skysong was a beautifully written story that almost read as if it were a fairytale. wright has such a gorgeous writing style that i am sure many readers will adore.

unfortunately i struggled to connect with the story quite a bit, particularly in terms of characters and the relationships. i haven't read the original 'the nightingale' but i do wish i had beforehand, as i believe this would have enhanced my reading experience further.

SKYSONG - C A WRIGHT

I'm a big fan of retellings, and Skysong is a brilliant one. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale, C A Wright elevates the fairytale, pads it out and adds a new setting and new characters to give it a modern, fresher feel. Here's the blurb:

Oriane is the skylark, and the sun only rises if she wills it. Every morning, she transforms from woman to bird, calling the dawn with her song. Seclusion has kept her safe her whole life - but it has also left her lonely and craving freedom. When Oriane finally succumbs to the lure of the wild unknown, she is discovered in the gardens of the royal palace, where she is taken in by the king and treated like a goddess - and a prisoner.

With writing that's beautiful, whimsical and descriptive, C A Wright has created something that still feels very much like a fairytale, but one that's more relevant and relatable. By adding a different setting and a whole host of characters to get invested in, the story feels broader and, for me, has a lot of elements that I associate with cosy fantasy. That’s always going to be a big plus.

There's a super sweet and subtle love story at its core - a meeting of light with dark - and, while there is a lot of action, it doesn't feel as high stakes or accompanied by as much of the stress I feel reading other fantasy books.

If you choose to read this book (and please, please do so), be prepared to get swept away by this stunning new fairytale - a story that feels authentic and delicately conjured, just like its thoughtfully created central characters. This may be a fantasy standalone, but thanks to Skysong, C A Wright has become one of my new auto-buy authors.

Thank you to C A Wright, NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.

Release date: 1 October 2024

Review score: 5/5

TW: death, loss of parent, imprisonment

Thank-you to Netgallery, C.W. Wright for the reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this whimsical read. It was beautiful, captivating yet had some darker aspects. I really loved the premise of the skylark and nightingale being two halves of a whole. The sapphic romance was icing on top of the cake! The story definitely kept you hooked and turning the pages.

Unfortunately it did feel like it was missing something i wish there had been more depth and stolen moments to the romance. I also wish there had been one more chapter of a reunion at the end.

What an enchanting story. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that made me feel quite so fuzzy inside. The backstories, the subtle foreshadowing, the whimsical prose. I was enraptured within the first few chapters and would absolutely recommend this to fairytale lovers and fantasy lovers alike.