We chat with Fyrebirds author, Kate J. Armstrong.
A&U: Hey Kate! Thanks so much for chatting with us! We cannot wait to get our hands on Fyrebirds! To start off, can you give us a little run down of Nightbirds and Fyrebirds?
KJA: Happy to be here! Nightbirds is about a group of girls with a rare form of magic they can gift someone with just a kiss: for a price. Plenty of people would kill for unfettered access to their magic – if the church found out, they would probably kill the girls outright. And given magic is illegal, the girls’ identities are the city’s best-kept secret, guarded by the rich and powerful Great Houses. But when the secret gets out, and they have to band together to try and squash the threats against them, they discover their magic may be more potent than they imagined and that much of what they’ve been taught about it is a lie. In Fyrebirds, we see the former Nightbirds honing their powers and fighting to protect others like them. But dangers lurk everywhere for girls with magic, and trying to best them, they’ll have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice and just how far they’re willing to go for each other.
If you want to hear more about how Nightbirds came together, or get a thorough recap before you read Fyrebirds, OR you’re just curious about how books get made, go and check out Pub Dates, the podcast where my bestie and fellow author Amie Kaufman and I take readers behind the scenes on the whole publishing adventure, sharing how this series came to be.
A&U: These books have such wonderfully crafted characters with their own back stories, strengths, and flaws. Can you tell us a little about the process you went through to find your Nightbirds?
KJA: Thank you! Matilde was the first character to come to me. I knew right away who she was going to be: a spoiled, privileged, legacy Nightbird who saw nothing wrong with the whole Nightbirds system and thinks the world is just fine the way it is. And then I thought: what sorts of characters would help us see that system from another perspective? What kinds of girls would challenge Matilde to do the same? And so I discovered Sayer, a girl whose mother was betrayed by the system and hates pretty much everything about it, and Æsa, who sees giving away magic as morally wrong. I wanted the three Nightbirds to have nothing in common BUT their magic, and for them to push and challenge each other. I love stories where characters don’t click right away, and have to work to understand and love each other.
A&U: How did you find writing your second book, Fyrebirds? Was it easier than the first or did you find it more challenging?
KJA: More challenging, for sure. It was my first sequel, and the first book I’d ever written on deadline, which made it all feel like a more daunting task. But also, I’d set up so many character arcs and romances and enemies to deal with in Nightbirds that I struggled to figure out how best to deepen them and tie them all up. I had so many ideas but knew I wouldn’t have the room to explore them all. I had to make some tough decisions. In the end, though, the process of writing Fyrebirds was one of the most gratifying of my writing life, and I’m extremely proud of it.
A&U: You’ve mentioned that a lot of this duology was inspired by the 1920s. What is it about this period that appeals to you, and made you want it to be part of the foundation for this fantasy world?
KJA: Ah, the 1920s. The music! The secret bars! The GLITTER! It’s a glamorous period, but also one that’s full of shadows: pull back the curtain and you find danger everywhere. That tension felt right for Nightbirds. I knew I wanted magic to be illegal in my fictional world, and America’s Prohibition was the perfect framework to use to figure out what sort of effects that might have. What happens when you push a commodity into the shadows? Who benefits, and who stands to get hurt? That becomes an even more compelling question when the rarest and most potent form of that commodity is something only women possess. The 1920s was a time of great change for women: we always imagine the carefree flapper flashing her knees and going out on the town without a chaperone. To be sure, women were gaining a lot more freedom and independence: at least some women. But there were still so many limitations and unfair strictures thrust upon them. I was interested in that tension, and we see it play out in the world of Nightbirds. If anyone’s interested in learning more about what a lady’s life was like in the ‘20s, I suggest you go and listen to my history podcast, The Exploress.
A&U: We love how each Nightbird has their own unique ability that then also later evolves into an elemental ability. Can you talk us through how you decided what power and what element to give to each person?
KJA: I wanted their powers to reflect who they are in some way. For Sayer, it makes sense that she can blend in with the shadows, as she’s someone who isn’t quick to share her feelings and tends to want to pass unseen. Æsa is an emotionally intuitive person, so it makes sense that she would be able to pinpoint and manipulate emotions. Matilde is the consummate socialite, so being able to literally change her face seemed like the perfect power for her. But I also wanted to make sure that those powers connected back to the element each has an affinity with – that it would make sense why one might have sprung from the other. It’s only natural that Æsa, who comes from a small coastal town, would have a connection with water, but it also makes sense because it’s long been associated with scrying, reading the future, and intuition. I loved thinking about how each of their elements might tell us something about that girl’s personality and how she deals with the world.
A&U: We spend a lot of time in Simta in Nightbirds, but it seems like we might be seeing more places in Fyrebirds. Can you tell us anything about the other locations we might get to see?
KJA: Yes! I cannot wait for readers to spend some time in the Illish Isles, Æsa’s home place, which I’ve longed to write about since I first started the series. Think Ireland, but with blue sand beaches (and perhaps a very handsome pirate). We’ll also travel to the Callistan, the vast everglade swamp where many of Eudea’s most magical plants come from, which is a place I absolutely loved bringing to life. We’ll also get to see some new locations in Simta – including a new secret club, a pleasure house, and a very large library – that I think lovers of the first book will be excited to explore.
A&U: And finally, do you have any advice for writers out there who may be reading this Q&A?
KJA: Stop reading this immediately and go write something! No, but really: I spent way too long worrying that my writing wouldn’t be good enough and my stories weren’t ones other people would want to hear. Be bold. Every time you sit down and put words on paper, you’re getting better, growing your craft and finding your voice. And remember: first drafts aren’t meant to be perfect. But you can’t edit a blank page, so get busy.
Fyrebirds
by Kate J. Armstrong
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 conclusion to the international bestseller Nightbirds.
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