Generally speaking I've found myself turning away from contemporary sci-fi/fantasy books (particularly those that invoke done-to-death tropes), but BuGenerally speaking I've found myself turning away from contemporary sci-fi/fantasy books (particularly those that invoke done-to-death tropes), but Buffini's Songlight was a delightful surprise in an otherwise constantly revolving belt of YA slop. Politically nuanced, generally sound worldbuilding, not to mention a fresh and pretty compelling approach to gender and sex dynamics under the fascist pastorale. If any complaints must be drawn, are that I struggle to see how the narrative can be drawn out to a full trilogy. Buffini clearly understands the political intricacies of suppression and revolution, but the pace at which thoughtcrimes are committed by the homestead increases at such an astounding frequency by the third act that I can't imagine how we can expect two full more books out of this series without some Olympic level plot gymnastics/the introduction of various new contrivances. ...more
Hi my name is Emilia Bassano and I have long black hair with chestnut streaks that reaches my mid-back and silver grey eyes like limpid tears and a loHi my name is Emilia Bassano and I have long black hair with chestnut streaks that reaches my mid-back and silver grey eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like Venus (AN: if u don't know who she is get da hell out of here!). I'm a courtesan but my teeth are straight and white. I'm also a poet, and I go to the theatre with Christopher Marlowe my gbf (gay best friend) in the 16th century (I’m 23). Yesterday Kit and I went out gossiping and we saw Shakespeare staring at us jealously because he can’t write and he’s also really ugly, and he wants to be our friend but we’re WAY too cool for him. We put up the middle finger at him and ran off to write sonnets about how he’s a no-life loser
So obscenely trite it feels an insult to even be logging this. Entire lines of dialogue and description are recycled multiple times, phrases from Shakespeare, or rather Bassano - are inserted at astounding frequencies - I could go on. It’s unfortunate that the book is of such low caliber, because there’s clearly an argument to be made for Bassano being the ghost-writer to some of Shakespeare’s plays (putting argumentum ex silentio aside) - if only it was communicated in a history book as opposed to through the author’s exasperating mouthpieces, I’d be much more inclined to buy into it in any capacity....more
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