I usually love books like this. It screamed "Laini Taylor" at me but it just didn't get there. It was so closeeee. but the whole time I felt like it was trying to catch up to it's own potential. I was waiting for the payoff of all the layering and realities and that just didn't happen.

I enjoyed the world building as it was so intricate. It sometimes did get bogged down and the details weighed down the pacing of the story. Another shinning light was the way music was woven into the story. The romance burned slowly and the notes of disharmony and each place having its own sound just made me like this standalone even more. The lower rating was for pacing and character development. I think with such an intricate world it sometimes outshines the characters and their development.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Books with such beautiful mental illness rep just hit different for me, and this one is very special. This is smart writing with a lovely story of friendship.

My heart.

Thanks so much to the publisher for the review copy!

I really wanted to like this book since this was a retelling of Dante’s works. However, I found the story to be very confusing. I could not understand the characters. It had potential but was not executed well. Still, I recommend this for fans of Dante’s works.

This book is a good mix of adventure and fantasy. I loved the characters because they seemed so real, but the plot seemed all over the place at times, and around the halfway point I just lost most of my interest , the astrology was interesting but not enough to make up for the rest

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The Song That Moves the Sun is unique in the way magic and songs were used to travel the solar system. Unfortunately for me that was the only thing that I enjoyed about the book. I found the main characters very one dimensional. Each time a character's POV was shared it was the same thing repeated over and over again with nothing new added to the characters growth until the very end of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright. A lovely story.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

The story is told from three POVs. Dante (<i>that</i> Dante) and Beatrice in 13th century Italy, and Rora and Claudia in modern DC.

Dante ran from a battle and is hiding out in Siena. He meets a guy calling himself Marco Polo, and finds his childhood crush, a furtive astronomer/magician named Beatrice. They go planet hopping.

Rora, who has recently been mugged, and Claudia, whose twin was sent to Italy for reasons, go to a concert featuring fictional band Ad Astra (to the stars). They meet two boys, Major and Amir, who are looking for something. Or someone.

The world is on the brink of a climate catastrophe, sea levels are sinking. Why? The planets aren’t aligned. Rather, something is wrong with their songs.

The celestial bodies in the Solar System all have a song. Portals can be created between them using music and magic. This was discovered by various cultures, including Claudia’s ancestor, Beatrice.

Major identifies Rora as an amplifier, someone who makes music stronger. He and Amir whisk the girls away to Mercury to meet a professor, Dr. Qureshi. The doctor isn’t in, so the kids have to figure it out for themselves.

The world is somewhat interesting. Astrology is real, so is the geocentric model of the universe, in a magical if not physical sense. The culture of the spheres, as non-Earth planets are called, is very hierarchical and duty-based. People of a particular astrological sign are made to live on that sign’s planet, whether or not they want to, to maintain some nebulous magical balance.

The kids become attached way too fast. Rora and Major, Claudia and Amir, pair off immediately. Within hours they’re glommed onto each other. I was a little disappointed, because I had no idea what this book was about and assumed it was about two girls in space. I thought it would be more sci fi but is it very much fantasy.

I DNF’d this halfway through. The pace was slow, the plot was directionless, and the astrological conceit wasn’t enough to sustain it.

The Song that Moves the Sun is a fresh, and enjoyable installment to the realm of YA Fantasy, based loosely on the writings of Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy: Paradiso. Dante describes Heaven, or Paradise, as being nine concentric circles around the Earth, and it is widely seen as an allegory describing the ascent of the soul following death. Through his journey, Dante is guided by a woman named Beatrice, meant to symbolize theology, but also thought to be based on his real-life first love, Beatrice Portinari. Anna Bright takes Beatrice and Dante, adds in a friendship with famed explorer Marco Polo, and has the trio head up an expedition into space, helping to colonize other planets. Fast forward several centuries, and you meet the main protagonists, Beatrice’s descendant Claudia, and her best friend Rora, from Earth, and their new friends Major (from Venus) and Amir (from Mars). The four meet when the boys travel to Earth, in search of a song that will fix the disharmony in the music of the spheres. What they find instead, is Rora, an amplifier of music and emotion.

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I really loved this book for many reasons, but for purposes of this review, I’ll just elaborate on the two most important reasons. First, I adored the extremely flawed characters because they were relatable and easy to root for. Rora suffers from PTSD but spends much of her time trying to pretend that she is fine, even though inside her mind and body are screaming at her that nothing is safe. This is something that I was able to personally identify with, making Rora’s bravery and will to protect those she loves even more inspiring. I also appreciated the realistic, and compassionate way that Rora’s symptoms were portrayed. Meanwhile, Claudia struggles with a lack of self-worth and personal identity, despite her wealth, intellect, and beauty, leading her to want to fix the struggles of everyone else, especially Rora. She also buries her struggles, presenting a brave face to the world, making her lovable and infuriating, at the same time. Because this is in part a love story, the girls find their natural matches in Amir and Major, who naturally come with their own sets of baggage. Amir feels inadequate to his ordained path in life, and Major worries that he will never truly belong where he is expected to find his future. The struggles the boys face, leads me to my second reason for loving this book. Each planet has a song that goes along with the characteristics of those born under the signs governed by that planet. In order to maintain order in the music, people must live on their assigned planet, and fall into the professions and rhythms expected of those born to those particular signs. However, Major and Amir both feel they don’t quite fit, and Rora experiences near catastrophe when a mistake is made about where she should fit. I thought this was a very clever way to illustrate the mistakes we make when we judge people based on surface characteristics, and when we try to surround ourselves only with people who are just like us. Afterall, it takes many different types of people to run a business, or a town, or a country…and differences are what adds spice to life, and should be celebrated and learned from.

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My main criticism for this book, is that it felt a little too lengthy, with the beginning dragging on too long. I was definitely never thinking about DNFing the book, but I will say that it took me to about the 41% mark to feel invested and hooked. But from there, it was difficult to put down. Anna Bright has a wonderful way of describing things, painting vivid pictures for the mind, and frequently offering out thought-provoking questions under the guise of teenage observation. All in all, I would urge anyone who loves YA fantasy to give this work of art a read!

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of mental illnesses, brief mention of suicide

The Song That Moves the Sun relies heavily on a basic understanding of astrology, which I unfortunately do not have (except to say I know my sun, moon, and rising signs only so that I can participate in this cultural moment).

It also plunges the reader into a bit of a whirlwind with characters who do not feel fully fleshed out until about halfway through the book. The rapid fire changes in perspective mean we don't get to know any of the characters very well. At times, the plot and world-building runs thin and it was difficult for me to feel invested in what was happening.

That said, I would absolutely recommend this to many teens with whom I've worked. Despite all my issues with the books, the biggest message I took away from this book is one that I want all teens to get: "Your pain is real, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't feel big or important. You're hurting and you deserve to heal."

It might have taken a while to get there, but ultimately the book had a pretty great payoff.

I fear readers may not understand all the magical elements that lie within this story and I think the author did a lot. It was kind of a magical overload for me reading this one. And I ended up having to put it down and just never picked it up again. For me this one was just to much going on and to much to have to keep track of.

I received this ARC from NetGalley. This book was such a great blend of adventure, fantasy, and romance. I loved the characters because they seemed so real, and vibrant. If you enjoy fantasy novels with adventure be sure to add this to your reading list.

I absolutely adored this! The elements of astrology were really cool, and it was so interesting to see how she weaved in Dante. Anna Bright has become a favorite, and I cannot wait to see what’s next.

I really wanted to like this… but it was a rough read for me. I felt like there was no character development and I didn’t believe in the relationships between characters - it all just seemed shallow.

The plot moved slowly - very slowly - but I did appreciate its uniqueness. The historical storyline was interesting but also full of useless details. I feel like there’s a good story in this book but it’s being weighed down by a bunch of nonsense.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books & NetGalley for allowing me to review this book!

Content warning via the author's site: Readers should be advised that this novel deals heavily with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. It also makes reference to suicide, infertility, and disordered eating and contains content that may be triggering to readers with emetophobia.

I have to say, the concept of this one was so unique! I mean, songs that coincide with planets and astrology? Talk about imaginative! And look, you do have to suspend some disbelief when it comes to this story. You just do. But if you can, it's quite rewarding!

What I Liked:

►The history! Wow did I get lost down a few Wikipedia rabbit holes while reading this one! I loved that the author used real historical figures in the world building/for inspiration, especially Beatrice's- it takes a much happier route than her true life. I loved learning about all these people, and frankly, the book was worth it for this facet alone.

►The characters were great. I really liked the main characters, Rora and Claudia, as well as the boys they ended up being drawn to. I mean, sure it's a wee bit convenient that they both end up falling in love with dudes from other planets, but alas. I still liked it. It was cute, if not groundbreaking.

►Traveling on different planets! I mean, who among us does not want to hang out on Saturn and such? I won't go into too many details about the worldbuilding, since it is a huge part of the plot itself, but suffice it to say, I loved it!

►Great mental health rep! I am so, so glad that we've started to get more fantasy and sci-fi books that include mental health and mental illness representation. And I extra love that, as it is in this story, it's just part of who the characters are, not their defining trait. I thought it was handled really well, and I must applaud the author for that!

What I Had Trouble With:

►I just couldn't totally suspend my disbelief? Sorry, this is probably on me, but I am just bad at it. The thing was, I didn't fully understand the magic system I don't think, which is probably a bit of it. I had some questions, and I will say that the author did a great job of answering some of the biggest ones, hence why I was still able to really enjoy the story.

Bottom Line: Amazing world building, a ton of cool historical references, likable characters, and interplanetary travel made this quite a fun read!

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

In this new standalone fantasy adventure, Bright takes us to secret cities hidden among the spheres of the heavens. It’s a beautiful story that is filled with amazing world building, magic, music, friendship, mystery, romance, and has fantastic anxiety and depression rep. Each turn of the page was an absolute delight!

Rora and Claudia are best friends that feel as though their lives have recently been spiraling out of control. They meet up at a concert one night and there they meet Major and Amir. Major and Amir are two boys from the secret cities of the spheres that are ruled by the magic of the astrological signs. The girls discover that they’re not the only ones feeling that their lives are out of control, as there is a disruption in the harmony between the spheres that’s been spreading.

Rora and Claudia agree to embark on a journey to find the source of the disharmony. Throughout their travels they discover secrets, romance, and powerful truths about themselves, each other, and two long ago explorers named Dante and Beatrice. Dante and Beatrice were among the first to chart this magical course to the stars. Will Rora and Claudia be able to help save each other and the spheres?

I really came to care for these characters and what happened to them. I loved Rora and Claudia’s friendship so much, and I loved the friendships they made along the way. Major and Amir were both amazing friends as well and I love how they looked out for each other. Each character has their own struggles and strengths they bring. This quote by an unknown author made me think of this story, “The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.”

I highly recommend this one! Great for anyone that loves ya and fantasy.

The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright is an intriguing young adult fantasy with a hint of magic. This is a well-written, fast-paced read that I did not want to put down.

I read Bright’s The Beholder and enjoyed it, but I don’t think I enjoyed it enough to read the second one in a timely fashion. That said, I won’t rule out a reread, as I do know it was good enough for me to remember half a plot for it, which is more than I can say for many books I read. The Song that Moves the Sun, however, did not grab me like Bright’s debut. It took until about 15% of the way in for it to catch even the tiniest bit of my interest, and the opening scenes for Rora, Amir, Major, and Claudia did not feel very effective at drawing me into the story (or Claudia and Rora, for that matter).

Our story begins with Dante, who is based off of the historical figure and author of The Divine Comedy, who runs around every where with his newfound friend, Marco Polo, and together, they meet his childhood love, Beatrice—or Bice (bee cheh)—who is studying at university in secret because she’s a girl and it’s the 1200’s. These chapters alternate with our story of the four friends from modernity, though they don’t feel seamlessly integrated. I know there is supposed to be a juxtaposition between the two from the start, but it takes far too much mental effort to place anything in the beginning of this story. The segues are disjointed, making the switches back and forth extremely jarring.

By the end of the book, Dante’s and Beatrice’s story and how it is connected to that of our four protagonists is not compelling enough for me. The book tells the story from the 12-1300’s very briefly in scheduled spurts; I feel like there was an attempt here at something like what Cloud Cuckoo Land presents to its readers but falls flat. In Song, our characters move toward something like anti-establishment but do so in a way that confuses the reader, muddles the prose, and over complicates the plot with finely detailed astrological references I think may soar over the heads of many readers who are not that into reading horoscopes. Though I own a signed, first edition of one of the reference books for this novel, I don’t see the forest for the trees as to the point the plot and the characters try to make. The plot and characters really do suffer for the sake of the gimmick of the astrological setting. I feel it could have been better either as a duology that fleshes out the characters more or with less technical details in such a condensed format. As it is, the novel is nearly 500 pages long, and it dragged terribly for me.

Unfortunately, my experience with this book does not line up with the over 4-star-average rating on Goodreads. It bored me near to tears and made me dread reading for a couple of days. I don't really recommend it based off of the promised fantastical journey from the synopsis. My advice is to hold off purchasing and make sure it's a pick for you by possibly renting from the library first.