I really enjoyed this story. I really felt like I was in their world. Definitely want to read more of this story.

what a good debut novel. I really loved the premise of this book and enjoyed that everything is so detailed and descriptive. ALSO, we finally see all strong and badass FMCs in a book - loved that.

I enjoyed this. I flew through it. “Nightbirds” offers a richly imagined world and a fresh take on magic, appealing to readers interested in feminist themes and intricate fantasy settings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

Have you ever read a book and just really wanted to step into the world and live in it? This was that book for me! Everything is so detailed and descriptive, I could truly feel how much love and dedication the author put into creating this world. Also, all strong and badass FMCs? Heck yes! It was exciting to pick up a YA book that started out so strong, I have high hopes for any remaining books in the series!

Really impressed with this debut novel. What a great start to what has potential to be a great series. I love all the strong female leads and I can’t wait for the next one to come out and hopefully get some more answers and see relationships develop further.

Intriguing and enchanting, this historical fantasy has complex and compelling characters and relationships, political intrigue and a fascinating magic system with sooooo much potential! If you love reads set in The Prohibition era, the vibes in this were spot on. The pace drags a little in the middle, but overall this is a solid and satisfying read.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books ,Netgalley and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Im giving this book 4 ⭐

Nightbirds is a magical, atmospheric fantasy with a fresh take on power and secrecy. Set in a world where girls can gift their magic with a kiss, it follows a group of rebellious young women fighting to reclaim their freedom. The writing is lush, the world-building is rich, and the characters are fierce and unforgettable. If you love feminist fantasy with intrigue, romance, and a touch of rebellion, this one’s a must-read!

Beautiful book cover! Unfortunately, I don't think I was the target audience for this particular book. I should have looked further into the tropes to make sure I was the intended audience, which I sadly wasn't, but I feel like this will find its perfect reader.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But I couldn't. There were too many characters and a lot going on. Maybe I'm not a YA fan, but this just didn't do it for me.

I was immediately drawn into this world. The middle dragged a bit for me, but by the end I knew I’d read the next book of the series to see where it goes. Good world building and characters. Very atmospheric.

I was very impressed with this book so I need to say thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book, the characters were great and the story was very well built, a bit more slow than I expected but still, I don't have a reference to compare but I do have to say that I liked the idea and the magic aspect of powerful women.
The nightbirds is a book I won't forget that easy and I can't wait for what's coming because I did stay with some questions that need an answer

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

I have mixed feelings about this novel. I enjoyed that it was so similar to The Belles and I super love that novel, however, this felt like it dragged so much in the middle that I was bored and not entirely paying attention at times. The novel really did feel like a similar storyline to The Belles and it really sort of ended in a similar situation. Overall, the novel was enjoyable and I liked the magic and 19020s type twist. I do appreciate that I am able to go straight into book two, as well!

First of all, this was such a fun and entertaining read! I had a great time reading, getting to know the characters. and living in the setting! I will be giving this book 3/5 stars!

Nightbirds follows magical girls called "nightbirds" in a 1920's-esque setting who have magical powers that can be gifted with a kiss. While magic is prohibited in this society, people willing to pay are awarded with a magical gift. When a political scheme turns their lives upside down, the Nightbirds are forced to work together to protect themselves and the ones they love and take down a society that lables them "witches."

I had a lot of fun reading this and many parts were super engaging. I enjoyed a lot of the characters and relationships in this story, as well as the magical, mystical setting in the jazz age. I loved the friendship built between the girls and how they truly worked together by the end. I predict this will continue to have a "found family" aspect in the next book. I'm excited to read book two at some point to see where these characters go next.

The reason for my 3-star rating is that there was a lot to enjoy, but there was also a lot that was very basic and middle-of-the-road for me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I felt that it was a back and forth of cliche moments and unique moments. Some really fun chapters, while others felt boring and did not catch my attention. There was not a lot of growth for most of the characters throughout, but that could still happen in book two.

I wish the villains were explained more in depth. I wanted to know more about them and their motivations, especially the religious villains in this story. I felt that we heard about them and how they were villainous but not enough backstory to warrant everything that happened.

Again, overall a fun enjoyable read, but I wish there was more depth to the story! WIll be reading book two at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate J. Armstrong, and Penguin for this review copy!

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong was a solid read with strong character work and some surprising twists. It was a slow build, but once you are in the meat of the book, it gets more engaging. I look forward to the next one to come out and hopefully get some more answers and see relationships develop further.

Such a good read ❤️ I really enjoyed this book! It's a fun fairly unique magic system and I highly recommend giving it a try!

I loved this book. Four girls who couldn't be more different from one another, a patriarchal society, and so much emotional angst and secrets. The world build was slow but well put together, and each POV gave great character building. I can't wait to read the next book.

Full disclaimer: if I'd read this book 4 years ago, I would've devoured it. But after reading and reviewing SO MUCH YA fantasy the past year and a half, I think I'm getting that dreaded book fatigue. The reason why I say this is Nightbirds does absolutely nothing wrong. It's a strong, atmospheric debut with lovable characters and enough intrigue to serve as a series starter; it more than deserves the praise Amie Kauffman heaped on it in her book blurb. But I just didn't feel that special spark, and I found myself able to pick it up and put it down with ease.

For folks new to YA fantasy, or those who are seeking Gatsby-inspired fantasy worlds, I think there's a lot to love. The premise is executed well--girls with magical kisses ("nightbirds") uncover dangerous secrets in their city, awakening their own power in the process--and I really enjoyed the feminist twist. Each of the girls--Matilde, Sayer, and Aesa--has a distinct personality, as well as potential love interests and character arcs that are done with varying levels of strength. Flirty, rich girl Matilde has (in my opinion) the least character growth, but the most interesting romance. Headstrong Sayer and her love interest Fen will appeal to fans of sapphic romance (Sayer was my favorite). And shy Aesa has a sweet romance with her bodyguard, as well a truly fantastic character arc. Together, their girl gang is a fun bunch, and I found the interactions between them to be truly delightful.

But ultimately, I felt like this was a lot of style and not a lot of substance. I am not sure if it's just that I'm burnt out (likely), or that I like a little more social commentary in my fantasy, but I found that Nightbirds talks a lot about girls reclaiming their power...and doesn't say much about the system of power that keeps them oppressed. There's great potential for critique here--magic is banned for being sinful, and the city the girls live in is ultimately an oligarchy--but a slightly-bloated plot and too many POVs makes it feel muddy. The next book in the series, Fyrebirds, may solve all of these problems, but I don't think I'll be continuing with this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Nancy Paulson Books, and Kate J. Armstrong for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 / 5 stars
This was a very interesting and readable YA fantasy. The characters were lovable, the story was intriguing and the writing was nice. The story is nothing groundbreaking, and has a lot of the story beats that are usually found in YA fantasies that are clearly supposed to be feminist, but the presence of these rather predictable elements did not impede my enjoyment of the book.
The weakest part of the book was, in my opinion, the beginning. In fact, the style and pacing of the first 3 or so chapters had me genuinely considering DNFing, though I am ultimately very glad that I kept going. I cannot pinpoint exactly what about it was so unappealing, only that it eased off after those first few chapters. The first chapter especially feels off, and seems a bit out of place, and overall just feels like a bad way to begin the book.
My other main gripe with the book was the magic system, which seemed a bit... unfinished, I guess? The whole premise that only girls/women have magic is already a bit flimsy, but I understand the purpose of this dynamic in-world, what with the feminism aspect of it all. Nonetheless, it seemed very shaky and not very believable to have this as the basis for an entire magic system, without any further explanation. It also would've been really interesting to have some discussion about the fluidity of gender and what that means in relation to this gender/sex-based system, but I fully understand that might be too much for a simple YA fantasy book.
Overall, I did really enjoy reading this. The story kept my interest and I was always excited to read what comes next. Apart from the first few chapters, the pacing was also nice, moving not too fast but also not taking too long. The three main characters' voices also felt reasonably distinct, so that I was never confused about whose perspective I was reading at any given point.