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The Torch Trilogy #1
Songlight
Win a free print copy of this book!
15 days and 21:41:23
5 copies available
U.S. only
Star-crossed lovers, against-all-odds friendship, and a brutally unforgiving world make this first in a trilogy utterly unforgettable.
We’re two songs joined. And there’s a word for that. A harmony.
Elsa is used to hiding the most important parts of herself—her feelings for Rye, her distaste for a world ruled by men, and, most crucially, her gift of songlight. She buries that secret deep inside. In Brightland, those with songlight are called Unhumans and are abhorred. Rye is the only other person Elsa has known with songlight, and their shared bond has brought them together.
Elsa’s world begins to fall apart one desperate, heart-wrenching day and she doesn’t know where to turn until a girl appears before her. But the girl isn’t really there—her songlight has been drawn to Elsa’s frantic grief.
Elsa lives in a remote seaside village; Nightingale, her new friend, lives in a city hundreds of miles away with her father, a government official responsible for rooting out Unhumans. The two never expected to connect via songlight. But when they do, and when they realize the extent of their power, they’ll be thrust in the middle of a war that threatens their very existence.
From an award-winning screenwriter making her novel debut comes this powerful, page-turning trilogy perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Adrienne Young.
We’re two songs joined. And there’s a word for that. A harmony.
Elsa is used to hiding the most important parts of herself—her feelings for Rye, her distaste for a world ruled by men, and, most crucially, her gift of songlight. She buries that secret deep inside. In Brightland, those with songlight are called Unhumans and are abhorred. Rye is the only other person Elsa has known with songlight, and their shared bond has brought them together.
Elsa’s world begins to fall apart one desperate, heart-wrenching day and she doesn’t know where to turn until a girl appears before her. But the girl isn’t really there—her songlight has been drawn to Elsa’s frantic grief.
Elsa lives in a remote seaside village; Nightingale, her new friend, lives in a city hundreds of miles away with her father, a government official responsible for rooting out Unhumans. The two never expected to connect via songlight. But when they do, and when they realize the extent of their power, they’ll be thrust in the middle of a war that threatens their very existence.
From an award-winning screenwriter making her novel debut comes this powerful, page-turning trilogy perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Adrienne Young.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2024
252 people are currently reading
32099 people want to read
About the author
Moira Buffini
35 books160 followersMoira Buffini (born 1965) is an English dramatist, director, and actor.
She was born in Carlisle to Irish parents, and studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths. She subsequently trained as an actor at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.
For Jordan, co-written with Anna Reynolds in 1992, she won a Time Out Award for her performance and Writers' Guild Award for Best Fringe play. Her 1997 play Gabriel was performed at Soho theatre, winning the LWT Plays on Stage award. Her 1999 play Silence earned Buffini the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a woman. Loveplay followed at the RSC in 2001, then Dinner at the National Theatre in 2003 which transferred to the West End and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Comedy.
Buffini wrote Dying For It, a free adaptation of Nikolai Erdman's classic, The Suicide, for the Almeida in 2007. She followed it with Marianne Dreams, a dance play with choreographer Will Tuckett, based on Catherine Storr's book. Her play for young people, A Vampire Story was performed as part of NT Connections in 2008.
Buffini is said to advocate big, imaginative plays rather than naturalistic soap opera dramas, and is a founder member of the Monsterists, a group of playwrights who promote new writing of large scale work in the British theatre. She has been described by David Greig as a metaphysical playwright. All her plays have been published by Faber.
Buffini is also a prolific screenwriter. In 2010 her film adaptation of Posy Simmon's Tamara Drewe was released followed by her adaptation of Jane Eyre for BBC Films and Ruby Films in 2011. The script appeared on the 2008 Brit List, a film-industry-compiled list of the best unproduced screenplays in British film. It received nine votes, putting it in second place. Buffini also adapted her play A Vampire Story for the screenplay of Neil Jordan's film Byzantium released in 2013.
She took part in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six for which she wrote a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.
- Wikipedia
She was born in Carlisle to Irish parents, and studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths. She subsequently trained as an actor at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.
For Jordan, co-written with Anna Reynolds in 1992, she won a Time Out Award for her performance and Writers' Guild Award for Best Fringe play. Her 1997 play Gabriel was performed at Soho theatre, winning the LWT Plays on Stage award. Her 1999 play Silence earned Buffini the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a woman. Loveplay followed at the RSC in 2001, then Dinner at the National Theatre in 2003 which transferred to the West End and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Comedy.
Buffini wrote Dying For It, a free adaptation of Nikolai Erdman's classic, The Suicide, for the Almeida in 2007. She followed it with Marianne Dreams, a dance play with choreographer Will Tuckett, based on Catherine Storr's book. Her play for young people, A Vampire Story was performed as part of NT Connections in 2008.
Buffini is said to advocate big, imaginative plays rather than naturalistic soap opera dramas, and is a founder member of the Monsterists, a group of playwrights who promote new writing of large scale work in the British theatre. She has been described by David Greig as a metaphysical playwright. All her plays have been published by Faber.
Buffini is also a prolific screenwriter. In 2010 her film adaptation of Posy Simmon's Tamara Drewe was released followed by her adaptation of Jane Eyre for BBC Films and Ruby Films in 2011. The script appeared on the 2008 Brit List, a film-industry-compiled list of the best unproduced screenplays in British film. It received nine votes, putting it in second place. Buffini also adapted her play A Vampire Story for the screenplay of Neil Jordan's film Byzantium released in 2013.
She took part in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six for which she wrote a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible.
- Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 732 reviews
July 1, 2025
Reading this book felt like 2:53-3:55 of “We both reached for the gun” (from the Chicago soundtrack) and I cannot elaborate further.
September 7, 2024
➸ 4 stars
— thank you to netgalley, harpercollins and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
— before i start off this review, i’d like to give a warning to the younger readers out there, one of the generes in this book is said to be young adult. however, with the mature themes discussed in this book i would say this is better suited for reader 18 and above.
in this world there are people with telepathic gifts called songlight; but this world is an unforgiving one. a world ruled my men, filled with misogyny, homophobia, violence at every corner and in an ongoing war. people with songlight are forced to hide it, they’re seen as unhuman.
this book had me completely immersed since the very beginning, with five different povs, we see how each one views the world they live in. i found myself constantly rooting for our fmc, i felt infuriated for her, angry for her, for having to live in such a cruel world.
one thing i can’t wait to see more of is elsa and rye. their story was cut too short and i can’t wait to see how it continues in the upcoming books! i’ll patiently be waiting for book two and it’s definitely becoming one of my anticipated releases!
“It’s hard to talk, without condemning myself as a traitor because I’ve been taught my whole life that you’re my enemies.”
there was so much at stake, so much violence was constantly happening which still has me processing everything even now. everyone is taught these horrible things from day one, they see the wrong things as right which makes change difficult.
“I’m in a whirlwind of confusion because, for the first time in my life. I feel like I belong.”
the “enemies” in this book are painted as these horrible and cruel people but in reality they are the good ones. I can’t wait to see how this story progresses and i will be rooting for them and a free world every step of the way.
“Something extraordinary is happening. We are no longer powerless.”
“But we’re two songs joined. And there’s a word for that. A harmony.”
— thank you to netgalley, harpercollins and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
— before i start off this review, i’d like to give a warning to the younger readers out there, one of the generes in this book is said to be young adult. however, with the mature themes discussed in this book i would say this is better suited for reader 18 and above.
in this world there are people with telepathic gifts called songlight; but this world is an unforgiving one. a world ruled my men, filled with misogyny, homophobia, violence at every corner and in an ongoing war. people with songlight are forced to hide it, they’re seen as unhuman.
this book had me completely immersed since the very beginning, with five different povs, we see how each one views the world they live in. i found myself constantly rooting for our fmc, i felt infuriated for her, angry for her, for having to live in such a cruel world.
“Her love is the most precious thing in this whole sorry universe.”
“If I die now, I have loved her, and that has to be enough.”
“My whole body aches for everything we could have been.”
one thing i can’t wait to see more of is elsa and rye. their story was cut too short and i can’t wait to see how it continues in the upcoming books! i’ll patiently be waiting for book two and it’s definitely becoming one of my anticipated releases!
“It’s hard to talk, without condemning myself as a traitor because I’ve been taught my whole life that you’re my enemies.”
there was so much at stake, so much violence was constantly happening which still has me processing everything even now. everyone is taught these horrible things from day one, they see the wrong things as right which makes change difficult.
“I’m in a whirlwind of confusion because, for the first time in my life. I feel like I belong.”
the “enemies” in this book are painted as these horrible and cruel people but in reality they are the good ones. I can’t wait to see how this story progresses and i will be rooting for them and a free world every step of the way.
“Something extraordinary is happening. We are no longer powerless.”
October 17, 2025
Review in 2025:
Still a five-star fantasy read, and is pretty underrated. A few new thoughts on my reread -
1. This is YA?! I forgot how bleak and adult parts of this book are.
2. This type of high fantasy which is actually dystopian/based on our world is so satisfying.
3. Everyone is named after a bird!
4. My mind is a sieve, because I forgot about 100% of this novel.
5. The audiobook is so good, a narrator for each POV, great execution.
Review in 2024:
Yet another YA dystopian fantasy, yet another great book that I could not stop reading.
Songlight is a novel about people with telepathic skills, in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of archaic civilizations, who are persecuted and dehumanized by their communities. Their society is rife with violence, misogyny, homophobia, and war. The political landscape of this society is dictatorial, and cruel dogma and propaganda rule the lives of the common people, who are themselves entrenched in these beliefs. There are multiple POVs in the book, ranging from young women and men at sea and at war, to the individuals in the cities and political strongholds. This is the kind of book I choose for escapism, and it delivered beautiful turns of the story while building an incredibly realistic world. This is the author's debut novel, and she mentions that Atwood and Le Guin are her inspirations, whom you can definitely find shades of in the book.
The main gripe I had with this is that it was too short and things were happening too fast. Worlds like these benefit from slower plots and heavier books for the story and the emotional turmoil to really sink in. This book is closer to a 4-star read for me, but I just know that I'd love to reread this before the next one, and that usually deserves 5 stars. I judge YA a tad more favorably on any banalities as well, even though this book touches upon many adult themes and is considerably mature.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Songlight comes out September 3rd, 2024.
Still a five-star fantasy read, and is pretty underrated. A few new thoughts on my reread -
1. This is YA?! I forgot how bleak and adult parts of this book are.
2. This type of high fantasy which is actually dystopian/based on our world is so satisfying.
3. Everyone is named after a bird!
4. My mind is a sieve, because I forgot about 100% of this novel.
5. The audiobook is so good, a narrator for each POV, great execution.
Review in 2024:
Yet another YA dystopian fantasy, yet another great book that I could not stop reading.
Songlight is a novel about people with telepathic skills, in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world reminiscent of archaic civilizations, who are persecuted and dehumanized by their communities. Their society is rife with violence, misogyny, homophobia, and war. The political landscape of this society is dictatorial, and cruel dogma and propaganda rule the lives of the common people, who are themselves entrenched in these beliefs. There are multiple POVs in the book, ranging from young women and men at sea and at war, to the individuals in the cities and political strongholds. This is the kind of book I choose for escapism, and it delivered beautiful turns of the story while building an incredibly realistic world. This is the author's debut novel, and she mentions that Atwood and Le Guin are her inspirations, whom you can definitely find shades of in the book.
The main gripe I had with this is that it was too short and things were happening too fast. Worlds like these benefit from slower plots and heavier books for the story and the emotional turmoil to really sink in. This book is closer to a 4-star read for me, but I just know that I'd love to reread this before the next one, and that usually deserves 5 stars. I judge YA a tad more favorably on any banalities as well, even though this book touches upon many adult themes and is considerably mature.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review! Songlight comes out September 3rd, 2024.
September 14, 2024
Songlight (The Torch Trilogy #1) by Moira Buffini
5/5 stars
I recently went through a hellish time and I am severely behind on reviewing the books I accepted. Thank you The Write Reads for your patience and kindness.
So when I started Songlight, my goodness, this book is EPIC! I love it from start to finish. I love how the world was built around me as I started reading. I loved the multiple point of views and I was completely mesmerized by how Songlight works and how it interconnects people. And how it is a dead sentence at the same time. This is one of the best books I have read this year. And I recommend it to each and everyone of you.
The book starts with Kaira, a small, thin and 17 year old girl. She has Songlight. People with Songlight allow them to talk to each other telepathically. They also have healing abilities and other powers. The strengths of those powers differentiate in each person who has Songlight. Kaira lives at home with Ishbell and her father. Her father is a leader in the army and if he ever finds out that his daughter Songlight, he'll turn her in no matter what. But he doesn't know and he absolutely adores his daughter.
Far away there is the city of Northaven and Elsa lives there. Her brother Piper is training for the army and wants to become a pilot. He completely believes in the war. He doesn't know that his sister has Songlight. As does his former best friend Rye. Rye and Elsa love each other. Their connection is so pure and intense that it's called a Harmony.
But if you aren't of high standing different rules are applied. Girls are trained to become the wives of soldiers. Each soldier gets a First and Second Wife. And the task of the girls is to birth as many sons as they can. Girls have no choice and each First Wife gets chosen by a Choirmaiden. The soldiers then choose a Second Wife of the girls who are left over. If there are too many girls. The Third Wive girls get sent to the capital and must enter the Pink Houses. They serve the soldiers who aren't allowed to have wives yet.
And if you get caught having Songlight. You are sent to a Chrysalid house. They will basically make you brain dead. You only function to serve the nation and are a literal brainless slave to the nation.
When Elsa and Rye are making plans to escape. Piper sees Rye talking to air and knows he has Songlight. He betrays his former best friend and Elsa is consumed with grief. Her grief is so bright that a girl in the capital sees her grief and they connect over a great distance.
And that is what kickstars this brilliant story. We see the pain in Elsa and follow her on her quest to save Rye. We get introduced to several brilliant characters and I loved the journey each of them went through.
Elsa is fierce and strong. In the beginning the pressure of the town weighs heavily on her. And she does things she regrets instantly. But that regret instantly transforms into strength. And her strength increases with each and every chapter. She has a good and pure heart. And I love how open she is about her feelings.
Her brother Piper is loyal to the army. Loyal to the thoughts they implement. He thinks he is doing the right things.
But things change when he meets Tombean who is also part of the army. And things start to change. His struggle was so hard to read. I disliked him so hard at times. And at other times my heart was with him completely.
Nightingale aka Kaira is such a brave girl. I love her compassion and her strength. I love how she treats Keynes. And her connection with Elsa aka Lark is amazing. They use codenames when they talk to each other through Songlight.
Swan is another complicated character. Who is completely molded and formed by Kite. She is strong at times. But so fiercely lost as well. My heart broke for her throughout the book.
Rye is so brave and strong. He gets taken and beaten and tries his hardest to get back to Elsa. I loved his chapters and cheered for him right from the get go.
Heron Mikane is a brave soldier and he returns home in order to get his wives. But Heron isn't like the other soldiers. Jenkins also returned, and Jenkins has severe complex PTSD and Mikane takes such good care of him.
I think Mikane is my favorite character in this book. He misses an eye, ear and is severely scarred. He has a different mindset than most. And I love how he evolves, strengthens and is just bloody brilliant and strong.
Kingfisher has my heart as well. I love his fierceness. The hope he carries and his will to make this a better world.
Like I mentioned before, the multiple point of views really helped this story and kicked it forwards. I loved each character and I love how they are all intertwined. This is an epic battle for truth, justice and forgiveness. This book has a set of people that fight for peace and don't mind dying for their cause. I absolutely loved and adored this story from start to finish.
One of the most powerful quotes in this book is the following:
I'm no longer consumed by with grief for Rye and my dead father. I'm doing something. In that Circle House, I was listened to, I was respected. It's crushing to realise that I have never know that. Today, I spoke.
5 humongous stars from me for this brilliant book!
5/5 stars
I recently went through a hellish time and I am severely behind on reviewing the books I accepted. Thank you The Write Reads for your patience and kindness.
So when I started Songlight, my goodness, this book is EPIC! I love it from start to finish. I love how the world was built around me as I started reading. I loved the multiple point of views and I was completely mesmerized by how Songlight works and how it interconnects people. And how it is a dead sentence at the same time. This is one of the best books I have read this year. And I recommend it to each and everyone of you.
The book starts with Kaira, a small, thin and 17 year old girl. She has Songlight. People with Songlight allow them to talk to each other telepathically. They also have healing abilities and other powers. The strengths of those powers differentiate in each person who has Songlight. Kaira lives at home with Ishbell and her father. Her father is a leader in the army and if he ever finds out that his daughter Songlight, he'll turn her in no matter what. But he doesn't know and he absolutely adores his daughter.
Far away there is the city of Northaven and Elsa lives there. Her brother Piper is training for the army and wants to become a pilot. He completely believes in the war. He doesn't know that his sister has Songlight. As does his former best friend Rye. Rye and Elsa love each other. Their connection is so pure and intense that it's called a Harmony.
But if you aren't of high standing different rules are applied. Girls are trained to become the wives of soldiers. Each soldier gets a First and Second Wife. And the task of the girls is to birth as many sons as they can. Girls have no choice and each First Wife gets chosen by a Choirmaiden. The soldiers then choose a Second Wife of the girls who are left over. If there are too many girls. The Third Wive girls get sent to the capital and must enter the Pink Houses. They serve the soldiers who aren't allowed to have wives yet.
And if you get caught having Songlight. You are sent to a Chrysalid house. They will basically make you brain dead. You only function to serve the nation and are a literal brainless slave to the nation.
When Elsa and Rye are making plans to escape. Piper sees Rye talking to air and knows he has Songlight. He betrays his former best friend and Elsa is consumed with grief. Her grief is so bright that a girl in the capital sees her grief and they connect over a great distance.
And that is what kickstars this brilliant story. We see the pain in Elsa and follow her on her quest to save Rye. We get introduced to several brilliant characters and I loved the journey each of them went through.
Elsa is fierce and strong. In the beginning the pressure of the town weighs heavily on her. And she does things she regrets instantly. But that regret instantly transforms into strength. And her strength increases with each and every chapter. She has a good and pure heart. And I love how open she is about her feelings.
Her brother Piper is loyal to the army. Loyal to the thoughts they implement. He thinks he is doing the right things.
But things change when he meets Tombean who is also part of the army. And things start to change. His struggle was so hard to read. I disliked him so hard at times. And at other times my heart was with him completely.
Nightingale aka Kaira is such a brave girl. I love her compassion and her strength. I love how she treats Keynes. And her connection with Elsa aka Lark is amazing. They use codenames when they talk to each other through Songlight.
Swan is another complicated character. Who is completely molded and formed by Kite. She is strong at times. But so fiercely lost as well. My heart broke for her throughout the book.
Rye is so brave and strong. He gets taken and beaten and tries his hardest to get back to Elsa. I loved his chapters and cheered for him right from the get go.
Heron Mikane is a brave soldier and he returns home in order to get his wives. But Heron isn't like the other soldiers. Jenkins also returned, and Jenkins has severe complex PTSD and Mikane takes such good care of him.
I think Mikane is my favorite character in this book. He misses an eye, ear and is severely scarred. He has a different mindset than most. And I love how he evolves, strengthens and is just bloody brilliant and strong.
Kingfisher has my heart as well. I love his fierceness. The hope he carries and his will to make this a better world.
Like I mentioned before, the multiple point of views really helped this story and kicked it forwards. I loved each character and I love how they are all intertwined. This is an epic battle for truth, justice and forgiveness. This book has a set of people that fight for peace and don't mind dying for their cause. I absolutely loved and adored this story from start to finish.
One of the most powerful quotes in this book is the following:
I'm no longer consumed by with grief for Rye and my dead father. I'm doing something. In that Circle House, I was listened to, I was respected. It's crushing to realise that I have never know that. Today, I spoke.
5 humongous stars from me for this brilliant book!
September 23, 2024
MAIS J'AI ADORÉ EN FAIT.
Je vous l'avoue, quand j'ai vu toute la comm' et notamment les slogans du genre "le meilleur livre de la décennie", j'étais un peu en mode 🤨. Je me suis dit qu'avant de rager sur ces slogans qui en faisaient trop, fallait quand même que je le lise, le bouquin, pour me faire mon avis. Et, bon, de la décennie, peut-être pas, mais c'est effectivement un des meilleurs romans de fantasy / dystopie que j'ai lu depuis un momeeeent.
J'ai tout kiffé. Le rythme. L'univers, très original et vraiment bien amené aussi, facile à comprendre et à arpenter, immersif et intéressant. Le carrousel de personnages dont on a les points de vues et dont chacun apporte un truc à l'histoire. Leur évolution, les enjeux pour chacun d'entre eux. L'intrigue, enfin, avec une petite vibes à la Servante écarlate et, oserai-je le dire ?... à la Hunger Games pour le côté société dictatoriale et mensonges d'état qui oppressent tout une société et, bien sûr, pour la question suivante : "rappelle-toi qui est le véritable ennemi".
Bref, vous l'avez compris avec mon pavé là mais j'ai adoré ce roman. Je suis au bout de ma vie de devoir attendre 2025 (!!!!) pour avoir la suite. Mais c'est définitivement une saga à suivre.
Je vous l'avoue, quand j'ai vu toute la comm' et notamment les slogans du genre "le meilleur livre de la décennie", j'étais un peu en mode 🤨. Je me suis dit qu'avant de rager sur ces slogans qui en faisaient trop, fallait quand même que je le lise, le bouquin, pour me faire mon avis. Et, bon, de la décennie, peut-être pas, mais c'est effectivement un des meilleurs romans de fantasy / dystopie que j'ai lu depuis un momeeeent.
J'ai tout kiffé. Le rythme. L'univers, très original et vraiment bien amené aussi, facile à comprendre et à arpenter, immersif et intéressant. Le carrousel de personnages dont on a les points de vues et dont chacun apporte un truc à l'histoire. Leur évolution, les enjeux pour chacun d'entre eux. L'intrigue, enfin, avec une petite vibes à la Servante écarlate et, oserai-je le dire ?... à la Hunger Games pour le côté société dictatoriale et mensonges d'état qui oppressent tout une société et, bien sûr, pour la question suivante : "rappelle-toi qui est le véritable ennemi".
Bref, vous l'avez compris avec mon pavé là mais j'ai adoré ce roman. Je suis au bout de ma vie de devoir attendre 2025 (!!!!) pour avoir la suite. Mais c'est définitivement une saga à suivre.
June 22, 2024
Absolutely brilliant! I loved this dystopian story where those with songlight are ‘unhuman’ and dehumanised in the worst possible way, once caught. Where propaganda maintains a war, the people unaware of the State’s true agenda. Many of the tropes you’d expect to find are here, so in that sense, nothing original, but it’s done really well, which makes all the difference. I enjoyed all the characters, evil ones too! The rest of this series is going on my auto-buy list. Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.
October 2, 2024
3.5⭐️ | TikTok |
The prose in this book is immaculate, I felt every emotion and saw every description come to life.
I loved the unique take on telepathy and the dystopian world. The political intrigue, patriarchal society, and the explorations of womanhood were well done.
Where it fell apart for me was the multiple POVs, some that felt fairly irrelevant. It could be a me issue, but I find too many POVs in an initial book to be fairly overwhelming and think it detracts from the story. The plot is a bit slower and I found it hard to connect with the characters, likely due to the multi-POVs.
This series has a lot of potential and I can see these getting better as they progress.
Overall a solid debut and a good start for a series.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The prose in this book is immaculate, I felt every emotion and saw every description come to life.
I loved the unique take on telepathy and the dystopian world. The political intrigue, patriarchal society, and the explorations of womanhood were well done.
Where it fell apart for me was the multiple POVs, some that felt fairly irrelevant. It could be a me issue, but I find too many POVs in an initial book to be fairly overwhelming and think it detracts from the story. The plot is a bit slower and I found it hard to connect with the characters, likely due to the multi-POVs.
This series has a lot of potential and I can see these getting better as they progress.
Overall a solid debut and a good start for a series.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
September 2, 2024
Songlight by Moira Buffini is a captivating tale of identity, acceptance, all types of love full of mystery, intricate politics, heartbreak, and betrayals that will have you captivated from beginning to end. Buffini manages to capture all that makes us humans, all of the emotions and their nuances in under 400 pages.
Set in a dystopian world-at-war, we meet Elsa and Rya, who are both blessed/cursed with Songlight and know of no one else with it - a telepathic form of communication. People with Songlight are considered to be "unhumans." They are hunted and imprisoned, turned into mindless slaves. To keep themselves safe, they have to keep their gift a secret from absolutely everyone. When something terrible happens that leaves Elsa full of anguish: "In songlight, I roar in white, inchohate pain." Which allows another person with songlight to find her, someone quite far away, whose songlight is even more powerful than Elsa's. From there, it dives into friendships and found family, political intrigue, actual truth vs trusting what you were always told is true, right vs wrong, fighting a war for victory vs fighting a war for freedom, and so much more. It may sound like too much, but I don't think it was - at all.
📖 The plot is phenomenal. Intricately woven with big important topics, full of emotions (I got actual chills reading one part) and depth. I love that the plot mimics issues we have in our world in 2024. It encourages readers to look at their beliefs, to search deeper for the truth, to look more deeply at your own beliefs. It also gives you glimpses as to how and why some can have the beliefs and opinions they do, what could lead them to be so dogmatic. That doesn't mean those beliefs are right, or even ok - just providing insight as to some things that could cause a person to hold such parochial beliefs.
It has multiple POVs (5 as I recall), which I know some aren't fans of. Buffini does am excellent job of giving each POV character a distinct voice, making it easy for me to remember whose POV I was in. I enjoyed the multi-POVs and felt it enriched the story a lot.
⏳️ The pacing is great. I read it in a day, and would've read it in one sitting if life had allowed. I couldn't put it down. It has action, mystery, intrigue, and tension - I can't imagine anyone being bored reading this.
The ending had me full on Michael Scott, "No! God! Please! NO!" and panic-swiping. Book 2 can't be in my hands soon enough. 😆 While I love and appreciate the way it ended, I think so many not love the semi-open ending (if they read it before book 2 is out).
✍️ Buffini writes eloquently. It's smooth, and I learned a few new words. The dialogue reads as natural. She imbues so much emotion that it's visceral at times.
🗺 The world building is excellent. Buffini encapsulates all of your senses, and you'll feel like you're there with the cast. Orienting yourself is a breeze. It's written in a way that made it almost cinematic.
🔮 The magic (or gift, rather) is well explained and developed. I found this specific form of telepathy to be unique and quite interesting.
👥️ The characters are nuanced and dimensional. I love them all, except the ones I love to hate. She shows the good and bad in everyone, which really brings out their humanity. She made me cry a number of times, plus the time I got chills reading a passage. The cast is diverse, LGBTQ+ and trauma rep.
I personally wouldn't say this is a romantasy. It's a fantasy that has some very light romance aspects as more of a footnote. I love that about this book. I think if there had been a stronger focus on romance, it would've pulled the focus away from the very big, important topics.
It didn't feel YA to me. It read as New Adult, or maybe even Adult. As much as I enjoy YA, I appreciated that it reads as older.
If you're someone who has (or is) struggling with your identity and/or coming out, I feel like this book could be a great read for you. I think it could help you feel more confident in yourself and who you are inside. However, I feel like it could be a rough read for a tiny group of people who are struggling with their identity and/or coming out. For those reasons, especially, please, please look up content and trigger warnings. ⚠️ some CW/TW: racism, sexism, homophobia, slavery, talk of forced sex work, violence (including 🔫), and death.
If you enjoyed: The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Handmaid's Tale, and/or Shadow and Bone - I think you would enjoy this.
Thank you to Moira Buffini @HarperCollins and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. I'm choosing to leave this unbiased review.
------
Holy shit, this book is phenomenal. I would give it 10 stars if I could. And that ending! I need more, I need to know...
Please check content/trigger warnings before reading.
Actual review to come once I process. This book deserves to blow up. @Moira Buffini is a literary genius.
Set in a dystopian world-at-war, we meet Elsa and Rya, who are both blessed/cursed with Songlight and know of no one else with it - a telepathic form of communication. People with Songlight are considered to be "unhumans." They are hunted and imprisoned, turned into mindless slaves. To keep themselves safe, they have to keep their gift a secret from absolutely everyone. When something terrible happens that leaves Elsa full of anguish: "In songlight, I roar in white, inchohate pain." Which allows another person with songlight to find her, someone quite far away, whose songlight is even more powerful than Elsa's. From there, it dives into friendships and found family, political intrigue, actual truth vs trusting what you were always told is true, right vs wrong, fighting a war for victory vs fighting a war for freedom, and so much more. It may sound like too much, but I don't think it was - at all.
📖 The plot is phenomenal. Intricately woven with big important topics, full of emotions (I got actual chills reading one part) and depth. I love that the plot mimics issues we have in our world in 2024. It encourages readers to look at their beliefs, to search deeper for the truth, to look more deeply at your own beliefs. It also gives you glimpses as to how and why some can have the beliefs and opinions they do, what could lead them to be so dogmatic. That doesn't mean those beliefs are right, or even ok - just providing insight as to some things that could cause a person to hold such parochial beliefs.
It has multiple POVs (5 as I recall), which I know some aren't fans of. Buffini does am excellent job of giving each POV character a distinct voice, making it easy for me to remember whose POV I was in. I enjoyed the multi-POVs and felt it enriched the story a lot.
⏳️ The pacing is great. I read it in a day, and would've read it in one sitting if life had allowed. I couldn't put it down. It has action, mystery, intrigue, and tension - I can't imagine anyone being bored reading this.
The ending had me full on Michael Scott, "No! God! Please! NO!" and panic-swiping. Book 2 can't be in my hands soon enough. 😆 While I love and appreciate the way it ended, I think so many not love the semi-open ending (if they read it before book 2 is out).
✍️ Buffini writes eloquently. It's smooth, and I learned a few new words. The dialogue reads as natural. She imbues so much emotion that it's visceral at times.
🗺 The world building is excellent. Buffini encapsulates all of your senses, and you'll feel like you're there with the cast. Orienting yourself is a breeze. It's written in a way that made it almost cinematic.
🔮 The magic (or gift, rather) is well explained and developed. I found this specific form of telepathy to be unique and quite interesting.
👥️ The characters are nuanced and dimensional. I love them all, except the ones I love to hate. She shows the good and bad in everyone, which really brings out their humanity. She made me cry a number of times, plus the time I got chills reading a passage. The cast is diverse, LGBTQ+ and trauma rep.
I personally wouldn't say this is a romantasy. It's a fantasy that has some very light romance aspects as more of a footnote. I love that about this book. I think if there had been a stronger focus on romance, it would've pulled the focus away from the very big, important topics.
It didn't feel YA to me. It read as New Adult, or maybe even Adult. As much as I enjoy YA, I appreciated that it reads as older.
If you're someone who has (or is) struggling with your identity and/or coming out, I feel like this book could be a great read for you. I think it could help you feel more confident in yourself and who you are inside. However, I feel like it could be a rough read for a tiny group of people who are struggling with their identity and/or coming out. For those reasons, especially, please, please look up content and trigger warnings. ⚠️ some CW/TW: racism, sexism, homophobia, slavery, talk of forced sex work, violence (including 🔫), and death.
If you enjoyed: The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Handmaid's Tale, and/or Shadow and Bone - I think you would enjoy this.
Thank you to Moira Buffini @HarperCollins and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. I'm choosing to leave this unbiased review.
------
Holy shit, this book is phenomenal. I would give it 10 stars if I could. And that ending! I need more, I need to know...
Please check content/trigger warnings before reading.
Actual review to come once I process. This book deserves to blow up. @Moira Buffini is a literary genius.
October 26, 2024
Ugh, why didn't anyone tell me this was the start of a new trilogy.
Book 2 isn't even written yet.
I am dying.
This was fabulous!
Beautiful writing, gorgeous world building, found family and detailed (without being boring) political development.
I am both excited and disappointed that this is only the start.
I hate waiting.
Much love to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for my ARC!
Book 2 isn't even written yet.
I am dying.
This was fabulous!
Beautiful writing, gorgeous world building, found family and detailed (without being boring) political development.
I am both excited and disappointed that this is only the start.
I hate waiting.
Much love to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for my ARC!
November 15, 2025
*The closest thing I can compare the ability of songlight to is telepathy*
My Thoughts:
I picked up this book on a whim. It has been out in the world for over a year and I've never heard of it until recently. This is a TRAVESTY. Songlight is a brilliantly written dystopian novel, that calls attention to an unjust system of power, class differences, homosexuality, women's rights and diversity in general.
"The wrong people die in wars. It's not your people who should die, it's your leaders. Your leaders must be held to account."
What a powerful statement. This book shows us what happens when the wrong people come into power and put their own ambition above the greater good. How they condemn and ostracize marginalized groups for downfalls of their own doing. That the real suffering is always among everyday people.
If you've read this far, you know I loved it. Elsa is an incredible character. She will not hide, she will not cower. She is willing to fight with everything she has to avenge Rye and those like herself. Nightingale is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She has a heart of gold and a well of compassion despite all the monsters trying to dim her light. Their friendship is heartwarming.
The family and community dynamics add so much depth and substance to the plot. The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat, heart racing, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. There's a lot of moving pieces but it comes together in a battle for freedom. Songlight is just the beginning. It is the first of the trilogy and book two was released a couple of weeks ago. Cant wait to see where the author takes us next!
My Thoughts:
I picked up this book on a whim. It has been out in the world for over a year and I've never heard of it until recently. This is a TRAVESTY. Songlight is a brilliantly written dystopian novel, that calls attention to an unjust system of power, class differences, homosexuality, women's rights and diversity in general.
"The wrong people die in wars. It's not your people who should die, it's your leaders. Your leaders must be held to account."
What a powerful statement. This book shows us what happens when the wrong people come into power and put their own ambition above the greater good. How they condemn and ostracize marginalized groups for downfalls of their own doing. That the real suffering is always among everyday people.
If you've read this far, you know I loved it. Elsa is an incredible character. She will not hide, she will not cower. She is willing to fight with everything she has to avenge Rye and those like herself. Nightingale is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She has a heart of gold and a well of compassion despite all the monsters trying to dim her light. Their friendship is heartwarming.
The family and community dynamics add so much depth and substance to the plot. The last few chapters had me on the edge of my seat, heart racing, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. There's a lot of moving pieces but it comes together in a battle for freedom. Songlight is just the beginning. It is the first of the trilogy and book two was released a couple of weeks ago. Cant wait to see where the author takes us next!
September 10, 2024
I honestly don’t even know what to say about this book. I love the characters and the plot and the detailed world that Buffini built. I love the various points of view and the history about the book’s world and the conflicts. I was so tense reading the last 20-30% as everything reached the climax. Buffini does such a good job of making it seem like everything is happening in the moment, and there’s nothing we can do about it but watch it unfold, just like the characters. I knew it was going to end on a cliffhanger, and now, I HAVE to read book 2.
I’m very grateful for the e-book provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review. I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and many different types of love stories from familial to platonic to romantic.
I’m very grateful for the e-book provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review. I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and many different types of love stories from familial to platonic to romantic.
November 3, 2024
Songlight est une dystopie Young Adult où les personnes dotées de facultés de télépathie sont considérées comme "inhumaines" et sont chassées, tuées ou réduits à l'esclavage. Les télépathes doivent rester cachés pour survivre. Les femmes, quant à elles, sont réduites au statut d'épouses pour enfanter, et quand elles ne sont pas choisies par un homme, elles deviennent des prostituées.
Ce premier tome fut une très belle découverte, avec des sujets actuels sur fond d'imaginaire. Le système politique en place était intéressant et bien développé. J'ai adoré l'univers ainsi que la magie basée sur la télépathie.
Il y a plusieurs points de vue, avec des personnages nuancés et attachants. J'ai vraiment bien aimé l'alternance qui permettait de bien comprendre la psychologie de certains protagonistes. De plus, ça rendait la lecture plus dynamique et immersive.
J'ai alterné entre lecture papier et lecture audio en français, et je ne peux que vous recommander de l'écouter car j'ai vraiment apprécié la narration audio.
Les intrigues m'ont complètement tenues en haleine. Tout était très bien développé, et j'ai hâte de lire la suite.
Il y a une vibe de La servante écarlate ainsi que de Hunger Games, mais pas sur le côté épreuves, mais plutôt concernant la division de la société avec une partie riche et élitiste vs les autres, le peuple.
Il y a également une romance en second plan qui m'a beaucoup touchée et un véritable found family qui se développe au fur et à mesure du récit.
En bref, je ne peux que vous recommander cette lecture si vous souhaitez lire une dystopie addictive avec une touche de romance.
Voici les tropes que j'ai pu retenir :
* dystopie
* pouvoirs interdits
* amour impossible
* strangers to lovers
* rébellion/résistance
* found family
Attention aux avertissements de contenu :
mention de viol, mention d'agression sexuelle, menace d'agression sexuelle, esclavagisme, racisme, sexisme, meurtres, mort d'un proche (mention)
Ce premier tome fut une très belle découverte, avec des sujets actuels sur fond d'imaginaire. Le système politique en place était intéressant et bien développé. J'ai adoré l'univers ainsi que la magie basée sur la télépathie.
Il y a plusieurs points de vue, avec des personnages nuancés et attachants. J'ai vraiment bien aimé l'alternance qui permettait de bien comprendre la psychologie de certains protagonistes. De plus, ça rendait la lecture plus dynamique et immersive.
J'ai alterné entre lecture papier et lecture audio en français, et je ne peux que vous recommander de l'écouter car j'ai vraiment apprécié la narration audio.
Les intrigues m'ont complètement tenues en haleine. Tout était très bien développé, et j'ai hâte de lire la suite.
Il y a une vibe de La servante écarlate ainsi que de Hunger Games, mais pas sur le côté épreuves, mais plutôt concernant la division de la société avec une partie riche et élitiste vs les autres, le peuple.
Il y a également une romance en second plan qui m'a beaucoup touchée et un véritable found family qui se développe au fur et à mesure du récit.
En bref, je ne peux que vous recommander cette lecture si vous souhaitez lire une dystopie addictive avec une touche de romance.
Voici les tropes que j'ai pu retenir :
* dystopie
* pouvoirs interdits
* amour impossible
* strangers to lovers
* rébellion/résistance
* found family
Attention aux avertissements de contenu :
mention de viol, mention d'agression sexuelle, menace d'agression sexuelle, esclavagisme, racisme, sexisme, meurtres, mort d'un proche (mention)
July 14, 2025
3.5 stars!!
I saw this book before it came out and I thought it was so pretty so I obviously gave it a chance. I didn’t read what it was about and it was kind of nice. I had no prior notion and I got the most out of the book. Rye was such a good character. The plot instantly intrigued me. I’m excited for the next book!
ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ꜱᴏɴɢꜱ ᴊᴏɪɴᴇᴅ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’ꜱ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.
ᴀ ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴʏ.
I saw this book before it came out and I thought it was so pretty so I obviously gave it a chance. I didn’t read what it was about and it was kind of nice. I had no prior notion and I got the most out of the book. Rye was such a good character. The plot instantly intrigued me. I’m excited for the next book!
ʙᴜᴛ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴛᴡᴏ ꜱᴏɴɢꜱ ᴊᴏɪɴᴇᴅ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’ꜱ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.
ᴀ ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴʏ.
February 20, 2025
Great start to a new dystopian series based around song light, melodies and harmony. We would call it telepathy. There were enough unique pieces of the story to differentiate it from all the cookie cutter fantasies. Some romance - appropriate for 15 and up due to mature themes, especially around their marriage practices.
Quite a few surprises by the end - I will definitely continue reading the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
Quite a few surprises by the end - I will definitely continue reading the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
September 27, 2024
Thank you again to Allen & Unwin for sharing a beautiful Songlight PR pack with me. Songlight is out now. ✨🫶 (but when’s book 2????)
This is the first book in a new YA dystopian trilogy set in a world where a war has been long-raging and unhumans are hunted. Elsa, one of the aforementioned unhuman has been hiding her songlight (ability to speak to others telepathically) since her ability emerged and she lives in constant fear of being discovered by authority or her community who would just as quickly turn on her. The only person she can share her true self with, Rye who is the first person she’s met with songlight of his own, is discovered and sacrifices himself to protect her from his own military. Elsa is desperately to save Rye or die trying until her emotional turmoil and distress attracts another girl to appear before her - but she is in fact hundreds of miles away and has been drawn by Elsa’s songlight.
I literally have no notes - this book is perfection. From the first chapter I was fully immersed in this new world and in sync with Elsa’s rage at the injustices surrounding her. This is a FANTASTIC example of multi-POV narrative being executed successfully, there was no break in the action because I was pulled across the map at exactly the right times. If someone asked where they should start with dystopians as a genre, this book would 100% be on my list. Moira Buffini masterfully unravels the past between the warring nations and the effects that colonisation, oppression and mob mentality have on innocent people. Songlight also explores how people with kindness in their hearts are twisted and turned into something ugly under the right conditions and I can’t wait to see how these characters develop throughout the next books.
I just think this is fantastic and I highly recommend! I do think this will be an absolute hit and I think it would caters to a lot of readers. Pick this up next time you’re craving an emotional read (there were a couple tears) with characters you can’t help investing in.
This is the first book in a new YA dystopian trilogy set in a world where a war has been long-raging and unhumans are hunted. Elsa, one of the aforementioned unhuman has been hiding her songlight (ability to speak to others telepathically) since her ability emerged and she lives in constant fear of being discovered by authority or her community who would just as quickly turn on her. The only person she can share her true self with, Rye who is the first person she’s met with songlight of his own, is discovered and sacrifices himself to protect her from his own military. Elsa is desperately to save Rye or die trying until her emotional turmoil and distress attracts another girl to appear before her - but she is in fact hundreds of miles away and has been drawn by Elsa’s songlight.
I literally have no notes - this book is perfection. From the first chapter I was fully immersed in this new world and in sync with Elsa’s rage at the injustices surrounding her. This is a FANTASTIC example of multi-POV narrative being executed successfully, there was no break in the action because I was pulled across the map at exactly the right times. If someone asked where they should start with dystopians as a genre, this book would 100% be on my list. Moira Buffini masterfully unravels the past between the warring nations and the effects that colonisation, oppression and mob mentality have on innocent people. Songlight also explores how people with kindness in their hearts are twisted and turned into something ugly under the right conditions and I can’t wait to see how these characters develop throughout the next books.
I just think this is fantastic and I highly recommend! I do think this will be an absolute hit and I think it would caters to a lot of readers. Pick this up next time you’re craving an emotional read (there were a couple tears) with characters you can’t help investing in.
September 24, 2024
C'était excellent ! Je vais m'abstenir d'en parler. Simplement préciser qu'il s'agit bien d'un univers dystopique. Que nous suivons plusieurs personnages. Qu'il y a de nombreux rebondissements. Et que rien n'est prévisible. Mais que ça se lit vite tellement c'est captivant.
Bref. C'est un très très très bon roman. 🤩
Bref. C'est un très très très bon roman. 🤩
August 19, 2024
3.5 Star
This is a strange, if compelling story, set in a dystopian time and place, a story that covers a lot of territory. A story of those who feel the need to force their opinions on others, and shun those who don’t, or worse. Where women are subjugated, and boys are trained to rule in a time of war.
This story revolves around Lark and Nightingale, who connect, but not in a physical sense, they connect telepathically. They are both Songlights, and must carefully hide this from others, or they are likely to end up with a fate that would end their lives. This was my favourite part of the story.
A story that revolves around men wanting to subjugate women, and women who have no choice. Men who take multiple wives, and just as easily cast them aside, if not something worse. A story of ‘my home town is better than yours’ and variations on that theme, along with a somewhat epic journey.
Pub Date: 03 Sep 2024
Many thanks for the ARC provided by HarperCollins Children’s Books / HarperCollins
This is a strange, if compelling story, set in a dystopian time and place, a story that covers a lot of territory. A story of those who feel the need to force their opinions on others, and shun those who don’t, or worse. Where women are subjugated, and boys are trained to rule in a time of war.
This story revolves around Lark and Nightingale, who connect, but not in a physical sense, they connect telepathically. They are both Songlights, and must carefully hide this from others, or they are likely to end up with a fate that would end their lives. This was my favourite part of the story.
A story that revolves around men wanting to subjugate women, and women who have no choice. Men who take multiple wives, and just as easily cast them aside, if not something worse. A story of ‘my home town is better than yours’ and variations on that theme, along with a somewhat epic journey.
Pub Date: 03 Sep 2024
Many thanks for the ARC provided by HarperCollins Children’s Books / HarperCollins
May 1, 2025
4,5⭐️
October 27, 2024
J’ai TOUT aimé de ce premier tome absolument génial !
À la fois l’univers super original fondé sur les désastres écologiques de nos jours, qui appartiennent au passé mais qui ont tout ravagé.
À la fois les personnages et l’alternance de points de vue qui amènent différentes dimensions et perceptions à l’histoire, créant une addiction en moi, j’ai enchaîné chaque chapitre avec passion!
À la fois chaque action, complètement emportée par tout cela.
Malgré quelques facilité sur certains persos et leur repentir, j’avoue que ça ne m’a pas empêchée d’adorer ce premier tome. ATTENDRE 1 AN POUR LA SUITE ? I’m NOT READY
À la fois l’univers super original fondé sur les désastres écologiques de nos jours, qui appartiennent au passé mais qui ont tout ravagé.
À la fois les personnages et l’alternance de points de vue qui amènent différentes dimensions et perceptions à l’histoire, créant une addiction en moi, j’ai enchaîné chaque chapitre avec passion!
À la fois chaque action, complètement emportée par tout cela.
Malgré quelques facilité sur certains persos et leur repentir, j’avoue que ça ne m’a pas empêchée d’adorer ce premier tome. ATTENDRE 1 AN POUR LA SUITE ? I’m NOT READY
October 8, 2024
6 ⭐️
Do yourself a favour and read this book
Like ya dystopian/fantasy X handmaids tale
So good
Best book I’ve read for the longest time
Do yourself a favour and read this book
Like ya dystopian/fantasy X handmaids tale
So good
Best book I’ve read for the longest time
September 18, 2025
Wouah. Banger absolu. On décrit ce roman comme un mix entre Hunger Games et The Handmaid’s tale, mais c’est bien plus que ça. Ce roman a sa propre voix. C’est intelligent, c’est percutant et putain c’est terrifiant. Lisez-le.
November 4, 2024
"Songlight" okazała się jedną z najbardziej zaskakujących książek, po jakie sięgnęłam w tym roku. Co prawda początkowo niewiele na to wskazywało, bo nie było mi łatwo wkręcić się w tę historię. Potrzebowałam czasu, żeby ogarnąć w głowie kto jest kim i jakie zasady rządzą światem, w którym przyszło żyć głównej bohaterce. Od razu spodobało mi się za to, w jaki sposób autorka opisywała dar Elsy, zwany śpiewem blasku. Było w tym coś magicznego i ujmującego, co w starciu z niekiedy przytłaczającą brutalnością i niesprawiedliwością, czułam jeszcze mocniej.
Elsa była dziewczyną, która by przeżyć, musiała się ukrywać. Nie miała prawa głosu, była bezsilna, a mimo to i tak próbowała się buntować, czym bardzo mi zaimponowała. Nie była jednak jedyną świetnie wykreowaną postacią, bo autorka stworzyła wiele różnorodnych bohaterów. Jedni wzbudzali pozytywne emocje, inni wręcz przeciwnie. Nie wiadomo było, kto okaże się sprzymierzeńcem, a kto wrogiem.
Wątek romantyczny stanowił jedynie drobny epizod, choć miał wpływ na fabułę. Miłość Elsy i Rye'a w tak okrutnym świecie nie miała prawa istnieć, a to, co ich spotkało, łamało serce. Mimo młodego wieku połączyło ich coś pięknego i prawdziwego, dlatego mam nadzieję, że jeszcze otrzymają swój czas.
Historia została opowiedziana z kilku punktów widzenia, ale nie czułam się tym przytłoczona. Wręcz przeciwnie, mnogość perspektyw sprawiła, że akcja przez cały czas pozostawała dynamiczna i równie ciekawa.
Ta książka jest dla mnie idealnym przykładem, dlaczego warto wychodzić ze swojej czytelniczej strefy komfortu. Autorka naprawdę dobrze wykreowała dystopijny świat. Zakłamany, patriarchalny, niesprawiedliwy do bólu, o którym myśli się jeszcze długo po skończeniu książki. Czasami było mi trudno czytać o takim okrucieństwie, ale jednocześnie nie mogłam oderwać się od lektury. Końcówka wzbudziła nadzieję, dlatego z niecierpliwością będę oczekiwać kolejnego tomu 🩵
Współpraca z @wydawnictwonyks
Elsa była dziewczyną, która by przeżyć, musiała się ukrywać. Nie miała prawa głosu, była bezsilna, a mimo to i tak próbowała się buntować, czym bardzo mi zaimponowała. Nie była jednak jedyną świetnie wykreowaną postacią, bo autorka stworzyła wiele różnorodnych bohaterów. Jedni wzbudzali pozytywne emocje, inni wręcz przeciwnie. Nie wiadomo było, kto okaże się sprzymierzeńcem, a kto wrogiem.
Wątek romantyczny stanowił jedynie drobny epizod, choć miał wpływ na fabułę. Miłość Elsy i Rye'a w tak okrutnym świecie nie miała prawa istnieć, a to, co ich spotkało, łamało serce. Mimo młodego wieku połączyło ich coś pięknego i prawdziwego, dlatego mam nadzieję, że jeszcze otrzymają swój czas.
Historia została opowiedziana z kilku punktów widzenia, ale nie czułam się tym przytłoczona. Wręcz przeciwnie, mnogość perspektyw sprawiła, że akcja przez cały czas pozostawała dynamiczna i równie ciekawa.
Ta książka jest dla mnie idealnym przykładem, dlaczego warto wychodzić ze swojej czytelniczej strefy komfortu. Autorka naprawdę dobrze wykreowała dystopijny świat. Zakłamany, patriarchalny, niesprawiedliwy do bólu, o którym myśli się jeszcze długo po skończeniu książki. Czasami było mi trudno czytać o takim okrucieństwie, ale jednocześnie nie mogłam oderwać się od lektury. Końcówka wzbudziła nadzieję, dlatego z niecierpliwością będę oczekiwać kolejnego tomu 🩵
Współpraca z @wydawnictwonyks
November 11, 2024
Oh wow! I would give this all the stars! I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The prose for me was immaculate, and the story/ characters were gripping on every page. I just couldn't stop reading, and it caused issues with getting to work on time. There was a huge amount of action and fast paced character development, but you were still able to take a breather as it perfectly bookended action with beautiful depictions of love, friendship and the strongest sense of community. It's been years since I have powered through a YA book this good, and I can't wait for book 2!
October 20, 2024
DNF at 22%.
Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 22%. There were a few different reasons for this, but it comes down to the writing style and the themes supporting the world-building.
In the author’s note, it’s acknowledged that this novel explores various degrees of misogyny, inequality, fascism, eugenics, and destruction of the planet. Despite being braced with that when going into the novel, I was not expecting for the incredible discomfort those themes wrought. I would like to put out the disclaimer that I do think it’s important to see stories on the market involving these themes. However, these themes do need to be handled with a level of care and I’m not sure that this book accomplished this. But I did only read a quarter of it before giving up, so the author could have challenged these themes further on.
When it comes to young adult novels, I expect a level of lyricism to the writing style. This novel, in most cases, did not have that lyricism I was expecting. The main character, Elsa’s perspective was especially choppy and the sentences did not flow together, due to the lack of sentence length variation. This was likely a stylistic choice to reflect Elsa’s inability to read or write, but it did make it more difficult for this reader to sink into the prose.
There were multiple perspectives in this novel, which did make it a little difficult to bond with each perspective character. That was due to the imbalance in perspectives. Elsa was the alpha main character, so her perspective was the most prevalent in the story. However, the other characters would pop in sporadically and with brief chapters, which did not allow much characterization or provide a reader with the chance to connect to these characters.
I also argue that Elsa had an issue with agency. Of the 22% that I read, there was a repetitive notion of Elsa wanting to escape her town and escape her fate. But she never took active steps to escape once Rye, her love interest, was captured. She remained stagnant, even when faced with a new songlight bond with a girl from a distant city.
In the end, this young adult novel wasn’t for me. I do think it would have been better served as an adult science fiction novel, with older characters and more space for the themes to be explored.
TW: misogyny, inequality, fascism, eugenics, and destruction of the planet
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
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Connect with me on my socials!
nikiashreads' Linktree
Unfortunately, I DNFed this book at 22%. There were a few different reasons for this, but it comes down to the writing style and the themes supporting the world-building.
In the author’s note, it’s acknowledged that this novel explores various degrees of misogyny, inequality, fascism, eugenics, and destruction of the planet. Despite being braced with that when going into the novel, I was not expecting for the incredible discomfort those themes wrought. I would like to put out the disclaimer that I do think it’s important to see stories on the market involving these themes. However, these themes do need to be handled with a level of care and I’m not sure that this book accomplished this. But I did only read a quarter of it before giving up, so the author could have challenged these themes further on.
When it comes to young adult novels, I expect a level of lyricism to the writing style. This novel, in most cases, did not have that lyricism I was expecting. The main character, Elsa’s perspective was especially choppy and the sentences did not flow together, due to the lack of sentence length variation. This was likely a stylistic choice to reflect Elsa’s inability to read or write, but it did make it more difficult for this reader to sink into the prose.
There were multiple perspectives in this novel, which did make it a little difficult to bond with each perspective character. That was due to the imbalance in perspectives. Elsa was the alpha main character, so her perspective was the most prevalent in the story. However, the other characters would pop in sporadically and with brief chapters, which did not allow much characterization or provide a reader with the chance to connect to these characters.
I also argue that Elsa had an issue with agency. Of the 22% that I read, there was a repetitive notion of Elsa wanting to escape her town and escape her fate. But she never took active steps to escape once Rye, her love interest, was captured. She remained stagnant, even when faced with a new songlight bond with a girl from a distant city.
In the end, this young adult novel wasn’t for me. I do think it would have been better served as an adult science fiction novel, with older characters and more space for the themes to be explored.
TW: misogyny, inequality, fascism, eugenics, and destruction of the planet
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
*~*~*~*~*
Connect with me on my socials!
nikiashreads' Linktree
July 29, 2024
I was hooked from the start by Moira Buffini’s latest novel, Songlight. Set in a dystopian world, the book follows multiple POVs as the characters navigate their war-torn lives in search of peace and freedom. Lark and Nightingale, the two main characters, have a deep connection with another but can only communicate telepathically- but if anyone discovers their abilities as Songlights, they will meet a fate worse than death. These characters are incredibly well written and are strong female leads. I adored each of them and especially their relationship with one another.
I also really enjoyed the world building that took place throughout the novel. Everything felt expansive without being overwhelming, and I was able to connect to the characters and community to truly feel the desperation and perseverance of everyone involved.
I wasn’t a fan of the number of POVs, however. I had trouble remembering each character and found myself wanting to skip ahead to Lark and Nightingale’s chapters. I think 5 POVs was a few too many and the story would have been better served with less character shifts.
Overall, however, this was a captivating story and I can’t wait to see it continue in the following books.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I also really enjoyed the world building that took place throughout the novel. Everything felt expansive without being overwhelming, and I was able to connect to the characters and community to truly feel the desperation and perseverance of everyone involved.
I wasn’t a fan of the number of POVs, however. I had trouble remembering each character and found myself wanting to skip ahead to Lark and Nightingale’s chapters. I think 5 POVs was a few too many and the story would have been better served with less character shifts.
Overall, however, this was a captivating story and I can’t wait to see it continue in the following books.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2024
Alors là, très gros coup de coeur !! C'était incroyable, j'ai tellement hâte de lire la suite ! Clairement une de mes lectures préférées de l'année 😍🔥🔥🔥
June 29, 2024
What can I say about this book. EPIC!!
I know I'm not the target audience for this YA Dystopian, and I going to admit I did struggle with the first half but boy, once I hit the second half of the book I was so immersed and invested in the characters Moira Buffini has created I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to go into too much plot detail, as I feel you need to take it all in for yourselves. Songlight is a special gift some humans possess. It gives you the ability to communicate telepathically with other Songlights. For many, these people are seen as 'unhuman' they are persecuted and hunted down. This story has multiple POVs, but it mainly follows two female characters, Lark and Nightingale. They are both strong minded young women who are tired of living in fear of being found out that they're Songlights. Their world is at war, and they wish for peace and to live free.
The character development, world building, and the war and politics of this story are so well written and thought out. It also tackles a lot of heavy subject matters that are relevant to the plot but may be hard to read for some.
By the end of this book, I felt every emotion and turmoil the characters had gone through. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking journey, Moira Buffini takes you on. You end up falling in love with the heroes of this story and despising the villains. My only problem is I need book 2!
All in all, a must-read for 2024. An epic trilogy in the making, with touches of Hunger Games, Divergent, and Handmaid's Tale. I, for one, cannot wait for book two in this series.
I know I'm not the target audience for this YA Dystopian, and I going to admit I did struggle with the first half but boy, once I hit the second half of the book I was so immersed and invested in the characters Moira Buffini has created I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to go into too much plot detail, as I feel you need to take it all in for yourselves. Songlight is a special gift some humans possess. It gives you the ability to communicate telepathically with other Songlights. For many, these people are seen as 'unhuman' they are persecuted and hunted down. This story has multiple POVs, but it mainly follows two female characters, Lark and Nightingale. They are both strong minded young women who are tired of living in fear of being found out that they're Songlights. Their world is at war, and they wish for peace and to live free.
The character development, world building, and the war and politics of this story are so well written and thought out. It also tackles a lot of heavy subject matters that are relevant to the plot but may be hard to read for some.
By the end of this book, I felt every emotion and turmoil the characters had gone through. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking journey, Moira Buffini takes you on. You end up falling in love with the heroes of this story and despising the villains. My only problem is I need book 2!
All in all, a must-read for 2024. An epic trilogy in the making, with touches of Hunger Games, Divergent, and Handmaid's Tale. I, for one, cannot wait for book two in this series.
December 4, 2024
Songlight by Moira Buffini is a fantasy book set in a dystopian society, filled with war, death, discrimination, hate, love and hope. The story follows a young girl named Elsa who has the ability to communicate with other people like her through telepathy, also know as "Songlight". However she and the people like her a regarded as unhuman, so she keeps this a secret.
Moira Buffini writes an engaging story that keeps you hooked from start to finish, from the intricate writing of how "Songlight" Works. To the beautiful description of the world and place the characters are situated in. It's clear to see that thoughtful planning and creativity was poured into this fictional world. The characters are so well written, the locations so perfectly described and the world building simple gets better and better as you continue reading.
I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish, I just feel I made a mistake reading it because it's part of a trilogy! Book 2 releases September 2025, how will I ever survive. If you're a fan of fantasy or you'd like to jump into the world of fantasy, then Songlight is the perfect book for you.
Moira Buffini writes an engaging story that keeps you hooked from start to finish, from the intricate writing of how "Songlight" Works. To the beautiful description of the world and place the characters are situated in. It's clear to see that thoughtful planning and creativity was poured into this fictional world. The characters are so well written, the locations so perfectly described and the world building simple gets better and better as you continue reading.
I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish, I just feel I made a mistake reading it because it's part of a trilogy! Book 2 releases September 2025, how will I ever survive. If you're a fan of fantasy or you'd like to jump into the world of fantasy, then Songlight is the perfect book for you.
August 28, 2024
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued, and the cover is gorgeous. However, as I began reading, it had a very slow start, and the world-building was a bit confusing, especially with all the different POVs. I found myself getting lost at certain points throughout. This book definitely has potential, but the author's writing style wasn’t for me, and I couldn’t connect with the characters enough to immerse myself in the world. Still, it’s an interesting and unique story that I haven't encountered before.
I’m going to revisit this book when the audiobook comes out because I can tell it has a lot of potential.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I’m going to revisit this book when the audiobook comes out because I can tell it has a lot of potential.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 4, 2024
This was a lot richer and more brutal than other YA fantasy coming out right now, and I appreciated that. The plot is sort of nebulous throughout, and only gets more hectic and jumbled as it goes on, so the story doesn't actually coalesce into much of anything. Characters who have been brainwashed for their entire lives suddenly change their worldviews in the span of a few pages, and the actual political and societal structure is relatively thinly explained. It's kind of like Divine Rivals by way of Handmaid's Tale--it's not badly done, but strangely plotted and suffering frpm "first in a series" syndrome.
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