Magical girls, politics, religion and revolution collide in Kate J. Armstrong‘s debut novel, Nightbirds. Set in a 1920s-inspired world where magic is prohibited, this YA fantasy explores the politics of women in power in an action-packed and wild ride through the fictional city of Simta.
Matilde, Sayer and Æsa are Nightbirds, girls will innate magic who are protected from the Church by the Great Houses on the condition that they share their power – with a kiss. Matilde is a member of the Great Houses and has enjoyed a life of luxury, but the rules of the Nightbirds are suffocating; and now they’re demanding that it’s time for her to marry. Sayer’s dame (mother) was cast out of the Great Houses. She’s taken on her Nightbird role, but only so that she can get revenge on her sire (father) for betraying them. Æsa comes from the seaside where her family is poor and her father is as pious as they come. She became a Nightbird to provide for her family, but she fears her magic is a poison.
Simta’s church knows that the Great Houses are hiding magic, and the fanatical Red Hand won’t stop until he finds them. What’s more, there seems to be more to their magic than they’ve been led to believe. Before long, the girls’ hidden identities begin leaking and they become targets – for assassination and for political gain. Everyone who offers a helping hand seems to want something from them, and no one seems to be telling the whole truth. Who can they trust? And how do they win their freedom in this rapidly changing world?
The first book in a planned series, this story is told from the multiple points of view of the three girls. If you like present tense you’re in luck, although at times I tripped over the tense because of the frequent back-and-forth flashes to things that had happened in the near past. The book opens with two gorgeously illustrated maps, but I rarely found a need to refer to them. For the most part, the settings are described well enough that you get a sense of where the characters are and the significance of the places without them.
The characters are complex. They’re frustrating at times, but true to who they are, making choices and mistakes that are in line with their characters. Although I did feel at times like they made decisions that defied reasoning. Perhaps it’s due to their naivety, but I would have expected just a little more caution as we got further into the story, after they’d been betrayed several times. Matilde certainly comes off as more of a ‘main’ character than her compatriots. She’s not always the most likable character, and she is the instigator or the cause of much of the conflict. However, her character seems to undergo the most growth and I can see her becoming more and more responsible as the series continues.
The story powers along with the action truly starting in the second chapter and not letting up for more than a brief moment for the rest of the book. There is constant tension, knowing that they’re being hunted and searched for and with every secondary character seemingly posing a potential threat. You’re never quite sure who will betray them and how.
We get just enough worldbuilding to satisfy our curiosity without it bogging down the story. Armstrong leaves enough room for us to fill in the blanks based on our own history. The black market for magic, which becomes a symbol of prosperity and power both among the rich and the poor, creates an intriguing backdrop, and the struggle for power both amongst and within varying groups was satisfying in its realism.
Overall, Nightbirds is a fast-paced book with an intriguing premise and a well-considered world. If magical girls discovering their power and using it to destroy the establishment is your thing, this book is for you.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Kate J Armstrong’s Nightbirds is out now from Allen & Unwin. Grab yourself a copy from Booktopia HERE.
