Had been looking forward to reading this book. Sadly it wasn’t for me. It just lacked a good plot to get you excited and wanting more. It was very slow paced and never picked up

Thank you to NetGalley and pub for this ARC

Really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was great and the book hooked me in from the start. Really brilliant

I think the fact that I read this book so fast shows that I wasn't able to put it down. I found the setting and the different stories of the villagers and their traditions really interesting. I just had to know what was going to happen next and if karma was going to work its magic.

I would have rated it higher but I just felt that I wanted a bit more from it. I would have loved some more stories from Edith's Grandmother. I would have also loved a bit more time getting to know the main character and her relationship - the start just felt a little rushed. I also would have loved a little more explaination about some things, the more fantasy elements felt a little skimmed over.

Overall this book is very interesting and I was addicted from start to finish.

I really enjoyed the narrator, I think she managed to really grasp the tone of the story.
In this book, we follow Edith, the daughter of a cabinet maker living in a small mountain village, as she falls in love, and experiences heartbreak, betrayal and goes through a rebirth.
The story feels like a folk tale or fable, it's very whimsical with some paranormal elements and magic.

While there are some happier moments in this book there is a lot more pain, heartache and anger. There were a lot of things in this book that could be triggering, e.g. murder and sexual abuse, and while the wrongdoers do get their comeuppance in the end that does not negate what happened.

I really struggled with this audiobook to begin with. The story was slow to set going and I gave up on it a number of times. Perseverance definitely helped as I ended up quite enjoying it. Found it hard to bond with the characters but not bad by the end!

This audiobook never showed in my NetGalley app and I was unable to review it as a result. I requested this book when audiobooks were first included and there seem to be several problems with the books.

I so loved this it was my first audio book ever and it was just brilliant 5/5
The way the story was told, exactly the right voice, I wish i could read the book. Thanks to Sally Gardner for writing it and Netgalley for allowing me to review it..

This is a story about love, the strength of women and how superstition can control people. If any of what I’ve just written puts you off, don’t let it because this is a cracking book.

Edith lives with her alcoholic father in a village which is governed by the Elders one of whom, the butcher, she is betrothed to marry. She doesn’t love the butcher, he is a cruel and wicked man who toys with the villagers who owe him money including Edith’s father, hence the betrothal. Edith meets a shepherd and they fall in love but he has to go away for a little while and he says he will marry her when he comes back. When he doesn’t come back to the village Edith loses the power of speech which in turn unnerves not only her father but also the butcher who pushes ahead with his wedding to her. When an avalanche seals the village off from the rest of the world, Edith is trapped along with everyone else in their small village whilst tempers are getting frayed and secrets are starting to surface that will shock them all.

Since I finished this audiobook I’ve wondered how on earth I’m going to review it because it’s unique and spellbinding. At first I wasn’t keen on the narrator, struggling to listen but I kept on with it and I’m glad I did. The first quarter of the book was a little wooden but then the story unfolded beautifully and I was hooked.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins Audio and NetGalley for giving me access to this audiobook in return for my honest opinion.

I listened to the audiobook of this, and luckily I quite liked the narrator. But I'll try and focus my review on the actual writing/novel.
Edith is the daughter of a cabinet maker, in a small village near a mountain. She meets Demetrius, an outsider, and immediately falls in love. They plan to be married, but Edith's father - and most of the village - is against it. The cabinet maker makes a deal with the butcher that if Demetrius, a shepherd, doesn't return from moving his sheep before the first snow fall, Edith must marry the butcher. The cabinet maker happily agrees, without a care for what Edith wants. But Edith is certain her love will return for her.
The snow falls. Demetrius is nowhere to be seen. Edith is worried, but nobody is willing to go looking for her lover. She is sentenced to marry the butcher, a widower and grandfather. That's when things start to go a bit... strange.
It starts with Edith losing her voice. She's certain something awful has happened to Demetrius, and the pain she feels is unbearable. Her hair, once a luscious black, turns ghostly white. While silent, Edith becomes a good listener. She hears the terrible stories of various villagers, the abuse her friends have suffered, the superstitions that force everyone to follow tradition and make no move towards the future. Eventually, her wedding day comes around, but Edith doesn't stick around for it. She runs away, makes herself a home in the woods. But she's not alone.
The ending was especially poignant, in my opinion. Edith does discover the fate of her lover eventually, and she goes on to live a long, content life. Everyone in the village who did wrong gets what's coming to them. And eventually, Edith and Demetrius are reunited.
There are moments of joy, but a lot more heartache and anger and evil. But the book has a very whimsical, lyrical feel to it, and the way many characters are referred to by title, not name, feels very much like a fairytale. There are hints of magic and paranormal elements, alongside mystery. It's a very unique combination.
But I must emphasise that this is really quite dark in many ways. There is murder, there is incest, there is rape and abuse and misogyny. As I mentioned, though, most of the wrongdoers are eventually punished or righted in some way or another.
While I definitely enjoyed this book, there was something missing for me. It just didn't quite reach 5 star status for me. As an audiobook, I really enjoyed listening to it in the evenings; the narrator's voice fit the whimsical, almost dreamy writing so well! A strong 4 stars.

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

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?