Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up.

I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy

Sadly this book is so so for me. There is nothing special about the story, yet still enjoyable enough

The narrative's power to mirror contemporary issues is particularly striking, as it encourages a dialogue about the beliefs we hold in this present times. SONGLIGHT is a mirror held up to our society, a call to examine our beliefs, and a reminder of how powerful literature is to stir the soul and ignite the mind. As the story reaches its climax, the tension is palpable, with Moira Buffini masterfully conveying a sense of immediacy that binds the reader to the fate of the characters. The cliffhanger ending leaves one eagerly anticipating the next installment, a testament to the author's mastery to engage and captivate her audience. She has crafted a world that is as haunting as it is enlightening, and her work stands as a beacon in the genre, illuminating the path for future explorations of dystopia.

Songlight is an extraordinary debut that captivated me from the very first page. Buffini’s world-building is nothing short of masterful, creating a dystopian future that feels both hauntingly real and vividly imaginative. The concept of “songlight” is unique and beautifully woven into the narrative, adding a layer of depth and intrigue that sets this book apart from other YA dystopian novels.

I don’t usually read YA, but this was fantastic! The second half especially had me glued to the pages—I could not put this book down. The characters are richly developed and their relationships, particularly between Elsa and Rye, are heartfelt and compelling. Buffini’s background in film and television shines through in her cinematic writing style, making the story come alive in a way that is both immersive and emotionally resonant.

What truly stands out is Buffini’s ability to tackle complex societal issues through the lens of her characters’ experiences, making Songlight not just a gripping read but also a thought-provoking one. The multiple points of view are handled expertly, giving each character a distinct voice and perspective that enriches the overall narrative.

In summary, Songlight is a storytelling masterclass that promises great things. It’s bold, bright, and haunting—a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction. I cannot wait for the second book!

I loved the premise, a dystopian future with elements of The Handmaids Tale that sees us pesky women firmly in our place, as wives in training for the brave soldiers who return from combat, and as their reward can choose a first, second, and heck why not maybe a third wife. And the women have to be completely compliant with this. So reader beware it contains oppressive themes and situations.

I’m glad that dystopian books are making a comeback - I’m a big fan and I was keen to see where this one was going to take me. We have multiple viewpoints as you see how telepathic people (those with ‘songlight’) are seen as unhuman, and you just know that’s not going to end well.

I would have liked more time devoted between Elsa and Kaira getting to know each other. It felt more like an insta- connection and the pacing is very slow. For me it felt the multiple viewpoints diluted each of their stories. I didn’t gel with this one as much as I’d like, but I’m sure other readers will connect more with the story than me.

After a slightly slow start for me and getting used to the multiple POVs, I found Songlight quite enjoyable! I loved the characters and their friendships (as well as their names too!). Every character was intriguing and I loved the world the story is set it. Overall a great YA dystopian book!

This book was gripping from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down, from a unique magic system to relatable characters, this is definitely one of my favourite teen books this year!

My first but not last book by Moira Buffini. Everything about this book was brilliant. I woukd fully recommend everyone grabbing a copy

Brightland and Ayland are two countries at work in a world that could be our not-too-distant post-apocalyptic future, in which some individuals develop songlight, a telepathic ability allowing them to communicate and commune with others like them, even over long distances.

The protagonist Elsa is a songlight but she lives in Brightland, a despotic society which calls her kind Unhumans, hunting them to lobotomise and turn into mindless slaves. In Ayland, on the other hand, songlights are called Torches, are well regarded and can use their abilities to actively participate in government.

Because of this, and the role of women in their society Elsa has to keep her love of Rye, another Songlight, a secret. When Rye is discovered and imprisoned Elsa needs to hide her powers to survive; in an attempt to free him and to escape from her fate of forced marriage, she undertakes a journey which will place her in the middle of the conflict.

Despite a slow first half, in which I found that the necessary world and character building was dragging a bit too long, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and once the main narrative took off I could not put it down until the final fireworks had taken me to the necessary cliffhanger (as this is the first book in a trilogy).

While many of the tropes are common in the genre, I particularly enjoyed how the author developed the theme of song (both of the telepathic and common kind) as a thread to unite people despite physical and cultural distance, the contrast between the two described societies, and Elsa's inner struggle when she discovers that Brightland's ruling class lies to their people and their enemies are not monsters but a better, fairer society.

While this is classified as a YA novel, I am happy to recommend it as an engaging and thought-provoking read for adults as well, and I'm looking forward to the next volume in the series.

Note: I received this book for free as an ARC from #NetGalley but the opinions above are mine and unbiased.

A clever idea but, unfortunately I got bored with this. I got halfway through and put it down, so, I did not finish. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Songlight explores a world where individuals with telepathic abilities are marginalized in a stark, post-apocalyptic society echoing ancient civilizations. Set against a backdrop of violence, misogyny, and homophobia, the narrative unfolds in a dictatorial regime where dogma and propaganda govern everyday life. Through multiple perspectives—ranging from young warriors at sea to those entrenched in urban political centers—the author crafts a vivid, immersive experience.

This debut novel draws inspiration from literary giants like Atwood and Le Guin, and their influence is evident in its nuanced storytelling. The book serves as a compelling escape, featuring beautifully constructed plot twists and a richly developed world.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Oh YA dystopian fiction, you are always so good to me! I loved this story where those with songlight are ‘unhuman’ and dehumanised in the worst possible way if 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.

Set in a post apocalyptic future, people with the power of Songlight, a type of telepathy, are reviled and hunted down, branded as unhuman. In the small coastal town of Northaven, the prejudice is especially rampant and Elsa Crane has lived in fear ever since her ability awakened. One day, she meets Kaira, who lives in the far away capital through her Songlight and they become friends. But a conspiracy is afoot in the city and both girls are about to be drawn into it.

While I’m not familiar with this author, the premise of this book caught my eye immediately and I knew I had to read it. The early reviews were all really positive as well, so I had been looking forward to picking this up.

The world building was fascinating, with elements that reminded me a little of The Handmaid’s Tale. It showed various aspects of the world Elsa and Kaira live in, and how, along with hiding their Songlight, they had to survive in a society where women had very few rights, basically given away as prizes to soldiers returning from war. The world actually made me quite angry, but I guess that’s how you know when a book is effectively written – and characters rising despite adversity to fight the system is a tried and true trope for this genre.

The power of songlight was so cool, and from what is hinted at in this book, has the potential to extend far beyond just telepathy. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Elsa and Kaira explore their ability further and what they can do with it in the sequel.

With the heavier subject matter, I had my doubts for nearly half the book whether I would enjoy it, but once the plot started moving, I was completely hooked. The pacing was reasonably fast, and the narrative easy to read.

I did feel that the book as a whole could have been trimmed down a bit, particularly in terms of the number of POVs there were. While I’m usually all for having villain POVs, I felt it wasn’t strictly needed in this book. Elsa and Kaira were right where all the interesting stuff was happening, and I mostly just found the other POVs irritating. I also found it quite confusing that Elsa and Kaira were mostly referred to as Lark and Nightingale, their ‘Torch’ names, but it became hard to keep track.

The character development was easily the best aspect of this book. Each character had a distinct voice throughout. I loved following Elsa and Kaira’s POV and watching their friendship grow through Songlight. They were both quite naive initially, but through their bond, they learned and grew stronger. Some things still didn’t make sense to me, like how Elsa literally managed to make it to another country, and despite finding out that they were not really the enemy and it was a place where Torches could be sage, she insisted on going back to her prejudiced society and a marriage she was forced into, just so she could find Kaira and her boyfriend who might not even be alive. It was literally the dumbest thing she could do. And Kaira, who clearly had several opportunities to escape, but stayed and got caught, and for some weird reason, by the end of the book seems to have decided to help Sister Swan in her no doubt nefarious schemes?

Elsa’s brother Piper was the most infuriating character in the book, I literally needed to take a break every time a chapter with his POV showed up, because after a few chapters of him parroting propaganda, it was just irritating and broke the flow of the narrative for me. Hopefully he’s starting to come out of the indoctrination going into the next book. Similarly, Sister Swan’s POV, a Torch who is under the control of a military officer, while kind of understandable, and actually very well written from an emotional aspect, never became likeable or sympathetic. That said, the story kept moving, so though these weren’t my favorite chapters, there were major plot points unfolding in all the arcs.

I thought the ending was quite chaotic, way too much happened in the last 10% or so of the book in my opinion. With two perspectives where major events were taking place, it made it hard to keep track of everything. Nonetheless, this book ended at a rather interesting point, not truly a cliffhanger, but a conclusion that raised so many questions while also setting the stage for a very promising sequel.

Songlight was an amazing read, even more so when you consider that it is a debut novel. I’m eagerly waiting for the sequel, hopefully the wait isn’t too long! Highly recommended!

I found plot of this book intriguing but ended up quite bored. I think there were way too many POVs and characters and I had no idea who most people were, mainly in Northhaven, most of the time. A lot of the main characters I found annoying and didn’t really care for.

I thought the author did a really good job of tackling themes of propaganda and prejudice and managed to excellently portray just how deep this went in the characters and how much they had been manipulated. But other than that, I found the it all quite boring and the story didn’t really grip me all that much.

I loved reading Songlight! In a dystopian world, where people are punished for their differences, joy and hope sung through.
The book is told through multiple POVs, with characters who are all connected in some way. It was so interesting to read because we’d read one opinion of a character or an event from afar, and then the next chapter we’d see them/it up-close. It was impossible to tell who to trust, and what was real versus what was propaganda.
I loved Lark and Nightingale - both characters oppressed, but who find so much hope with each other’s help. They also became so brave. In a world where arranged marriages are the norm, it’s a story where women fight for their rights.
The setting really developed the dystopia, with a beautiful exterior and horrors just below the surface. The politics are made for “the good of the people” but they actually only benefit the people in charge.
I only wish I hadn’t read it around its release as now I have to wait even longer to see what will happen next!

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

Thank you to The Write Reads and the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

There is something about my reading tastes that I have uncovered recently. I’m not a fan of young adult dystopian novels. Now, that is nothing against the genre because I’m not the target audience! But I typically find them to be a little too dramatic in a way that just doesn’t make sense. Like drama for drama’s sake. You’re probably wondering why I signed up for a blog tour for a YA science fiction/dystopian book, then. Well, I’m a sucker for a good synopsis and, even if a book is in a genre I don’t typically like, I’m always open to giving one a chance if the synopsis pulls me in. Songlight did that and I’m so happy I decided to give it shot!

This novel follows several characters, but our main one is Elsa Crane. Elsa is what is called a Torch, someone who can access songlight which gives her amazing abilities. Unfortunately, Elsa also lives in a country where people with songlight, people like her, are hated and feared. She must hide her abilities if she doesn’t want both herself and her family to suffer. But Elsa has made contact with other Torches and, through those bonds, she starts to question everything she’s ever been told about her abilities and her country.

Now, I know I said I don’t like drama for drama’s sake, but this book was full of drama done well! The tension in this story is almost overwhelming at times, but it’s never at the sacrifice of a well-thought out story. I enjoyed getting lost in the plot of this book while watching our cast of characters trying to navigate a frightening world. There’s so much going on in this story, but I never once felt lost or out to sea. The world-building was executed quite well throughout the narrative, so that it was part of the story and not just a dump of information that didn’t flow well. It pulled me in and had me intrigued from page one!

I also thought the author did a fantastic job with creating not only Elsa, but the other POV characters that we meet throughout this novel. They all felt complex and intriguing, but unique enough that I didn’t get lost when switching POVs. I will say that I grew a little frustrated with one character, Nightingale, who seemed too trusting for her own good, but I suppose that’s what the author was going for with her. I have to assume this is the case because the decisions she made were absolutely baffling, haha. Still, I enjoyed learning about her and the others and that helped ground me in the story, as well.

I will say, this novel is a dystopian and some of it is quite dark. There’s violence, there’s death, there’s gore and other things that aren’t necessarily for the faint of heart. That being said, in my opinion it never felt like the darker scenes were thrown in for shock value. They all added to the overall story and that what can take a story from good to great.

Overall, I had a wonderful time reading Songlight. It deals with a lot of important themes and it has fantastic world-building, all surrounding an incredible cast of characters. So, even if you’re not necessarily into dystopian novels, like me, I would still recommend giving this one a try!

I'm always fascinated by anything with superpowers. How will the author use it to parallel current events? What are the ins and outs? In Songlight we're introduced to a form of telepathy that only works between certain individuals - it reminds me a little of The Tomorrow People, in its' various forms.

Moira builds her world beautifully, giving us just the right amount of background at just the right time. I was never confused by what's going on - and there's a lot going on, starting in the crushingly patriarchal village Elsa lives in, where soldiers returning from the glorious war are given two wives. The duty of every woman is to provide more sons for the endless war. Girls not chosen for this wonderful purpose are sterilised and sent to a brothel instead. Shades of Handmaids Tale, but very engrossing!

I enjoyed the plot, but I found the frequently changing POVs to be confusing in spots. One character simply falls away about two thirds of the way through - he may be important in later books, but it was odd to have him simply vanish from the story like that.

As well, the POVs are headed with the names the Torches use among themselves, which isn't usually their actual name. I found this confusing at first, it took me a while to 'hook' the fake name to the character. But I'm sure some readers will love it!

From about halfway through, politics is increasingly important in the story, as we meet and follow several of the most important people in the government. I found this well presented and made sense, but I know some readers won't enjoy reading about a political struggle.

I very much enjoyed reading this, and I can't wait for future installments - there's plenty more story in this world, and I'm excited to see where Elsa, Rye and their friends and allies find themselves next.

Set in a distopian world where those with songlight are persecuted and sinister rulers are spreading misinformation. I loved the romance and story a great first book in the trilogy can’t wait for more.

This really is dystopian at its best! The world-building is stunning, the idyllic setting contrasting with the hidden horrors. It’s complex, emotive and impressive as this tale of power, politics, freedom, and survival unravels.

The characters are superbly crafted, their hopes and fears are tangible. The oppressive society and severe rules they must live by is skilfully conveyed, we feel their struggles, the danger of being different, and the strength, power and force for good waiting to be tapped into and unleashed.

The multiple points of view add so much to the narrative, our perceptions and strength of connection to the characters. The multiple threads in play are cleverly linked together and the tension and intrigue were through the roof. Who can be trusted? Who’s friend or foe? And what if the enemy isn’t who you have been told it is your whole life? It was unputdownable!

Songlight is such a clever concept and it’s brought to life terrifically as we become aware of its gifts and burdens. Northaven’s prejudices are brutal, they destroy what they see as different. The powerlessness and injustice was heartbreaking and it draws on important themes offering much to think about.

Songlight is a captivating story about fighting for who and what you believe in and never giving up. Lost souls come together – the connections forged were beautiful, their bravery, support and love, as they realise another way of life may be possible. I’m glad this is the first of a trilogy, I need the next book ASAP!

With thanks to @The_WriteReads and @FaberBooks for my copy and place on the Tour.