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Nightbirds #2
Fyrebirds
With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide for whom and for what they are willing to fight for and how far they will go in the spellbinding sequel to the international bestseller Nightbirds.
The Nightbirds were once their city’s best-kept secret, but now the secret’s out. What’s more, they can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They’re like the Fyrebirds of old: the powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. Some say that when four join together, they become a force that shakes the earth and sends magic rippling through it. It does seem as if something has awoken in Eudea, but the four girls responsible don’t want the world to know the full extent of what they can do—at least not yet.
As the new leader of Eudea works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who do not support it—and the gang lords who profit from it—whisper rebellion. The secret resistance who once sheltered the Nightbirds is rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, an ambitious Farlands king threatens to take Eudea. As war looms, and the empire’s fate hangs from a knife’s edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming more than that are—Fyrebirds—to protect Simta is worth losing themselves entirely and the lives and loves they might have had.
The Nightbirds were once their city’s best-kept secret, but now the secret’s out. What’s more, they can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They’re like the Fyrebirds of old: the powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. Some say that when four join together, they become a force that shakes the earth and sends magic rippling through it. It does seem as if something has awoken in Eudea, but the four girls responsible don’t want the world to know the full extent of what they can do—at least not yet.
As the new leader of Eudea works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who do not support it—and the gang lords who profit from it—whisper rebellion. The secret resistance who once sheltered the Nightbirds is rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, an ambitious Farlands king threatens to take Eudea. As war looms, and the empire’s fate hangs from a knife’s edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming more than that are—Fyrebirds—to protect Simta is worth losing themselves entirely and the lives and loves they might have had.
Paperback
First published August 27, 2024
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7636 people want to read
About the author
Kate J. Armstrong
5 books259 followers 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
July 22, 2025
Doesn't have quite the same magic
Kate Armstrong's Nightbirds (her debut novel, I think) was magical. A novelist must always be a kind of puppeteer. She must manipulate her readers' perceptions and emotions. If you are an experienced fiction reader, you can see the strings being pulled. You say to yourself, "This is how she is trying to make me love AEsa, this is how she shows me Fen's vulnerability, ..." Usually. The sign of a really skilled puppeteer, however, is that the strings vanish. That was what Nightbirds was like for me. I mean, in retrospect I can see the strings, but while I read it, they were invisible to me. The magic just worked.
I was eager for the sequel Fyrebirds. I pre-ordered it and started it almost immediately after it appeared on my kindle. Fyrebirds is good, but I am sorry to say that it didn't have quite the same magic as Nightbirds. It was a little too obvious what Armstrong was doing to me and how she was doing it. Her handling of events was a little less deft. I found myself questioning plot mechanics, "How did they get THERE in time to do THAT?". I found myself not believing important parts, especially the end, which tied everything up in too neat a little knot.
Now, I want to be clear that I liked Fyrebirds -- I liked it a lot. Armstrong remains on the list of authors whose future work I will eagerly follow. But Fyrebirds did not have the magic of Nightbirds.
Blog review.
Kate Armstrong's Nightbirds (her debut novel, I think) was magical. A novelist must always be a kind of puppeteer. She must manipulate her readers' perceptions and emotions. If you are an experienced fiction reader, you can see the strings being pulled. You say to yourself, "This is how she is trying to make me love AEsa, this is how she shows me Fen's vulnerability, ..." Usually. The sign of a really skilled puppeteer, however, is that the strings vanish. That was what Nightbirds was like for me. I mean, in retrospect I can see the strings, but while I read it, they were invisible to me. The magic just worked.
I was eager for the sequel Fyrebirds. I pre-ordered it and started it almost immediately after it appeared on my kindle. Fyrebirds is good, but I am sorry to say that it didn't have quite the same magic as Nightbirds. It was a little too obvious what Armstrong was doing to me and how she was doing it. Her handling of events was a little less deft. I found myself questioning plot mechanics, "How did they get THERE in time to do THAT?". I found myself not believing important parts, especially the end, which tied everything up in too neat a little knot.
Now, I want to be clear that I liked Fyrebirds -- I liked it a lot. Armstrong remains on the list of authors whose future work I will eagerly follow. But Fyrebirds did not have the magic of Nightbirds.
Blog review.
September 9, 2024
Fyrebirds is the sequel to Nightbirds and the story is beautiful. It doesn’t have quite the same captivating power as Nightbirds but it is still a wonderful read and I will be watching out for future Kate J Armstrong works in the future.
# Fyrebirds
# 9/8/2024 ~ 9/9/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
# Fyrebirds
# 9/8/2024 ~ 9/9/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
August 3, 2024
3.97 ★
my expectations were very high after the brilliance that was nightbirds, and i will say that this did not quite meet the mark, but it was nevertheless a wondrous experience. (anything with sayer in it would be, obviously.) the atmosphere and the magic remained the main attraction of the novel for me, and the poetic writing concealed what flaws there were in pacing and characterization.
there is mostly slow buildup for the first 70% of the book, with everything wrapping up quickly and almost too neatly within just the last 15%, so the end was somewhat of a letdown. and the thing with joost should have been explored way more in-depth, perhaps even in a whole another book. most of the story is of the wyllo regnis-red hand agenda, but objectively, the handmaid's tale-esque colonization attempt seems more significant? even if it couldn't have been the majority of the plot, it should have taken up at least the same amount of screentime.
and finally, almost half of this book was solely about matilde. and she's not a character who does things—that would be fenlin and sayer—things just seem to happen to her. with the exception of the final battle. perhaps i'm biased, because sayer and fenlin are my favorite characters, but i wish they had a larger role. especially because they're lesbian, and that should be an important story to tell in a feminist fantasy.
but regardless, i've come to adore kate j. armstrong's prose, and i will always be on the lookout for anything new from her.
thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.
my expectations were very high after the brilliance that was nightbirds, and i will say that this did not quite meet the mark, but it was nevertheless a wondrous experience. (anything with sayer in it would be, obviously.) the atmosphere and the magic remained the main attraction of the novel for me, and the poetic writing concealed what flaws there were in pacing and characterization.
there is mostly slow buildup for the first 70% of the book, with everything wrapping up quickly and almost too neatly within just the last 15%, so the end was somewhat of a letdown. and the thing with joost should have been explored way more in-depth, perhaps even in a whole another book. most of the story is of the wyllo regnis-red hand agenda, but objectively, the handmaid's tale-esque colonization attempt seems more significant? even if it couldn't have been the majority of the plot, it should have taken up at least the same amount of screentime.
and finally, almost half of this book was solely about matilde. and she's not a character who does things—that would be fenlin and sayer—things just seem to happen to her. with the exception of the final battle. perhaps i'm biased, because sayer and fenlin are my favorite characters, but i wish they had a larger role. especially because they're lesbian, and that should be an important story to tell in a feminist fantasy.
but regardless, i've come to adore kate j. armstrong's prose, and i will always be on the lookout for anything new from her.
thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.
January 20, 2025
3,75⭐️
June 23, 2025
AAAAAAAA!
JAKIE TO BYŁO DOBRE!
I cry.
To ona skończyła ze mną, a nie ja ją....
JAKIE TO BYŁO DOBRE!
I cry.
To ona skończyła ze mną, a nie ja ją....
October 4, 2024
Matilde, AEsa, Sayer e Fen unem forças para salvar as raparigas com magia e impedir á invasão do rei Joost. Todas de enfrentar obstáculos para finalmente atingir o seu potencial. De conseguir derrubar aquela sociedade que não consegue aceitá-las, tenta controlá-las e até "roubar" o seu poder.
Adorei a evolução de AEsa, deixou de temer os seus poderes para comandar uma frota de homens e arriscou a sua vida para salvar as suas amigas. Fen e Sayer foi o romance que mais gostei de acompanhar, como elas estão sempre lá uma para outra. Matilde demorou a desapegar-se ás burocracias daquele regime, motivo esse que irritou-me um pouco com ela (principalmente sendo a sua perspectiva em volta do seu casamento político).
Mas o que me agrada verdadeiramente nesta duologia é o sentimento de irmandade existente entre as raparigas, de centrar-se na união delas ser capaz de destruir a corrupção daquele mundo.
Adorei a evolução de AEsa, deixou de temer os seus poderes para comandar uma frota de homens e arriscou a sua vida para salvar as suas amigas. Fen e Sayer foi o romance que mais gostei de acompanhar, como elas estão sempre lá uma para outra. Matilde demorou a desapegar-se ás burocracias daquele regime, motivo esse que irritou-me um pouco com ela (principalmente sendo a sua perspectiva em volta do seu casamento político).
Mas o que me agrada verdadeiramente nesta duologia é o sentimento de irmandade existente entre as raparigas, de centrar-se na união delas ser capaz de destruir a corrupção daquele mundo.
May 18, 2025
Das Finale der Nightbirds Dilogie war wirklich spannend. Auch wenn er mich nicht ganz so catchen konnte, wie der erste, so war ich doch sehr gespannt, wie es mit Mathilde, Sayer, Æsa und Fen weitergeht. Eine kleine Zusammenfassung am Anfang wäre toll gewesen, da Band eins bei mir ja auch schon ne Weile her ist, schade, dass das so wenig gemacht wird
Ansonsten habe ich auch viel das Hörbuch gehört, die Sprecherin hat viel Enthusiasmus in ihr erzählen gelegt. Wenn es spannend wurde, konnte man nicht anders, als erstmal alles aus der Hand zu legen und zuzuhören
Ich kann die Dilogie sehr empfehlen, nicht nur für jüngeres Publikum
Ansonsten habe ich auch viel das Hörbuch gehört, die Sprecherin hat viel Enthusiasmus in ihr erzählen gelegt. Wenn es spannend wurde, konnte man nicht anders, als erstmal alles aus der Hand zu legen und zuzuhören
Ich kann die Dilogie sehr empfehlen, nicht nur für jüngeres Publikum
September 16, 2024
"Women with power are easy to condemn."
It's OVER... NOOO!!! Heads up bookfam, this is only a duology and that makes me so sad.
With their powers revealed and tensions soaring, the Nightbirds must choose who and what they’re willing to fight for in the thrilling sequel to *Nightbirds*.
Once a well-kept secret, the Nightbirds now possess magic unseen for centuries—like the legendary Fyrebirds who could move mountains and lead armies. But the girls aren’t ready to reveal just how powerful they are.
As Eudea’s new leader pushes to restore magic, rebels and gang lords plot in the shadows. With war on the horizon and a ruthless king eyeing their city, the Nightbirds face a fateful decision: embrace their true power or lose everything.
I keep my sequel reviews pretty light - if you loved Nightbirds, you need Fyrebirds. I love the feminist rage that seems to be prevalent at the moment, give me it all. Womxn unite! The characters continue to be splendiferous, the plot thrums, the setting an intrigue - everything I need and want in my books. Looking forward to see what Armstrong does next!
It's OVER... NOOO!!! Heads up bookfam, this is only a duology and that makes me so sad.
With their powers revealed and tensions soaring, the Nightbirds must choose who and what they’re willing to fight for in the thrilling sequel to *Nightbirds*.
Once a well-kept secret, the Nightbirds now possess magic unseen for centuries—like the legendary Fyrebirds who could move mountains and lead armies. But the girls aren’t ready to reveal just how powerful they are.
As Eudea’s new leader pushes to restore magic, rebels and gang lords plot in the shadows. With war on the horizon and a ruthless king eyeing their city, the Nightbirds face a fateful decision: embrace their true power or lose everything.
I keep my sequel reviews pretty light - if you loved Nightbirds, you need Fyrebirds. I love the feminist rage that seems to be prevalent at the moment, give me it all. Womxn unite! The characters continue to be splendiferous, the plot thrums, the setting an intrigue - everything I need and want in my books. Looking forward to see what Armstrong does next!
December 25, 2024
Loved it, very empowering. Had some fears during the end but they were all resolved.
4 stars because I found some things inconsistent (the magic) and I don't like it when the main characters can't think logical just to drive the plot forward, but overall very enjoyable!
4 stars because I found some things inconsistent (the magic) and I don't like it when the main characters can't think logical just to drive the plot forward, but overall very enjoyable!
February 19, 2025
My first 5 star book of the year!
This book is basically six of crows meets fate the Winx saga in the best way possible. It’s got the highest it’s got the fun family and it’s got the romance. As well as being fast pace and great prose.
I love all our main characters . For story that has so many POV’s I would be sceptical of not liking someone but I liked every single one. The sequel is pretty much unputdownable and such a fun time. I love to see the women empowerment and I thought it was executed well without being cringe in a YA setting. I really need more people to pick this up because it should be a TikTok sensation! :))
This book is basically six of crows meets fate the Winx saga in the best way possible. It’s got the highest it’s got the fun family and it’s got the romance. As well as being fast pace and great prose.
I love all our main characters . For story that has so many POV’s I would be sceptical of not liking someone but I liked every single one. The sequel is pretty much unputdownable and such a fun time. I love to see the women empowerment and I thought it was executed well without being cringe in a YA setting. I really need more people to pick this up because it should be a TikTok sensation! :))
January 21, 2025
thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=4.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=1 | ⚔️=4 | 13+
summary Nightbirds book 2; end of the duology
thoughts: really really loved this!! plot, world, especially the characters!!!! and there’s a certain element of the ending that I especially loved. there were kind of two(ish??) major outside (non-internal) conflicts, and one of them felt much more fleshed out than the other (like who even is this king guy?? give me a map), but that’s okay tbh. my biggest complaint is that there were so many POVs, I didn’t get enough time with my fav, Æsa. and Willan!!!!! they are both everything to me and I needed more, but overall!!!!! this is great.
⭐️=4.5 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=1 | ⚔️=4 | 13+
summary Nightbirds book 2; end of the duology
thoughts: really really loved this!! plot, world, especially the characters!!!! and there’s a certain element of the ending that I especially loved. there were kind of two(ish??) major outside (non-internal) conflicts, and one of them felt much more fleshed out than the other (like who even is this king guy?? give me a map), but that’s okay tbh. my biggest complaint is that there were so many POVs, I didn’t get enough time with my fav, Æsa. and Willan!!!!! they are both everything to me and I needed more, but overall!!!!! this is great.
March 10, 2025
Współpraca recenzencka z wydawnictwem Wielka litera 🖤
Mix uczuć jaki posiadam dzięki tej książce jest naprawdę gigantyczny. Nie wiem czy ją kocham i będę polecać każdemu (bo bohaterki są super, świat jest ciekawy i magia w nim jeszcze bardziej) czy nigdy więcej nie chce jej widzieć na oczy bo była dość nudno i topornie napisana.
Sam zamysł na historię jest fantastyczny i bardzo mi się podobał, jednak po drodze coś nie poszło.
Książka jest typowo młodzieżowa i to czuć, chociaż uważam to za atut, ponieważ skupia się na kobiecej przyjaźni i jej sile.
Nasze bohaterki mają przed sobą nie lada wyzwanie, ponieważ muszą zmierzyć się z mizoginistycznym światem, kościołem który chciałby je spalić i wiekami prześladowań.
Feminizm gra tutaj pierwsze skrzypce, każda z naszych bohaterek jest inna, ma inne cele, inna historię, ale łączy je magia, która doprowadza do zawarcia przez nie przyjaźni.
Bardzo się bałam, że te wątki zostaną poprowadzone po macoszemu, szczególnie bałam się o koniec, bo ta nienawiść do kobiet i tego że mogłyby być silne daje się bardzo mocno odczuć przez całe dwa tomy. Niestety trochę moje obawy się ziściły, dostajemy „wielką bitwę” na 3 strony i happy end bo główna bohaterka zostaje głową kraju.
Jak na to że dostajemy miliony długich, zdecydowanie ZA długich opisów wszystkiego, to skrócenie tak ważnego wątku, opierającego się na przewrocie politycznym powinno być zbrodnią.
Niestety, jak kocham zamysł, kocham magię i wszystko, tak samo prowadzenie tej fabuły jest nudne i mowię to z bólem serca. Mogłabym przeskoczyć kilka stron i wciąż dokładnie wiedziałabym co się dzieje.
Brak mi jakiejś takiej mocy, sprawczości, czegoś co złapało by mnie za twarz i nie pozwoliło oderwać się od tych książek nawet na sekundę.
Mówimy tu w końcu o potężnych ognistych ptakach gotowych przenosić góry i obalać rządy. Dla mnie niestety skończyło się to lekkim rozczarowaniem.
Czy poleciłabym tą książkę? Mimo wszystko myślę, że tak. Momentami czułam że biegam z dziewczynami w dzielnicy gryfa, że Alec robi koktajl alchemiczny i ze jestem z Fen i Sayer w ogrodzie. Mogłam poczuć magię tej książki i wyobrazić sobie jak wygląda Simta, a to już dużo świadczy o tym jak się bawiłam.
Myślę że to lektura, która nie zmieni waszego świata, ale pozwoli po prostu się zrelaksować i odprężyć przy czytaniu. Trzeba mieć do niej lekkie podejście i nie nastawiać się na zbyt wiele
Mix uczuć jaki posiadam dzięki tej książce jest naprawdę gigantyczny. Nie wiem czy ją kocham i będę polecać każdemu (bo bohaterki są super, świat jest ciekawy i magia w nim jeszcze bardziej) czy nigdy więcej nie chce jej widzieć na oczy bo była dość nudno i topornie napisana.
Sam zamysł na historię jest fantastyczny i bardzo mi się podobał, jednak po drodze coś nie poszło.
Książka jest typowo młodzieżowa i to czuć, chociaż uważam to za atut, ponieważ skupia się na kobiecej przyjaźni i jej sile.
Nasze bohaterki mają przed sobą nie lada wyzwanie, ponieważ muszą zmierzyć się z mizoginistycznym światem, kościołem który chciałby je spalić i wiekami prześladowań.
Feminizm gra tutaj pierwsze skrzypce, każda z naszych bohaterek jest inna, ma inne cele, inna historię, ale łączy je magia, która doprowadza do zawarcia przez nie przyjaźni.
Bardzo się bałam, że te wątki zostaną poprowadzone po macoszemu, szczególnie bałam się o koniec, bo ta nienawiść do kobiet i tego że mogłyby być silne daje się bardzo mocno odczuć przez całe dwa tomy. Niestety trochę moje obawy się ziściły, dostajemy „wielką bitwę” na 3 strony i happy end bo główna bohaterka zostaje głową kraju.
Jak na to że dostajemy miliony długich, zdecydowanie ZA długich opisów wszystkiego, to skrócenie tak ważnego wątku, opierającego się na przewrocie politycznym powinno być zbrodnią.
Niestety, jak kocham zamysł, kocham magię i wszystko, tak samo prowadzenie tej fabuły jest nudne i mowię to z bólem serca. Mogłabym przeskoczyć kilka stron i wciąż dokładnie wiedziałabym co się dzieje.
Brak mi jakiejś takiej mocy, sprawczości, czegoś co złapało by mnie za twarz i nie pozwoliło oderwać się od tych książek nawet na sekundę.
Mówimy tu w końcu o potężnych ognistych ptakach gotowych przenosić góry i obalać rządy. Dla mnie niestety skończyło się to lekkim rozczarowaniem.
Czy poleciłabym tą książkę? Mimo wszystko myślę, że tak. Momentami czułam że biegam z dziewczynami w dzielnicy gryfa, że Alec robi koktajl alchemiczny i ze jestem z Fen i Sayer w ogrodzie. Mogłam poczuć magię tej książki i wyobrazić sobie jak wygląda Simta, a to już dużo świadczy o tym jak się bawiłam.
Myślę że to lektura, która nie zmieni waszego świata, ale pozwoli po prostu się zrelaksować i odprężyć przy czytaniu. Trzeba mieć do niej lekkie podejście i nie nastawiać się na zbyt wiele
March 15, 2025
3,75 ⭐️
Kontynuacja podobała mi się bardziej niż pierwsza część, ale nadal obstaję, że jest to książka dla młodszego ode mnie czytelnika. Nie mniej jednak polecam tym, którzy lubią fantastykę młodzieżową, książki o sile przyjaźni, czy próbach odnalezienia prawdziwej siebie.
W Fyrebirds tempo przyspiesza, a bohaterki stają przed kolejnymi wyzwaniami. Autorka umiejętnie splata watki z pierwszego tomu, dostarczając zarówno satysfakcjonujących rozwiązań, jak i wzruszających momentów. Każda z dziewcząt musi podążyć własną ścieżką, konfrontując się nie tylko z zagrożeniami zewnętrznymi, ale i własnymi lękami. Ich podróż to opowieść o odkrywaniu siebie i redefiniowaniu własnej wartości poza narzuconymi przez społeczeństwo ograniczeniami.
Rozwój postaci jest jednym z największych atutów tej książki – każda z bohaterek przechodzi autentyczną przemianę, ucząc się, czym jest prawdziwa siła i wolność. Równie istotnym elementem historii jest siła przyjaźni, która staje się fundamentem ich walki o siebie. Dziewczęta, choć różnią się charakterami i doświadczeniami, wspierają się w najtrudniejszych chwilach, ucząc się, że ich największą mocą nie jest dar, który posiadają, lecz więzi, które tworzą.
Książka mi się podobała, a wiem, że 14letniej Izie podobałaby się bardzo! 💜
Kontynuacja podobała mi się bardziej niż pierwsza część, ale nadal obstaję, że jest to książka dla młodszego ode mnie czytelnika. Nie mniej jednak polecam tym, którzy lubią fantastykę młodzieżową, książki o sile przyjaźni, czy próbach odnalezienia prawdziwej siebie.
W Fyrebirds tempo przyspiesza, a bohaterki stają przed kolejnymi wyzwaniami. Autorka umiejętnie splata watki z pierwszego tomu, dostarczając zarówno satysfakcjonujących rozwiązań, jak i wzruszających momentów. Każda z dziewcząt musi podążyć własną ścieżką, konfrontując się nie tylko z zagrożeniami zewnętrznymi, ale i własnymi lękami. Ich podróż to opowieść o odkrywaniu siebie i redefiniowaniu własnej wartości poza narzuconymi przez społeczeństwo ograniczeniami.
Rozwój postaci jest jednym z największych atutów tej książki – każda z bohaterek przechodzi autentyczną przemianę, ucząc się, czym jest prawdziwa siła i wolność. Równie istotnym elementem historii jest siła przyjaźni, która staje się fundamentem ich walki o siebie. Dziewczęta, choć różnią się charakterami i doświadczeniami, wspierają się w najtrudniejszych chwilach, ucząc się, że ich największą mocą nie jest dar, który posiadają, lecz więzi, które tworzą.
Książka mi się podobała, a wiem, że 14letniej Izie podobałaby się bardzo! 💜
August 2, 2025
Quick who's who since I dearly needed one when I started this:
Warning that these may contain spoilers for book 1, so do not proceed if you have not read that one!
*******************************************************
Matilde: aristocrat, fire witch, my favorite character from Book 1
Sayre: illegitimate daughter rejected by a gem of a father, shadow witch, fearless
AEsa: reluctant, religious family from the islands, wave witch
Fen: most mysterious, gang leader, addicted to repressing her power
Ok, now with that out of the way, like with the first book, I found all the POVs compelling, along with their respective romances. Matilde is still my favorite. That said, this conclusion should have been the second in a trilogy. There were too many conflicts to wrap up nicely at the end of the book, and it felt so rushed through in the last 25%, which is also when the bulk to of the action takes place. I found it really hard to follow with transitions happening too quickly and abrupt chapter endings. I really enjoyed Nightbirds, and I was a little disappointed with Fyrebirds. Overall though, I would still follow the author and read what she writes next because the complex characters she created here were so interesting and worth reading.
Warning that these may contain spoilers for book 1, so do not proceed if you have not read that one!
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Matilde: aristocrat, fire witch, my favorite character from Book 1
Sayre: illegitimate daughter rejected by a gem of a father, shadow witch, fearless
AEsa: reluctant, religious family from the islands, wave witch
Fen: most mysterious, gang leader, addicted to repressing her power
Ok, now with that out of the way, like with the first book, I found all the POVs compelling, along with their respective romances. Matilde is still my favorite. That said, this conclusion should have been the second in a trilogy. There were too many conflicts to wrap up nicely at the end of the book, and it felt so rushed through in the last 25%, which is also when the bulk to of the action takes place. I found it really hard to follow with transitions happening too quickly and abrupt chapter endings. I really enjoyed Nightbirds, and I was a little disappointed with Fyrebirds. Overall though, I would still follow the author and read what she writes next because the complex characters she created here were so interesting and worth reading.
May 3, 2025
10/5
🌶️ 1/5
Ich kann's nur nochmal sagen: Lest die Reihe. Sie ist super.
Das zweite Buch dreht sich seeeehr viel darum mit welchen Herausforderungen Frauen so zu kämpfen haben, vor allem wenn sie Macht haben. Ganz als hätte die Autorin sich etwas an der aktuell immer größer werdenden Lage orientiert.
Obwohl das Buch teilweise echt keine leichte Kost war (weil's betroffen macht) hab ich es unglaublich gerne gelesen. In den Momenten wo ich dachte "okay jetzt ist genug" kam etwas Neues was mich so gecatcht hat, dass ich sofort weiterlesen wollte.
Ich hab teilweise in der Zeit in der ich nicht lese über das Buch nachgedacht, hab von dem Buch geträumt und mit jedem Charakter mitgefiebert und mitgelitten.
Und es ist eine Reihe aus nur zwei Büchern. Was ich mega finde.
Also ich bin sehr happy, dass das Buch nicht auf den Trend des "zweiter Teil ist nicht so gut" aufgesprungen ist und, dass es nicht tausend Teile davon geben wird.
🌶️ 1/5
Ich kann's nur nochmal sagen: Lest die Reihe. Sie ist super.
Das zweite Buch dreht sich seeeehr viel darum mit welchen Herausforderungen Frauen so zu kämpfen haben, vor allem wenn sie Macht haben. Ganz als hätte die Autorin sich etwas an der aktuell immer größer werdenden Lage orientiert.
Obwohl das Buch teilweise echt keine leichte Kost war (weil's betroffen macht) hab ich es unglaublich gerne gelesen. In den Momenten wo ich dachte "okay jetzt ist genug" kam etwas Neues was mich so gecatcht hat, dass ich sofort weiterlesen wollte.
Ich hab teilweise in der Zeit in der ich nicht lese über das Buch nachgedacht, hab von dem Buch geträumt und mit jedem Charakter mitgefiebert und mitgelitten.
Und es ist eine Reihe aus nur zwei Büchern. Was ich mega finde.
Also ich bin sehr happy, dass das Buch nicht auf den Trend des "zweiter Teil ist nicht so gut" aufgesprungen ist und, dass es nicht tausend Teile davon geben wird.
August 24, 2024
I had high hopes for Fyrebirds, especially after loving Nightbirds, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. There was just too much going on, and the pacing felt off, which made it hard to stay connected to the story. It wasn’t until I was about 75% through that it finally started to grab my attention. The whole situation with Joost felt underdeveloped—it could have been explored more deeply, maybe even in another book. I was hoping I would get more Æsa and Willan (my favs) and more of Fenlin, Sayer and the other supporting characters, but it felt like this was Matilde's story.
On the positive side, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the chance to explore beyond Simta. The world-building was excellent, and I loved meeting the new characters in those places. The magic was great too, but I wish there had been more of it, and that the pacing had been better. Fyrebirds had some strong elements, but overall, it didn’t fully live up to what I was hoping for. I don't quite want to leave this world yet and although I didn't enjoy Fyrebirds as much as I did Nightbirds, I will definitely still read future books that Kate J. Armstrong writes.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC. Fyrebirds will be out on August 27, 2024.
On the positive side, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the chance to explore beyond Simta. The world-building was excellent, and I loved meeting the new characters in those places. The magic was great too, but I wish there had been more of it, and that the pacing had been better. Fyrebirds had some strong elements, but overall, it didn’t fully live up to what I was hoping for. I don't quite want to leave this world yet and although I didn't enjoy Fyrebirds as much as I did Nightbirds, I will definitely still read future books that Kate J. Armstrong writes.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC. Fyrebirds will be out on August 27, 2024.
October 14, 2024
Unsure how I feel about the ending, but I enjoyed it. It did seem like a lot of plot points were kind of shoved in here so this could have theoretically been a trilogy. I feel like there could have been more development of certain plot lines. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books by Armstrong.
February 5, 2025
An amazing finale to the story!
I loved how it really focused on the girls learning to trust themselves and each other. Their love for each other and its power are written beautifully!
I had a hard time setting this book down, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.
I loved how it really focused on the girls learning to trust themselves and each other. Their love for each other and its power are written beautifully!
I had a hard time setting this book down, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.
October 20, 2024
Great continuation in this politcally motivated magic fueled story. A trope that is well known what we all been told all about nightbirds is untrue and the controlling higher ups who want to keep there magic to themselves. I unsure if it this is just a two book series or if we get more but i loved both books.
March 17, 2025
3.75⭐️ lepsza niż pierwsza część. To jak bohaterki zmieniają się i rosną w siłę bardzo mi się podobało. Dodatkowy plus za ciekawe pociągniecie fabuły i najważniejsze za stworzenie więsi między nimi!
[współpraca z Wydawnictwo Wielka Litera]
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August 28, 2024
I feel like this duology is a really good read if you enjoyed aspects of the grishaverse. I forgot how often they say blazing cats in this series 😂😂😭
August 29, 2024
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free copy of Fyrebirds in exchange for an honest review!
I was a huge fan of Nightbirds, so I was ecstatic to have received an arc of Fyrebirds. It was enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to a young adult audience.
Matilde’s character develops a lot in this second book, and honestly, it’s pretty impressive how well she handles everything that happens to her.
The messages from the story are great for young adult readers, such as- embrace who you are meant to be, love who you want to love, and you are enough- no matter what. I appreciated those messages myself, even at 30 years old 😆
I only have a few complaints: I wished we had gotten more time with Æsa and Willan. (Seriously, a spinoff?? Please??), and some of the pacing felt a little off. Some of the most impactful scenes happened so quickly, and I felt they could’ve been a little longer to deliver a more emotionally compelling scene.
That said, I still really enjoyed this duology and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed stories like Heartless Hunter and Six of Crows. I look forward to hopefully reading more from this author in the future.
I was a huge fan of Nightbirds, so I was ecstatic to have received an arc of Fyrebirds. It was enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to a young adult audience.
Matilde’s character develops a lot in this second book, and honestly, it’s pretty impressive how well she handles everything that happens to her.
The messages from the story are great for young adult readers, such as- embrace who you are meant to be, love who you want to love, and you are enough- no matter what. I appreciated those messages myself, even at 30 years old 😆
I only have a few complaints: I wished we had gotten more time with Æsa and Willan. (Seriously, a spinoff?? Please??), and some of the pacing felt a little off. Some of the most impactful scenes happened so quickly, and I felt they could’ve been a little longer to deliver a more emotionally compelling scene.
That said, I still really enjoyed this duology and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed stories like Heartless Hunter and Six of Crows. I look forward to hopefully reading more from this author in the future.
September 27, 2024
I wanted to love this so bad but it was just to underdeveloped that I didn’t care about any of the characters. The story felt very rushed and unfortunately just fell flat.
January 2, 2025
Lovely magical book to start 2025!
January 21, 2025
Huge fan of this duology !
March 8, 2025
"A shadow doesn't have to fear the dark."
July 27, 2025
kul, kunde haft mer Æsa
July 29, 2025
4 1/2 stars
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August 8, 2024
I was so excited for this sequel but unfortunately it just fell a bit flat. It started out strong but I thought the ending was anticlimactic. And truthfully I missed all the glamour and glitter of the first one! It did have some really good magical moments and I did love the exploration of the romance more in this one but it just wasn’t my favorite.
July 7, 2025
The second book of this series did not disappoint! It was worth waiting for it and I am really sad it’s already over. I fell in love even more with the characters and I hope the author will come back writing more stories based in this world she created.
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