3.5 Stars
Fantasy. Magic. YA

Don't let the slow start deter you from continuing. As with any fantasy series, the details are plentiful and building up to the story world. When this book got going, it showed me the potential this series could have. I look forward to a much deeper look into our characters in book 2. Would this be a top recommendation for me to give? not at this time but I need more of the story to make that final call.
Thank you #netgalley for the chance to read and review this title.

DAMN. BRAVA!

Highlights:
⭐️Just the whole plot -> girls have magical powers but magic is illegal & they give their pieces of their powers away (at a price) with a kiss. But something is changing with our 3 protagonists.
⭐️Perfect amount of heaviness without it being TOO heavy. You get a decent amount of information to be able to build the country/time period/government structure without scratching your head flipping back to see what you missed.
⭐️Writing style was good; everything flowed nicely & I was engaged enough that I finished the first 50% in a day.
⭐️Some feminist power over here as ONLY girls have magic yet here we are being dictated by MEN. 🙄
⭐️Decent cliffhanger. There is nothing crazy shocking where I need the next book & have book depression. Our author ended things with a not so happy ending but not so bad ending - it’s a for sure to be continued.
⭐️I also listened to this as an audiobook & would recommend both formats

Pitfalls:
❌NONE!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in anticipation of the sequel's release!

Given the world building required, it took me a moment to become invested in Nightbirds. But once in, I greatly enjoyed this feminist fantasy with prohibition-era glamour! While the core of the story is familiar (not a negative, I am always interested in a good magical girls vs religious fervor fantasy), I found the author's writing and twists on classic tropes to be engaging. Every character in this book has at least one secret that kept me on my toes while reading.

Things that worked well for me:
-Flawed characters with messy feelings who don't always make the best choices.
-The sapphic representation. Looking forward to where Sayer and Fen's relationship is going and learning more about Fen, in particular.
-The somewhat cliffhanger ending.

A few things did fall flat for me: namely unanswered questions about the world of the story, magical system, ambiguous commentary on sex work, and certain love triangles. That said, I am looking forward to reading Fyrebirds and seeing where Kate J. Armstrong goes with this story!

The Nightbirds are able to bestow magic with a kiss. Protected by the elite of the city there are rules and procedures that must be followed in order to purchase a visit. However, the church believes the nightbirds are evil and are intent on killing them or removing their power. When the four current nightbirds come together their power surges, unlocking gifts that were previously only legends.

This was a very different, very interesting world. I liked the magic system, its lore, and how it grew and expanded throughout the story. I thought the characters could have been flushed out a little more. While their backstories were interesting their personalities seemed so similar. I felt that the girls were a bit interchangeable. Despite this criticism I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I think it was so in depth with world building that it was a little slow. I also didn’t think any of the characters really got fully developed so I hope in the next book (yes I enjoyed it enough to read the next one for sure) there is some deeper character development.

I think this book is great for people who love the premise. The writing didn't flow well for me, but I found the magic system and relationship between certain characters fascinating.

Picture a fantasy land with all the glittery vibes of the roaring 20s… but prohibition is for magic instead of alcohol. Speakeasies are filled with jazz and alchemical concoctions, and people wear their illicitly purchased magical items as a sign of rebellion, or just as a sign of wealth. Big money can buy big magic in Simta, and the biggest magic on hand is that of the Nightbirds, girls whose magic is given with a kiss… for those who can afford the high price. But violence is brewing in the city as various groups want to excise magic, and the “wicked” girls who wield it, from the land for good.

This was a fun, ambitious debut novel that absolutely glittered with magic. I’m glad that I knew going in that there is a sequel coming out soon because I was prepared for it to not wrap up completely. It touches on themes of feminism and sisterhood, some coming-of-age stuff and lots of girl power. Something that made this book stand out to me was the inclusion of little tidbits between each chapter; we saw things like letters between characters, relevant quotes from local poems and songs, family creeds, etc. So fun and definitely added to the world building!

I’m a big fan of character-driven novels and, while I loved the fast paced action and was never bored, I found that there were simply too many characters doing too many things for me to really CONNECT with each of them and feel deeply their struggles and triumphs. I did care about them but on a very surface level. Especially where the romance was concerned I wished the author had either done more of it or just skipped it entirely because I wanted it to be much more fleshed out. However, super happy with how clean it was in language and content! I’m hoping that in the sequel we see much more development of the main characters and their relationships!

The sequel to Nightbirds comes out August 27!

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong was a very interesting and engaging YA novel.
Her writing is just superb and she knows how to captivate her readers.
A very entertaining fantasy story.

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

Magical women set in a fantasy world that evokes the glamour and society of 1920s. I cannot wait for the next installment!

# Nightbirds
# 7/21/2024 ~ 7/23/2024
# 5.0 / 5.0

I really enjoyed this and I'm really excited to see where the series goes. I think its quite unique and it kept my attention the entire time

This story was one of the more unique ones I have read in a long time. The magic system was well done and so different than anything I have ever read before. I throughly enjoyed this read and think it is the perfect starter YA fantasy

While it was slow to start, the sinuous writing and rich detail were what moved this along for me. The magic system felt unique and well developed and coupled with the political workings made for a compelling story!

The twists weren’t exactly out of left field and there were definitely topics I wish had been explored more but this is a debut and a series so I’ll hope for more in the next!

once i got into this book, i was into it and there was no stopping. this book felt like a roaring 20s urban fantasy. think great gatsby vibes with magical girls. this story can suck you in and keep your attention, as it did for me. it was beautifully written and kept my attention glued to the page. i was floored to find out this was a debut novel.

my biggest thing is that this book somehow felt like a breath of fresh air yet repetitive at the same time. i think it might be the prohibition of magic mixed with the fact that magic is specifically a "gift" for females in this world. the story of the church hunting "the witches" is tiring, but the setting feels so glamorous that you hope that this is going to be something more than it is. and maybe that's too much to ask from book one of a series. i'm not mad at it. if there was just a little bit more character growth from beginning to end i probably could have overlooked my disappointment that this still contains another story of a group of culty church men on a witch hunt.

i'm hopeful that the next book explores the character growth i was hoping for in the four main female protagonists. i also hope we get more of alec. because i love him your honor. and matilde doesn't deserve him but i have a feeling the groundwork was set for them to be endgame here.

overall, i would give this a 3.75 if i could give partial stars. i am very much looking forward to picking up fyrebirds next month.

Fabulous example of a fresh and intriguing YA book! It grabbed my attention and held it to the end. The setting was vivid and the vibes were perfect. Highly recommend to YA fans!

This was such a unique world and story and I absolutely fell in love with it. I was getting major Caraval vibes at the beginning and the book just got better and better. The world, the powers, and the underlying messages and meaning were fantastic. I loved the characters and the multiple povs. Brilliant story!

I loved this book so much and I cannot wait for the next one. What a different story that I could not put down.

In Simta there is a group of special girls with rare powers that are outlawed but for the right price can be bought. Matilde who comes from a good family, Sayer who has no family uses this to support herself, AEsa, who believes her magic is a sin. But these girls differ will also bond them into a sisterhood of a sort.
This is a fun book and while it was hard to pin down a time period I found it didn’t matter to me that much after a while, as I was transported into their world, and what a changing world that is. These three learn so much about themselves and others you can almost see them transforming right before you. I hope there are more in this series so I can see what happens with the girls next.

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

The Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong is a third person multi-POV YA fantasy inspired by Prohibition. The Nightbirds are young women who give the people they kiss the use of their powers for a brief period of time but cannot use their powers themselves. The current Nightbirds, Matilde, Æsa, and Sayer have their own romantic entanglements and reasons for being Nightbirds, but not everyone is alright with their activities.

The worldbuilding read very strongly to me of New York during Prohibition. Fen, Sayer's friend and love interest, leads a gang in the criminal underworld while a class of Great Houses, people with money and power, have access to the Nightbirds to keep increasing their fortunes. The use of masks, speakeasies servicing a kind of artificial magic, and strict rules as people preach against using magic only further serve to enhance the worldbuilding. I'm all for magical girls in Prohibition era New York, so I was a big fan.

Of the three, Matilde might have been my favorite Nightbird, but Sayer and Fen were my favorite relationship. The yearning Sayer has for Fen and how there's this constant push and pull of secrets and vulnerability were incredibly compelling. I absolutely want them to get together in the sequel.

For Matilde, what I liked about her POV was how we got a lot of worldbuilding details but it was juxtaposed to the world's that Æsa and Sayer came from. Matilde was born to one of the Great Houses and has a relationship with an alchemical shop owner, an old friend of her grandfather. Sayer and Æsa both grew up with very little and have Illish backgrounds, both don't have the privilege Matilde was born with but do have a privilege from having magic even if it's in secrecy.

The way the world is set up makes the magic system an allegory for sex work. Magic is not only bought and sold, it is delivered with a kiss and vulnerable young women are pushed into it and various factions are strongly against it. Magic is passed from mother's to daughters and eventually fades over time, putting pressure on these magical young women to get married and have children quickly, mirroring how much value is placed on youth in modern society.

Content warning for brief depictions of sexual assault

I would recommend this book to readers of YA fantasy who like an exploration of social commentary, fans of the magical girl genre, and those looking for a fantasy Prohibition book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free copy to read in preparation for book number two being released.

Nightbirds takes place in a world where magic is illegal, but much like prohibition in the United States, magic is still taking place behind the scenes particularly for those with wealth. Most magic, though, is made by alchemists and not innately found because it is believed to have been gotten rid of through time. However, three young women known as nightbirds have a special kind of magic that they were born with. This story follows the growth of these characters and the awakening of magic. Because maybe magic has just been sleeping and waiting for the right time to arise and help shape the future. I enjoyed this book and read it quite quickly. There is a little humor and surprise twists. There is a little bit of romantic interest building, but really no spice if you are looking for that. My only complaint would be that there were some typical tropes with a couple of the characters. It wouldn't stop me from recommending or reading it, but it's there. Grab this book, read it, and be ready for book two by the end of August!

Thanks Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for the gifted DRC book.

In a world where magic is outlawed, four girls are kept hidden to avoid being burned by religious sects. Gifting their unique magic via a kiss to those willing to pay, they learn that there are other girls like them. Are they destined to always live in a cage or can they be set free?

NIGHTBIRDS was a fascinating fantasy that had me immediately swept up into the complex magical world. I loved the political intrigue and how the plot was skillfully paced. It kept me quickly turning pages, completely engrossed in what was happening. The world-building was excellent. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the different types of magical aspects, though the character development was slightly lacking overall. I liked that the story was told from each girl’s point of view. There was some romance but it didn’t feel overbearing and there wasn’t the typical teenage angst seen in many YA books which was a nice change of pace. The included maps were gorgeous and a lovely bonus. The ending was not quite a full cliffhanger but not entirely satisfying. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.