Magic is illegal. But as always seems to be the case, exceptions are made for the rich and powerful. The Nightbirds - a group of masked girls - have magical gifts that they can pass on to others (but not themselves or each other as was the case with the fabled Firebirds) with a kiss. But as the fight against magic grows stronger, they find themselves increasingly at risk and start to lean more about their powers and magic in general.

I had such high hopes for this book. While I did enjoy the plot, I have to say that the characters were largely a let down. While they did all have their defining events, they felt a bit samey and at times I struggled to keep track of which plot belonged to which girl. They all had similar tones and with all the jumping around between points of view it was difficult to pin down personalities. They all just kind of merged into each other. I often felt like the settings had more personality than the actual characters. Which is unfortunate since the relationships between the characters are so important to the storyline. Fenlin felt the most distinctive to me and is probably the only truly memorable character. It's been a couple of days since I finished the book and she's the only one I really remember. Everyone else is a blur. That's because she was so separate from how the rest of the world works. I often felt a little lost, although the world kept me just interested enough to keep going. That being said, I definitely started to enjoy it more towards the end when plots started converging a bit more and the events started being more about the group rather than individuals. It definitely got a bit more coherent at this point. I did kind of forsee quite a few of the plot points though.

I don't think I will be continuing this series as it fell a bit too short of what it should have been, especially because f the characters. I hope that others have better luck with this book than I did. ( )

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 epigraphs leading into each chapter were a great addition. The ending was not quite a full cliffhanger but not entirely satisfying. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book.

NIGHTBIRDS is book one of Kate J. Armstrong’s Nightbirds series. I’d highly recommend it to fans of YA fantasy. ( )

watch my reviews here: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories

This just didn't pull together for me and was a little slow paced.
I didn't really understand how the Great Houses were keeping their girls "hidden" from the church, monarchy and fanatical groups when everyone knew about them.
The "relationships" were all over the place.
It was ok, but I wouldn't continue with that. ( )

Nightbirds is the start to an exciting new YA fantasy series. The story is set in the city of Simta in the Eudean Republic, where magic is prohibited, except for those who are wealthy and powerful, who partake of it behind closed doors.
The Nightbirds follows a group of teenage girls who secretly and anonymously gift their magic to members of the Great Houses through a kiss. A series of events exposes their identities, and they are forced to go into hiding from an extreme religious sect, the leader of Simta and those who would use their magic for nefarious purposes. As they explore the full extent of their abilities and find other girls who can wield magic, they realize that they have been lied to, their powers used to benefit others.
Nightbirds is a thrilling tale filled with forbidden magic, political intrigue, action, adventure and romance. I found it a fascinating allegory of how female power is suppressed by male dominated religions, political systems and financial structures. The story is told through multiple points of view which allows for character development, an intense, woven plot and detailed world building. I loved the maps! The sequel can't come a moment too soon. Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy to review. ( )

A bit disappointing, but I was expecting a lot from this book. I love the premise so much, one which promised a world where a nonsecular government has banned magic because of their belief that only gods should be able to use it, and three magic girls whose abilities must remain hidden. It has those elements, but what it did with them didn't really impress me.

The writing was mostly really good; it was nice and descriptive. There were a handful of lines that I tabbed in my copy because I liked them so much. There were some questionable decisions with the prose too, though, so not perfect. Also couldn't really get used to the constant use of "dame" and "sire" used instead of mother and father. It stuck out in a bad way.

I think my ability to really connect with any of the main characters was stretched thin with the multiple perspectives. I liked Sayer the most. Æsa's part in the story in particular was one I didn't care much about. It was okay overall, but it's not a story I would revisit or continue on with the next book.