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A review by travelseatsreads
Songlight by Moira Buffini
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Songlight is the debut novel and first instalment of the new dystopian fantasy Torch Trilogy from acclaimed screenwriter Moira Buffini. Set predominantly in the remote seaside village of Northaven, we follow Elsa (Lark) and Kaira (Nightingale) as they battle to hide their true selves to remain safe in a world where any level of diversity is harshly and brutally condemned.
The story is told using five different POVs (Lark, Rye, Piper, Nightingale and Sister Swan) which honestly could probably feel messy but works ridiculously well because of the flawlessly worked characters, each with a very distinctive viewpoint offering an alternative perspective on this turmoil-filled world. The characters are wonderfully nuanced and incredibly deep with Buffini managing to illustrate the good, the bad and even the downright ugly that can live within society. The world building is impeccable, full of vivid imagery playing to every sense which creates a very natural immersive experience that is really easy to settle into without reaching for a reference guide
The plotting and pacing are fantastic, weaving in hard hitting topics such as war, misogyny, discrimination and women's role in society which encourage you to question your own belief systems without even realising. Buffini beautifully depicts how there are always both sides of a war, filled by victims each fighting for what they believe is right. The level of manipulation and propaganda stirred by those in power bubbles throughout and quite harrowingly mimics current events around the world, showing just how easily and dangerously people can be swept away by a fabricated false narrative.
A riveting blend of dark dystopian fantasy which will have you questioning our current world,
the now long grown up original fans of The Hunger Games and readers of The Handmaid's Tale will be sure to devour this trilogy.
Thank you to @faberbooks and @thewritereads for giving me the opportunity to read this book and including me on the book tour, as always opinions are honest and my own without influence.
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more
The story is told using five different POVs (Lark, Rye, Piper, Nightingale and Sister Swan) which honestly could probably feel messy but works ridiculously well because of the flawlessly worked characters, each with a very distinctive viewpoint offering an alternative perspective on this turmoil-filled world. The characters are wonderfully nuanced and incredibly deep with Buffini managing to illustrate the good, the bad and even the downright ugly that can live within society. The world building is impeccable, full of vivid imagery playing to every sense which creates a very natural immersive experience that is really easy to settle into without reaching for a reference guide
The plotting and pacing are fantastic, weaving in hard hitting topics such as war, misogyny, discrimination and women's role in society which encourage you to question your own belief systems without even realising. Buffini beautifully depicts how there are always both sides of a war, filled by victims each fighting for what they believe is right. The level of manipulation and propaganda stirred by those in power bubbles throughout and quite harrowingly mimics current events around the world, showing just how easily and dangerously people can be swept away by a fabricated false narrative.
A riveting blend of dark dystopian fantasy which will have you questioning our current world,
the now long grown up original fans of The Hunger Games and readers of The Handmaid's Tale will be sure to devour this trilogy.
Thank you to @faberbooks and @thewritereads for giving me the opportunity to read this book and including me on the book tour, as always opinions are honest and my own without influence.
If you enjoyed this review come follow me on instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more