Extract:
“I am not asking to hear your voice because I value your opinion. I am not asking to hear your voice because I care about your feelings. I am asking to hear your voice because I own you.’ Her eyes darkened. ‘You bear the mark of the Sky Gods Eska, the very Gods who used terrible magic to stir up hatred between the people of Erkenwald. But I will use your voice to tear the Sky Gods down and rid this kingdom of their evil forever.”
(Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone.) 
Synopsis:
One upon a time the three tribes of Erkenwald were united. Then the Ice Queen took power and the tribes no longer trusted one another. The Ice Queen grew stronger. She took all adults prisoner, and fed on their voices with the help of an enchanted organ. Every day the sound of their cries echoes across the ice as she grows stronger.
Eska refuses to give the Ice Queen her voice. She is imprisoned in a music box, and forced to dance until she gives in. When Flint breaks into the palace with the help of his magical inventions, Eska sees her chance to escape. Together they journey across the ice, desperate to prevent the Ice Queen from stealing Eska’s voice and making her reign immortal.Review:
Word perfect. Sky Song reads like a fairy tale. Every word is in place, every twist of the plot comes at the perfect time, and the world is so vivid there were times I imagined I could see my breath in the frozen air.
The Ice Queen is a wonderful antagonist, and a worthy successor to the White Witch. She is built in a similar mould, but Elphinstone’s touches make her unique enough that she is terrifying all over again. The idea of a ruler alone in her palace, growing stronger on the voices of her prisoners was chilling. We know from the start that this is a villain who shows no mercy.
Flint is also a great character and I liked his story arc. He is one of the last people in Erkenwald to take an interest in magic. When his brother calls his inventions childish and stupid, Flint doesn’t stand up to him. He wants his brother’s approval, and he wants to be seen as a warrior. Over the course of the novel we see Flint gain confidence in himself and his abilities, and learn that bravery is about love and standing up for those we love. It is great to see messages about gender stereotyping of boys. A lot of young boys feel pressured to hide their feelings and come across as ‘tough’, and this offers them other ways to think about themselves.
Sky Song is a story of tolerance and acceptance. I loved the metaphor of tribes and wanderers. The tribes begin the story isolated from each other, but wanderers like Eska make friends with different people along the way. It was lovely to see a character with a disability whose condition is not named and examined. Flint’s sister Blu has Down’s Syndrome. Flint explains that Blu needs patience and guidance at times, but otherwise Blu is just one of the characters. She has her moments of triumph alongside Eska and Flint. Sky Song calls for tolerance of people from different backgrounds, of different abilities and simply in any situation where we may not understand another person’s motives. If we could all be as tolerant as Eska, Flint and Blu, the world would be a beautiful place.
A huge thanks to Simon And Schuster for my wonderful prize ARC.
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