Songflight (The Dragon Singer Chronicles Book 1)

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As the only child of a dragon slayer chief, Alísa’s purpose should have been simple: lead the clan in ridding humankind of the dragon scourge. But while gaining respect from hardened warriors is difficult enough with a vocal stammer, when they learn her empathic powers connect uncontrollably to the dragon enemy, it becomes impossible. The plot is paced to perfection, following the usual highs and lows of a coming of age tale yet never feeling contrived or dragging. It's a slow, steady sort of book with plenty of heart and heartbreak along the way. The ending is the perfect sort of cliffhanger; not too abrupt, but with promise of hard times to come even after the standard Happy For Now. The X Factor NZ Top 12 release 'Fight Song' for charity". More FM. Mediaworks . Retrieved October 12, 2015.

Watch a Sneak Peek of Rachel Platten's 'Fight Song' Video". People. May 18, 2015 . Retrieved June 22, 2015. Moss, Liv (August 28, 2015). "Rachel Platten conquers Official Singles Chart as Fight Song hits Number 1: "I can't really believe it" ". officialcharts.com. The Official Charts Company . Retrieved August 29, 2015. Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rachel Platten; 'Fight Song ')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved February 22, 2023. Even the "bad" human characters can been seen as complex shades of grey - slayers who like Alisa have to question all they've been told in the face of the evidence don't just come round in a snap, but nor do they unrealistically dig their heels in to make that "so unfair!!1!" adult character trope that turns up so often in YA. They act like real human beings; something that modern YA struggles with yet here is effortless. Little things I loved: Alísa being a dragon "mom", the adorable romance (I'm very proud of myself for calling the chemistry before the characters even realized it), the dreki, the at times breathtakingly cinematic visuals that the book conjures up with its weighty moments, landscapes, and creatures.

I was so proud to watch Alísa grow as a character. That took time, too. But there was a certain high point that made me proud all through (even if I got MASSIVE SECOND-HAND EMBARRASSMENT!), and after that, each accumulating milestone was exciting. The relationship dynamics between her and each character were fun to watch, and I'm eager to see how one or two in particular carry forward into the next book. Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2017 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 1, 2017. American single certifications – Rachel Platten – Fight Song". Recording Industry Association of America. Songflight faces a lot of heavy topics head-on — pulling no punches with questions about pain, repentance, prejudice, equity, war, grief, "Why do bad things happen", and "Why me". The Christianity parallels shine through beautifully without ever being heavy-handed, serving to ground the story and themes in a deep and lovely way. The song first charted in Australia, debuting at 35 on the ARIA Charts on April 12, 2015. The song eventually peaked at number 2 in Australia on July 12, 2015. [6] It later reached number 8 in New Zealand after first being covered as a charity single by The X Factor top 12. [7]

Jensen, Erin (June 22, 2016). " 'America's Got Talent': Simon hits Golden Buzzer for teen cancer survivor". USA Today . Retrieved June 23, 2016. Eldra Brannis is a patron saint of sorts for the slayers. The Eldir seem to be similar to saints as well, and the religion seems inspired by Catholocism and perhaps the minor gods of The Silmarillion. Alisa questions whether she can speak to the Maker without going through Eldra Brannis, and I think that will be a theme in the upcoming books. While the old saying claims that a picture is worth a thousand words, in the case of a photograph taken by student John Filo and later printed in Life magazine, a picture also inspired one of the best protest songs of its time. The photograph was taken in the immediate aftermath of the Ohio National Guard opening fire on students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University, on May 4, 1970, and captures protester Mary Vecchio kneeling aghast and open-mouthed over the body of student Jeff Miller at the moment she realizes what has happened.

Woody Guthrie – This Land Is Your Land (1944)

British single certifications – Rachel Platten – Fight Song". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved October 6, 2020. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in the United Kingdom and Poland. It also peaked within the top ten of the singles charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, and the top twenty in Slovakia. It has sold six million copies in the United States, earning a 6× Platinum certification by the RIAA. [2] Composition [ edit ] One of the strongest themes in Songflight is that we are made the way we are for a reason. Many of Songflight's characters experience unique, challenging conditions. Alísa's speech impediment is the most immediate example, easily inciting condescension and dismissal; but one character also seems to have a form of synethesia (? hard to tell this kind of thing in fantasy sometimes), her brother hides his telepathic gift rather than let others see how stunted it is; another character is blind. Even one of the dragons faces physical coordination problems from a maternal bond formed under unusual circumstances. They all face their own kind of loneliness, fears, and "why"s. But Songflight sends the clear message that we while we might not know "why" right away, we do not matter less, and are not less loved because of it. Wass, Mike (April 20, 2015). "Rachel Platten Talks "Fight Song," Making A Difference And Her Long Road To The Top: Idolator Interview". Idolator . Retrieved June 22, 2015.

Norwegian single certifications – Rachel Platten – Fight Song" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway . Retrieved October 8, 2022. Gary Trust (July 8, 2015). "Wiz Khalifa's 'See You Again' Ties for Longest-Leading Rap No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard. ( Prometheus Global Media) . Retrieved July 8, 2015. IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201535 into search. Though the song’s outlived the circumstances, this Stephen Stills landmark was inspired by a specific event: During 1966 the Sunset Strip police got impatient with hippie kids hanging around, and imposed a 10pm curfew – initially targeting the Whiskey a Go Go, where Buffalo Springfield were the house band. The result was two months’ worth of nightly riots, which prompted numerous songs and even a movie ( Riot of Sunset Strip). Stills’ song aimed higher, catching the cultural changes of the moment and the bigger ones that were coming. – Brett Milano Aretha Franklin – Respect (1967) Songflight has a wonderful Celtic fantasy feel in a very cool world that I enjoyed getting pulled into. Filled with chiefs and dragons, mountains and forests, a chieftain’s daughter and several scheming plots, it was an epic read! It’s kind of like Brave meets How to Train Your Dragon and I’m here for it. *grinning*Newman, Alex (December 31, 2016). "ICYMI: Newton Native Rachel Platten Headlining New Year's Eve Webcast". Patch Media . Retrieved January 1, 2017. Caulfield, Keith (January 10, 2016). "Adele's '25' Still No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart, Rachel Platten Bows in Top Five". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved January 11, 2016. Okay, I have a lot of feelings about this book (and for good reason) so bear with me for this rather lengthy review! Alísa’s voice drew me in, and I can’t get over how much I love her character. She’s sensitive and vulnerable, but she’s also willing to make hard decisions and face the consequences.

The song was frequently used by Hillary Clinton at events in her campaign for the 2016 presidential election in conjunction with the slogan "Fighting for Us" and was played during her entrance, and just before her acceptance speech, on the closing night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention. [20] [21]

Alisa’s song magic was sooo cool! I loved it, and I loved that the songs were IN the book. They were delightful. The worldbuilding was neat, too, and I loved the sense of past and history that the book was steeped in, while still feeling present. It almost had a historical fantasy feel despite being in a fantasy world! This story has heart, compassion, loss, and adventure weaved into themes of family, friendship, learning to trust, self discovery, learning to understand before judging, and so much more. The emotions are palpable and made me cry a few times and laugh a lot. The characters each had their own flaws and traits that make you understand them, empathize with them, and believe in them. I received Songflight as an eARC, which did nothing to alter my opinion of this book. This review is spoiler-free. It was so refreshing to read about a character who is shy and an introvert! These days I feel like almost all the female characters are fierce, determined, “Let me rip you apart” characters. But how many people are truly like that in real life? Alísa felt so much more real with her sensitivity and awkwardness, and I learned so much about my own uncertainties and introvertedness. Songflight is a deeply moving story. The main character is a fantasy empath, a.k.a. a heightened, almost tangible perception of others' feelings, which causes emotion to be a consistent and raw presence in the narration. Beyond even Alísa's empath gift, however, she's a deeply empathetic and passionate character. She feels not just others' emotions strongly, but her own. She cares and cares hard. The constant inundation of feeling can be almost overwhelming for the reader — and it certainly is so for Alísa herself.