N I G H T B I R D S

Magic may be illegal in Simta, but you can find it if you know which whispers to heed. None are as tantalizing as the ones about the Nightbirds: girls with a unique and powerful magic they can gift with a kiss. Some would kill to possess them—the church would kill them outright—but protected and treasured by the Great Houses, the Nightbirds are the city’s best-kept secret.

At the start of Simta’s summer season, veteran Nightbird Matilde is sure of her world, but less so of her new Nightbird sisters: Sayer, a girl from the wrong side of the canals with a score to settle, and Aesa, afraid of everything and herself. None of them relish the prospect of marrying a Great House lord by season’s end, passing their magic on to the next generation. But as they find themselves at the heart of a political scheme that threatens their secrets, and their very lives, their future becomes dangerous and uncertain. 

When they discover that there are other girls like them and that their magic is far more than they were told, they must make a choice—to remain kept birds or own their magic, remaking the city that dared to clip their wings.

NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted YA fiercely feminist fantasy about what happens when girls refuse to be silenced or told who and what their power is for.

F Y R E B I R D S

With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide what they are willing to fight for and if they are willing to spread their wings and burn.

The Nightbirds were once their city's best-kept secret, but now the secret's out. Everyone knows there are girls who can gift their magic with a kiss, and everyone wants a piece of them. Such girls are in more danger than ever. But Matilde, Sayer, Æsa, and Fenlin can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They're like the Fyrebirds of old: powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. But they don't want the world to know the full extent of their power – not yet. 

Matilde is too busy trying to show the city that girls with magic can be trusted while Sayer stalks the night, punishing any man who dares cross her. Fen struggles to keep her gang together and her magic hidden while Aesa tries to settle back into life in the Illish Isles.

But fate tugs them inexorably toward each other, and back into the fight to protect magical girls. As the new suzerain works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who support it – and the gang lords who profit from it – whisper rebellion. The Nightbirds' old enemies are rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, a magic-mad Farlands king threatens to invade Eudea. As war looms, and the Republic's fate hangs from a knife's edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming Fyrebirds is worth risking the lives and loves they might have had.

Praise for Nightbirds

An Amazon Best Book of the Month – March 2023

“In this sumptuous fantasy, the magic wielded by girls is outlawed, but the “Nightbirds” share it secretly—through kissing. A lush adventure.” —People

★ “Lush settings, careful worldbuilding, and taut exposition [make for] . . . an electrifying, high-stakes series opener grounded in feminist themes.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “In this dazzling, fiercely feminist novel . . . debut author Armstrong uses lush, seamlessly incorporated worldbuilding, kaleidoscopic third-person-present narration told via realistically rendered characters, and fraught queer and straight romantic subplots to explore issues of classism and misogyny. With a pace that never flags and a harrowing, high-stakes plot, this distinguished read boasts texture, heft, and heart.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Armstrong’s intricate debut novel . . . is packed with memorable characters . . . [and a] riveting plot.” —Booklist, starred review

“The plot is full of secrets, betrayals, and twists that will make readers reluctant to set the book down for any length of time. The characters are all believable and relatable, with strengths and weaknesses to boot, and the story is laced with just enough romance. With refreshingly original characters and lush language, this debut fantasy will leave readers clamoring for the sequel.” —School Library Journal

“This richly developed world with Prohibition-era flair and a fast-paced, character-driven narrative make for a strong showing from debut author Armstrong, and the layered plot offers readers plenty of action, intrigues, romance, and betrayal. . . Give this book to readers who enjoy Leigh Bardugo or Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s The Mermaid, the Witch, & the Sea” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A luscious, sumptuously woven, and totally addictive fantasy. It’s like Gatsbywith magic and sky-high stakes, layer upon layer of incredible worldbuilding peeling back as we slowly uncover the spider’s web of stories and secrets our characters are hoarding. From the gritty docks to the glitzy ballrooms to the magical speakeasy through the back of a wardrobe, I’d kill to have written this myself.” —Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising