together.

Thank you @netgalley and the publishers for this audiobook.

Mesmerising! It was not entirely what I expected, it was just so much better. If there is a book that has ever been written to be an audio book, this must be it. Brilliantly narrated and spellbinding from start to finish. Being different from other books, might make it a bit of a marmite book, but everyone should try it at least once. Sally Gardner is an amazing story teller.

The Snow Song is a vivid fairy tale with a feminist bent. Can the women of the small, isolated village free then selves from the tyranny of a patriarchal society that considers them mere possessions? Can the power of story telling help them to discover a new way of life?

Edith is shown a way out of her daily drudgery when she meets the mysterious Demetrius and falls in love. However, her father and the elders make her swear an oath that will leave her voiceless and desperate.

She finds safety and sanctuary on the snow filled mountain - but can she help the other girls and women in the village save themselves?

What a book- This is an amazing story. I had it on audio and my god the narrator was perfect.. it was almost like she was the characters and as the snow fell, even though I was on a warm car, I felt the cold. The Characters were perfectly described and I felt like I was in the remote village at times gone by. I couldn’t tell you where in the world this village was set, or when but I could tell you the sound of the snow and the feeling of the villagers as the butcher strode in their wake.

It is a story of ruling and also mastering your inner worrier. The women of the village are to be used and abused by men and as the story goes along we learn who the real men are when they are allowed to be human and not devils like the elders of the village. The descriptions put you on the mountain top and although time flies past, there is nothing left out of the changes Edith goes through. She is one character that is an actual hero and one who doesn’t look for praise but looks for the right by life and the people of her village.

 

If I could give this book higher than 5 I would…. Amazing!!

A magical, mystical, ethereal tale of love, tragedy and triumph, friendship and brave defiance, set in a wintry medieval atmosphere.  A small isolated mountain village, riddled with fears and superstition. The community has a mayor and a group of elders who are supposed to uphold  law, order and fairness within the village, however they are cowed and bullied by the horrendous butcher, to whom they are debt in more ways than one and subsequently enable the butcher to have a despotic power over them. He is a brutal pantomime villain. They do whatever the butcher demands and turn a blind eye to his terrible misdeeds.  The village women are living a life dominated by stifling patriarchal rule. This, incredibly, is the background to a beautiful and tragic love story.  There is beauty and poetry in the words. I loved this audiobook and the narrator.  A storyteller's tale.

Originally posted on goodreads:

This is a fierce, feminist modern fairytale. The narration is wonderful from Amanda Bright, and the writing flows nicely. With this being a fairytale the characterisation is lacking, probably by design. I did think that with this being a longer work, I would have liked to have gotten to know Edith a bit better, but the reader is kept at arms length throughout.

Overall, a good wintery read.

This is such a strong feminist read in the style of an adult fairytale. Centring around Edith, the story wraps itself in modern day issues and ultimately the rebellion of the patriarchal system set by the village elders and  the control by the butcher. The language used is beautiful and enchanting, and the words used ebbs and flows with the story making it so atmospheric. 

The dark setting of a bleak winter, the story brings together so many themes such as hope, loss, murder, control and the empowerment of women. A must read!

A feminist adult fairy tale. Part historical fiction, part magical realism, part kicking misogyny in the arse!

Gardner takes us to a remote mountain village where tradition & superstition rules. There's an abusive bully, corrupt leadership, oppression & distrust of anyone who is seen as 'different'. The men rule, the women are expected to conform.

When Edith meets the artistic Demetrius - a man like no other she knows, who treats those he meets with respect & interest - she falls in love & is excited for their future together. The controlling Butcher however will never stand for an outsider taking what he wants & blackmail, bullying, and violence follow. As the story moves on, & Edith loses her voices but finds her strength, the women of the village come together to move the village forwards.

With beautiful imagery & stirring language, The Snow Song is an empowering story for all. 

Please note: the book does include rape & physical violence towards women & minors. If this may be triggering for you this might not be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Audio UK for providing me with a free eAudio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another beautifully written story by Sally Gardner, that slowly draws you in to the magical world of this dark fairytale. 
Starting as a gentle love story set in a world where outdated traditions rule, the layers build and build with secrets revealed, wrongs righted, evil vanquished and strong friendships made when the oppressed women find their voices. The characters are skillfully developed and the decriptions of the snow and the landscape transported you right into the centre of a harsh winter on the mountain in this superb adult fairtale.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 November 2020
A magical fairytale of the strength of women in a society that oppresses them. This tells the story of Edith, who is being forced to marry the village butcher, a tyrannical brutish man who rules the village with fear. Edith is actually in love with a shepherd and his beautiful music played on a magical violin, but facing opposition from her father and the village Elders, she has a fight on her hands.
The writing is beautifully descriptive, with the harshness of Winter on the mountain a great parallel with the cruel treatment of the women ignored in the village by the Elders. I loved how Sally Gardner uses the job titles of the male characters rather than naming them, with the exception of Misha and Dementrius, to de-humanise them, and the loss of Edith's speech only adds to the enchantment.
A wonderfully Wintery story full of magic and wonder.

I enjoyed listening to this dark and atmospheric folk tale as an audio book. The setting is a tight knit community, in the snow covered mountains, where traditions have been followed without question for many years. Edith is the daughter of the village cabinet maker. He is a drunk and in debt. Edith falls in love with Demetrius, a shepherd not from the village. However, the village butcher, a wealthy man and a bully decides he wants to marry Edith and does everything in his power to make it happen. This situation creates a catalyst of change as people realise things have been ignored for far too long. Themes of love, friendship, self belief and determination are woven carefully through this enchanting tale. Thank you to Sally Gardner, Net Galley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.