Description
Magic may be illegal in Simta, but you can find it if you know which whispers to heed. None as tantalising as the ones about the Nightbirds, Simta's best kept secret. These privileged girls have the ability to gift their magic to others with a kiss - something the church would have them killed for. But protected by the Great Houses, their identities safe behind masks, the Nightbirds are well-guarded treasures.
Matilde, Aesa, and Sayer spend their nights bestowing their unique brands of magic to well-paying clients. But this Season's Nightbirds find themselves at the heart of a political scheme that threatens their secrets and their safety. When they discover that their magic is far more than they were ever told, they see the carefully crafted 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.
Filled with sumptuous, cinematic writing and dazzling details, Nightbirds is a fiercely feminist fantasy debut where the most potent magic lies not in a kiss, but in the truth.
Review
This is a captivating and magical fantasy novel, full of secrets and intrigue.
Matilde, Aesa and Sayer are Nightbirds - special girls who have the ability to share their unique magic with others, all through a kiss.
In Simta, magic is illegal - but not if you know where to find it! The Great Houses of the wealthy and powerful families have kept the girls and their secrets safe, until now. But with rumblings in the church, and a fight brewing for political power, their lives are suddenly at risk.
Things are changing fast for the girls too. Their magic is becoming more powerful than they have ever been told, and when they are together, extraordinary things start to happen. Why have they been kept in the dark for so long about what they can truly do? The magic of Nightbirds all lean towards one of the four elements – fire, wind, water and earth. With only three of these elements covered, is there another girl in their midst that will complete them?
When they find themselves in real danger and end up in the secret underground, they are exposed to more magical beings and a world that they never knew existed.
But they aren’t the only ones with secrets, and trusting anyone in this world is dangerous, as they all find out.
Can the girls, with the help of those closest to them, stand up for who and what they really are, or will they be caged birds forever?
This is an epic story than spans more than 450 pages, with complex relationships between the characters. This is a great read, and you will find yourself willing the girls to show the world what they are really made of. It is full of magic spells, romance, a thirst for political power, as well as female empowerment, and I will be thoroughly looking forward to Book 2! It will be enjoyed by all readers aged 14 and older.
Reviewed by Sam
