An amazing finale to the story!

I loved how it really focused on the girls learning to trust themselves and each other. Their love for each other and its power are written beautifully!

I had a hard time setting this book down, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I am so glad I got both novels back to back because this one picks up, almost seamlessly, where Nightbirds left off. If I had read these with the year between publishing dates I feel like I would have been super lost. Again, this storyline felt very much like The Belles series, which was enjoyable because I do love that series. I feel like even the love stories were quite similar to The Belles.... in some ways, this felt a little redundant but it was still, overall, a cute and sweet story. I really enjoyed the magic in this novel and the ending was wonderful and sweet.

As the sequel to Nightbirds, Fyrebirds had big shoes to fill, and while it didn’t quite capture the same magic as its predecessor, it was still an engaging and satisfying continuation of the story. With the Nightbirds' secrets exposed and their powers evolving into something even more formidable, this book raises the stakes—politically, emotionally, and magically.

Kate J. Armstrong excels at crafting a lush, immersive world with high-stakes intrigue, and Fyrebirds leans even further into the shifting power dynamics of Eudea. The tensions between the ruling class, the underground resistance, and external threats made for a gripping plot, and the deeper exploration of magic’s potential kept me hooked.

The characters continue to be a highlight, though some of their arcs felt a bit rushed compared to Nightbirds. The relationships—both romantic and platonic—are compelling, and I loved seeing how the bond between the four girls evolved as they grappled with their growing power. However, the pacing was uneven at times, and certain events, especially toward the end, felt a bit too convenient.

That said, Fyrebirds delivers a strong sequel with compelling themes of power, identity, and sacrifice. If you loved Nightbirds, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here. While it may not have quite the same seamless magic, it remains an exciting and worthy follow-up in this spellbinding fantasy series.

I loved book 1 more, but this book had its own amazing story. The continuation of this dualogy had the angst, suspense, and intrigue I wanted. I love reading books about strong female characters Each character embraced their power, however reluctantly, and helped change their world. Once again, love a good "f***k the patriarchy" book.

Not quite as captivating as night birds but still very good! I loved this story and the magic system and the characters throughout. I do feel the ending was maybe a little rushed and took the bit of the easy way out since it felt like everyone just died.

I’m said to see this duology end.

Fyrebird is an interesting and unexpected story. What Armstrong writes is not the story I (or maybe even other readers) wanted. But I can step aside from that and enjoy the story that I was given. The story is more one of political intrigue than magic (this is where I say it is not the story I wanted). But the characters still drive the story and the climax is beautiful bringing the Fyrebirds to rise. With deft riding and characters readers love, Fyrebirds, closes the saga with statisfacation.

In this magical, powerful, and enthralling sequel and final book in her debut duology, Kate J. Armstrong delivers a fascinating and high-stakes conclusion to the stories of the Nightbirds Sayer, Matilde, Aesa, and Fen. Living with the consequences and fallout from the previous book, Eudea is a new place now, and new threats towards Fyrebirds and girls with magic emerge as their powers become more visible. With war and other threats to the stability of Eudea looming in the background, the four women must decide what they will risk to save Simta and themselves from these external threats. Again with her incredibly detailed and exciting magic system and four very different and very powerful protagonists starring in this novel, readers will love the new twists and turns and the further development of the world and its inhabitants in this final and thrilling novel. Armstrong’s characters are the true star of the show, and the continued development of the relationship between the four protagonists (and their new dynamics and relationships introduced in this book) are brilliantly handled and further engage readers with the story. Exciting, amazing, and totally inspiring, this final book will give readers a fulfilling ending to the duology and keep them wanting more from Simta, Eudea, and the Fyrebirds.

Wasn’t quite as good as night birds but still enjoyed the read. I loved being able to see more character growth and will be looking out for any future books from this author

The first book was fun, but this was a little disappointing. I liked the glitz and glamor of book one, and I liked how much the women interacted and liked each other. This book is thematically darker, the women at split up for most of the book, and there was too much focus on very mid romances. If you liked book one, I’d suggest just imagining what you would want the sequel to be.

Starting right where Nightbirds ended, the girls are all separated, each following their own way they think will bring peace and safety for all the magic girls. There is so much tenseness and I was frustrated and angry at the way those in power (great houses, royalty, and the church) kept saying that the magic girls belonged to them, or needed to be killed in order to give the Wellspring back the magic. So of course I was rooting for the Fyrebirds and hoping they would get the band back together and change the world in one fell swoop!

Tons of action, destruction and mayhem on the way to peace but the Fyrebirds are up to the challenge, both in changing peoples' view (most of them) about magic girls not being a danger and when a new drug shows up (super scary) that takes away the will of magic girls, the stakes got even higher. It was a well written story because although the Fyrebirds are super powerful (alone and even stronger together), they also had their weaknesses and it made for a more enriching story to see. Fen with her addiction, Æsa with her struggles about whether using magic was the right thing to do or was it too destructive, and of course Sayer coming to terms with violence not being the only solution to driving out corruption. A lot of the book was about Matilde because she was trying to change things from the inside by Dennan's side. I wasn't quite as interested in those parts but I did enjoy the book on the whole and will be looking forward to new books that the author might write.

Go Fyrebirds!!!

Fyrebirds is a great continuation of this politically motivated story where the powers in control want to control the magic hidden deep inside young women. Women who have grown up as nightbirds giving away there magic but as we learned in book one they are not meant to do that they are meant to use them themselves and when they use their powers with other nightbirds they are so much more then a party trick. This knowledge has woken other women with this magic and now they have to fight to be stronger then those who want to quell there magic and control. I love it and it hard to say for sure if we are getting more or not.

fyrebirds picks up months after nightbirds, with matilde, sayer, æsa, and fen still separated. with their magic no longer a secret, different factions within the city and further abroad vie for control of the nightbirds and other magical girls, and the nightbirds themselves must decide if they will come together to embrace their shared power and connection like the fyrebirds of old.

while still a very paint-by-numbers YA fantasy, armstrong’s writing is stronger here than it was in nightbirds. i enjoyed the limited exploration of duty (and i would have liked to see more of that, particularly in the context of the original fyrebirds’ sacrifice), but i’ve spent close to 900 pages with these characters now and i think it’s safe to say that this series is just not for me. while there was more character development in this book, it was so predictable and i didn’t love how fen’s addiction was handled.

ultimately my issue is that i think armstrong relies too heavily on YA stereotypes and clichés and that makes her own story less memorable. there’s potential here, but it’s largely lost beneath what seems to be a “throw everything at the wall to see if it sticks” approach.

After reading Nightbirds (this authors beautiful debut novel, and part one in this duology) I was beyond excited to read this one. To be back in the magic, to be back in the joy. However, this one did fall a little flat. I found myself questioning how things were happening, really arguing with the plotline in general, which doesn't make for the best reading experience. Sayer is still my absolute favorite character, followed closely only by Fen. The majority of this book tended to be focused on Matilde and I just wasn't as giddy. Matilde is just there, nothing special. Kate's writing continues to be atmospheric however, and her prose is so lyrical and beautiful that it just flows. I really do love and fully recommend this series as the feminine rage, and the truth of how powerful women are is truly one of the best and most inspiring things to read about.

Thank you Kate Armstrong and NetGalley for this e-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

I had high expectations for Fyrebirds after really enjoying Nightbirds, this wasn't what I was expecting I guess? I still enjoyed it but I wasn't 100% into it. I still couldn’t put it down. The story is packed with action and twists, but at times it felt like there was just too much happening, making the pacing a bit uneven and hard to stay fully connected. It wasn’t until I was about 75% through that it finally started to draw me in.

The writing is beautifully atmospheric, and the character development stands out. The story picks up right after the events of Nightbirds, following Sayer, Fen, Matilde, and Æsa as they each fight to save the other magical girls in their own ways. We see them come together again when magical girls start disappearing and a dangerous drug is discovered that forces them into submission.

It’s a multi-POV third-person narrative I loved how well each character was portrayed. However, I did wish there was a more balanced split between the characters' perspectives, as Matilde’s POV felt the most featured.

Overall, this was a great ending to the duology, filled with action and lost of twists

I really wanted to love this! I just could not get into this sequal. I am not sure if I just needed to re-read the previous book. But my brain refused to really get into it and I just pushed through the read.

Although this wasn't for me, I still think it was well written. The author is very talented and I will still love to read more books from them in the future.

Thank you for Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The conclusion to Nightbirds with many twists and turns. While I wasn't the biggest fan of Nightbirds, I did find the world-building intriguing and the possibilities in a sequel to be enough for me to continue. This book picks up almost where the last book left off with the four girls in their own perilous situations. Marriage proposals, addiction recovery and violent attacks challenge the girls separately. They follow rumors of each other's positions, but it isn't until the catastrophic wedding that their paths realign. From there the plot is burdened with their individual stories plus an invading army and corrupt church. While there were many elements that were interesting and the characters were relatively well developed, the plot got messy and there were multiple instances where I struggled to figure out what was happening to whom. There were so many ideas jammed into this one book, I am surprised it was not released as a trilogy. It rushed elements, particularly with the invasion, that lessened the stakes. While the world, established rules and characters were well-developed and interesting, it was a bit disappointing as the conclusion to the story.

This is the second novel by Kate J. Armstrong (https://www.katejarmstrong.com/home) Fyrebirds was published last August and is the second book in her Nightbirds series. It is the 76th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The Farlands king, Joosten Tharda of Trellane, already has one girl with magic abilities. After experiencing what she can do he wants more. He wants the Fyrebirds and is willing to invade Eudea to get them. He prepares his fleet to conquer Eudea. Once in control, he will take all the girls with magical abilities he can find.

After the first novel ends, the four Fyrebirds go their separate ways. Matilda Dinatris, the Flame Witch, and her family live with Dennan Hain. He has become the suzerain. Under his protection, the city reluctantly accepts her. Matilda agrees to marry Dennan at the urging of her family, though her heart lies elsewhere. The union will merge their power, and Matilda hopes to be able to sway public sentiment and the laws concerning girls with magic.

Fenlin Brae, the Flower Witch, has returned to her gang. She is trying to rebuild them after what has happened. She takes on a risky robbery job to rebuild their coffers.

AEsa, the Wave Witch, has returned home, but the reception is not all she had hoped for. She must flee there, and her ship is attacked by a scout ship of the Farland fleet.

Sayer, the Storm Witch, continues to harass the elite and their efforts to take advantage of girls with magic.

The Red Hand and his religious sect have been plotting with Wyllo Regnis to gain control of the Fyrebirds and other girls with magic. Wyllo wants to take advantage of their magic, while the Red Hand wants them removed from Eudea. The Hand has developed the drug Sugar, which allows control of girls with magic. Wyllo is quietly selling limited quantities to the elite. The drug enrages the Fyrebirds.

Things come to a head at the wedding between Matilda and Dennan. The Red Hand and Wyllo have set a trap. The four Fyrebirds are captured in the chaos following the wedding. They are taken to the church and tried as witches. The Hand and Wyllo believe they have everything under control, but the Fyrebirds surprise them. No sooner has the trial been dealt with than the Farland fleet attacks the city. The only hope for Eudea is for the Fyrebirds to unite and become the power spoken of in legends.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 381-page fantasy. I had the opportunity to read the first book in this series, Nightbirds a few weeks ago. I have enjoyed both novels. There are long periods of slowness with bursts of action. The Fyrebirds and their followers repeatedly find themselves in danger, and not all survive. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

As with the first installment Nightbirds I love the magic system and setting throughout the book.

The new characters introduced really added to the story. However, I did feel the pacing wasn’t as great as the first book. I felt it was a little slow until the 60% mark and then it really took off.

Other than the pacing, I really did like this book. And it wrapped up this duology well.

Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this eARC.

This series has quickly secured a place in my heart. Kate J. Armstrong has crafted a story with complex characters I care about with my whole heart, unique world building, and intricate magic systems. My favorite part of this sequel is that the characters are all allowed to grow and go on their own adventures, but the core sisterhood is still there and at the heart of it all. It makes all the characters individually stronger and also better as a group as they all come into their own power and heal their past wounds.
This is the kind of book I love. A book about choosing your fate and your family. A book about not letting men (or anyone really) decide who you are. A book about all kinds of love being equally important.
There are some storylines I wish were more fleshed out and it did wrap up rather quickly, but overall I thought it was a fitting ending. And I'm going to be yelling about these books for a long time because more people need to find them!

Nightbirds was one of my top favorite books of last year. I still loved and enjoyed this book but it didn’t have the same magic as the first book. The girls were pinned into roles and forced to split, which left them fighting back on their own instead of a united front. It felt like the story went backward, to when all the Nightbirds were mired in their own misery – even though I understand why they had to essentially divide and conquer. The girls did grow stronger on their own both magically, knowing who they truly were on the inside, and finally accepting it.

"She hates that men like this think they can take what they want without consequence. She hates that this girl, any girl, feels powerless to stop it."

Matilde wasn’t my favorite Nightbird, and unfortunately for me, a good chunk of time was spent with her. She did what she thought was best but her efforts resulted in getting her own wings clipped. The other three girls weren’t surrounded by as much political maneuvering and I enjoyed their story arcs much more. I really wanted to see more secreted Fyrebird history and we don’t get much of that either – only the tidbits Matilde and Sayer uncover.

I enjoyed the slow-build journey of the story but the ending felt rushed. The Farlands and Joost coming to Simta could have been written as another book. Overall, I enjoyed my return to Eudea but was hoping for more from the sequel. Many thanks to Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read the follow-up to one of my favorite books. I enjoyed this duology and the author’s writing style and will continue to watch for titles from Kate Armstrong.