This books is supposed to be prohibition/flapper themed but with magic being outlawed except the execution left much to be desired. The magic system is convoluted, the constant POV switch within the chapters is dizzying, and the addition of religious motive needed to be explained more!

I honestly ended up skimming this and was just proud of myself for reaching the end LMAO

The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld with precision for each character that walked through the pages. This is not a small book nor is it a small character base. Maarleveld held too character voices and emotion wonderfully.

From the audio narration to the cover detail to the stunning map artwork, this is a beautifully presented novel. Armstrong effortlessly created a magical underworld of transferable magic and the women who harness these elemental gifts they're slowly learning to discover more about.

Even after I finished, my initial reaction towards the atmosphere still stands. It feels like a captivating mixture of glitzy flapper days and Regency feminine requirements.The heroines of this novel each have flaws and deeply rooted character depth that blossoms as they come together in strength and friendship. I really enjoyed the sisterly "witchy" bond of the characters alongside their different backgrounds and their secrets.

The plot moves at a steady pace as the reader watches the games of the political and the powerful unfold. The ritualistic portions of the Caske, the fight for freedom, the truth behind the magic are catching plot points that kept me entertained. I will admit I found myself wandering at the length though. Minor moments where I would think it could end but something moved it a notch forward. One minor standout in an otherwise utterly lush narrative.

I would recommend this beauty in a heartbeat to readers who love magical novels that are not weighed down in romantic squabbles or overdone inner monologue. Armstrong hit this one right out of the park. Stunning inside and out.

Special thank you to PRH Audio for the immersive listening copy, Nancy Paulsen Books for the digital copy and Bookishfirst for the shelfworthy physical copy! The perfect book to use my collected points on! True rating 4.5/5.

Beautiful fantasy starring several powerful and magical ladies. In the world of Nightbirds, magic is illegal... unless you can afford to break the rules. Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer are the newest crop of Nightbirds, girls with magical gifts that can be bestowed upon others with a kiss. They are a well kept secret of the Great Houses; their identities are hidden behind masks, and their gifts given only to those who can afford them. This is necessary because the church, led by the Pontifex, sees magic (especially when used by women) as blasphemous. Secrets can't be kept forever though, and lives are at stake when this one comes out. Sayer's close friend/maybe more than friend, Fen is the sole female gang lord in Simta, hiding secrets of her own. As their powers grow, and their worlds are turned upside down, these girls will have to decide what kind of future they want to fight for. A gilded cage is still a cage.

This 1920s-esque world was beautifully described. The magic system intrigues me, and I feel that there's a lot of potential for future books in the series to dig even deeper into the magical lore of this world. I loved the sister-like bond that the girls shared. Each of the protagonists has distinct motivations, and you feel for each of them in different ways. Stories where girls fight for the power they deserve always appeal to me, and this one didn't disappoint. The ending will leave you wanting more. Loved this debut.

The cover is what drew me to the book. Debut read that I shall say was an ok read although it was a bit slow for me. Took me awhile to get through but nonetheless it was a decent read

This book was okay.

That’s all, nothing notably bad or wrong with the premise or its storytelling, but it failed to have any real impact.

The story itself felt too monotonous and predictable. The magic system wasn’t anything revolutionary, the use of the Chosen One troupe felt a little tired and overall it’s conclusion felt unsatisfactory.

3.5
This was really atmospheric. The setting was really well-described and I felt like I was right there with the characters. However, I did have a bit of an issue with the way the story was told. While there were three main characters, I felt like we didn't get to know all of them equally. I wanted to care about all of them the same amount, but I just couldn't. It felt like there was something missing from the story that kept me from fully investing in the characters and their journeys. I think part of the problem was that there was a certain detachment to the story. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the pacing or something else entirely, but I just didn't feel as emotionally invested in the characters as I usually do with books. Overall, I would still recommend this book if you're looking for an atmospheric read with an interesting setting, but just be aware that you might not connect with the characters as much as you'd like to.

Thank you to the publisher and Bookish First for a finished copy of this book!

The Nightbirds are the best-known secrets of the town-- girls with magic powers, that can bestow some magic upon you with a single kiss. But magic is prohibited and when the religious rulers become canny to the girls' abilities, they are in grave danger. And as they stop giving their powers away, they begin to realize they can use them for themselves.


Love the 1920's vibes of this book! Very reminiscent of Fire Becomes Her which I love so A++ for that one. There are 3-4 pov characters in this book--3 for most of it. I read the audiobook and think it could have been much improved by having separate narrators for the separate character chapters, but the voices became more distinct as I got to know the girls.

Sayer is my favorite because she is queer. That's all it takes. She's also badass and interesting and dynamic and I love that she questions things the entire time.

Mathilde is probably my second favorite, though I like all of them fine. I think the different characters bring a good balance to this book!

The ending felt a little weak to me compared to the rest of this. I guess it didn't feel as well developed or maybe a bit rushed? But this is a series (apparently!!!!) So I will definitely be back for more when the next book comes out. And hopefully the cover is just as gorgeous!

CW:
Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate, Violence, Religious bigotry
Minor, sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse

I have tried to read this book five separate times, and no matter my mental state, orwhat books I read before it, I cannot get past the first 50 pages. I plan to come back to this title in a few months, and hopefully, I can break through this boundary then because this does sound right up my alley. For now, I just need to move on and give this book and I some space.

I'm going to rank it as a middle 3 stars because I do not have enough context to properly rate it anything higher or lower.

Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. I won't give any spoilers here beyond the basic concept of the book, but the concept and the magic system were pretty interesting, and I liked the characters. I especially liked Sayer and Fen; they were a little more complex than some of the others and I'm looking forward to seeing where their storylines go in the next book.

I'm normally not a huge fan of plots where there's witch-hunter vibes but this was done well. The government/society was complicated enough that it kept the story interesting and it could go multiple ways.

I'll definitely read the next book when it comes out -- I'm curious to see what happens!

Thank you, NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In Simta, the Nightbirds are four girls with unique powers and magic. Some wants them, some would crush them, the church itself would kill them, but they are protected by the Great Houses, seen as treasures. Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer are this season's Nightbirds, gifting powers to paying clients and once their season is over, they are expected to marry well and become mothers, sharing their gifts to the next generation until they will fade eventually. But this season is very different, when someone asks for their help, involving them into political schemes and dangers. Involved in it, they have to fight to protect themselves, their own secrets and powers from someone very willing to destroy them. When they discover that there are other girls like them and the magic is more spread and different from what they were told, they slowly realized the Nightbirds is another cage, if only a gilded one. Now they have to choose what to do: remain protected and precious birds or fight to be free in a city that wants them dead.

Nightbirds is a fascinating, brilliant new fantasy story, set in a world mixing political intrigues, magic and powers, in a world where the magic is outlawed, but four girls can change everything in their power.
This story is absolutely original. Be swept in a glittering world, made of lies and secrets, magic and power, by Nightbirds powerful, but lied to, in a lovely setting, fascinating and so well written. I loved reading this book. It was written skillfully and the characterization is absolutely fantastic. I loved these girls and their journey and how they slowly realize what they are and their own potential and power. It's absolutely empowering, brilliant and engaging from the political schemes, the very peculiar magic and everything is so well mixed.
Totally recommended. An empowering female fantasy! Go read it!

A debut YA fantasy that was really fun. I thought the writing was good but could use a bit of a tune up. However, I thought this one was so interesting and I loved all of the magic in it! I see a lot of potential for this author in the future, as this debut was really great!

Nightbirds is the fantasy that young adult audiences need! It follows three strong young women that discover more about their magical powers throughout the book. My favorite part would have to be how easily distinguishable the characters are from each other. Sometimes I do not enjoy multiple POVs because the characters can sound the same but these characters do not. I enjoyed the sapphic characters present because I think that representation is important!

🥧Book Review🐦
Nightbirds
Kate Armstrong
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Published: February 28, 2023
Rating: 3.5⭐️ (rounded to 4 for GR)

#qotd : Since it's Pi day, what's your favorite flavor of pie?

Thank you to @penguinteen and the author for my digital copy of the book.

Synopsis: "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."

This was 100% a cover pick for me, not even gonna lie about that. I mean, it's gorgeous, right? And I don't read much fantasy, so I wanted to branch out a little more. This ended up being a fun choice, even though it started off kind of slow. About halfway through, it picked up momentum and then gained speed at the end, thankfully. Sometimes, the number of characters could be hard to keep up with, but overall, I enjoyed the magical elements and world building.
As this is first in a series, I think I would read the second to find out what happens next.

#penguinteen #ya #yafantasy #newfantasy #nightbirds #katearmstrong #cover #coverlove #coverpick #judgeabookbyitscover #piday #favoritepie #netgalley #review #bookreview #Reviewer #penguinteenpartner

Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinTeen for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

This book is so strong on so many fronts, but the strongest has to be the character development. In fantasies, I often get lost in the sea of new (and oftentimes strange) names, but this book creates such distinct personalities for each of the main characters that I never got confused. The way that each character played off each other, with Matilde being a stuck-up confident noble, Sayer being a tough, street-smart orphan, and Aesa being uncertain and easily swayed, was so easy to follow and exciting to see play out.

The worldbuilding of this book is also phenomenal. I was never lost at any point, even through the introduction to new terminology, geography, and cultures. I loved the snippets of “historical” texts that we got between chapters, because that really made it feel like Simta was a real place, and these people were real people that existed before this book was written. I’m always afraid in fantasies that the world will feel shallow, or will fly right over my head, but the world of Nightbirds was so digestible and coherent.

Another thing I loved was the romance elements, though they are a very minor part of the book. I was pleasantly surprised to see queer representation (Sayer, an MC, is sapphic), but even past that, I thought that each relationship was really well-founded. Though the romance is never the center-stage, the little glimpses and moments we get had me squealing.

TLDR: Read the Nightbirds for excellent characterization, world-building, and romance.

amazing world building with compelling and distinct characters! highly recommend to readers of fantasy. (also loveddd the queer rep throughout the book)

I feel like I am in the minority on this one. I enjoyed the setting and the magical elements well enough, but something caused it to struggle for them to blend well for me. I think I just was not the audience for this one sadly.

Nightbirds follows three young magical girls - Mathilde, Sayer, and Aesa - through a luscious, dark world as they seek to change the tides of their future.

The writing in this book is absolutely fantastic - the worldbuilding is exquisite, and our three main characters can hold their own, each with their own unique personalities and strengths. The magic system in this book wasn’t too convoluted or complex, and I really enjoyed learning more about it throughout the story - no info dumping here!

The plot twists are shocking, and the action throughout the story never falls flat. This story will have you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning the page to see what comes next for our three Nightbirds.

Currently reading physical copy! Will review on Amazon Canada, GoodReads, Barnes & Noble, and my Instagram when done!

I absolutely loved this book! Armstrong creates such a beautiful world full of magic and life. Every character was so beautifully fleshed out and everyone was woven together in such brilliant ways. Sometimes in dual POV books, I find that they can be hard to follow, but that was not the case with this book. The world had such a unique magic system and it was so fun learning about it as the book went on. This book is filled with magic and intrigue and I highly recommend picking it up!

I really wanted to love this book. I mean honestly looking at that amazing cover and wonderful Synopsis. However, this story fell flat with me. At times I found the pacing to be a bit slow for me and the details to be a bit over done. I do realize this could certainly be due to my personal tastes within this genre.