Songflight (The Dragon Singer Chronicles Book 1)

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Gottlieb, Steven (May 19, 2015). "Rachel Platten "Fight Song" (James Lees, dir.)". Video Static . Retrieved June 22, 2015. [ permanent dead link] I've said perfect a lot in this review, mostly because I adored this slow-burn of a dragon rider read. If I were to gripe about anything (I have to, for balance) it'd be the very occasional use of modern slang like "cool" and "gross" in an epic fantasy setting. That's about it. There are so many powerful quotes throughout Songflight, and I can’t wait to reread them. Apart from that, the storyline is captivating and filled with beautiful folklore and songs. Reminiscent of Tolkien’s legends, learning about this world is one of the aspects of this series I’m looking forward to delving into as it continues. Alísa’s parents are such a vital part of her life, and their relationship is beautiful. Also, the dragons’ relationships with their mothers is so heartwarming. And baby dragons?! Can it get any better than that? Truly, if you’re a fan of dragons in fantasy, this is a book you don’t want to miss!

McDermott, Maeve (2016-07-27). "The Best Celebrity Moments of the Democratic Convention Night 2". USA Today . Retrieved 2016-07-27. Teen Choice Awards: Rachel Platten Performs "Fight Song" ". The Hollywood Reporter. August 16, 2015 . Retrieved February 4, 2016. Dragonssss! Okay, obviously the best part of this book is that there are dragons in it. Sooo many dragons, and I loved how there were lots of different kinds of characters among them. And there were also . . . TINY DRAGONS! Called Dreki, the tiny dragons were the absolute greatest, and I loved that they existed as well as the big, ridable kind. The Dreki make me so happy! This book lost a star from me because of a character death which was Not Okay. AHEM. That may be just me, though. (But it’s like killing the dog, okay! T_T Ahem. XD) But otherwise, this was an immersive Celtic fantasy with DRAGONS and song magic, and I really enjoyed it! I’d recommend it and I’m looking forward to reading more in this world! McFeeters, Stephanie (June 16, 2015). "Rachel Platten on performing with Taylor Swift". The Boston Globe . Retrieved February 4, 2016.

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. Calysta Bevier sang "Fight Song" during her audition for the eleventh season of America's Got Talent in 2016. Bevier also sang the same song at a high school talent show, which went on to become a viral video, landing her on The Ellen DeGeneres Show singing the same song with Rachel Platten. [22] 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. Billboard Japan Hot Overseas" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. 18 April 2016 . Retrieved 13 April 2016. 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.

The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart of May 2, 2015 at number 80, becoming Platten's first entry on the chart. [8] On July 18, 2015, the song entered the top 10 at number 10, becoming her first top 10. [9] On August 19, 2015, the song eventually peaked at number 6. [10] It has also reached quadruple platinum sales in the US, selling over 2 million copies in Platten's home country. "Fight Song" also peaked at number one on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart for 4 weeks, number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for 4 weeks, number 3 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart, number 1 on the Billboard Radio Songs chart, and number 8 on the Pop Songs chart. Elsewhere, it peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. 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. 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. 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.

Newman, Alex (December 31, 2016). "ICYMI: Newton Native Rachel Platten Headlining New Year's Eve Webcast". Patch Media . Retrieved January 1, 2017. The song has been used in a series of Ford TV commercials for their line of SUV's, namely, the 2015 Ford Edge and 2016 Ford Explorer. 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! You know when you read one of those books and you're thinking "wait, this was indie published?!" Songflight gave me those feelings. I've been jaded about dragon books for a long time because they don't do anything new, or else fall into that over-hormonal YA category that makes the fantasy element feel shallow. Songflight is the YA epic dragon fantasy I didn't realise I'd been waiting for. It's the perfect coming of age tale with a troubled heroine and an original fantasy land full of strange Celtic spiritual charm. I haven't cared so much about draconic characters since Eragon or Dreamwalker. British single certifications – Rachel Platten – Fight Song". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved October 6, 2020.

On April 25, 2015, Platten performed the song for the first time at the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards. Platten appeared as a special guest during Taylor Swift 's 1989 World Tour in Philadelphia on June 13, 2015, where Platten and Swift performed "Fight Song" together. [16] On August 16, 2015, Platten performed the song at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards in Los Angeles. [17] On July 12, 2016, Platten performed "Fight Song" at the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego, where baseball fans and players held up cards with the names of people they knew were battling cancer to dedicate the performance to them. [18] On New Year's Eve 2016−17, Platten sang the song as part of her lineup during the Times Square Ball festivities in New York City's Times Square, which she co-headlined. [19] Usage in media [ edit ] Also, the dragons in this book are so well crafted. Each has its own personality, wishes, longings and desires. It was so enjoyable getting to know them; I became fast friends with them all. It was a bit confusing toward the end of the book keeping them all straight, and it would have been helpful to have some reminders, but that’s a small thing. The world isn't over-described and maybe seems a little generic hills/forests/mountains, but the lore of the world is where it really shines. Celtic drums and dances, songs peppering the narrative making it like one of those bardic fantasy tales of decades past, the spiritual mythology of dragons and fae and gods and saints all added together to make a living, breathing world of magic. And the dreki! They are adorable and original - a bit faery dragon from D&AD but also not. That the northern wayfarers thought they were fae, but the southern villagers knew them as friends illustrating the different cultures as well as their different songs. I loved them so much even though they only spoke single words, but Chri... Ouch. How do you come to like an animal companion type character so much? It's also not your usual dragon rider type of thing; riding dragons is just a by-product of necessity rather than being part of some kind of warrior legend. It's more about the emotional and mental connections.

The dragons and the dreki (little dragons) were really cool and I liked all the side characters (the nice ones haha), and I also like that there is not necessarily a simple 'good and evil' binary in what's going on either. 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. Trust, Gary (April 22, 2015). "RACHEL PLATTEN - FIGHT SONG (SONG)". Australian-Charts . Retrieved October 5, 2015. Jensen, Erin (June 22, 2016). " 'America's Got Talent': Simon hits Golden Buzzer for teen cancer survivor". USA Today . Retrieved June 23, 2016.