Listening to this book felt like while things were happening, nothing was happening at the same time. I do not mind prose, actually some of my favourite books are written with prose, but genuinely didn't care for it here. The characters were not very likeable, I like to have some kind of connection or at least take a liking to characters but alas it did not happen for me. The narrator was alright, but not necessarily mind-blowing either.

It's a beautiful lyrical fantasy inspired by The Nightingale (Hans Christian Andersen).

Oriane has always preferred solace for the sake of her safety, even if it leaves her lonely. But as she finally surrenders to the call of the unknown, she finds herself trapped and worshipped in a king's palace. Yearning to go back to her previous life, she discovers she isn't really alone trapped in this treacherous place looming with danger.

The story does have its way of enchanting the readers, making them forgetful of their current surroundings. After several attempts at fantasy, I found something whimsical that resonated with the lure of whimsy I craved in this season. Needless to say, there were several complexities that kept me hooked while reading, but I must admit the pacing was on and off with my reading rhythm. Nevertheless, if you enjoy character-driven lyrical stories, this would be a great pick!

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

This book was a delight from start to finish. Beautifully written, it weaves the tale of the Skylark, a woman who transforms every morning into a bird in order to call the dawn. She lives an isolated life but longs for something more, only to find out that there are people out there who want her power for themselves.

I wasn’t familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale but the fairytale quality came across straight away in Skysong. I was drawn into the story and the world straight away. I loved seeing how the story and characters gradually revealed themselves over the course of the book.

The first half of the book focusses on Oriane, the Skylark, and the second half focusses on the Nightingale (no spoilers!). It was one of those perfect reveals that you saw coming just in the final moments before it was revealed to you, and I loved the way their character and backstory were explored.

Both the two main characters and the side characters were all really nuanced and layered. There were some characters I liked at the start, then hated, then liked again at the end! They all go on such a journey as each character has their own motivations and moral compass to follow.

The narration by Olivia Darnley was brilliant, perfectly setting the tone for this story. I would look forward to bad traffic days when my commute would be longer, because it meant I got to listen to more of it! Fantasy audiobooks are hit and miss for me, but this one ticked all the right boxes.

This is an incredible debut. My only complaint is that you can’t easily buy a physical copy in the UK, because I want to give this to so many people for Christmas!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

A beautiful re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale exquisitely captured in this cosy fantasy debut by CA Wright. At the heart of the story is Oriane, a skylark, who turns from woman to bird each morning to sing her song and bring in the day. She led a sheltered life, protected by her father from the world with her legend filtering across the land. Oriane is tempted by the outside world, leading to her capture by the king. He offers her refuge in the Palace, but it becomes a Gilded cage. Her friendship blossoms with Andala. Female strength is the focus and the most beautiful theme in the story. This is a stunning story. The book is presented with an exquisite cover and the audiobook is superbly narrated. #skysong #CAWright #netgalley

Oriane is literally the reason the sun rises—she turns into a bird and sings it awake every morning. NBD, right? Except it’s a little hard to make friends when you’re stuck in a magical routine. One rebellious morning, she ends up at the royal palace, where she’s worshipped like a goddess… and trapped like one too. As political drama heats up, Oriane discovers she’s not the only songbird in town—enter The Nightingale.

This book is pure magic. The narration? Flawless. The story? Gorgeous. The vibe? All the lush, atmospheric retelling goodness you could want. You’ll practically feel the sunrise and hear the music as Oriane’s world comes alive. It’s haunting, heartwarming, and the perfect escape for audiobook lovers. Highly recommend!

This was a fairytale-inspired fantasy with beautiful prose and a lot of heart that was nonetheless let down by weak characterisation.

It started off strong, and for much of the book I was engrossed in the complications of this world where two women summon the day and the night. But there was a shallowness to the characterisation of the protagonists that didn’t satisfy my character-driven tastes, and the antagonists. URGH. I love a redemption arc. This was not a redemption arc, this was a powerful dude who was ultimately responsible for the death of a protagonist’s only family, and it was not dealt with in any satisfying way to me. It was just too simplistic for an adult book imo.

The worldbuilding was fairly minimal but was nonetheless handled well. The prose, as mentioned, was the best bit of the book. I received a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review, and I though the narrator Olivia Darnley did a lovely job, it really suited the atmosphere of the novel.

Very lyrical writing and story.
Pace was kinda slow and not very in depth.
Overall a good book but nothing memorable.

This was just so good?! I loved the writing, loved the plot, loved the characters, loved the romance, I. LOVED. EVERYTHING!!! And will not stop yapping about this book until everyone read it. Thanks CA Wright for this masterpiece.

This is so beautiful! I was in aw. The narration was perfection! Absolute perfect casting for this. I was really worried about our Skylark

C. A. Wright's undertaking to recast an Andersen fairy tale is carried off skilfully. The tale retold is rich, has warmth.

In fact, right up until the very last drop of 'Skysong', I was going to write a five-star review.

I was going to write that there was nothing in this novel that I wanted done differently, and that it could not have been more perfect.

I would have listed all the elements I'd jotted down as I read: the pacing exactly right (it's rare to have such a succinct but sufficient introduction to the ordinary world before crossing the threshold into the 'quest'); I adored the characters, all of them - virtuous or villainous, wretched or redeemable; descriptions are measured to offer just enough interest to ignite readers' own imaginations; and the atmosphere (coloured as it is, intrinsically, from Oriene or Andala's point of view) is intimate.

Add to that Olivia Darnley's bold yet expressively toned narration for Bolinda Audio, and I was lost in the book.

YET!

I reached the end with such a bitter taste in my mouth, and I have to deduct from my review because of the matter of 'Skysong' being classified variously in places as LGBTQIA, LGBT, Lesbian, and Sapphic. Wright throws in a kiss between otherwise straight-presenting female mcs and (I can only presume) the thinking is that this legitimises the use of a marketing tag that opens up a whole readership.

I say presume, because there is no Sapphic substance to 'Skysong'. It lacks any genuine examination of LGBTQIA themes or tropes; there is no investigation of matters that might affect us; there is no consideration given to experiences that we might share in the queer community. I hate to be a spoil-sport, but for anybody who, like me, plumped for 'Skysong' because of that Sapphic tag, this might well infuriate you too. If there was any sort of interrogation of doubt, or questioning, regarding Oriene or Andala's emotions, or orientation, I missed it. And I fairly wolfed this down because it was so engrossing, so I can't have missed something so important to my reading identity (I effectively always read with my lesbian antennae twitching). And as far as I could tell, there wasn't even any spotlight upon attraction.

If I were to be really petty I'd say that, oh! There was a character who had a single line of dialogue, who appeared for one catch-and-you-miss-him moment, and after we'd looked away from him, he was referred to as having had a husband. Maybe THAT qualifies this as LGBTQIA?!

My thanks to Bolinda Audio for the chance to listen to a copy for review.

This book was a joy to listen to.

Just an FYI: I have not read or listened to the Nightingale and so this retelling, for me, is an initial telling, so I can not compare between the two.

Not only was the audiobook reader Olivia Darnley sensational (whose voice really brought the story to life), the book itself was a beautiful fairy-tale that reminded me of the stories my mum used to read to me when I was six years old. Although, unlike classic fairy-tales, this book did not focus on the romantic love but the platonic kind, which I think is such an incredible element to this book. There is nothing wrong with some romance in novels such as these, but when I was younger and presently still, there is a hyperfocus on this type of love; therefore this socialises individuals (especially young women) that their one true aim in life is to meet their one true love.

This book also referenced mental health in an incredible way which did not distract from the overall storyline, but still touched upon key societal stigmas around mental health conditions.

I also really liked the themes of mistakes and forgiveness: there were people that were essentially kind and loving people, that for one reason or another made bad choices, which hurt others in return. But rather than cast them aside as 'bad', there was the need for forgiveness not just by the people that were hurt by said mistakes but forgiveness of oneself. Yet, in true fairy-tale style, the 'good' vs 'bad', was still a key element within this story.

The only downside for me - which is why this book is a 4 stars and not a 5 - is the pacing was too slow for me. But, overall, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for allowing me to listen to the Skysong by C.A. Wright. It was fab!

P.S. The acknowledgments had me blubbering!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

From reading some other reviews it is my understanding that this is a Nightingale retelling. I haven’t read that unfortunately to make comparison, however this version is a beautiful telling of what I’m sure is a fantastic story.

I will say that the pacing is quite slow in this book for me personally, I prefer a more action filled book rather than a story of beautiful prose, but it was a great book. If you love books with found family, of deep characters and a story of when revering people turns into obsession and how much that can be a damaging prospect, this one is for you.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator did a phenomenal job or portraying the characters and their depth of emotion, as well as storytelling. I would happily listen to this narrator again.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Skysong!

Beautifully written story with a good plot albeit slow pacing. The world building was colourful and engaging with morally grey characters that you can understand.

Some characters did lack depth and that’s where this book could have done better.

I did not realise this was a retelling, not knowing the original story I really enjoyed this. The ending was also satisfying even though I must admit that it was glaringly obvious how it would go.

The magical side of it although not unique, was still interestingly thought out and easy to understand.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I hope to read more from this author.

I am not generally a fan of retellings and rarely venture far from the realms of romance. I accidentally picked this audiobook and I am so glad that I did. It was such a refreshing tale told in detail through a sensitive lens. It is a delightful tale of two women doing what they have to do to survive and thrive in an unforgiving world. The narrator, Olivia Darnley, did a wonderful job. If you like a great, epic fantasy novel without overwhelming world building, then this book is for you!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio and CA Wright for a copy of this audiobook. This is my honest review.

Skysong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have always been intrigued by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale, which is what drew me to this story. It’s such a beautifully written book about strong women working through various stages of grief, guilt, love and forgiveness while trying to find themselves and their purpose in life. This story will have you on the edge of your seat, rooting for the women of the story.

Read this book if you like:
- Reimagined fairytales
- The Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson
- Powers/Magic
- Lead female characters
- Burdens of uniqueness
- Sapphic fiction
- Slow burns
- Love, grief, guilt and forgiveness

Audio ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was extremely satisfied with the audio - I’m picky about them! Olivia has a beautiful voice that added tremendously to the emotions in the story.

This was a beautiful retelling of "The Nightingale". However, I did not connect to the characters as much as I had hoped so in that sense the story fell short for me.

I enjoyed this book - when you spend a lot of time reading fantasy and romantasy it is easy to feel like one book blends into the other but this felt fresh. There are some charming turns of phrase and I really appreciated how lyrical some of the writing was - the pacing was clever in some places too.

There was some nice messaging for young people in here about depression, and people can do the right thing even when it's difficult.

Personally, I might have preferred for the romance to be less implied and more actioned - it was there, but the slow burn / semi-enemies to lovers never quite made it all the way. I like the idea of them flying off into the sunset together though.

The audiobook was well-read - quite a slow pace, so for me it was best at a 1.5 speed, but I think that means everyone can listen at their own pace. Had a tiny bit of trouble telling the difference between some of the characters sometimes, so you did have to pay attention!

Overall, I'd recommend this as a YA read - I feel like it would go down particularly well with the 13-16 age group, but it's still a great read for an adult.

Skysong is an enchanting, lyrical, romantic beautifully written and narrated retelling. It was so easy to get lost in and I enjoyed all the twists and turns. I can’t wait to see what C.A Wright writes next. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an audio ARC.

I thought this book was beautiful. The author did a great job of making us see the characters flaws moving from hate to love and understanding of many of them. The skylarks innocence was beautiful and made it more heartbreaking when she experienced pain and fear. The nightengales hard life filled with self loathing and fear was a great juxtaposition and seeing her come into her own felt heartwarming.
I struggled as the birds human forms names were so similar that I had to think when I heard the names but I understand why the names were similar.

I would read more from C.A. Wright again and thank you to Netgalley for letting me listen and review

Such a beautiful magical story.. The narrator's voice matches the story perfectly. Calm and perfect for telling this wonderful fairytale. It was the perfect speed for the story.

The story is in three parts and each part finishes at the right point. I felt like I was watching a production and the curtain went down at the interval.

The story hits on serious subjects such as depression and it was done perfectly and tactfully.