Nightbirds Series: Nightbirds #1 Published by Penguin on June 4, 2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Pages: 512
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Beat the backlistAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 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. Now in paperback.
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.
Review:
Nightbirds is a fantastic debut novel with exquisite worldbuilding, the writing just as lovely, and the three distinct voices we have for our main characters, Mathilde, Sayer, and Æsa, are perfect because they each have very different stories. When you think you know where things are going, the author takes you on a wild ride and twists things around.
I love following these girls in this sumptuous world with their unique magic. The story that unfolds regarding their powers, the mystery of the Nightbirds, has you turning the page for more. I liked how things were brought to a stark reality for Mathilde and her world shattering around her. She’s loyal but also a bit naive, though she’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect her fellow Nightbirds and her family. The revelations regarding her birth and the (maybe?) budding romance between her, Alec, and Dennen will be an exciting dynamic in the second book. I’ll admit that Sayer was my least favorite of the Nightbirds, and I’m somewhat worried about where her quest for revenge will take her. As for Æsa, if I could but hug that girl and let her know everything will be okay. She’s incredibly insecure at the beginning of the work, and the religion of Eudea plays with her head, causing her to be unsure of her powers. I’m glad she has Mathilde and Sayer to fight with and for her.
I’ll admit I was a little frustrated at the entire religious, “girls are witches, so we must hurt/kill them” prevalent thing. Still, I like how it seemed like a reflection of our past and even current times of women being vilified just because people are scared of them. I’m interested in seeing if the Pontifex will hold power or if the suzerain will overshadow him. I also have many questions about Epinine because the way Mathilde second-guesses many things toward the end had me raising my eyebrows.
About Kate J. Armstrong
Growing up in the bustle of northern Virginia, Kate was forever imagining herself into wilder and more magical worlds. After graduating college, she took some advice from two of her favorite teachers: she grabbed a backpack, bought a one-way ticket, and went off on an adventure. She ended up in Australia, where she got a Masters degree in Journalism and started writing novels for real. She worked as a nonfiction writer and editor, working on travel guides and coffee table books about everything from climbing Mount Everest to life in space to DIYing confetti earrings. She also spent a few years as a high school English teacher. In 2018 she started The Exploress, a podcast that travels back through history to find out what life was like for ladies of the past. When she’s not writing or in her recording booth, you will probably find her hiking mountains, baking brownies, finding excuses to dress up in historical attire, or reading way past her bedtime. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and their noble greyhound, Galahad.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I love when a fantasy has really good world building. Glad you liked this one. Great review!