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.

Dnf at 36%. I tried twice with this book and the world building left me struggling on both occasions. Unfortunately it isn’t for me but can see the appeal it holds for others. Has a good idea just not the right execution for me to enjoy.

I really tried getting into it, but I guess it wasn't for me. Strange because I really do like the themes of this book. Maybe when it's published, I'll give it another try.

This book was interesting, not entirely my vibe when I got started as I wasn’t the biggest fan of our MC, overall I enjoyed the setting of this book and the fantastical elements

Thank you net gallery and Dialogue Books for the arc it was 3.5 stars read for I don’t love it or hate it was good it was interesting it’s about 19 century Paris had phantom of the opera vibes some suspense and mystery and bit of magic I just wish they was more character development