Nightbirds, written by the talented Kate J. Armstrong, immerses readers in a captivating fantasy realm teeming with hidden truths and intricate political schemes. In this mesmerizing world, the use of women's magic is strictly forbidden, yet four extraordinary young girls possess unique abilities that could potentially alter the course of history. The narrative is brimming with suspenseful revelations, shocking betrayals, and unexpected turns that will keep readers engrossed from start to finish. Each character in Nightbirds is skillfully crafted to be both authentic and relatable, showcasing a blend of strengths and vulnerabilities that add depth to the story. The subtle infusion of romance further enriches the plot, creating a perfect balance of intrigue and emotion. Armstrong's debut novel stands out for its original characters and richly descriptive prose, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this captivating series.

Badass women with magical powers, complex magic system and world, dystopian society, and feminist undertones? Yes yes yes !

This book was so well written and done, I think I'll need to read it a second time. The characters were all so complex and well through out, and you can't help but love and connect with them. I will say that this book is more YA than adult fantasy, which is totally fine but that means it's limited in some plot points that could've been expanded upon if it was an adult fantasy.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

At first this book had me hooked but certain parts just really had me not wanting to continue. I did not like Aesa's name just make it normal it would have been pretty and unique enough without the weirdness. It's a little too handmaidy for me, making them breed back in. It at least has a unique magic system although the cards do remind me of One Dark Window. Overall it's an alright book I just needed more.

Nightbirds is an exciting fantasy adventure novel with an ambitious trio of female protagonists. At first, it felt like a lot to follow three main characters with multiple love interests and complex backgrounds, but this nicely, effectively, and clearly conveys each story, twined with the next. There is adventure, romance, and an uncertain future for all three by the end of Nightbirds.
I cannot wait to read the sequel, Fyrebirds, coming out in August 2024!
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for sharing this book!

I struggle to put into words how I feel when a book is just that good because I want to tell everyone about my favorite parts. There are so many. I could go on about the found family aspect, or how we see all these girl characters and they all feel distinctly themselves, or how this is an interesting magic system. I could talk about the inclusivity which I hope we see expanded upon in the continuation, but my favourite part: how Armstrong has built a world that she then enriches with such detail and history that reading is truly an immersive experience. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like the author has spent years researching this land and its culture and she is now inviting us to go there. I can’t wait to dive back into this experience.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Nightbirds is a multi-POV, YA Fantasy novel with magic, witches, politics, and LGBTQIA+ rep. Nightbirds is set in a world where any form of magic has been outlawed. The story follows the main characters, Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer, who each have a different ability, though they are unable to use their abilities for themselves. They do, however, possess the ability to gift temporary traces of their magic to others through a kiss. It cannot be stolen, only gifted. In a patriarchal society whose leaders fear magic and view the Nightbirds as ‘witches’, they are not safe, and as they start to become more involved and entangled in their society’s plots and political schemes, they begin unraveling secrets about the true extent of their abilities.

I really enjoyed this one, and I thought it was a great debut novel from Kate J. Armstrong. It was a slow start for sure, but once I got into it, I found that I really enjoyed the pacing in the second half of the book. I loved the magic system in this book, and I loved that we got to see so many women in positions of power, despite their circumstances.

It definitely reminded me a lot of the W.I.T.C.H book series I loved so much when I was younger, as well as the Winx saga, Six of Crows, and These Violent Delights. The atmosphere was amazing, very much Gatsby vibes, and you can tell that the author really took her time with the world building.

There was some romance, but the plot was definitely the central focus of the book. As for the characters themselves, Sayer was by far my favourite Nightbird. She’s bold, a little bit unhinged, and queer.

I’m hoping to see more character development in all the characters in the sequel, since the ending does leave off quite abruptly. I’m excited to see where Kate J. Armstrong takes us in the sequel, Fyrebirds (which comes out August 27, 2024, so mark your calendars!!)

Overall I really enjoyed this and I would definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of Chloe Gong, Leigh Bardugo, or were a Winx/WITCH girly as a child.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½

Nightbirds is a delightfully tense and dark YA fantasy following the stories of three girls bestowed with power that they can only give away, not use for themselves—until revelations turn their world on their head. With captivatingly flawed characters and immersive worldbuilding, I found myself unable to put the book down as I followed these characters through the tribulations of political rivalry, religious intolerance, and the dizzying world of nobility. I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to read the sequel.

“‘Your magic is something rare, Aesa, and no doubt powerful. But it isn’t a poison.’ Her throat is tight. ‘You can’t know that.’ ‘I can, because it comes from you.’”

What I loved:
The worldbuilding is so rich and easy to immerse yourself in, especially with the inclusion of the short—for lack of a better word—”flavor text” between chapters. Song lyrics, journal scraps, notes from characters… it all just helped to suck me in.
The complex characters. Even in similar situations, each character felt fleshed-out, real, and full of life and personality. Rarely did a character feel one-note or like they were only there to serve the plot, and the relationships between characters felt electric in all the right ways.
The magic system! Without divulging too much, the eventual expansion of the originally explained system was right up my alley, and I feel like the way that each facet of the system fits to the individual characters is so interesting to read and ponder.
How the plot handled twists, reveals, and betrayals. Not once did I feel as though a surprise twist came fully out of left field. Instead, I found myself tracing back the events leading up to each twist and mentally chastising myself for not realizing sooner—save for the one twist I managed to predict, which left me feeling vindicated rather than bored.

And what I didn’t:
While it may have just been my copy of the book, but I felt like the changes in POV were hard to follow. I wish they had been more overt, especially when changing mid-chapter.
I feel like certain aspects of the main characters being special felt forced, especially as at one point there was a moment where the purpose seemed to be to prove they weren’t special, only to immediately undermine that message.
There was ample opportunity to say something meaningful about the demonization of sex, sexuality, and sex work in the religious framework, but that aspect felt sadly unexplored, relegated to a few moral judgements against the main characters to stir conflict. For a book touting a feminist YA fantasy, I wish this topic had actually been explored in the way the story was set up perfectly for.

You Should Read This If:
You love stories centered around women taking back their agency
You’re fascinated by tales of political intrigue and complex social intricacies
You enjoy being immersed into a world with a unique magic system, political structure, and religious culture

Thank you to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This book had a slower build than I expected, and it took a little while for me to buy in to Matilde, Sayer, and Aesa, but once they really became a sisterhood, I was fully engaged! I really like the world building in this, and a lot of it reminded me of a mix of Six of Crows and Blood and Honey.

"In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but four girls with unusual powers have the chance to change it all.

The Nightbirds are Simta's best-kept secret: Girls with a unique and powerful magic they can gift with just a kiss. Some would kill to possess them; the church would kill them outright. But protected by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are well-guarded treasures.

As this Season's Nightbirds, Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer will spend their nights bestowing their gifts to well-paying clients. Once their season is through, they're each expected to marry a Great House lord and become mothers to the next generation of Nightbirds before their powers fade away. But as they find themselves at the heart of a political scheme that threatens not only their secrets, but their very lives, their future suddenly becomes uncertain.

When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is far more than they were told, they see the Nightbird system for what it is: a gilded cage. Now they must make a choice - to remain kept birds or take control, remaking the city that dared to clip their wings."

Anyone else getting magical Hunger Games vibes? With perhaps a touch of Carnival Row?

Kate J. Armstrong has a way with words, with plot, with characters, with this book!

Prohibition but make it magic, women coming into their power, discovering more about themselves, and learning about each other.

I'm still reeling at the climax/conclusion of this book and just absolutely loved it.

If you love magic, if you love witches, if you love tales of strong women, if you love the flash of the roaring '20s (that's how I imagined this setting), if you love twists and turns, heartbreaks, shocks, and love screaming into the void because of these fantastic characters, then this is the book for you.

A dazzling masterpiece. The writing is exquisite, and the plot captivating with the complex set of characters. I was completely enthralled by them. The pacing kept me eagerly turning pages, and the blend of action, emotion, and thoughtful world-building made it a truly unforgettable read. Highly recommended!

‘Together, they were strong enough to shake the world.’

This is a sharply written, vibrant world full of forbidden magic, delicious 1920s glitter and grit, and badass females.

I loved the whole concept of the Nightbirds and Fyrebirds! The secrecy mixed with prohibition times and a rich backstory of old legends by way of Bridgerton meets Six of Crows wartime was great.

The Nightbirds were all really fun to dig into and I loved going on this journey with these strong females:

Matilde. The Goldfinch. Bright. Fierce. Reckless.

‘She loves being a secret glittering in plain sight.’

Sayer. The Ptarmigan. Badass. Thief. Outcast.

‘After all, she is not a star made for ‘if only’ wishes. She’s the kind of star that burns.’

Aesa. The Nightingale. Beautiful. Timid. Powerful.

‘Sometimes beautiful seems like a dangerous thing to be.’

Standout moments are:

✨ The Nightbirds
✨ Lady Gang Boss Fenlin Brae
✨ Madam Crow
✨ Alchemist Alec
✨ ‘Wave to wave, we ride together.’
✨ Lady Frey is a badass
✨ ‘Welcome to the Underground.’
✨ Heart Tied
✨ Smashing the patriarchy
✨ ‘I have a knife under my dress.’

This is a scrappy story about finding your family in unlikely places, enduring sisterhood, rising up and conquering your fears.

asdfjkasaksljfawksdfjdksdfj that absolutely blew my expectations. (I LOVE WOMEN AND MAGIC AND WOMEN)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Really cool world that I enjoyed diving into. I loved the political intrigue and the magic. YA, which isn’t always my favorite, but didn’t find it too juvenile in tone. Look forward to the next!

I would say this book is like a mix of Shadow and Bone with Revelle. I enjoyed that each of our main girlies had different personalities. I adore the new cover for the book as well. I first read this book in a book club the same month it came out. It was a lot of fun to read with friends, I just struggled with all the POV's. Now I am in a place where I LOVE books with multiple POV. It just took some easing into.