Songlight
Winner of the YA Book Prize
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- €12.99
Publisher Description
Introducing the EXPLOSIVE first book in the Torch Trilogy - the hottest release of the decade!
'Urgent. Ambitious. Mesmerising.' THE TIMES
'Feels like the start of something big.'SFX
'One of the most gripping reads of 2024.'SUNDAY TIMES IRELAND
'One of the best YA dystopias in years.' BOOKSELLER
'One of the most compulsive reads of the year.'IRISH EXAMINER
*WINNER OF THE YA BOOK PRIZE 2025*
*LONGLISTED BRANFORD BOASE AWARD 2025*
*NOMINATED CARNEGIE MEDAL 2025*
They are hunting those who shine . . .
Don't be deceived by Northaven's prettiness, by its white-wash houses and sea views. Many of its townsfolk are ruthless hunters. They revile those who have developed songlight, the ability to connect telepathically with others. Friends, neighbours, family will turn on each other in an instant . . .
Lark has lived in grave danger ever since her own songlight emerged. Then she encounters a young woman in peril, from a city far away. An extraordinary bond is forged. But when power is everything, how will they survive?
An epic new trilogy from an award-winning, internationally acclaimed screenwriter, Songlight promises to set the world alight!
Readers are already hooked:
'This book was amazing, I couldn't put it down.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The Power meets The Handmaid's Tale . . . truly a joy to read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I was personally held hostage by this book until the final pages, and in a good way.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read the sequel, TORCHFIRE, now!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the oppressive patriarchal theocracy of Brightland, which is at war, officials intend to exterminate unhumans, who have access to powerful telepathic abilities called songlight. Eighteen-year-old Elsa and her secret boyfriend Rye live in coastal moorland village Northaven, constantly fearing being outed as unhuman. Rye's looming deployment to the war front and Elsa's impending marriage to a returning veteran complicate matters further. After Rye is jailed by Elsa's older brother, Elsa makes chance contact through songlight with 17-year-old Kaira, who lives in the capital city of Brightlinghelm. Though the girls find solace in each other's company, their burgeoning power attracts the attention of human supremacist faction leaders, who seek to escalate the war using forbidden technology and manipulative songlight abilities. In this stunning YA debut, play- and screenwriter Buffini expertly juggles a complex plot via five distinct perspectives. By playing off conflicting internal motivations to explore weighty topics of reproductive freedom, internalized homo-phobia, and state oppression, Buffini crafts a nuanced adventure, all the while dropping tantalizing hints of further conflict and hidden history broiling under the surface of this dystopian trilogy opener. Characters are described as having varying skin tones. Ages 13–up.
