Skysong is a stunning fairytale retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale. The story of a girl who each day turns into a lark and sings to greet the dawn. Yearning for freedom the lark leaves the safety of the cottage in the wood where she lives with her father and heads to the city.
A beautifully compelling tale of yearning, of becoming and of love.

I was enjoying this audiobook but sadly due to the Netgalley app crashing, I lost my copy and now I can't finish it as the archive date has passed.

From what I read, it was a great book and the narration was fab, so I'm disappointed to not finish it.

Thank you to the publishers for the ALC but Netgalley need to work on their app issues.

The fact that this was a reimagined of The Nightingale made me beyond excited! This book captured the essence of The Nightingale perfectly!

I absolutely loved both the women that the story follows, and I think most readers will too. There is a sprinkle of romance in the book but definitely not the main focus. I also loved that this book did have good representation in it!

A beautiful and heartfelt narration from Olivia Darnley brought this reimagined fairytale to life!
I was absolutely entranced by the lyrical world building, intrigued by the politics and religion, and captivated by the host of complex characters. Oriane and Andala are such incredible protagonists. They could see reflections of themselves in each other and the ripples they each create in other’s lives. A story of courage, sacrifice, and love in all its forms.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Audioboon ARC, in exchange for a fair review. Skysong is a reimagining of ‘The Nightingale’ by Hans Christian Andersen, and it is so richly enchanting. The prose is atmospheric and lyrical that coveys the more tender and hopeful themes of the narrative beautifully. If you love fairytales and being swept away by stories dripping with gorgeous magical realism, then you will love this!

The audiobook production and acting is absolutely superb as well!

Many thanks to Bolinda Audio and C.A. Wright for the advanced audio copy of Skysong via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
Skysong is a delightful story about faith, magic, and self awareness. More than anything, it carries strong themes of mental health and self belief. The book had been advertised as a queer read, but I did not find it to be overly romantic, or focused on the romance. The advertising focus should be far more on the powerful message it gives on the mental health of several of the characters in the book. It is sad that the publisher chose not to focus on this.
The story itself is magical and was a lovely retelling of Anderson’s The Nightingale in the author’s own way.
The narrator was enjoyable to listen to, and I would definitely listen to more of their work. There was enough inflection for the various characters to know the point of view had changed. I had no complaints.
Moods: adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, mysterious
Tropes: fairy tale retelling, opposites attract, peril
Pace: medium
Character development: medium
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Spice: 1/5
Trigger warnings: Death of a family member, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Physical or mental abuse
Rating
Story: 4/5
Audio: 4/5

A fantastical retelling of ‘The Nightingale’. I enjoyed the story but from an audiobook point of view, I would have liked the two FMCs to have had substantially different names. I got them mixed up more than once throughout the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the early listen

This book was absolutely beautifully written and the narration, incredible! I got lost in the book so many times, I didn’t realise how much time had passed! It was addictive and kept me wanting more!

It is such a lovely cozy fantasy! The retelling was done wonderfully! I loved how I was kept on my toes and so engrossed in the whole story! The only element I felt lacking was the romantic connection. Sometimes I it was there, but most of the time it didn’t quite hit for me, but it’s such a small element that it is easily overlooked. Overall such a great read! Highly recommend the audiobook!

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!