What do you think?
Rate this book
The Torch Trilogy #3
Flarestorm: The hottest dystopian trilogy of the decade
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 26The stunning final book in the acclaimed Torch Trilogy, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Margaret Atwood, and Adrienne Young, set in a future dystopia in which two girls hundreds of miles apart are bound by songlight, the forbidden ability to telepathically communicate.
- GenresFantasyYoung AdultQueer
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
Moira Buffini
29 books202 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Currently Reading
November 19, 2025i am not emotionally prepared for this
who will i be if i don’t have a Songlight book ahead of me
who will i be if i don’t have a Songlight book ahead of me
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the final book in The Torch Trilogy. I have enjoyed each book and will be sorry that there is no more. That being said, the author has brought the characters through many battles, and the finale has been a fabulous book.
You do need to read this trilogy in order; well, in my opinion, you do, because there is a large cast of characters, the various groups and also the different aspects of the different societies. This may sound complicated, and it is, but the author has done a brilliant job of keeping things under control and still managing the story flowing between them all.
The world that the author has set this trilogy on is ruled by different classes of people, some of whom accept the torchlight ability, or song light as others call it, a powerful telepathic ability. Not everyone has this, so you can see why there is a divide. The battle for those who do and do not have abilities is very much in the hands of the more powerful leaders.
So, when those who live in fear begin to push the boundaries, then there will be bloodshed. This is the focus of this book: the uprising, the anger and feelings of those at the lower end of the food chain, the fear of those who may be affected and those who are trying to maintain their own positions. The sense of who is looking out for themselves is brilliant, as there is a certain amount of propaganda that blurs the lines, creating a tense sense of suspicion and distrust and adding to the overall danger of what is in store for people.
This is a wonderful finale, thrilling, full of danger, answering questions and a brilliant story from beginning to end. If you are a fan of trilogies with a dystopian, action and adventure vibe, then this is one you should have a look at. I would definitely recommend it.
You do need to read this trilogy in order; well, in my opinion, you do, because there is a large cast of characters, the various groups and also the different aspects of the different societies. This may sound complicated, and it is, but the author has done a brilliant job of keeping things under control and still managing the story flowing between them all.
The world that the author has set this trilogy on is ruled by different classes of people, some of whom accept the torchlight ability, or song light as others call it, a powerful telepathic ability. Not everyone has this, so you can see why there is a divide. The battle for those who do and do not have abilities is very much in the hands of the more powerful leaders.
So, when those who live in fear begin to push the boundaries, then there will be bloodshed. This is the focus of this book: the uprising, the anger and feelings of those at the lower end of the food chain, the fear of those who may be affected and those who are trying to maintain their own positions. The sense of who is looking out for themselves is brilliant, as there is a certain amount of propaganda that blurs the lines, creating a tense sense of suspicion and distrust and adding to the overall danger of what is in store for people.
This is a wonderful finale, thrilling, full of danger, answering questions and a brilliant story from beginning to end. If you are a fan of trilogies with a dystopian, action and adventure vibe, then this is one you should have a look at. I would definitely recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is exactly what YA dystopian fantasy should be: brutal, thought-provoking, character-driven and utterly addictive!
I genuinely don't have enough words for how much I loved this trilogy. If you miss the brutal, addictive dystopian YA of the 2010s, this series feels like a perfect blend of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale — although definitely leaning much more heavily into the latter.
The world is cruel and oppressive, but what makes this trilogy so compelling is everything it explores within that world: tyranny, political oppression, trauma, grief, identity, LGBTQ+ representation, cultural prejudice, female empowerment and the devastating consequences of believing one group is inherently superior to another. Yet none of these themes ever felt forced or preachy; they are woven naturally into the story and its characters.
And the characters! Some I genuinely hated at the beginning, only to find myself completely invested in their journeys by the end. Watching characters confront their beliefs, trauma and prejudices, change, grow and ultimately come full circle was one of my favourite parts of the entire trilogy.
The magic system is wonderfully unique, the plot is gripping, and the sense of sisterhood and female strength throughout was incredibly uplifting. After so much brutality and heartbreak, the epilogue brought a wholesome and healing sense of closure. It may have been a little too convenient in places, but honestly? After everything these characters endured, I was more than happy to let them have their happy endings.
One of my favourite YA series of all time, without a doubt. I finished this ARC feeling completely emotionally wrung out, ridiculously satisfied, and already missing these characters. It was an epic and satisfying end to whats been an incredible series to read. I know I'll be thinking about this trilogy for a very, very long time.
Thank you so much to Moira Buffini, Faber and Netgalley for allowing me this ARC. I am beyond greatful.
I genuinely don't have enough words for how much I loved this trilogy. If you miss the brutal, addictive dystopian YA of the 2010s, this series feels like a perfect blend of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale — although definitely leaning much more heavily into the latter.
The world is cruel and oppressive, but what makes this trilogy so compelling is everything it explores within that world: tyranny, political oppression, trauma, grief, identity, LGBTQ+ representation, cultural prejudice, female empowerment and the devastating consequences of believing one group is inherently superior to another. Yet none of these themes ever felt forced or preachy; they are woven naturally into the story and its characters.
And the characters! Some I genuinely hated at the beginning, only to find myself completely invested in their journeys by the end. Watching characters confront their beliefs, trauma and prejudices, change, grow and ultimately come full circle was one of my favourite parts of the entire trilogy.
The magic system is wonderfully unique, the plot is gripping, and the sense of sisterhood and female strength throughout was incredibly uplifting. After so much brutality and heartbreak, the epilogue brought a wholesome and healing sense of closure. It may have been a little too convenient in places, but honestly? After everything these characters endured, I was more than happy to let them have their happy endings.
One of my favourite YA series of all time, without a doubt. I finished this ARC feeling completely emotionally wrung out, ridiculously satisfied, and already missing these characters. It was an epic and satisfying end to whats been an incredible series to read. I know I'll be thinking about this trilogy for a very, very long time.
Thank you so much to Moira Buffini, Faber and Netgalley for allowing me this ARC. I am beyond greatful.
Read
October 6, 2026There is a moment in any dystopian trilogy where rebellion stops being an idea and becomes something much uglier: people have to decide what they are willing to destroy, forgive, sacrifice or become in order to build the world they have been fighting for. Flarestorm is strongest whenever it lives in that uncomfortable space.
This is not a quiet finale. Lark is trapped underground and trying to organise an escape, Nightingale’s abilities are still being exploited by the Brethren, Petra is fleeing across unknown territory, Rye is forced to pursue her, Piper is caught up with the Sealanders, and Swan is facing consequences and betrayals of her own as revolution reaches the Capital. At the same time, the conflict between people with songlight and those without it is becoming almost impossible to contain.
That scale is both what impressed me and what ultimately held the book back.
Moira Buffini has built such a complicated cast by this point that Flarestorm often feels less like following one story and more like watching an entire society fracture at once. Characters are imprisoned, escaping, travelling, plotting, surviving and questioning where their loyalty belongs. It gives the finale a genuine sense that history is happening everywhere simultaneously.
But I missed intimacy.
Lark and Nightingale are still the emotional centre of this trilogy for me. Their songlight connection was what originally made this world feel different from other dystopias: communication becomes friendship, intimacy, resistance and danger all at the same time. The concept that began with two girls connecting across enormous distances has now grown into something capable of challenging entire systems of power. The original trilogy premise has always treated songlight as both gift and potential death sentence, and seeing that conflict reach its political conclusion is satisfying.
I particularly liked Lark here because she no longer feels like someone simply reacting to oppression. She understands that people are looking to her now. That changes her. There is more steel in her decisions, but also more fear because her mistakes no longer belong only to her.
Nightingale’s situation affected me differently. Her power continues to make her valuable to people who are willing to reduce her to a tool, and some of her chapters were among the most claustrophobic in the book. I have always found the contradiction at the centre of her character fascinating: she possesses something extraordinary, yet that same gift repeatedly allows other people to justify controlling her.
And then there is Swan.
I don’t think I ever liked her, exactly, but she remains one of the characters I found most interesting to read. Buffini rarely reduces people to neat categories of monster and hero. Swan has made choices that are difficult to forgive, but the writing is much more interested in how ideology, fear, ambition and survival can corrupt someone than in simply labelling her evil. The final book explicitly puts her in the position of facing a major betrayal, which forces another shift in a character who has spent so much of the trilogy believing she understands power.
That moral ambiguity is where Buffini’s writing shines.
Her dystopian world has always been frightening because so many terrible things are justified through words like purity, protection, civilisation and order. Flarestorm continues asking whether people who overthrow one oppressive system are automatically immune from creating another.
They aren’t.
The Sealanders add another layer to that problem. What initially looked like the possibility of rescue or a different social model in Torchfire has become considerably more complicated. Their attitude toward songlight presents another extreme, and I appreciated that the trilogy ultimately refuses the simplistic answer that persecuted power becomes inherently virtuous once the oppressed group gains control. Torchfire had already established the three-way ideological conflict between Brightland, Ayland and the returning Sealanders; Flarestorm finally forces those competing visions into direct confrontation.
This is also why I found the political sections more compelling than some of the action.
There is plenty of action. Gunfire, escapes, rebellion and larger threats all arrive as the conflict escalates. Apple But the scenes that stayed with me were usually conversations: someone discovering that a person they trusted has changed, characters trying to justify morally questionable decisions, old loyalties becoming impossible to maintain.
Buffini writes those arguments very well.
Her background as a dramatist is visible in the dialogue. Characters frequently have distinct rhythms and ways of thinking, and confrontations can become more tense through conversation than through physical danger. She is particularly good at making two people sound as though they are arguing about one subject while years of history are sitting underneath every sentence.
The prose itself remains sharp rather than decorative. This isn’t a series where every landscape receives paragraphs of lyrical description. Buffini tends to focus more on social structures, internal conflict and dialogue, and that approach suits the brutality of Brightland.
Occasionally, though, the writing feels almost too efficient.
There are so many characters and storylines requiring resolution that some events happen before their emotional impact has properly settled. Someone experiences something enormous, we get a painful reaction, and then the narrative has to move because another character hundreds of miles away is currently facing a crisis of their own.
The multi-POV structure was exciting earlier in the trilogy because it made the world feel huge. Here, it occasionally made me impatient.
I would reach a pivotal moment with Lark or Nightingale and then suddenly be somewhere else with Petra, Rye, Piper or Swan. There is nothing inherently wrong with the other storylines — several are genuinely interesting — but the constant movement diluted some of the tension for me.
Petra and Rye’s storyline was probably the clearest example. Petra is seeking asylum after leaving the airship that had once been her home, while Rye is being compelled to track her down. Fnac I liked what this plot contributed to the larger political picture, yet emotionally I sometimes found myself waiting to return to the characters I had been attached to for longer.
That may simply be the unavoidable problem of finishing such an expansive trilogy.
The romance also landed unevenly for me.
There are relationships here I have cared about since Songlight, and the possibility of reunion after everything these characters have endured should be overwhelmingly emotional. Some moments absolutely were. Others felt slightly compressed by everything else the finale needed to accomplish.
Elsa/Lark and Rye in particular carry so much history that I wanted more silence around certain moments — more time to let them look at who the other person has become after separation, trauma and war. Their love remains important, but by this point neither of them is the same person who entered the trilogy. Promotional material itself centres the question of whether their relationship can survive everything that has happened between them.
I wanted the book to linger there.
Instead, revolution rarely gives anyone much time.
Where Flarestorm ultimately succeeds is in refusing to make revolution clean. People make compromises. Some choices are brave for terrible reasons; others are terrible for understandable ones. Survival has changed these characters, and victory cannot restore them to who they were before.
That gave the ending weight.
I didn’t love every resolution equally, and with a UK paperback listed at more than 600 pages, there were still paradoxically places where I wanted the story to slow down rather than fit in another development.
Yet I respect what Buffini attempts enormously.
The trilogy began with telepathy as a secret between individuals. It ends by asking what happens when communication itself becomes political power.
Who gets to speak?
Who gets listened to?
Who decides which kind of person is human enough to deserve freedom?
And when the oppressed finally gain enough power to answer those questions themselves, will they answer them any better?
Those ideas were more memorable to me than the battles.
So although Flarestorm didn’t become the near-perfect finale I hoped for, it remained intelligent, ambitious and emotionally complicated right to the end. I loved some characters, wanted considerably more time with others, and occasionally felt overwhelmed by everything Buffini was trying to resolve.
But I never felt that the trilogy had nothing left to say.
3.25/5 ⭐
Thank you to Moira Buffini, Faber & Faber and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I really appreciate the opportunity to read the conclusion to The Torch Trilogy and share my thoughts. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is not a quiet finale. Lark is trapped underground and trying to organise an escape, Nightingale’s abilities are still being exploited by the Brethren, Petra is fleeing across unknown territory, Rye is forced to pursue her, Piper is caught up with the Sealanders, and Swan is facing consequences and betrayals of her own as revolution reaches the Capital. At the same time, the conflict between people with songlight and those without it is becoming almost impossible to contain.
That scale is both what impressed me and what ultimately held the book back.
Moira Buffini has built such a complicated cast by this point that Flarestorm often feels less like following one story and more like watching an entire society fracture at once. Characters are imprisoned, escaping, travelling, plotting, surviving and questioning where their loyalty belongs. It gives the finale a genuine sense that history is happening everywhere simultaneously.
But I missed intimacy.
Lark and Nightingale are still the emotional centre of this trilogy for me. Their songlight connection was what originally made this world feel different from other dystopias: communication becomes friendship, intimacy, resistance and danger all at the same time. The concept that began with two girls connecting across enormous distances has now grown into something capable of challenging entire systems of power. The original trilogy premise has always treated songlight as both gift and potential death sentence, and seeing that conflict reach its political conclusion is satisfying.
I particularly liked Lark here because she no longer feels like someone simply reacting to oppression. She understands that people are looking to her now. That changes her. There is more steel in her decisions, but also more fear because her mistakes no longer belong only to her.
Nightingale’s situation affected me differently. Her power continues to make her valuable to people who are willing to reduce her to a tool, and some of her chapters were among the most claustrophobic in the book. I have always found the contradiction at the centre of her character fascinating: she possesses something extraordinary, yet that same gift repeatedly allows other people to justify controlling her.
And then there is Swan.
I don’t think I ever liked her, exactly, but she remains one of the characters I found most interesting to read. Buffini rarely reduces people to neat categories of monster and hero. Swan has made choices that are difficult to forgive, but the writing is much more interested in how ideology, fear, ambition and survival can corrupt someone than in simply labelling her evil. The final book explicitly puts her in the position of facing a major betrayal, which forces another shift in a character who has spent so much of the trilogy believing she understands power.
That moral ambiguity is where Buffini’s writing shines.
Her dystopian world has always been frightening because so many terrible things are justified through words like purity, protection, civilisation and order. Flarestorm continues asking whether people who overthrow one oppressive system are automatically immune from creating another.
They aren’t.
The Sealanders add another layer to that problem. What initially looked like the possibility of rescue or a different social model in Torchfire has become considerably more complicated. Their attitude toward songlight presents another extreme, and I appreciated that the trilogy ultimately refuses the simplistic answer that persecuted power becomes inherently virtuous once the oppressed group gains control. Torchfire had already established the three-way ideological conflict between Brightland, Ayland and the returning Sealanders; Flarestorm finally forces those competing visions into direct confrontation.
This is also why I found the political sections more compelling than some of the action.
There is plenty of action. Gunfire, escapes, rebellion and larger threats all arrive as the conflict escalates. Apple But the scenes that stayed with me were usually conversations: someone discovering that a person they trusted has changed, characters trying to justify morally questionable decisions, old loyalties becoming impossible to maintain.
Buffini writes those arguments very well.
Her background as a dramatist is visible in the dialogue. Characters frequently have distinct rhythms and ways of thinking, and confrontations can become more tense through conversation than through physical danger. She is particularly good at making two people sound as though they are arguing about one subject while years of history are sitting underneath every sentence.
The prose itself remains sharp rather than decorative. This isn’t a series where every landscape receives paragraphs of lyrical description. Buffini tends to focus more on social structures, internal conflict and dialogue, and that approach suits the brutality of Brightland.
Occasionally, though, the writing feels almost too efficient.
There are so many characters and storylines requiring resolution that some events happen before their emotional impact has properly settled. Someone experiences something enormous, we get a painful reaction, and then the narrative has to move because another character hundreds of miles away is currently facing a crisis of their own.
The multi-POV structure was exciting earlier in the trilogy because it made the world feel huge. Here, it occasionally made me impatient.
I would reach a pivotal moment with Lark or Nightingale and then suddenly be somewhere else with Petra, Rye, Piper or Swan. There is nothing inherently wrong with the other storylines — several are genuinely interesting — but the constant movement diluted some of the tension for me.
Petra and Rye’s storyline was probably the clearest example. Petra is seeking asylum after leaving the airship that had once been her home, while Rye is being compelled to track her down. Fnac I liked what this plot contributed to the larger political picture, yet emotionally I sometimes found myself waiting to return to the characters I had been attached to for longer.
That may simply be the unavoidable problem of finishing such an expansive trilogy.
The romance also landed unevenly for me.
There are relationships here I have cared about since Songlight, and the possibility of reunion after everything these characters have endured should be overwhelmingly emotional. Some moments absolutely were. Others felt slightly compressed by everything else the finale needed to accomplish.
Elsa/Lark and Rye in particular carry so much history that I wanted more silence around certain moments — more time to let them look at who the other person has become after separation, trauma and war. Their love remains important, but by this point neither of them is the same person who entered the trilogy. Promotional material itself centres the question of whether their relationship can survive everything that has happened between them.
I wanted the book to linger there.
Instead, revolution rarely gives anyone much time.
Where Flarestorm ultimately succeeds is in refusing to make revolution clean. People make compromises. Some choices are brave for terrible reasons; others are terrible for understandable ones. Survival has changed these characters, and victory cannot restore them to who they were before.
That gave the ending weight.
I didn’t love every resolution equally, and with a UK paperback listed at more than 600 pages, there were still paradoxically places where I wanted the story to slow down rather than fit in another development.
Yet I respect what Buffini attempts enormously.
The trilogy began with telepathy as a secret between individuals. It ends by asking what happens when communication itself becomes political power.
Who gets to speak?
Who gets listened to?
Who decides which kind of person is human enough to deserve freedom?
And when the oppressed finally gain enough power to answer those questions themselves, will they answer them any better?
Those ideas were more memorable to me than the battles.
So although Flarestorm didn’t become the near-perfect finale I hoped for, it remained intelligent, ambitious and emotionally complicated right to the end. I loved some characters, wanted considerably more time with others, and occasionally felt overwhelmed by everything Buffini was trying to resolve.
But I never felt that the trilogy had nothing left to say.
3.25/5 ⭐
Thank you to Moira Buffini, Faber & Faber and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I really appreciate the opportunity to read the conclusion to The Torch Trilogy and share my thoughts. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!
Flarestorm is utter perfection. It is a hard task to finish a trilogy with so many strings, twists, and POVs. Every chapter, I was wondering if this was certainly the end of the story, as I couldn’t imagine that all the plots would be tied together; there is simply not enough time and space in one book to finish the fight and do justice to all the characters. And oh, how wrong have I been. Every single detail falls perfectly into place, everyone finishes right where they belong, there is true satisfaction at the end of the book, and an honor to have the opportunity to read it so early on.
The political arrangements are fluctuating from radical violent discrimination of Brightland right into the more conspicuous inequality of Sealand, with Ayland leading as the example of one nation, built on respect, trust, and open-minded desire to connect. Everyone believes themselves to be correct, right, and honest, while completely negating the other side’s right to exist.
Reading the book puts you at emotional risk, constantly worried for the well-being and future of our main characters; Lark, Nightingale, Rye, Piper, Petra, and Zara are faced with impossible choices around each corner. They choose who to trust, who to play, who to give their hearts to. They risk their lives and their sanity, having to make the decisions to take someone else’s life during this war. There is no peace without spilled blood; there is no easy victory. Everyone needs to dirty their hands, commit sins, and hope they are supporting the right side. Lark, Rye, and Petra find themselves not only suffering due to the difficult wartime circumstances, but are also torn between the respective loves of their lives. It is never easy when one has to choose, doing their best not to hurt others they care about. Piper’s change of heart, his understanding, his desire to do better, and Nightingale’s bravery, her gentle strength, that can literally set the entire world on fire, make for very compelling characters.
However, no one holds a candle to my favorite, most corrupted character: Zara Swan. It is hard to gain the trust of someone who only ever felt pain, who was the victim of rage, abuse, an object to possess and dispose of. And it is so easy to lose that trust; without much effort, one can make them feel betrayed, played, made a fool of. Zara’s allegiance changes, her plans are adjusted on the fly, as she fights to stay afloat, stay alive, and keep the little power she can get to remain free. Despite the push and pull of all the leaders around her, others’ goals and opinions, she always chooses herself. Ironically, her decision to put herself first leads to the ultimate victory. Proving that even so-called broken people, without values and ethics beyond their own well-being, can be the agents for change, the harbingers of a better future.
I read the second book in the trilogy over a year ago, but I had no problem following the story in Firestorm from the very first page. Each character is fleshed out, with their own distinctive voices, and within a couple of pages you know exactly where we are, and how we get there. It is an example of how to tie all the loose ends into a coherent and satisfactory story, with a just resolution for all characters, no plot holes, without rushing or losing the tension. Thank you for giving us hope, for showing everyone that Ayland is the way to be.
Flarestorm is utter perfection. It is a hard task to finish a trilogy with so many strings, twists, and POVs. Every chapter, I was wondering if this was certainly the end of the story, as I couldn’t imagine that all the plots would be tied together; there is simply not enough time and space in one book to finish the fight and do justice to all the characters. And oh, how wrong have I been. Every single detail falls perfectly into place, everyone finishes right where they belong, there is true satisfaction at the end of the book, and an honor to have the opportunity to read it so early on.
The political arrangements are fluctuating from radical violent discrimination of Brightland right into the more conspicuous inequality of Sealand, with Ayland leading as the example of one nation, built on respect, trust, and open-minded desire to connect. Everyone believes themselves to be correct, right, and honest, while completely negating the other side’s right to exist.
Reading the book puts you at emotional risk, constantly worried for the well-being and future of our main characters; Lark, Nightingale, Rye, Piper, Petra, and Zara are faced with impossible choices around each corner. They choose who to trust, who to play, who to give their hearts to. They risk their lives and their sanity, having to make the decisions to take someone else’s life during this war. There is no peace without spilled blood; there is no easy victory. Everyone needs to dirty their hands, commit sins, and hope they are supporting the right side. Lark, Rye, and Petra find themselves not only suffering due to the difficult wartime circumstances, but are also torn between the respective loves of their lives. It is never easy when one has to choose, doing their best not to hurt others they care about. Piper’s change of heart, his understanding, his desire to do better, and Nightingale’s bravery, her gentle strength, that can literally set the entire world on fire, make for very compelling characters.
However, no one holds a candle to my favorite, most corrupted character: Zara Swan. It is hard to gain the trust of someone who only ever felt pain, who was the victim of rage, abuse, an object to possess and dispose of. And it is so easy to lose that trust; without much effort, one can make them feel betrayed, played, made a fool of. Zara’s allegiance changes, her plans are adjusted on the fly, as she fights to stay afloat, stay alive, and keep the little power she can get to remain free. Despite the push and pull of all the leaders around her, others’ goals and opinions, she always chooses herself. Ironically, her decision to put herself first leads to the ultimate victory. Proving that even so-called broken people, without values and ethics beyond their own well-being, can be the agents for change, the harbingers of a better future.
I read the second book in the trilogy over a year ago, but I had no problem following the story in Firestorm from the very first page. Each character is fleshed out, with their own distinctive voices, and within a couple of pages you know exactly where we are, and how we get there. It is an example of how to tie all the loose ends into a coherent and satisfactory story, with a just resolution for all characters, no plot holes, without rushing or losing the tension. Thank you for giving us hope, for showing everyone that Ayland is the way to be.
October 12, 2026
I received a review copy from the publisher in preparation for a UKYASpotlight interview. It has not affected my opinions.
FLARESTORM is an epic finale to this series.
There is a lot happening here. All six narrators are back, and often quite spread out as their adventures intersect and diverge. I was pleased with how easily I followed it all (given I'm still a bit spaced out post-op!) there's so much to cover too, as there is the rebellion in Brightlinghelm and the threat of the Sealanders to deal with. It's got such an epic scope.
The amount of stuff happening, and the ability to change perspective quickly, means that the pacing is high. There's always something happening and the author's experience with scripts shows with the big dramatic breaks akin to episode enders. I was surprised that I didn't mind the fact that part one is just Lark, Nightingale, and Swan - focused on Brightlinghelm and the rebellion there. The first 2/3 of part two is the Sealander conflict (Piper, Rye, and Petra), but then all of them begin to intersect and all perspectives are along for the rest of the book.
Swan remains the most complex character of the book. She is so hard to like at times. You understand her, and I'm glad she wasn't nice (Nightingale is the deeply compassionate and likeable one, to the point of being too good at times!) but I still wanted to yell at her to be less selfish at times!
The book continues its messy relationships, all coming to a head when Rye and Lark realise the other isn't dead, and now have to contend with the mess of their feelings. It isn't clean, but that's life. I did feel like it tried to stitch everyone up into romantic relationships - I felt for a moment that there might be an exploration of aceness (which would have been nice given how much the book has platformed other queer relationships) but no, she "just hadn't met the right person yet" (and then does). le sigh. This was a very minor thing, though.
In all, it was epic and I was speeding up toward the end to find out what happened.
FLARESTORM is an epic finale to this series.
There is a lot happening here. All six narrators are back, and often quite spread out as their adventures intersect and diverge. I was pleased with how easily I followed it all (given I'm still a bit spaced out post-op!) there's so much to cover too, as there is the rebellion in Brightlinghelm and the threat of the Sealanders to deal with. It's got such an epic scope.
The amount of stuff happening, and the ability to change perspective quickly, means that the pacing is high. There's always something happening and the author's experience with scripts shows with the big dramatic breaks akin to episode enders. I was surprised that I didn't mind the fact that part one is just Lark, Nightingale, and Swan - focused on Brightlinghelm and the rebellion there. The first 2/3 of part two is the Sealander conflict (Piper, Rye, and Petra), but then all of them begin to intersect and all perspectives are along for the rest of the book.
Swan remains the most complex character of the book. She is so hard to like at times. You understand her, and I'm glad she wasn't nice (Nightingale is the deeply compassionate and likeable one, to the point of being too good at times!) but I still wanted to yell at her to be less selfish at times!
The book continues its messy relationships, all coming to a head when Rye and Lark realise the other isn't dead, and now have to contend with the mess of their feelings. It isn't clean, but that's life. I did feel like it tried to stitch everyone up into romantic relationships - I felt for a moment that there might be an exploration of aceness (which would have been nice given how much the book has platformed other queer relationships) but no, she "just hadn't met the right person yet" (and then does). le sigh. This was a very minor thing, though.
In all, it was epic and I was speeding up toward the end to find out what happened.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Flarestorm was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026! Thought provoking and powerful, this is a perfect conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Flarestorm has the perfect resonance!
I was terrified to start reading this book after Songlight and Torchfire. The way Moira balances hope on the tiniest tightrope had me literally on the edge of my seat all the way through. The duality of man is highlighted flawlessly and characters dance an extremely fine line of the conflicting sides of human nature. Survival has been a driving force behind so many decisions made in this overall story and nothing is simply just black and white.
The character growth in this book is phenomenal, watching so many of the characters challenge their belief systems and work together was incredibly satisfying! They are some of the best characters I have ever read! Flawed, messy, questionable some of the time and yet so real. They are written in a way that breathes life into them I was rooting so hard for them to get the endings they deserved!
This was an absolute emotional rollercoaster! My heart ached for the characters and the things they had to endure, I cried, grieved alongside them and actually had to take a break at one part as I was absolutely devastated! I also celebrated their victories, laughed, and felt the warmth of the love they shared for each other and the ending wrapped up beautifully.
A massive thank you to NetGalley, Faber and Faber Ltd and Moira Buffini for providing me with this ARC, all opinions are my own.
I was terrified to start reading this book after Songlight and Torchfire. The way Moira balances hope on the tiniest tightrope had me literally on the edge of my seat all the way through. The duality of man is highlighted flawlessly and characters dance an extremely fine line of the conflicting sides of human nature. Survival has been a driving force behind so many decisions made in this overall story and nothing is simply just black and white.
The character growth in this book is phenomenal, watching so many of the characters challenge their belief systems and work together was incredibly satisfying! They are some of the best characters I have ever read! Flawed, messy, questionable some of the time and yet so real. They are written in a way that breathes life into them I was rooting so hard for them to get the endings they deserved!
This was an absolute emotional rollercoaster! My heart ached for the characters and the things they had to endure, I cried, grieved alongside them and actually had to take a break at one part as I was absolutely devastated! I also celebrated their victories, laughed, and felt the warmth of the love they shared for each other and the ending wrapped up beautifully.
A massive thank you to NetGalley, Faber and Faber Ltd and Moira Buffini for providing me with this ARC, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the ARC.
This finale really delivers. The first 20 to 30 percent had me a bit confused, honestly, and it took some time to fully get back into the story, but once it clicked I was completely immersed. Buffini brings so much emotion into this closing book that I genuinely didn't know what to do with myself by the end, I spent most of the book rooting hard for some characters and condemning others, so when everything finally came to a head I felt pretty wrecked. The ending itself is really well done, and I loved that the epilogue gave little closing moments for each remaining POV. It made me feel content with where everyone landed rather than left hanging. That said, this is a long book, and it does feel like it at points, so pacing might test some readers' patience early on. If you've been with this trilogy from the start, this is a satisfying, emotional send off that sticks the landing.
This finale really delivers. The first 20 to 30 percent had me a bit confused, honestly, and it took some time to fully get back into the story, but once it clicked I was completely immersed. Buffini brings so much emotion into this closing book that I genuinely didn't know what to do with myself by the end, I spent most of the book rooting hard for some characters and condemning others, so when everything finally came to a head I felt pretty wrecked. The ending itself is really well done, and I loved that the epilogue gave little closing moments for each remaining POV. It made me feel content with where everyone landed rather than left hanging. That said, this is a long book, and it does feel like it at points, so pacing might test some readers' patience early on. If you've been with this trilogy from the start, this is a satisfying, emotional send off that sticks the landing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.
So the reason I wanted to read this is obviously because I also read the first two books in the series, also as ARCs. Honestly friends, if this wasn't the final book in the series I probably would have DNFd it. Do not get me wrong, there were so many enjoyable moments throughout this book, but because of it being the last one it felt like the author was trying to get everything wrapped up as quickly as possible and it honestly felt disjointed and rushed. I also felt super uncomfortable with how they treated the only trans character throughout this story, especially considering we had such a good experience of meeting him in the second book. Personally, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Moira due to the experience of reading this series as a whole. I also wouldn't necessarily recommend this series, which is dissapointing consdering how strong the first book was.
So the reason I wanted to read this is obviously because I also read the first two books in the series, also as ARCs. Honestly friends, if this wasn't the final book in the series I probably would have DNFd it. Do not get me wrong, there were so many enjoyable moments throughout this book, but because of it being the last one it felt like the author was trying to get everything wrapped up as quickly as possible and it honestly felt disjointed and rushed. I also felt super uncomfortable with how they treated the only trans character throughout this story, especially considering we had such a good experience of meeting him in the second book. Personally, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Moira due to the experience of reading this series as a whole. I also wouldn't necessarily recommend this series, which is dissapointing consdering how strong the first book was.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What an ending to the series! This last book really brought everything together - and although it was all neat and tidy (possibly too neat and tidy for me - but it is a YA!), there were some moments that had me on the edge of my seat.
The intersectionality stands out from anything else I've read. Acceptance and allyship is always more powerful than division, and I think that's something we need to remember right now. It was a pleasure seeing everyone pull together as the friendships and connections overlapped.
While the MCs are (mostly) full of love, the villains of this piece are truly, lip-curlingly vile and the contrast is powerful. I struggled with Swan - her thoughts and desire for power disgusted me and, although she became morally grey to survive, I'm not sure I truly buy her redemption arc.
A brilliant, thought-provoking read from Buffini.
---
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The intersectionality stands out from anything else I've read. Acceptance and allyship is always more powerful than division, and I think that's something we need to remember right now. It was a pleasure seeing everyone pull together as the friendships and connections overlapped.
While the MCs are (mostly) full of love, the villains of this piece are truly, lip-curlingly vile and the contrast is powerful. I struggled with Swan - her thoughts and desire for power disgusted me and, although she became morally grey to survive, I'm not sure I truly buy her redemption arc.
A brilliant, thought-provoking read from Buffini.
---
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a hard one for me to review. It took me a little while to get into it but then it sucked me in. It's very fastpaced and Moira Buffini can defintely write! It's just that I loved book one and two and this book didn't come close to those two for me. We get dropped in situation after situation and except for a few characters confused feelings everything else between characters gets a little lost.
And I really didn't like a lot of the characters in this one.. Hated Swan.
But that ending. I did really like how the end of the series was written. And I really liked we got a peek about their lives in freedom.
Thanks to Faber & Faber and Netgalley for the early copy!
And I really didn't like a lot of the characters in this one.. Hated Swan.
But that ending. I did really like how the end of the series was written. And I really liked we got a peek about their lives in freedom.
Thanks to Faber & Faber and Netgalley for the early copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hmm I loved book 2. This one not so much I couldn’t quite get pulled into the characters or maybe the plot wasn’t for me? There are plenty of fans out there. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Got this book as arc thank you netgalley it just felt like a super long book I am happy with the ending though.
September 26, 2026
Give me a second to grieve the end of this incredible trilogy, I’ll be back with a review soon (I loved it)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What can i say, great ending to the trilogy, i feel like ive come to know the characters and im happy with the way the series ended. Im happy with where the characters stories were left and again it was a great ending to a great trilogy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An incredible end to the Torch trilogy as characters converge in the final showdown for freedom. Loyalties are won, alliances forged and enemies uncovered.
I enjoy Moira’s writing style - no sentence is wasted, and the story progressed at a pace that kept me interested.
A personal opinion - I'm not keen on the Sealanders and their history to the present day (I'm not a sci-fi fan so this could be why). However, appreciate the juxtaposition they provide and how they are integral to specific characters uncovering certain truths and forming their alliances.
A great series to check out if you enjoy dystopia.
I enjoy Moira’s writing style - no sentence is wasted, and the story progressed at a pace that kept me interested.
A personal opinion - I'm not keen on the Sealanders and their history to the present day (I'm not a sci-fi fan so this could be why). However, appreciate the juxtaposition they provide and how they are integral to specific characters uncovering certain truths and forming their alliances.
A great series to check out if you enjoy dystopia.
September 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Faber & Faber and Moira Buffini for this gifted arc.
Wow well that was some sort of finale book right there. The 1st 20-30% I will say confused me slightly but once I got back into the story I was immersed and completely obsessed.
Moira brought out so much emotion in this end book that my poor heart didn’t know what to do with itself but I spent so much of the book rooting for some characters and condemning others that when the end events happened I was just very overwhelmed.
The author absolutely nailed the ending and the epilogue gave little finishing stories for each POV (that remained) which I just loved.
I feel very content with the ending and the authors note really got to me! Bravo Moira for an exceptional series!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews