The was much to love about The Kiss of the Nightingale, Adi Denner’s debut novel. But equally, there were some things I personally felt were just not ‘up to snuff’.

So firstly then, I loved the magical system - this felt fresh and unique. A society whose class system is based on inherited Talents. Talents that are gifted through magical gems and are fused to the individual via the stone and their blood. The gems are rare, no new ones have been mined for years meaning those with Talents are the Elite and those without are doomed to a life of obscurity and poverty. Not only does this magical system provide the backbone of a class system, it also raises the question of personal choice - what if your Talent is really not what you want to do with your life but you can’t carve a life for yourself from your skills alone as without a Talent no one will buy your services / wares?

Cleo has no Talent - she has trained all of her life to inherit her Father’s Talent as a Tailor but he died before he was able to pass it on to her. Now her sister is ill, she has no income and doesn’t know what to do. What comes next is a ‘deal with the devil’ type of scenario - Cleo is gifted a stolen Talent and as payment is co-opted into the stealing Talents business.

So far, so good but where the story falls down (in my opinion) is that there are snippets of brilliance (for example, the magical system and the descriptions of the dresses) but overall, the world building is lacking. If society hinges on the acquisition of a Talent and the Gems are rare why isn’t there anarchy? You would think there’d be a massive black market in Gems but there isn’t, is there a reason for that?
Another thing that bothered me was Dahlia, what was her Talent, I’m thinking Siren but at no point is her Talent explained. She’s a fabulous character and deserved fleshing out if only to put paid to the idea that the main character having a same sex relationship is illicit and manipulative whereas having a heterosexual relationship is safe and comfortable. Neither couple comes off well in either option.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I think there are real nuggets of something special in The Kiss of The Nightingale it just needed a bit more tweaking. I’ll definitely watch out for Adi Denner in the future.

Phantom of the Opera vibes, with a FC X FC x MC love triangle. This was also very reminiscent of Caraval. Read this if you love those stories and also:

- Fantasy
- Opera, fashion and the arts
- Romance
- Betrayal

The idea of the ‘Talents’ is an interesting one.

The MC is strong and likeable on the whole, also you question some of her responses. Some sight pacing issues but overall a great story.

This is so good. I don’t normally read fantasy or romance but I was completely engrossed within pages and read it in a day. Set in an alternative world in the city of Lutèce in 1890 Cleodora and her sister Anaella are barely surviving after their father died. His business, a famed dress shop, is in ruin and Cleodora’s sister is seriously ill. Until Lady Dahlia Sibille crosses her path and offers her the chance of a lifetime, to become a famous opera singer and save her sister life.

Briefly, in this world Talents define you. Precious gems that give you special abilities in one area. Cleodora’s father had a tailoring skill and their mother a designing skill. The latter was passed on to Anaella and Cleodora was expecting to receive her father’s gem, however, it was lost when he fell into a river and drowned. Accepting Dahalia’s offer Cleodora is ensconced in a beautiful home and receives a singing Talent. She is soon the talk of the town. But there is a price to pay for her new life!

I loved the setting of the novel, an other world Paris, one of my favourite cities in the world, completely immersive, particularly the opera house where you could almost hear the buzz of excitement. Cleodora is a wonderful character who gets herself into a bad situation in her desire to save her sister, but she becomes captivated by her new lifestyle and in thrall to Dahlia, but Dahlia has a rival for Cleo’s affections in the dashing Vicomte Lenoir. There is so much going on in this faced paced and beautiful story and so many wonderful characters. Fantasy, romance, thriller, crime, magic, family drama - this has it all, and more. I loved it.

This was fun! Really interesting world building. and I liked the 'Phantom of the Opera' tropes. I found the love triangle a little odd, though, and the romantic sections seemed quite childish - like they had been written for children.

What I loved: the concept of the Talents! Made me really want one of my own. I also devoured the love triangle between Cleo, Lenoir and Dahlia!! The slow burn build of enemies to lovers with Lenoir and the dark temptation of Dahlia - SO HOT!! I found it so easy to like Cleo as a character: she was morally grey from the start, unapologetic in doing whatever it takes to look after her sister. Saying that, my favourite character by far had to be Lirone - the perfect little scamp! Can I have a Lirone spin-off novella, please???

What I didn't love: I would have welcomed more time with her sister, given how key she was to the events leading Cleo down her path - perhaps this could be the plot of book 2? I also would have welcomed more delving into the Talents, the history and how the experiences of them for other character, but again this could be explored in another story. While the spice was enjoyable, I would always have welcomed more!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc and allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. I was interested in the premise as I got Phantom of the Opera vibes, if the Phantom was female.

There’s female x female x male love triangle that almost got steamy but it gave the MC some choices to make and I feel like this added to the story as it helped with the dilemma as the story progressed.

Cleo, the main character, is gifted a singing talent from a woman known as Dahlia, and becomes the star of the opera. However, to keep the fame and the fortune she has to also become a thief and steal other people’s talents- including the one from the Vicomte.

A mysterious character giving singing talents and a handsome Vicomte? That’s the reason I got POTO vibes.

I did enjoy the story but I felt that Cleo could be really over dramatic in places when she didn’t need to be- obviously she wasn’t used to being treated like a high class lady but sometimes it was a little irritating. She just seemed very naive about what she was supposed to do and shocked when things went wrong.

I mean- what did she expect?

I must admit I was rooting for the female x male romance more in this because Dahlia is a very toxic character.

There’s drama, there’s twists I didn’t see coming but there’s also a story based on an opera and singing with it all too and this was a great aspect to the story.

The magical element is really clever, it’s not too fantastical so the story still has that element of reality- it could happen!

3.5/5 stars.
I flew through the book I just found the main character grating in places. I’d recommend it though!

Unfortunately for me this book was dnf. I tried my hardest to get into it but found the world building very confusing and I could just not get along with it. But I can see tbe apeal and why others would enjoy it. I think this book is for someone who reads a lot of fantasty and not for beginner. I wish the author and publisher best of luck and hope a lot of people enjky this book.

Adi Denner’s atmospheric prose and meticulous attention to detail, particularly in fashion, create a captivating reading experience. The gem-based magic system adds a cinematic quality that kept me thoroughly engaged.

While the world-building could have been more in-depth, the characters, especially Cleodora, were more than compensated with their rich portrayals. As Cleodora struggles to sustain her family’s dressmaking business while caring for her ill sister, she becomes embroiled with the enigmatic Lady Sibille (Dahlia), who grants her the (stolen) talent of singing to infiltrate the Opera and steal the talent of the Vicomte Lenoir.

Cleo’s complex circumstances and her moral dilemmas highlight how rigid class structures and poverty can drive individuals into difficult choices. The supporting characters, including Lirone and Veronique, also navigate morally grey paths, raising thought-provoking questions about ethics.

I enjoyed the emotionally charged dynamic between Cleo, Dahlia, and Nuriel (the Vicomte), which carries a sense of danger and urgency. This romantic tension will appeal to fans of romantasy, yet it doesn’t overshadow the plot, making the story accessible to all readers.

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The novel's richly imagined magic structure, where Talents are inherited and stolen, creates a captivating tension throughout. Denner’s writing is gripping, with moments so intense that I found myself hesitating to turn the page, not wanting to put the characters through the strife that was about to come. The love triangle combines slow-burning romance with, hot temptation and danger.

This book masterfully balances intrigue, desire, and moral conflict, making it an unputdownable read. The world Denner has crafted feels alive, and I’m eager to see more stories set in Lutèce or the countries beyond. A thrilling and beautifully constructed tale of magic, power, and the choices that shape us.

I do believe this is Adi's debut novel (I have found some anthology/short story work).

I have been so looking forward to this one, and I love the beautiful cover.

This was a book of two parts really; there were good bits and some not-so-good bits. But first, the positive.

She has created such a vivid setting that you can practically feel yourself walking streets. You get such a sense of space. I can't say I got a huge sense of time, but in terms of setting, it was perfect.

It reminded me slightly of Anne Corlett's The Theatre of Glass and Shadows, which I read earlier this year and was utterly fabulous. This had that same type of beginning, it drew me in and I struggled to tear myself away.

It's historical, fantasy, romance, and adventure, and there's most definitely a sense of Phantom of the Opera about it.

Now for the slightly more critical parts.

I must say I enjoyed the characters more than the plot. That's not to say that the plot is all bad, but at times the characters well and truly took over. The plot at times seemed lacking. It was an interesting premise, but it didn't go into much depth and so sometimes - I know it's a fantasy book and so doesn't necessarily need to be realistic but it still needs to be realistic in its own context - it felt a bit too farfetched.

I would say on the whole the pacing is right. Some bits are faster and some are slower than others, but I think it balances out eventually.

Cleo is our main protagonist. The breadwinner, "head" of the household, trying to keep a roof over their heads, help her sick sister, run her family shop., and she'll do anything to manage that. But soon "anything" becomes dangerous. Sure its a life of riches, bespoke gowns, diamonds, servants, carriages; but when it's at the expense of your family, freedom, and independence, it can be a burden. There's many other characters, her sister, her equals, her servants, strangers, love interests, and curious souls. They're all interesting and work well off of her.

The romance parts of it probably felt the weakest for me. Instead of being inspired by Phantom of the Opera, at times it felt more like a fanfiction, because there wasn't much depth. I wasn't rooting for the romance much, and I felt that these supposedly grown-up, mature characters had reverted back to being a bit naïve and childish and so I wasn't taken in by their love stories.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed it but I wasn't wowed. A beautiful cover and an interesting premise. A conflicted protagonist who I really got absorbed in, and well written settings. But it needed a bit more finesse and depth and a bit of tidying up. Having said that, I'd say for me it's a solid 3 stars (I've seen reviews frrom 2-5 stars so it's definitely personal taste), and I would recommend it particularly to those new to the romantasy genre.

I have to be in the mood to read fantasy books. This one certainly got me in the mood and kept me there, in fact "The Kiss of the Nightingale" by Adi Denner has certainly become a guilty pleasure to me. I found it similar in style to Stephanie Garber's "Caraval" series and thought the concept of Talent was very clever.

I got totally immersed into this book full of magic, romance and history - a very similar story to Phantom of the Opera though. But there was plenty to grab my attention and it ended up being a very quick read. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Many thanks to the publisher for an early copy.

A refreshingly difl. I lovferent fantasy loved the idea of talents and how they worked. I also liked how the class system was portrayed. Lots of twists and turns to pull you in. Loved it

Overall, I found the book to be a very interesting read. The magic system and how talents work intrigued me at the beginning, but I felt that the story was slow and became boring at times. As a result, I couldn't fully engage with the world building.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, I just found it a bit confusing at times. It is full of twisty turns, plus phantom of the opera vibes.

Thank you to the author Adi Denner, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I was asked to review this interesting book by NetGalley.

Interesting with the connection with the Phatom of The Operas story I really enjoyed this and read in one sitting - I was captivated with Cleodora and the romance element.

Recommended read.

I was immediately intrigued by this book from it's cover and the blurb.

I liked the idea of the talents and how they work - I found it to be a unique system that I haven't seen before, which made it really interesting. Despite finding it hard to get into the story at first, I persevered and ended up enjoying it, although I found the pacing difficult at times.

Overall, I would recommend this book.

This gave me phantom of the opera vibes … the poor girl with “ talent “ something passed through generations mixed with bridgerton at times it was just a bit “ dull “ but all the same a good solid story

The concept of this book was an intriguing one and initially I thought this was going to be a great book. However, throughout the book I just wanted more. I think the author has a tremendous talent (no pun intended) on storytelling, however, the plot was so similar to that of Phantom of the Opera, I was a little confused as to why it wasn't described as a Phantom of the Opera retelling? I love a good retelling of an existing story so I think that would've made all the difference for me. However, it kind of felt like it was ripping it off without giving the proper acknowledgments? I did like the magic system but I think it needed more detail and history to really round out the world-building. All that being said, I did enjoy this novel and I think lots of other people will too. Denner does an incredible job of creating a wonderful atmosphere and the story is immersive, I was just left with a feeling of wanting more. I would say give this book a chance to see what you think of it.

The kiss Of The Knightingale is a YA Fantasy Romance written by Adi Denner

Synopsis: This book follows Cleo a nineteen-year-old who was believed to inherit her father’s tailoring talent, however when he passed the magic went with him. Set in a world where talents are detrimental and are gifted from generation to generation through blood magic. Magic, love and betrayal hold more than one knows.

Firstly the cover is very captivating, and certainly made me curious. The storyline has similarities to Phantom Of The Opera and Powerless. I really enjoyed the operatic side of this book, I have never read a book like this and it made the whole storyline even more compelling. The description of the characters costumes and outfits is incredibly deserving of all the praise, in my eyes Denner beautifully detailed the outfits within this book with elegance.

Main Characters:
Cleo - Strong willed and willing to do what is best for her sister.
Nuriel - Arrogant yet charming in his own way
Dahlia - Seductive temptress of darkness

One thing I will say is that I would have liked to have seen more interactions between Nuriel and Cleo and deepen their connection and seen their feelings develop further. There are elements of a love triangle which adds tension between characters.

I feel as though with the ending, there could be potential of another book. It leaves you feeling captivated and in awe of what could be, yearning for the story to continue.

Heavily influenced by opera and music, A Kiss Of A Nightingale takes you on a journey of passion, desperation, deceit and betrayal.

Thank you to the Publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this as my first ARC for an honest review.