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Skysong
A beautiful, lyrical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale.
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises if she wills it.
Every morning, she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life – but it has also left her lonely, and craving freedom. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is discovered in the gardens of the royal palace, where she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess – and a prisoner.
Embroiled in a battle of faith and politics, Oriane yearns to return to her safe, simple life. A growing danger surrounds the palace, and the skylark and her gift are at its centre. But within the whispers, Oriane learns something she never expected: she may not be as alone as she thought. There may be another like her.
The nightingale.
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises if she wills it.
Every morning, she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life – but it has also left her lonely, and craving freedom. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is discovered in the gardens of the royal palace, where she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess – and a prisoner.
Embroiled in a battle of faith and politics, Oriane yearns to return to her safe, simple life. A growing danger surrounds the palace, and the skylark and her gift are at its centre. But within the whispers, Oriane learns something she never expected: she may not be as alone as she thought. There may be another like her.
The nightingale.
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2024
25 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Wright
1 book27 followersC.A. (Claire) Wright is a fantasy author from Newcastle, Australia.
Her debut novel Skysong was shortlisted for the 2024 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel and named in Audible Australia’s Best of 2024 Sci-Fi & Fantasy audiobooks.
When she’s not writing, reading or working as a freelance editor, she can be found spending time with her husband, baking, birdwatching, and eating/drinking delicious things.
Her debut novel Skysong was shortlisted for the 2024 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel and named in Audible Australia’s Best of 2024 Sci-Fi & Fantasy audiobooks.
When she’s not writing, reading or working as a freelance editor, she can be found spending time with her husband, baking, birdwatching, and eating/drinking delicious things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 26, 2026
In a Nutshell: A fantasy retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s short story, ‘The Nightingale’. A great concept that might have worked better at the hands of a more experienced writer. Good plot but the twists are guessable. Lyrical writing, cookie-cutter main characters, underdeveloped secondary characters. Recommended, but better suited to YA readers, though it’s not labelled as such.
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Plot Preview:
The blurb calls this book a lyrical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Nightingale'. To prepare myself better, I read ‘The Nightingale’ prior to beginning this novel. There are indeed several parallels between the two stories, and yet this retelling is almost entirely independent in terms of plot. While you don’t need to read the classic short before trying out this novel, I’d recommend you give it a go AFTER completing the novel so that you can indulge in a compare-contrast without fear of plot spoilers.
Bookish Yays:
🐦 The concept. Incorporating a lark into a classic about a nightingale is a clever idea.
🐦 The novel as a retelling: really good. I love how it has glimpses of the original while still delivering on its own strength.
🐦 Oriane as the lead. To be clear, she is too naïve for a major part of the first section, but this is easily attributable to her cloistered upbringing. I enjoyed how she showed some spine as the story progressed.
🐦 The consistent use of Oriane’s “lark” persona. It isn't like the story just mentions that she’s turns into a lark each dawn; it actually explores how she feels while being a lark.
🐦 Andala’s secret: a secret from everyone in the book, but we readers get to know the truth very early in her POV. As such, every time either she or some other character reacts a certain way, we read the scene differently from the fictional characters. It’s an interesting writing choice.
🐦 The cover art – beautiful!
Bookish Okays:
☀ Andala as a character. Given that she’s a bit older and more worldly than Oriane, I expected her to behave more consistently and maturely. However, her character development is somewhat shaky. I did like her main secret though.
☀ Of the three sections, the first, coming from Oriane’s POV was the strongest to me, and it even ended with a bang. The next section, which focussed more on Andala’s experiences, started well but ended a little mixed. The third, coming in the joint perspective of both Oriane and Andala, was decent, but there was no tonal continuity from the third section. I read the third section more perfunctorily and wasn’t a big fan of the ending.
☀ A good chunk of the writing contains more introspection and discussion than action. This wasn’t a big issue for me, but it might hamper those who prefer more thrills in their fiction.
☀ While the story is good in general, some of the developments are guessable. None of the major twists were a surprise to me. Then again, it is a fantasy-romance: not exactly a genre known for suspense.
☀ The ending is not a typical HEA finale though it is a happy one. Those who want all ends tied and all issues settled might not like the sudden cut-off.
Bookish Nays:
🦃 The promotions call this an LGBTQIA+ novel (with Sapphic romance). How is this book Sapphic? Most of the story doesn’t even mention attraction, forget an actual relationship. While the two characters are in close proximity regularly due to the nature of their roles, there is no love story between them, until the tide suddenly turns almost at the end. It’s not that I would have preferred this to be a romance, but if a book is promoted as a Sapphic love story, then it should be one!
🦃 The secondary characters are somewhat flat, and change shades abruptly as per the whims and fancies of the plot. Some decisions/actions taken by these characters don’t make sense.
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 12 hrs 36 min, is narrated by Olivia Darnley. She is excellent as a narrator, voicing all the characters with the right emotions and intensity. I was surprised to hear her UK accent. I am so used to listening to fantasies in US accents that this came as a pleasant surprise. I quite enjoyed my first *British-sounding* fantasy. 😅
The only (minor) problem with the audio version is not a narrator issue but a character-naming issue. On audio, Oriane sounds almost like “Arianne”, which ensured that I confused *Arianne* and Andala a lot in the first section. Then there’s Tomas the king and Terault his seneschal – again a repeat pair of letters. There are also two women characters whose names start with H: Hanna the king’s sister and one more character whose name I forgot and whose role I can’t reveal, both secondary in the cast list but still important to the plot. If you get muddled up with characters having names beginning from the same letter, stick to actual reading.
Overall, this creative spin on ‘The Nightingale’ is quite decent, especially for a debut work. Though it disappoints with the lack of Sapphic feels and the flatness of the secondary characters, it still offers enough entertainment that will work better for those who don’t overthink while reading. I will be interested in seeing what this young Australian writer pens next.
Recommended. Though tagged an adult fantasy, I think this would work better for YA readers, given its plot and characters and overall approach.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for providing the ALC of “Skysong” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Oriane is a skylark, the only one of her kind after the passing of her mother in childbirth. Every morning, she turns into a lark and sings the song that calls forth the dawn. But throughout her life, she has been so secluded by her overprotective father that she is lonely as well as curious about the larger world. One day, she goes against his wishes and flies beyond her usual boundaries, only to end up in the royal palace. Much to her surprise, at first she is treated as a mythical goddess by the king, but soon she realises that she is more of a prisoner. Oriane longs to return to her father, but who can help her in a palace full of strangers? Her only hope might be her new lady’s maid Andala, who, unbeknownst to Oriane, has a secret of her own.
The story comes to us in three broad sections, each written in the third-person perspective of the two main characters.
The blurb calls this book a lyrical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Nightingale'. To prepare myself better, I read ‘The Nightingale’ prior to beginning this novel. There are indeed several parallels between the two stories, and yet this retelling is almost entirely independent in terms of plot. While you don’t need to read the classic short before trying out this novel, I’d recommend you give it a go AFTER completing the novel so that you can indulge in a compare-contrast without fear of plot spoilers.
Bookish Yays:
🐦 The concept. Incorporating a lark into a classic about a nightingale is a clever idea.
🐦 The novel as a retelling: really good. I love how it has glimpses of the original while still delivering on its own strength.
🐦 Oriane as the lead. To be clear, she is too naïve for a major part of the first section, but this is easily attributable to her cloistered upbringing. I enjoyed how she showed some spine as the story progressed.
🐦 The consistent use of Oriane’s “lark” persona. It isn't like the story just mentions that she’s turns into a lark each dawn; it actually explores how she feels while being a lark.
🐦 Andala’s secret: a secret from everyone in the book, but we readers get to know the truth very early in her POV. As such, every time either she or some other character reacts a certain way, we read the scene differently from the fictional characters. It’s an interesting writing choice.
🐦 The cover art – beautiful!
Bookish Okays:
☀ Andala as a character. Given that she’s a bit older and more worldly than Oriane, I expected her to behave more consistently and maturely. However, her character development is somewhat shaky. I did like her main secret though.
☀ Of the three sections, the first, coming from Oriane’s POV was the strongest to me, and it even ended with a bang. The next section, which focussed more on Andala’s experiences, started well but ended a little mixed. The third, coming in the joint perspective of both Oriane and Andala, was decent, but there was no tonal continuity from the third section. I read the third section more perfunctorily and wasn’t a big fan of the ending.
☀ A good chunk of the writing contains more introspection and discussion than action. This wasn’t a big issue for me, but it might hamper those who prefer more thrills in their fiction.
☀ While the story is good in general, some of the developments are guessable. None of the major twists were a surprise to me. Then again, it is a fantasy-romance: not exactly a genre known for suspense.
☀ The ending is not a typical HEA finale though it is a happy one. Those who want all ends tied and all issues settled might not like the sudden cut-off.
Bookish Nays:
🦃 The promotions call this an LGBTQIA+ novel (with Sapphic romance). How is this book Sapphic? Most of the story doesn’t even mention attraction, forget an actual relationship. While the two characters are in close proximity regularly due to the nature of their roles, there is no love story between them, until the tide suddenly turns almost at the end. It’s not that I would have preferred this to be a romance, but if a book is promoted as a Sapphic love story, then it should be one!
🦃 The secondary characters are somewhat flat, and change shades abruptly as per the whims and fancies of the plot. Some decisions/actions taken by these characters don’t make sense.
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 12 hrs 36 min, is narrated by Olivia Darnley. She is excellent as a narrator, voicing all the characters with the right emotions and intensity. I was surprised to hear her UK accent. I am so used to listening to fantasies in US accents that this came as a pleasant surprise. I quite enjoyed my first *British-sounding* fantasy. 😅
The only (minor) problem with the audio version is not a narrator issue but a character-naming issue. On audio, Oriane sounds almost like “Arianne”, which ensured that I confused *Arianne* and Andala a lot in the first section. Then there’s Tomas the king and Terault his seneschal – again a repeat pair of letters. There are also two women characters whose names start with H: Hanna the king’s sister and one more character whose name I forgot and whose role I can’t reveal, both secondary in the cast list but still important to the plot. If you get muddled up with characters having names beginning from the same letter, stick to actual reading.
Overall, this creative spin on ‘The Nightingale’ is quite decent, especially for a debut work. Though it disappoints with the lack of Sapphic feels and the flatness of the secondary characters, it still offers enough entertainment that will work better for those who don’t overthink while reading. I will be interested in seeing what this young Australian writer pens next.
Recommended. Though tagged an adult fantasy, I think this would work better for YA readers, given its plot and characters and overall approach.
3.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for providing the ALC of “Skysong” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
January 18, 2026
A wonderfully captivating reimagining of ‘The Nightingale’ by Hans Christian Andersen in this enchanting, cosy fantasy debut novel. C A Wright has a descriptive and lyrical writing style, that works superbly in this heartfelt story of friendship and hope.
I was originally drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover, although would recommend it for anyone who enjoys fairytales and retellings, or impressively written magical realism.
I was originally drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover, although would recommend it for anyone who enjoys fairytales and retellings, or impressively written magical realism.
October 13, 2024
C.A. Wright’s debut novel, Skysong was such a beautiful read. It’s a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale and it held me entranced from the very first page.
Oriane is the Skylark who calls the dawn every morning with her song. She has spent her whole life hidden away from the world with only her father for company and she longs to see the outside world. When she finally gives into the pull of life further afield, Oriane finds herself being hosted in the royal palace where she is waited on by her lady’s maid, Andala. As Oriane begins to realise that she may be in danger, she turns to Andala to help her escape.
I absolutely loved these two women! I loved seeing their trust in each other develop, despite the contrasts between their pasts and current positions. The mounting threat against Oriane added a good level of tension to this cosy fantasy read and the underlying folklore about the Skysingers was so vividly painted that I could easily visualise this magical story.
Even if you’re not a fantasy or fairytale fan, I think this story of two women trying to survive and live free will resonate. It’s one I’ll be recommending to anyone who enjoys stories of female relationships, sacrifice, courage and love.
Oriane is the Skylark who calls the dawn every morning with her song. She has spent her whole life hidden away from the world with only her father for company and she longs to see the outside world. When she finally gives into the pull of life further afield, Oriane finds herself being hosted in the royal palace where she is waited on by her lady’s maid, Andala. As Oriane begins to realise that she may be in danger, she turns to Andala to help her escape.
I absolutely loved these two women! I loved seeing their trust in each other develop, despite the contrasts between their pasts and current positions. The mounting threat against Oriane added a good level of tension to this cosy fantasy read and the underlying folklore about the Skysingers was so vividly painted that I could easily visualise this magical story.
Even if you’re not a fantasy or fairytale fan, I think this story of two women trying to survive and live free will resonate. It’s one I’ll be recommending to anyone who enjoys stories of female relationships, sacrifice, courage and love.
October 13, 2024
Content warnings: imprisonment, parental death (and a murder of a parent), alcohol, depictions of depression and grief and loneliness.
Rep: Oriane (MC) is cis, brown, and sapphic. Andala is cis, white, and sapphic.
This was beautifully written. I don't remember much of the original tale of The Nightingale, but this book definitely took on its own spin.
I adored the depictions of loneliness, it sang (lol) true for me. And it was so seamlessly woven into the storyline.
I also adored Oriane and Andala's interactions - their paths were so alike for people who only met by happenstance.
There's a tiny romance in this, and it's very beautiful, and soft.
If you're someone who enjoys retellings with a wonderful twist, then I recommend this one!
Rep: Oriane (MC) is cis, brown, and sapphic. Andala is cis, white, and sapphic.
This was beautifully written. I don't remember much of the original tale of The Nightingale, but this book definitely took on its own spin.
I adored the depictions of loneliness, it sang (lol) true for me. And it was so seamlessly woven into the storyline.
I also adored Oriane and Andala's interactions - their paths were so alike for people who only met by happenstance.
There's a tiny romance in this, and it's very beautiful, and soft.
If you're someone who enjoys retellings with a wonderful twist, then I recommend this one!
November 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
From reading some other reviews it is my understanding that this is a Nightingale retelling. I haven’t read that unfortunately to make comparison, however this version is a beautiful telling of what I’m sure is a fantastic story.
I will say that the pacing is quite slow in this book for me personally, I prefer a more action filled book rather than a story of beautiful prose, but it was a great book. If you love books with found family, of deep characters and a story of when revering people turns into obsession and how much that can be a damaging prospect, this one is for you.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did a phenomenal job or portraying the characters and their depth of emotion, as well as storytelling. I would happily listen to this narrator again.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Skysong!
From reading some other reviews it is my understanding that this is a Nightingale retelling. I haven’t read that unfortunately to make comparison, however this version is a beautiful telling of what I’m sure is a fantastic story.
I will say that the pacing is quite slow in this book for me personally, I prefer a more action filled book rather than a story of beautiful prose, but it was a great book. If you love books with found family, of deep characters and a story of when revering people turns into obsession and how much that can be a damaging prospect, this one is for you.
I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did a phenomenal job or portraying the characters and their depth of emotion, as well as storytelling. I would happily listen to this narrator again.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Skysong!
October 15, 2024
This book started off strong. Beautiful writing, an interesting premise, and the promise of a sapphic romance--what's not to love? Maybe it's because I had such high hopes for it that it fell impossibly short.
Imo, retellings are strengthened by the characters and their relationships. After all, the story is known. The plot twists are old and familiar friends. But giving old characters a modern voice is often the selling point. Unfortunately, that's also where Skysong fails. Oriane is your stereotypically naive protagonist, Andala flip-flops between hot and cold with the logic of a dice roll, and Kitt has precious little to back up the cast's claims that he's the "smartest person [they] know." Sorry, Andala, but you probably need to meet some more people.
The antagonists are only slightly better. Tomas' motivations were about as obvious as a neon sign at midnight and his seneschal (whose name I've already forgotten) had the depth of a dinner plate. The only one worth praising is Hana, and that's only because the bar is so low it's probably breaking a Guinness World Record. Even then, her struggles with depression/mental health could have used a finer hand. I honestly thought she was just poorly written for the majority of the book.
Finally, the world-building was... drum roll actually decent. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot of it and mythology does kind of demand a certain mystery anyway. But nothing was glaringly inconsistent or contradictory. There were things the reader is just expected to accept and to not question, which I did with relative ease.
All in all, this book features some of the dumbest characters I've ever had the pleasure of encountering in fiction with a romance that seems to occur simply because night/day = gay yay?? At least the writing was good.
Anyway, here are some thoughts I had while reading the book:
- Andala going to her mom to find out more about the skylark's song makes no fucking sense? Like, why tf would the nightingale know?
- And really? Kitt didn't think about the replica needing the original's song TO replicate? Stupid for the sake of plot. YoU'rE thE sMarTesT pErsON i kNOw. Bro can build a fuckin' mechanical bird but can't use a single brain cell
- A serum that causes confusion with a single sniff and leaves no memory of it after? Doesn't it sound like just the perfect thing! How convenient that you just happened to have this thing up your sleeve, Kitt. How convenient indeed
- Ofc Terault's people suspected where the temple was? And where the island is?? He's the leader of a fanatic cult that WORSHIPS the skysingers? Wouldn't it be weirder if he DIDN'T know??? ????????
- Why is she more god in bird-form? Didn't the gods take the form of birds because they liked it? The same way they later took the shape of humans? Neither is their natural form... Which also begs the question, if they could link their power to birdsong, why couldn't they do the same as humans? Why didn't they just become singers?
Imo, retellings are strengthened by the characters and their relationships. After all, the story is known. The plot twists are old and familiar friends. But giving old characters a modern voice is often the selling point. Unfortunately, that's also where Skysong fails. Oriane is your stereotypically naive protagonist, Andala flip-flops between hot and cold with the logic of a dice roll, and Kitt has precious little to back up the cast's claims that he's the "smartest person [they] know." Sorry, Andala, but you probably need to meet some more people.
The antagonists are only slightly better. Tomas' motivations were about as obvious as a neon sign at midnight and his seneschal (whose name I've already forgotten) had the depth of a dinner plate. The only one worth praising is Hana, and that's only because the bar is so low it's probably breaking a Guinness World Record. Even then, her struggles with depression/mental health could have used a finer hand. I honestly thought she was just poorly written for the majority of the book.
Finally, the world-building was... drum roll actually decent. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot of it and mythology does kind of demand a certain mystery anyway. But nothing was glaringly inconsistent or contradictory. There were things the reader is just expected to accept and to not question, which I did with relative ease.
All in all, this book features some of the dumbest characters I've ever had the pleasure of encountering in fiction with a romance that seems to occur simply because night/day = gay yay?? At least the writing was good.
Anyway, here are some thoughts I had while reading the book:
- Andala going to her mom to find out more about the skylark's song makes no fucking sense? Like, why tf would the nightingale know?
- And really? Kitt didn't think about the replica needing the original's song TO replicate? Stupid for the sake of plot. YoU'rE thE sMarTesT pErsON i kNOw. Bro can build a fuckin' mechanical bird but can't use a single brain cell
- A serum that causes confusion with a single sniff and leaves no memory of it after? Doesn't it sound like just the perfect thing! How convenient that you just happened to have this thing up your sleeve, Kitt. How convenient indeed
- Ofc Terault's people suspected where the temple was? And where the island is?? He's the leader of a fanatic cult that WORSHIPS the skysingers? Wouldn't it be weirder if he DIDN'T know??? ????????
- Why is she more god in bird-form? Didn't the gods take the form of birds because they liked it? The same way they later took the shape of humans? Neither is their natural form... Which also begs the question, if they could link their power to birdsong, why couldn't they do the same as humans? Why didn't they just become singers?
November 4, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.
Firstly, before reviewing this I did my homework on Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘The Nightingale’, which I haven't read. But I am aware that it is a popular story to be retold.
This is a very creative take on the tale. Focusing more on a day bringing Skylark and its connection to the nightingale and night, then directly on the nightingale itself. So the theme throughout the book is light and dark, grief, and that inner darkness (mental health). This is prevalent in not just the two main characters but also the sub-characters. Depression is not a word that exists in this world, but it is what we are talking about.
Much of the first part of the book is about concealing who the nightingale is from you, and then from the other characters in the book and Id prefer the readers to find out that for themselves. But I did find this method a little frustrating, because it resulted in the character becoming annoying unpredictable and guarded, which should have been fine in the context of this book, but it for me it didn't really work.
My other criticism is that the writing was maybe one draft of perfection, ie. some parts felt a little under cooked or simplistic.
I enjoyed this retelling, and despite how much it has deviated from its origins, a lot of the elements are still there. Cleverly incorporated. The tale itself is adorable and wonderful exploration of how to have multi-faceted characters.
Also the cover is stunning.
Firstly, before reviewing this I did my homework on Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘The Nightingale’, which I haven't read. But I am aware that it is a popular story to be retold.
This is a very creative take on the tale. Focusing more on a day bringing Skylark and its connection to the nightingale and night, then directly on the nightingale itself. So the theme throughout the book is light and dark, grief, and that inner darkness (mental health). This is prevalent in not just the two main characters but also the sub-characters. Depression is not a word that exists in this world, but it is what we are talking about.
Much of the first part of the book is about concealing who the nightingale is from you, and then from the other characters in the book and Id prefer the readers to find out that for themselves. But I did find this method a little frustrating, because it resulted in the character becoming annoying unpredictable and guarded, which should have been fine in the context of this book, but it for me it didn't really work.
My other criticism is that the writing was maybe one draft of perfection, ie. some parts felt a little under cooked or simplistic.
I enjoyed this retelling, and despite how much it has deviated from its origins, a lot of the elements are still there. Cleverly incorporated. The tale itself is adorable and wonderful exploration of how to have multi-faceted characters.
Also the cover is stunning.
November 28, 2024
C. A. Wright's undertaking to recast an Andersen fairy tale is carried off skilfully. 'The Nightingale' tale retold is rich, has warmth.
In fact, right up until the very last drop of 'Skysong', I was going to write a five-star review.
I was going to write that there was nothing in this novel that I wanted done differently, and that it could not have been more perfect.
I would have listed all the elements I'd jotted down as I read: pacing exactly right (it's rare to have such a succinct but sufficient introduction to the ordinary world before crossing the threshold into the 'quest'); remarkable characters, all of them - virtuous or villainous, wretched or redeemable; descriptions are measured to offer just enough interest to ignite readers' own imaginations; and the atmosphere (coloured as it is, intrinsically, from Oriene or Andala's point of view) is intimate.
Add to that Olivia Darnley's bold yet expressively toned narration for Bolinda Audio, and I was lost in the book.
YET!
I reached the end with such a bitter taste in my mouth, and I have to dock my review because of the matter of 'Skysong' being classified variously in places as LGBTQIA, LGBT, Lesbian, and Sapphic. Wright throws in a kiss between otherwise straight-presenting female mcs and (I can only presume) the thinking is that this legitimises the use of a marketing tag that opens up a whole readership.
I say presume, because there is no Sapphic substance to 'Skysong'. It lacks any genuine examination of LGBTQIA themes or tropes; there is no investigation into matters that might affect us or consideration given to experiences that we might share in the queer community. I hate to be a spoil-sport, but for anybody who, like me, plumped for 'Skysong' because of that Sapphic tag, this might well infuriate you too.
If there was any kind of interrogation of doubt, or questioning, regarding Oriene or Andala's emotions, or orientation, I missed it. And I fairly wolfed this down because it was so engrossing, so I can't have missed something so important to my reading identity (I effectively always read with my lesbian antennae twitching). And as far as I could tell, there wasn't even any spotlight upon attraction.
I'm hotly disappointed. This enrages me. We can't have gone from authors killing off their lesbian characters to this type of treatment, can we?!
If I were to be really petty I'd say that, oh! There was a character who had a single line of dialogue, who appeared for one catch-and-you-miss-him moment, and after we'd looked away from him, he was referred to as having had a husband. Maybe THAT qualifies this as LGBTQIA?!
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for the chance to listen to a copy for review through NetGalley.
In fact, right up until the very last drop of 'Skysong', I was going to write a five-star review.
I was going to write that there was nothing in this novel that I wanted done differently, and that it could not have been more perfect.
I would have listed all the elements I'd jotted down as I read: pacing exactly right (it's rare to have such a succinct but sufficient introduction to the ordinary world before crossing the threshold into the 'quest'); remarkable characters, all of them - virtuous or villainous, wretched or redeemable; descriptions are measured to offer just enough interest to ignite readers' own imaginations; and the atmosphere (coloured as it is, intrinsically, from Oriene or Andala's point of view) is intimate.
Add to that Olivia Darnley's bold yet expressively toned narration for Bolinda Audio, and I was lost in the book.
YET!
I reached the end with such a bitter taste in my mouth, and I have to dock my review because of the matter of 'Skysong' being classified variously in places as LGBTQIA, LGBT, Lesbian, and Sapphic. Wright throws in a kiss between otherwise straight-presenting female mcs and (I can only presume) the thinking is that this legitimises the use of a marketing tag that opens up a whole readership.
I say presume, because there is no Sapphic substance to 'Skysong'. It lacks any genuine examination of LGBTQIA themes or tropes; there is no investigation into matters that might affect us or consideration given to experiences that we might share in the queer community. I hate to be a spoil-sport, but for anybody who, like me, plumped for 'Skysong' because of that Sapphic tag, this might well infuriate you too.
If there was any kind of interrogation of doubt, or questioning, regarding Oriene or Andala's emotions, or orientation, I missed it. And I fairly wolfed this down because it was so engrossing, so I can't have missed something so important to my reading identity (I effectively always read with my lesbian antennae twitching). And as far as I could tell, there wasn't even any spotlight upon attraction.
I'm hotly disappointed. This enrages me. We can't have gone from authors killing off their lesbian characters to this type of treatment, can we?!
If I were to be really petty I'd say that, oh! There was a character who had a single line of dialogue, who appeared for one catch-and-you-miss-him moment, and after we'd looked away from him, he was referred to as having had a husband. Maybe THAT qualifies this as LGBTQIA?!
My thanks to Bolinda Audio for the chance to listen to a copy for review through NetGalley.
September 9, 2024
SKYSONG - C A WRIGHT
I'm a big fan of retellings, and Skysong is a brilliant one. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale, C A Wright elevates the fairytale, pads it out and adds a new setting and new characters to give it a modern, fresher feel. Here's the blurb:
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises if she wills it. Every morning, she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life - but it has also left her lonely and craving freedom. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is discovered in the gardens of the royal palace, where she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess - and a prisoner.
With writing that's beautiful, whimsical and descriptive, C A Wright has created something that still feels very much like a fairytale, but one that's more relevant and relatable. By adding a different setting and a whole host of characters to get invested in, the story feels broader and, for me, has a lot of elements that I associate with cosy fantasy. That’s always going to be a big plus.
There's a super sweet and subtle love story at its core - a meeting of light with dark - and, while there is a lot of action, it doesn't feel as high stakes or accompanied by as much of the stress I feel reading other fantasy books.
If you choose to read this book (and please, please do so), be prepared to get swept away by this stunning new fairytale - a story that feels authentic and delicately conjured, just like its thoughtfully created central characters. This may be a fantasy standalone, but thanks to Skysong, C A Wright has become one of my new auto-buy authors.
Thank you to C A Wright, NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.
Release date: 1 October 2024
Review score: 5/5
TW: death, loss of parent, imprisonment
I'm a big fan of retellings, and Skysong is a brilliant one. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale, C A Wright elevates the fairytale, pads it out and adds a new setting and new characters to give it a modern, fresher feel. Here's the blurb:
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises if she wills it. Every morning, she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life - but it has also left her lonely and craving freedom. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is discovered in the gardens of the royal palace, where she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess - and a prisoner.
With writing that's beautiful, whimsical and descriptive, C A Wright has created something that still feels very much like a fairytale, but one that's more relevant and relatable. By adding a different setting and a whole host of characters to get invested in, the story feels broader and, for me, has a lot of elements that I associate with cosy fantasy. That’s always going to be a big plus.
There's a super sweet and subtle love story at its core - a meeting of light with dark - and, while there is a lot of action, it doesn't feel as high stakes or accompanied by as much of the stress I feel reading other fantasy books.
If you choose to read this book (and please, please do so), be prepared to get swept away by this stunning new fairytale - a story that feels authentic and delicately conjured, just like its thoughtfully created central characters. This may be a fantasy standalone, but thanks to Skysong, C A Wright has become one of my new auto-buy authors.
Thank you to C A Wright, NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.
Release date: 1 October 2024
Review score: 5/5
TW: death, loss of parent, imprisonment
September 26, 2024
‘The lyrical reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale’ – when I saw this, I wondered how I would go with this book, as I’d never read the original either.
What an exquisitely bittersweet and beautiful novel this turned out to be. The stage is set with the innocent and naïve Oriane - the skylark with the beautiful voice and yearning for more; and the worldly and darker Andala –the resentful and unappreciative nightingale.
When she decides to explore the world beyond her backyard, Orianne’s need for human companionship is exploited by Andala and she is manipulated into a political power struggle performing for King Tomas and his subjects which leads to a different type of imprisonment. Orianne is devastated her trust in others leads to so much personal heartache and tragedy, so shuts herself off from everything she knows.
When Andala realises the consequences of her scheming and gets to know the gentle Orianne, she finally recognises her as her soul mate - and it scares her so much what she sets in motion almost destroys the both of them and the world as a whole.
Beautiful and heartfelt, a story of true friendship. Recommended.
What an exquisitely bittersweet and beautiful novel this turned out to be. The stage is set with the innocent and naïve Oriane - the skylark with the beautiful voice and yearning for more; and the worldly and darker Andala –the resentful and unappreciative nightingale.
When she decides to explore the world beyond her backyard, Orianne’s need for human companionship is exploited by Andala and she is manipulated into a political power struggle performing for King Tomas and his subjects which leads to a different type of imprisonment. Orianne is devastated her trust in others leads to so much personal heartache and tragedy, so shuts herself off from everything she knows.
When Andala realises the consequences of her scheming and gets to know the gentle Orianne, she finally recognises her as her soul mate - and it scares her so much what she sets in motion almost destroys the both of them and the world as a whole.
Beautiful and heartfelt, a story of true friendship. Recommended.
December 7, 2024
A beautiful re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale exquisitely captured in this cosy fantasy debut by CA Wright. At the heart of the story is Oriane, a skylark, who turns from woman to bird each morning to sing her song and bring in the day. She led a sheltered life, protected by her father from the world with her legend filtering across the land. Oriane is tempted by the outside world, leading to her capture by the king. He offers her refuge in the Palace, but it becomes a Gilded cage. Her friendship blossoms with Andala. Female strength is the focus and the most beautiful theme in the story. This is a stunning story. The book is presented with an exquisite cover and the audiobook is superbly narrated. #skysong #CAWright #netgalley
April 25, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of Skysong.
This was a really sweet story that was the perfect cozy read. This is a fabulous retelling that would be perfect for anyone who enjoys retellings, fairytales, or mythology.
I loved the symbolism used throughout the book which was really cleverly written and covering a range of themes.
I loved how fleshed out this story was and the amount of thought that has gone into this retelling to create the whimsical, fairytale feel, but expanding the story to provide more background and characters that the reader can become invested in.
This was a really sweet story that was the perfect cozy read. This is a fabulous retelling that would be perfect for anyone who enjoys retellings, fairytales, or mythology.
I loved the symbolism used throughout the book which was really cleverly written and covering a range of themes.
I loved how fleshed out this story was and the amount of thought that has gone into this retelling to create the whimsical, fairytale feel, but expanding the story to provide more background and characters that the reader can become invested in.
January 3, 2025
This was a really great book to start out my challenge
I hadn't heard of the story of the Nightengale that this is based off so can't speak to its accuracy. But I did thoroughly enjoy it. Oriane and Andala were such great characters I loved how the story revolved around them both and how they were such strong characters. This was beautiful, so well written. My only real complaint is I felt it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked more of an ending and to find out what happened to everyone. But that is a minor complaint for a really great story
I hadn't heard of the story of the Nightengale that this is based off so can't speak to its accuracy. But I did thoroughly enjoy it. Oriane and Andala were such great characters I loved how the story revolved around them both and how they were such strong characters. This was beautiful, so well written. My only real complaint is I felt it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked more of an ending and to find out what happened to everyone. But that is a minor complaint for a really great story
April 4, 2025
3.5⭐️
This is beautifully written like a classic fairytale. At the beginning I thought I would recommend this to my young friends, however, like all fairytales I was disappointed in the female characters. They had men walk over them, talk over them and rescue them quite frequently throughout the book. They didn't even have the courage to talk about their feelings. Since I don't want the next generation of females to be like past generations, I'll not be recommending this book to the younger ones. Overall it was a pleasant read.
This is beautifully written like a classic fairytale. At the beginning I thought I would recommend this to my young friends, however, like all fairytales I was disappointed in the female characters. They had men walk over them, talk over them and rescue them quite frequently throughout the book. They didn't even have the courage to talk about their feelings. Since I don't want the next generation of females to be like past generations, I'll not be recommending this book to the younger ones. Overall it was a pleasant read.
August 15, 2024
Thankyou to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and provide feedback on this ARC.
“What luck, what fate, that they had found each other.
What luck, what fate, that they would lose one another again so soon. “
What an enchanting story. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that made me feel quite so fuzzy inside. The backstories, the subtle foreshadowing, the whimsical prose. I was enraptured within the first few chapters and would absolutely recommend this to fairytale lovers and fantasy lovers alike.
“What luck, what fate, that they had found each other.
What luck, what fate, that they would lose one another again so soon. “
What an enchanting story. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that made me feel quite so fuzzy inside. The backstories, the subtle foreshadowing, the whimsical prose. I was enraptured within the first few chapters and would absolutely recommend this to fairytale lovers and fantasy lovers alike.
October 19, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book. It felt whimsical, exciting and easy to read. There were a few little details here and there that irked me, but on the whole it was an enjoyable read and a book I kept reaching to finish.
December 24, 2024
A soft, lyrical story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale. Characters that are actually decent human beings, just trying to help each other navigate the dark. I liked this one.
March 8, 2025
I was so disappointed by this book. It is the epitome of “telling but never showing.”
The entire first chunk is the author telling us the exposition, telling us about the setting and telling us the premise. The inciting incident comes dozens of pages in and feels so tepid. The entire time reading this book, I was thinking, “and why should I care?”
See, I really love some of the themes the author sets out to explore: when idolisation becomes unhealthy obsession, when yearning for another life brings you somewhere where you miss the old.
However, these themes aren’t so much explored as they are directly iterated to you over and over again through mountains of purple prose.
Every major plot development, like Andala being the Nightingale, is told directly to the audience in between page after page after page of nothing happening. Even the sapphic romance is so boring because it’s between characters who are both so bland, I can barely tell them apart.
I think this book would be so much better if the characters were interesting. Why should we care about Oriane? Why should we care about the Skylarks? Oriane is extremely flat, she does exactly what any nice person would do and has no distinct features, reactions, dialog or goals. The stakes in this book are so low due to insufficient time spent fleshing out the characters.
If all the skylarks are killed, so what? Why should we care? The author doesn’t spend any time answering that. Most of the words are spent describing a setting that once again, why should we care about?
This is a book about very little happening to very uninteresting people. It’s clear the author has talent, but I’m really surprised this was published as it is as it’s extremely underdeveloped and mundane compared so many incredibly crafted stories fighting for publication.
The entire first chunk is the author telling us the exposition, telling us about the setting and telling us the premise. The inciting incident comes dozens of pages in and feels so tepid. The entire time reading this book, I was thinking, “and why should I care?”
See, I really love some of the themes the author sets out to explore: when idolisation becomes unhealthy obsession, when yearning for another life brings you somewhere where you miss the old.
However, these themes aren’t so much explored as they are directly iterated to you over and over again through mountains of purple prose.
Every major plot development, like Andala being the Nightingale, is told directly to the audience in between page after page after page of nothing happening. Even the sapphic romance is so boring because it’s between characters who are both so bland, I can barely tell them apart.
I think this book would be so much better if the characters were interesting. Why should we care about Oriane? Why should we care about the Skylarks? Oriane is extremely flat, she does exactly what any nice person would do and has no distinct features, reactions, dialog or goals. The stakes in this book are so low due to insufficient time spent fleshing out the characters.
If all the skylarks are killed, so what? Why should we care? The author doesn’t spend any time answering that. Most of the words are spent describing a setting that once again, why should we care about?
This is a book about very little happening to very uninteresting people. It’s clear the author has talent, but I’m really surprised this was published as it is as it’s extremely underdeveloped and mundane compared so many incredibly crafted stories fighting for publication.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2024
3.5⭐️
Very lyrical writing and story.
Pace was kinda slow and not very in depth.
Audiobook provided by NetGalley.
Very lyrical writing and story.
Pace was kinda slow and not very in depth.
Audiobook provided by NetGalley.
January 5, 2025
I was really excited by the premise, but it was just so bland. Only made it half way through. Wasn't worth finishing with the amount I have on my TBR.
February 24, 2025
This was a beautifully rendered tale about, love and freedom and the balance between Light and Dark and all the repercussions of an imbalance between the two.
I really enjoyed this book! It was given to me as a Christmas present, and I’m thankful to my housemate who gave it to me!
From the start I was completely immersed in the lore of it all. The Skylark, we learn she is a woman who can turn into a bird, the skylark but she’s not just any bird, Oriane is the ‘goddess’ who literally makes the sun rise!
The story starts like many a fairytale, I remember very quickly and easily likening her to Rapunzel, kept away from society never knowing anyone but her father (as her mother died passing her skylark power onto Oriane as she gave birth.) apparently the fate of many generations of her family. Oriane grows up isolated and longs for freedom! Eventually she gets her way…I won’t give anything else away..you gotta read the book hehe.
We originally think Oriane is our FMC but (whoop whoop) turns out there are two!! Enter Andala…a servant at the palace, with secrets…and she’s really good at keeping them hidden perhaps too good!
Without spoiling too much…I really like Oriane and Andala’s dynamic! So sweet! And just perfect!
The two share split third person POVs throughout the 3 parts of this book. There’s a picture key to know who’s chapter is whose…little suns start the book and part one is mostly Oriane’s POV with chapters of Andala here and there…then Part Two the spacers in between paragraphs are crescent moons when it’s mostly Andala’s and part 3 is a mix of both after the chapter number there is also another clue to who’s POV it will be…will let you find that out for yourself tho.
When I read the blurb it set this was a dark retelling of Thd Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson. hadn’t read the Hans Christian Anderson tale the Nightingale before it either so I went and did that. And C. A Wright’s version of the tale is practically nothing like it! Haha! The only things that are similar are the existence of a Nightingale and later a mechanical version of the bird, but in this case it doesn’t even sing! So if you’re hoping for a faithful ‘adaptation’ so speak, you won’t find it here, but I liked this book and the choices the author made way better!
We deal a lot with Light and Dark it is the overarching theme of the book. Of good and evil, happiness and sadness, and depression. The way the characters deal with grief and pain is very real and relatable…and a fantasy twist is cleverly applied. I love how her characters were so very ‘human’ if if they weren’t all entirely ‘human’ haha.
I find myself thinking about this book, while not exactly fast-paced all the time, there are definitely some unput-downable parts, but even in the lulls between these moments I found myself enthralled…and thinking about the book while reluctantly doing other things when I couldn’t read it! The world Claire Wright created was so easy to understand, I found I didn’t miss having a map at the beginning, to understand the geography or typography of the places, they felt already familiar and planted in my mind’s eye…I LOVE it when a book is like this. It feels like I’m watching a movie! Instead of reading the words.
Not all authors can do this to me so clearly and vividly. I recently read If We Were Villians by M.L Rio, (which I still find myself thinking about occasionally I 10/10 reccomended by the way) and they got me the same way.
Overall The politics, religions and lore were easy to grasp, fantastical, but rooted in reality. Not at all confusing, I just accepted things for what they were.
I don’t like having to work hard to understand the magic or lore of some stories! This was easy and perfect. Still some fantasy themes though, definitely feels like a fairytale, with some dark, gut-wrenching moments!
A absolutely beautiful read, full of heart, truth and with a tiny sprinkling of LGBTQ+ love woven in! 🌞🌛✨(whispers: definitely could have done with more than the sprinkling we got tho! Novella/sequel please C.A Wright? Hehe)
I really enjoyed this book! It was given to me as a Christmas present, and I’m thankful to my housemate who gave it to me!
From the start I was completely immersed in the lore of it all. The Skylark, we learn she is a woman who can turn into a bird, the skylark but she’s not just any bird, Oriane is the ‘goddess’ who literally makes the sun rise!
The story starts like many a fairytale, I remember very quickly and easily likening her to Rapunzel, kept away from society never knowing anyone but her father (as her mother died passing her skylark power onto Oriane as she gave birth.) apparently the fate of many generations of her family. Oriane grows up isolated and longs for freedom! Eventually she gets her way…I won’t give anything else away..you gotta read the book hehe.
We originally think Oriane is our FMC but (whoop whoop) turns out there are two!! Enter Andala…a servant at the palace, with secrets…and she’s really good at keeping them hidden perhaps too good!
Without spoiling too much…I really like Oriane and Andala’s dynamic! So sweet! And just perfect!
The two share split third person POVs throughout the 3 parts of this book. There’s a picture key to know who’s chapter is whose…little suns start the book and part one is mostly Oriane’s POV with chapters of Andala here and there…then Part Two the spacers in between paragraphs are crescent moons when it’s mostly Andala’s and part 3 is a mix of both after the chapter number there is also another clue to who’s POV it will be…will let you find that out for yourself tho.
When I read the blurb it set this was a dark retelling of Thd Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson. hadn’t read the Hans Christian Anderson tale the Nightingale before it either so I went and did that. And C. A Wright’s version of the tale is practically nothing like it! Haha! The only things that are similar are the existence of a Nightingale and later a mechanical version of the bird, but in this case it doesn’t even sing! So if you’re hoping for a faithful ‘adaptation’ so speak, you won’t find it here, but I liked this book and the choices the author made way better!
We deal a lot with Light and Dark it is the overarching theme of the book. Of good and evil, happiness and sadness, and depression. The way the characters deal with grief and pain is very real and relatable…and a fantasy twist is cleverly applied. I love how her characters were so very ‘human’ if if they weren’t all entirely ‘human’ haha.
I find myself thinking about this book, while not exactly fast-paced all the time, there are definitely some unput-downable parts, but even in the lulls between these moments I found myself enthralled…and thinking about the book while reluctantly doing other things when I couldn’t read it! The world Claire Wright created was so easy to understand, I found I didn’t miss having a map at the beginning, to understand the geography or typography of the places, they felt already familiar and planted in my mind’s eye…I LOVE it when a book is like this. It feels like I’m watching a movie! Instead of reading the words.
Not all authors can do this to me so clearly and vividly. I recently read If We Were Villians by M.L Rio, (which I still find myself thinking about occasionally I 10/10 reccomended by the way) and they got me the same way.
Overall The politics, religions and lore were easy to grasp, fantastical, but rooted in reality. Not at all confusing, I just accepted things for what they were.
I don’t like having to work hard to understand the magic or lore of some stories! This was easy and perfect. Still some fantasy themes though, definitely feels like a fairytale, with some dark, gut-wrenching moments!
A absolutely beautiful read, full of heart, truth and with a tiny sprinkling of LGBTQ+ love woven in! 🌞🌛✨(whispers: definitely could have done with more than the sprinkling we got tho! Novella/sequel please C.A Wright? Hehe)
December 15, 2024
This book was a delight from start to finish. Beautifully written, it weaves the tale of the Skylark, a woman who transforms every morning into a bird in order to call the dawn. She lives an isolated life but longs for something more, only to find out that there are people out there who want her power for themselves.
I wasn’t familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale but the fairytale quality came across straight away in Skysong. I was drawn into the story and the world straight away. I loved seeing how the story and characters gradually revealed themselves over the course of the book.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
The first half of the book focusses on Oriane, the Skylark, and the second half focusses on the Nightingale (no spoilers!). It was one of those perfect reveals that you saw coming just in the final moments before it was revealed to you, and I loved the way their character and backstory were explored.
Both the two main characters and the side characters were all really nuanced and layered. There were some characters I liked at the start, then hated, then liked again at the end! They all go on such a journey as each character has their own motivations and moral compass to follow.
The narration by Olivia Darnley was brilliant, perfectly setting the tone for this story. I would look forward to bad traffic days when my commute would be longer, because it meant I got to listen to more of it! Fantasy audiobooks are hit and miss for me, but this one ticked all the right boxes.
This is an incredible debut. My only complaint is that you can’t easily buy a physical copy in the UK, because I want to give this to so many people for Christmas!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
I wasn’t familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale but the fairytale quality came across straight away in Skysong. I was drawn into the story and the world straight away. I loved seeing how the story and characters gradually revealed themselves over the course of the book.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
The first half of the book focusses on Oriane, the Skylark, and the second half focusses on the Nightingale (no spoilers!). It was one of those perfect reveals that you saw coming just in the final moments before it was revealed to you, and I loved the way their character and backstory were explored.
Both the two main characters and the side characters were all really nuanced and layered. There were some characters I liked at the start, then hated, then liked again at the end! They all go on such a journey as each character has their own motivations and moral compass to follow.
The narration by Olivia Darnley was brilliant, perfectly setting the tone for this story. I would look forward to bad traffic days when my commute would be longer, because it meant I got to listen to more of it! Fantasy audiobooks are hit and miss for me, but this one ticked all the right boxes.
This is an incredible debut. My only complaint is that you can’t easily buy a physical copy in the UK, because I want to give this to so many people for Christmas!
I received a free copy for an honest review.
September 18, 2024
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
If the blurb doesn’t draw you in, that gorgeous cover will.
I would say this one is inspired by, not based upon, The Nightingale. There’s a lot of artistic merit, which is what I look for in a retelling. I want to be surprised instead of reliving the same old plot, and find new things to love; which this book certainly delivers.
Despite the fantasy royal court setting, the politicking is at a very minimum level, which was a refreshing change. There are a few key players but minimal scheming afoot. The friendships in here are so beautiful, and I loved the way it portrayed mental health and grief.
At the end of part one I was cheering on Oriane so dang hard. We’re talking whoop of delight levels of enjoyment, because yes. Channel your inner vengeance and smite those smiters. She stands up for herself in the quietest of most epic manners and I am so here for that. So much strength and resilience pours through Oriane, even in her darkest moments. (There’s a great pun there if you read the book.)
The romance is understated and starts as a friendship that blossoms into the potential for more, and this has the most poignant of endings, while still suggesting a HEA.
If the blurb doesn’t draw you in, that gorgeous cover will.
I would say this one is inspired by, not based upon, The Nightingale. There’s a lot of artistic merit, which is what I look for in a retelling. I want to be surprised instead of reliving the same old plot, and find new things to love; which this book certainly delivers.
Despite the fantasy royal court setting, the politicking is at a very minimum level, which was a refreshing change. There are a few key players but minimal scheming afoot. The friendships in here are so beautiful, and I loved the way it portrayed mental health and grief.
At the end of part one I was cheering on Oriane so dang hard. We’re talking whoop of delight levels of enjoyment, because yes. Channel your inner vengeance and smite those smiters. She stands up for herself in the quietest of most epic manners and I am so here for that. So much strength and resilience pours through Oriane, even in her darkest moments. (There’s a great pun there if you read the book.)
The romance is understated and starts as a friendship that blossoms into the potential for more, and this has the most poignant of endings, while still suggesting a HEA.
October 14, 2024
Based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's The Nightingale (which is well worth the read). Skysong tells of the tale of Oriane and Andala, two women who possess the power of darkness and light.
Oriane can transform into the skylark at will, her song heralding the dawn. However, such beauty comes at a price. All her life, she's been sheltered: life beyond her backyard can only herald nothing but danger. Yet, all Oriane ever desires is to experience life, something that her beloved books can never teach her.
Finally breaking free, one day Oriane finds herself discovered in the Royal Palace grounds. She's taken in by King Tomas, who has an ulterior motive behind his kindly exterior. Amongst her newfound freedom, Oriane encounters Andala, someone so beautiful and mysterious that Oriane can not feel a strong connection with.
Andala is the Nightingale, and only Oriane can pull her out of the darkness...
Skysong is one of those books that normally I wouldn't pick up if it wasn't for the stunning cover. Fantasy really isn't my fortay, but this was just so lyrical and magical. It's certainly amongst my favourite reads of 2024.
There's a lot to unpack and consider here. Themes of betrayal, depression, desperation, and loneliness on one hand, yet friendship, hope, and love on the other. Oriane and Andala are the perfect juxtaposition to both sides of the story. As for the rest of the cast... they're just there for the ride.
Such an exquisite fairytale!
5 🌟
Oriane can transform into the skylark at will, her song heralding the dawn. However, such beauty comes at a price. All her life, she's been sheltered: life beyond her backyard can only herald nothing but danger. Yet, all Oriane ever desires is to experience life, something that her beloved books can never teach her.
Finally breaking free, one day Oriane finds herself discovered in the Royal Palace grounds. She's taken in by King Tomas, who has an ulterior motive behind his kindly exterior. Amongst her newfound freedom, Oriane encounters Andala, someone so beautiful and mysterious that Oriane can not feel a strong connection with.
Andala is the Nightingale, and only Oriane can pull her out of the darkness...
Skysong is one of those books that normally I wouldn't pick up if it wasn't for the stunning cover. Fantasy really isn't my fortay, but this was just so lyrical and magical. It's certainly amongst my favourite reads of 2024.
There's a lot to unpack and consider here. Themes of betrayal, depression, desperation, and loneliness on one hand, yet friendship, hope, and love on the other. Oriane and Andala are the perfect juxtaposition to both sides of the story. As for the rest of the cast... they're just there for the ride.
Such an exquisite fairytale!
5 🌟
October 22, 2024
Thank you so much to @panterapress and @cawrightbooks for this ARC and this is my honest review
Review
Told from two points of view Skysong tells the story of two young women.
Skylark, Messenger of the Day, Oriane
Servant, stranger, forgettable, Andala
Oriane is soft while Andala is brash
But maybe the two women are not as different as they first appear.
The way Oriane transformations are written are so beautiful.
The story of the skysingers is both tragic and beautiful.
There are so many legends, beliefs, and myths surrounding the Order of the Sky and the winged goddesses who make the world turn.
While reading I was unsure of a few characters and their intentions, my perceptions of them changed a few times whilst reading.
This is a beautiful story that explores loneliness, identity, legacy, loss, faith, belonging, light and darkness and the duality that exists in life.
This story had me teary eyed and weighed on my heart. This book has many messages of hope, strength, and perseverance.
Skysong is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale The Nightingale.
Moments
🪶 For so long, the nightingale had been more myth than truth –
🪶 She was a bird, a beacon, a god; everything she’d been born to be, everything her father had brought her up to be.
🪶 The cage seemed preordained; inexorable, inevitable, as if she had known from the beginning where she would end up.
October 29, 2024
✨📚Skysong - C. A. Wright📚✨
Today is my turn on the book tour for this gorgeous book, and wow, what a stunning story.
I was completely captivated by the magic within these pages. It was one of those books that I wanted to inhale but I also never wanted to end. My absolute favourite kind.
The prose was so beautifully lyrical and the author truly encapsulated both the light and the darkness within this fantastical world. It was incredibly atmospheric and I felt like I was along for the ride as a character within the pages.
I loved every moment reading this book and I honestly haven’t felt like that in a while, especially when it comes to fantasy, so that says a lot! It was thought-provoking, emotive and such vivid storytelling. The perfect cosy read.
What you can expect:
🕊️ Found family
🐦⬛ Sapphic take on a classic
🕊️ Beauty in nature
🐦⬛ Whimsical writing
This incredibly stunning retelling of the old classic ‘The Nightingale’ truly captured my heart and is a story that will stay with me for years to come.
Thank you so much to @cawrightbooks and @panterapress for sending me this to review and having me as part of your book tour 🙏🏻
QOTD: What is your favourite retelling?
#lizzieslittlelibrary #skysong #cawright #cawrightbooks #panterapress #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #booklover #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books #booktour #skysongbooktour
Today is my turn on the book tour for this gorgeous book, and wow, what a stunning story.
I was completely captivated by the magic within these pages. It was one of those books that I wanted to inhale but I also never wanted to end. My absolute favourite kind.
The prose was so beautifully lyrical and the author truly encapsulated both the light and the darkness within this fantastical world. It was incredibly atmospheric and I felt like I was along for the ride as a character within the pages.
I loved every moment reading this book and I honestly haven’t felt like that in a while, especially when it comes to fantasy, so that says a lot! It was thought-provoking, emotive and such vivid storytelling. The perfect cosy read.
What you can expect:
🕊️ Found family
🐦⬛ Sapphic take on a classic
🕊️ Beauty in nature
🐦⬛ Whimsical writing
This incredibly stunning retelling of the old classic ‘The Nightingale’ truly captured my heart and is a story that will stay with me for years to come.
Thank you so much to @cawrightbooks and @panterapress for sending me this to review and having me as part of your book tour 🙏🏻
QOTD: What is your favourite retelling?
#lizzieslittlelibrary #skysong #cawright #cawrightbooks #panterapress #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #bookworm #readmorebooks #aussiebookworm #booklover #booksofinstagram #booksofinsta #booksofig #bookaholic #igreads #book #books #booktour #skysongbooktour
April 21, 2025
3.5 stars.
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises when she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life – and lonely. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess – and a prisoner. Oriane yearns to return to her safe, simple life, but she learns she may not be as alone as she thought. There may be another like her. The nightingale.
This was a super simple and straightforward story. I’m glad there was no attempt to stretch the material into a duology or even trilogy, so it was nicely wrapped up in one book.
Not gonna lie, this was my third book/series involving the concept of young women as birds, with storyline full of gilded cages, flying, and (lack of) freedom, so the metaphors were a bit overused for me. It didn’t really offer me anything new or unique, but at the end of the day, it was an easy one to enjoy.
The audiobook narration itself was beautiful. The pace, intonation and flow were perfect for the story vibe, and I went through the book really quickly. Great audio performance. I’d recommend this to anyone needing an audiobook to try on!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises when she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life – and lonely. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess – and a prisoner. Oriane yearns to return to her safe, simple life, but she learns she may not be as alone as she thought. There may be another like her. The nightingale.
This was a super simple and straightforward story. I’m glad there was no attempt to stretch the material into a duology or even trilogy, so it was nicely wrapped up in one book.
Not gonna lie, this was my third book/series involving the concept of young women as birds, with storyline full of gilded cages, flying, and (lack of) freedom, so the metaphors were a bit overused for me. It didn’t really offer me anything new or unique, but at the end of the day, it was an easy one to enjoy.
The audiobook narration itself was beautiful. The pace, intonation and flow were perfect for the story vibe, and I went through the book really quickly. Great audio performance. I’d recommend this to anyone needing an audiobook to try on!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a gifted review copy)
See my bookstagram review.
October 1, 2024
Skysong is vivid, beautiful and a story you will lose yourself in.
Oriane is the skylark and she controls the rise of the sun. Each morning she transforms into a bird to welcome the dawn. But she lives a life of seclusion and craves to explore the outside world. When Oriane leaves the safety of her forest, she is discovered in the palace gardens and invited to stay by the King. But what she doesn't realise is she is a prisoner in a gilded cage. As her stay in the palace continues, Oriane wants to return to the simplicity of her life in the forest with her father. As tensions begin to rise Oriane and her gift are caught up in the middle of everything and she learns she isn't the only one with power...there is in fact a Nightingale.
With religious fanatics, a misguided king and beautiful friendships, Skysong is a must-read cosy fantasy. The writing is absolutely enchanting. It builds a beautiful world, whilst also delving into the emotions of our two main characters.
I felt the story contrasted the light and dark sides extremely well. Oriane, as the Skylark, is inherently light but as the story progresses, we see the darkness creeping in. On the other hand, Andala struggles with dark and must learn to let the light in. It's a balance that must be held between them and it plays out beautifully on the page. I loved how the book is broken into three parts, with the first part predominantly focused on Oriane, the second on Andala and the third being a more balanced blending between the two.
Thank you to Pantera Press for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Oriane is the skylark and she controls the rise of the sun. Each morning she transforms into a bird to welcome the dawn. But she lives a life of seclusion and craves to explore the outside world. When Oriane leaves the safety of her forest, she is discovered in the palace gardens and invited to stay by the King. But what she doesn't realise is she is a prisoner in a gilded cage. As her stay in the palace continues, Oriane wants to return to the simplicity of her life in the forest with her father. As tensions begin to rise Oriane and her gift are caught up in the middle of everything and she learns she isn't the only one with power...there is in fact a Nightingale.
With religious fanatics, a misguided king and beautiful friendships, Skysong is a must-read cosy fantasy. The writing is absolutely enchanting. It builds a beautiful world, whilst also delving into the emotions of our two main characters.
I felt the story contrasted the light and dark sides extremely well. Oriane, as the Skylark, is inherently light but as the story progresses, we see the darkness creeping in. On the other hand, Andala struggles with dark and must learn to let the light in. It's a balance that must be held between them and it plays out beautifully on the page. I loved how the book is broken into three parts, with the first part predominantly focused on Oriane, the second on Andala and the third being a more balanced blending between the two.
Thank you to Pantera Press for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2025
I really enjoyed the writing style and the world building in this book, but there were some things I struggled with.
I felt the characters and their relationships were underdeveloped, which made it hard for me to care what happened next. I SO badly wish that Andala and Oriane’s romance had been explored more. It was so vaguely alluded to that there were moments I wasn’t sure if they were really crushing on each other or if it was just the weird bird girl connection. The kiss toward the end solidified it but I NEEDED. MORE 😫
Kitt was really just Ken. I genuinely couldn’t have cared less about him.
There were also a lot of plot points that pmo. (1) why jump straight to imprisoning/murdering loved ones of the skylark rather than just telling her what the problem was? I.e that you wanted her to heal someone…? Then (2) how on earth did Tomas ever think he’d get Oriane to do anything if he’d literally killed her father and burned her house down? (‘Oh I didn’t know the soldiers would stab ur dad when I sent them to your house lol’).
(3) after Tomas’s sad monologue in the dungeon we’re supposed to see him as an okay dude?
Anyway. It’s a decent read and the author is clearly talented and I look forward to reading more of her work. I just didn’t quite gel with this one.
I felt the characters and their relationships were underdeveloped, which made it hard for me to care what happened next. I SO badly wish that Andala and Oriane’s romance had been explored more. It was so vaguely alluded to that there were moments I wasn’t sure if they were really crushing on each other or if it was just the weird bird girl connection. The kiss toward the end solidified it but I NEEDED. MORE 😫
Kitt was really just Ken. I genuinely couldn’t have cared less about him.
There were also a lot of plot points that pmo. (1) why jump straight to imprisoning/murdering loved ones of the skylark rather than just telling her what the problem was? I.e that you wanted her to heal someone…? Then (2) how on earth did Tomas ever think he’d get Oriane to do anything if he’d literally killed her father and burned her house down? (‘Oh I didn’t know the soldiers would stab ur dad when I sent them to your house lol’).
(3) after Tomas’s sad monologue in the dungeon we’re supposed to see him as an okay dude?
Anyway. It’s a decent read and the author is clearly talented and I look forward to reading more of her work. I just didn’t quite gel with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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