This duology is one of my favorites i’ve read in a while. All the characters were so good, the magic system, the world, the relationships especially between Fen and Sayer, they were so cute. The moment the sisters reunited was my favorite part! The only complaint i had was that i’d like it to be a bit longer so we could see more of the relationships between the sisters and their love interests better. A spin off is needed!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free copy of Fyrebirds in exchange for an honest review!

I was a huge fan of Nightbirds, so I was ecstatic to have received an arc of Fyrebirds. It was enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to a young adult audience.

Matilde’s character develops a lot in this second book, and honestly, it’s pretty impressive how well she handles everything that happens to her.

The messages from the story are great for young adult readers, such as- embrace who you are meant to be, love who you want to love, and you are enough- no matter what. I appreciated those messages myself, even at 30 years old 😆

I only have a few complaints: I wished we had gotten more time with Æsa and Willan. (Seriously, a spinoff?? Please??), and some of the pacing felt a little off. Some of the most impactful scenes happened so quickly, and I felt they could’ve been a little longer to deliver a more emotionally compelling scene.

That said, I still really enjoyed this duology and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed stories like Heartless Hunter and Six of Crows. I look forward to hopefully reading more from this author in the future.

If you enjoyed the world of the grishaverse this series gives similar vibes. It was so easy to hop back into the world upon reading this and I forgot how much the catch phrase of this series "blazing cats" makes me chuckle.

This is the sequel of the book Nightbirds. Nightbirds is a secret society of women with magical abilities that have been outlawed. These magical beings have been outlawed and live in a secret under ground hidden from the powers that want them destroyed.
These magical women are supposed to be apart of a prophecy and a past where they have won wars with there powers.
These women seem to be fated to find each other and use their powers to protect each other and their country. I really enjoyed this fantasy, and loved the girl power energy and their love for each other. A true sisterhood. Loved seeing these women navigate their powers and political powers that want to use them to rule kingdoms.
I really enjoyed this series, and was very excited to read Fryebirds.
Thank you Netgalley and Nancy Paulson Books for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was a delighful and amazzing conclusion to this series. This is a series that really does inspire me to start and save revoultion and with three four main characters and three very different romances and also all the other elements to end this series I was captivtied and so excited to see where this author goes next. If you are looking for book with magic and a one of your heros is a pirate please check this one out, i loved where this book went as well!!

I loved reading book one Nightbirds. So I immediately had to request book two Fyrebirds by Kate J. Armstrong.
And it did not disappoint!
I loved this magic system and world building.
This intriguing YA Fantasy/Paranormal was incredibly well written and wonderfully paced.
The characters, the evocative writing, the excellent pace of the story. Everything was so tastefully well done for a spellbinding story!
The conclusion was satisfying and everything was wrapped up nicely.

Thank You NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I had high hopes for Fyrebirds, especially after loving Nightbirds, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. There was just too much going on, and the pacing felt off, which made it hard to stay connected to the story. It wasn’t until I was about 75% through that it finally started to grab my attention. The whole situation with Joost felt underdeveloped—it could have been explored more deeply, maybe even in another book. I was hoping I would get more Æsa and Willan (my favs) and more of Fenlin, Sayer and the other supporting characters, but it felt like this was Matilde's story.

On the positive side, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the chance to explore beyond Simta. The world-building was excellent, and I loved meeting the new characters in those places. The magic was great too, but I wish there had been more of it, and that the pacing had been better. Fyrebirds had some strong elements, but overall, it didn’t fully live up to what I was hoping for. I don't quite want to leave this world yet and although I didn't enjoy Fyrebirds as much as I did Nightbirds, I will definitely still read future books that Kate J. Armstrong writes.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC. Fyrebirds will be out on August 27, 2024.

✨Book Review✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: ebook

I received a free copy of the first novel, Nightbirds, in this series about a month ago through NetGalley, but I had already read Nightbirds in March of 2023. It quickly became one of my favorite books of 2023. The same can be said of Fyrebirds.

Our story picks up where Nightbirds left off. Matilde is being protected at the palace while her family still pressures her to get married; Sayer is trying to save endangered magical girls; Fen is haunted by the trauma her magic brings forth; and Æsa has traveled back to her homeland with the fledglings (i.e., girls with magic). Each girl must make her own choices about what her heart desires, what she is told to do, and what her duty requires. Readers are taken on an epic, jazzy adventure where the girls must decide whether to play by the rules of men or make their own.

Highlights:
⭐️ The plot. As mentioned in my review of Nightbirds, only girls have magical powers, and powerful men want to control them.
⭐️ Dual POV chapters from all of our Fyrebirds.
⭐️ Decent cliffhanger/ending. Everything tied up nicely without me feeling like I still have unanswered questions. There were some minor details that felt a little... convenient, but considering this is a YA novel, some flexibility in the unfolding of events is expected.
⭐️ Strong female protagonists.
⭐️ Easy, engaging, and flowing writing style.

Pitfalls:
❌ Since I read the first novel more than a year ago, I had a difficult time getting into this one, mainly because I didn’t remember the details of the plot, characters, love interests, and who had what powers. I think a prologue or recap would have been beneficial for returning readers.
❌ Not a major pitfall, but I felt there was a lack of world-building compared to the first novel. I understand that the first book needs more world-building to set the story, but that was one of my favorite aspects of the first book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really loved Nightbirds so this sequel was one of my most anticipated reads. I thought Fyrebirds was a great sequel. I’m living for feminine rage and f the patriarchy stories. So often girls and women are told to be quiet and the ones who are loud are dangerous and corrupt. These themes are woven into this story beautifully. Girls / women with magic were once the city’s best kept secret but now the secret is out. They are feared by men who are afraid of their power and seek to control them. Girls with magic are being hunted, captured and drugged. There is also a war looming from an ambitious Farlands King.

This story has so much going on but I couldn’t put it down. The writing is atmospheric and loved the character development. The story picks up after the ending of Nightbirds following Sayer, Fen, Matilde and Æsa as they each save the other magical girls in their own way. We do see them coming together again as the magical girls start to go missing and a dangerous drug is found that makes them submit. This is a multi POV 3rd person story. While I usually prefer 1st person POV I still really enjoyed how each character was written. I did wish there was more of a split between the characters POVs because I love them all and it felt as if Matilde’s POV was the most featured. The romances were all beautiful and never felt like they took over the plot.

Overall I thought this was a fun exciting conclusion to this duology. I definitely think if you enjoyed the first one you won’t want to miss this! If you haven’t read this series I highly recommend it. It has action, adventure, magic, and small bits of romance all wrapped up into a story about powerful women who won’t quietly submit to the men who seek to control them.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

A soaring 2nd book in this series. While I am disappointed in the cover change, I still loved all the characters. We get a bit more romance and magic and that is always great. The writing is great as usual and I enjoyed the second installment!

This one was a bit slower, and a lot more political in nature. Matilde, Æsa, Sayer and Fen have their work cut out for them as they escape and are separated. The Fyrebirds. They will be more powerful than anyone can imagine, and there are many who won't let that happen.

Through their bonds, the girls work together trying to save everyone they can, but it feels like the world is against them at times. As they fight to stay alive and find one another, each has their own story to complete and a sacrifice to make before they can reunite.

This was not as compelling as the first book. I wanted something punchier in terms of both plot and pacing, especially as I believe this is the conclusion to a duology. While I enjoyed the writing style and the Prohibition era thematics, the first 60-70% of the story reads like an exposition rather than the continuation of a series, which made for an oddly slow and disjointed narrative.

Thank you to NetGally and the author and publisher for this advance copy of Fyrebirds to read in exchange for my review.

This finale in the Nightbirds duology, was pretty much everything I wanted it to be. We are welcomed back into the world fairly shortly after book one ends. Our main characters are split up and trying to figure things out on their own and trying to use their strength and will to change things. But as tension builds and new threats arise, the Nightbirds realize that they are stronger together. Their plans aren't always perfect, and things sometimes go awry, but where would the fun be if everything went as planned? For my personal preferences the story wrapped up fairly nicely without many loose ends, which is always a huge pet peeve. This is a series I would recommend, and I wouldn't mind being dropped back into this world in the future.

I liked this one better than book 1 of the series. The action picks up the pace, and still gives Serpent and Dove vibes, as all four of the Nightbird girls mold into Fyrebirds. The girls are all torn between their obligations and following their hearts/duties.

The storyline focuses a little more on Matilde’s POV, which was okay, I wanted more of Aesa and Wallen. I really wasn’t invested in Sayer and Fen’s budding romance, it was disjointed and didn’t fit much of the storyline for this 2nd book in the series.

There is the cliffhanger ending so more is to come in the series. I think I am invested in finding out what happens, so I will most likely read that when it comes out.

Fyrebirds by Kate T. Armstrong is an outstanding sequel to Nightbirds that brilliantly continues the gripping story from its predecessor. Armstrong's vivid world-building and intricate plot twists keep the narrative engaging and suspenseful. The sequel's rich character development and thrilling pace make it a captivating read that surpasses expectations.

3.5⭐️ This was such an enjoyable and entertaining follow up to Nightbirds. I loved going back into this world and seeing our characters grow into Fyrebirds!

My favorite part of this book is the characters (especially Æesa) and their relationships with one another. I love the different dynamics and the sisterhood that they share. I also love the romantic relationships in this book there were so many moments that made me say “AWWWW 🥹”.

My biggest gripe with the book was we were introduced to King Joost and his plot line and honestly I don’t feel like it brought much to the overall story. I actually felt like it took away time from character development/ furthering other plot lines. It felt unnecessary. Overall I really liked this book but it didn’t wow me like the first book did.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Fyrebirds by Kate J. Armstrong is a third person multi-POV YA fantasy continuation of Nightbirds. Sayer, Fen, Matilde, and Æsa are saving the other magical girls in their own ways. Æsa has taken some of the girls back to her home country, Sayer has become the Storm Witch and spies on the upper houses, Matilde agrees to marry the leader of their nation to keep the others safe, and Fen is hiding her powers. The girls are brought back together when an enemy nation is taking magical girls for themselves and the upper houses are drugging young women.

The themes of sex work from Nightbird are continued in Fyrebirds and expanded into sex trafficking and a clear allegory for drugs like Rohypnol. As more and more young women get involved in online social justice spaces, more and more are going to want books that explore these very difficult themes that absolutely do impact people their age and even younger. It’s very difficult to read a young girl be compelled to do things she doesn’t want to do while knowing that this does happen in real life, but that’s part of why some people turn to books and the fantasy genre: to explore difficult topics with a degree of separation so they can start talking about it. Nightbirds and Fyrebirds help start this conversation masterfully.

Of the three romantic arcs, my favorite was still Sayer and Fen’s. The yearning, the years of knowing each other and not knowing how to have the conversation to start something, the lack of support and quality romantic relationships for them to observe in real life all add to a emotionally complex romance between two young women with secrets. While Fen’s powers are on the downlow, she is going out of her way to help other girls when she sees something going on, giving her the moniker Flower Witch, which makes her a parallel to Sayer.

To my surprise, my favorite POV this book was actually Æsa’s. She was vulnerable, struggling to be separated from her friends but holding the line to keep the other girls safe, all while hiding the truth from her father, who she knows will not be understanding of her gifts. And she’s just so cool as the Wave Witch. Her romance with Willan feels real and raw and was a close second to Sayer and Fen. The girl who was the most scared in the first book became the girl who grew and changed the most in the second book and I loved it.

Content warning for depictions of drugging young women and enslavement.

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy that explore social issues, readers looking for a multi-POV YA fantasy, and those looking for several romance arcs in their fantasy

"With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide for whom and for what they are willing to fight for and how far they will go in the spellbinding sequel to the international bestseller Nightbirds.

The Nightbirds were once their city's best-kept secret, but now the secret's out. What's more, they can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They're like the Fyrebirds of old: the powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. Some say that when four join together, they become a force that shakes the earth and sends magic rippling through it. It does seem as if something has awoken in Eudea, but the four girls responsible don't want the world to know the full extent of what they can do - at least not yet.

As the new leader of Eudea works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who do not support it - and the gang lords who profit from it - whisper rebellion. The secret resistance who once sheltered the Nightbirds is rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, an ambitious Farlands king threatens to take Eudea. As war looms, and the empire's fate hangs from a knife's edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming more than that are - Fyrebirds - to protect Simta is worth losing themselves entirely and the lives and loves they might have had."

Damn. I loved the cover of Nightbirds, and while this is an entirely different style this cover for Fyrebirds is also on fire.

This had less of a 1920's feel than the first book did. It's a lot of the same, run, run, run. A few fight, some are trying to change things but getting trapped. It feels a little repetative. It's not bad, it's a good continuation of the first book but I didn't feel as invested as I had hoped I would be in the girls themselves. They spend most of the book apart from each other even though it's clear from the end of the first book they're strongest together. But, as usual, they can't agree with how to bring about change so they break apart. The writing is good and the story does keep moving, I just wish I cared more about them.

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

This is the conclusion to the duology. In the first book, it was all about hiding magic and had prohibition vibes. Now the 4 girls, who all have different magical abilities face a new foe as everyone is aware they are witches. Someone has found a way to control a witch’s magic and the girls must find a way to stop him before he collects all the witches.
I like that all the girls have a different upbringing and backstory & you get to see their POVs. It was fast paced and I prefer this book a little more than Nightbirds because you got to see the magic more and you were familiar with the characters. There is a dash of romance between a few characters (LGBTQ rep) but it isn’t the focus.
The conclusion was satisfying and everything was wrapped up nicely.
I paired my physical ARC with the audio and enjoyed the narration a lot.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted copy!