Fyrebirds

Fyrebirds by Kate J Armstrong is the fascinating sequel to Nightbirds. It is a YA fantasy centred around four girls who have different magical powers and are navigating a dangerous world for women, especially those with magic. If you have not read the first book, this story takes a while to get into as there are so many different elements to the plotline and a reliance on knowing the original characters.

Armstrong’s writing is engaging and character driven. The characters are well written but at times it feels like too much time is spent on Matilda and other characters have more intriguing subplots and I wanted to know more. Armstrong also includes some important themes especially around women's empowerment and about having the right to make choices about one’s own body.

Interwoven throughout the novel are various short snippets about life in the Eudean Republic which help to build up the setting, such as Simtan’s children’s rhymes, passages from notebooks, scripts, old letters and maps. All of these small details help to further add to the storyline and make it more interesting to read.

This novel would appeal to those who like YA fantasy and those who are looking for a feminist novel set in an amazing setting.