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shadowtiff7's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Torture
Moderate: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder
crystaldianee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Kidnapping
koistyfishy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 Can I Ask You A Question Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I knew that from page one... No, actually I knew from the first sentence that I was going to like this.
By the end of chapter 2, I was in love and by the end of chapter 5... I WAS OBSESSED!
I finished this ages ago... and it's still the book I keep coming back to, thinking about, obsessing about and recommending to anyone who will listen to me for more than 5 seconds THAT THEY NEED TO READ THIS!!!
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Four years ago Lilia Vespertine watched her mother commit suicide, or at least that is what everyone says to her is what happened. No one believes her when she says her mom was sick and infected with black worms Lilia saw crawling out of her when she died. Now haunted by the trauma, and determined to discover a cure for her mom's illness, Lilia is studying to be a scientist. When tasked to write a paper on a "make-believe illness" Lilia writes about the worms, which urns her a full scholarship to the mysterious and prestigious Dracadia University. The reason is the disease is very much real. It is called Noctisoma and is found nowhere else but on the island, the university is found on. Her knowledge of the disease sparks a few curious questions. Soon, she finds herself in very close proximity to Professor Devryck Bramwell, a brilliant and devastatingly hot pathologist in charge of the laboratory researching the disease. And something about Lilia Vespirtine keeps drawing Professor Bramwell in...
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Lillia is feisty, and she has a pretty hard exterior as she has grown up in a difficult environment, where life hasn't always been fortunate towards her, and even basic necessities have been difficult to come by. Her home life before leaving for Dracadia is just as difficult because while her mother's boyfriend is pretty ok, the company he keeps is very questionable, causing her to garner quite a bit of unwanted attention now that she is older.
I loved her tenacity, her curiosity and her metaphorical balls that she was able to question and challenge things and stand up for herself when she needed to. Her thirst for knowledge and her drive to try and understand it was really impressive. Having read a few books that contain a woman in STEM, I am often wary of the depiction as it often turns into a "sexist fest". I appreciated that this book didn't do that. She is given credit. She was never underestimated or had her ability diminished. Her sex wasn't held against her and I liked that it gave a very good representation of what a woman in STEM could look like. About the fact that she can be smart and brilliant and passionate and have a mind that makes her equal.
Professor Devryck Bradwell was definitely an interesting character and MMC. He was an absolute dick and arsehole which meant obviously I love him and he plays into the whole "I hate everyone, including her". He often likened Lilia to a virus, parasite and poison, that has crawled into his mind and infected him. He is not happy about her presence and he is really not happy about what her presence does to him. He is haunted by his own trauma. Scarred from being physically and emotionally abused by his parent, and dealing with his grief that he hasn't come to terms with in the years since he's lost his brother. He is a hard man, doesn't take shit and has this bad-boy persona that should not exist on a professor.
I'm not going to lie, when I first saw that a big part of this plot had to do with gross parasitic worms that remind me of leeches, especially since some of them have teeth, I was a little bit grossed out. BUT, the writing in this has such a compelling and alluring effect that I was absolutely addicted to its pages. The way that the science and the fantasy elements are blurred together, especially since the aspects of science were so rooted in fact, that it was almost impossible to discern what was real and what wasn't was brilliant!
You can see, no actually, YOU CAN FEEL that Keri Lake has done a lot of scientific research into this book because the terminology, methodology, examples and aspects she pulls from science is not just common knowledge. The tools, equipment and procedures used were spot on.
Do not be persuaded that this is long, because it will not feel this way. The book takes time to develop but its pacing felt right and gave the characters a chance to grow and develop feelings for each other. I do think the ending was a little fast though - especially for the reveals that came at the end.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Dark Academia
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Morally Grey MMC
▶ Tending to Injuries
▶ ProfessorXStudent
▶ Age Gap
▶ He is a Daddy Death
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ "Fuck It"
Overall I loved this! I am STILLL THINKING ABOUT IT! It sang to the scientist within me and made my happy place purr. ACTUALLY, lots of things in this book made my happy place purr. This is currently tied as one of the best books I have read this year.... so there is that...
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I knew that from page one... No, actually I knew from the first sentence that I was going to like this.
By the end of chapter 2, I was in love and by the end of chapter 5... I WAS OBSESSED!
I finished this ages ago... and it's still the book I keep coming back to, thinking about, obsessing about and recommending to anyone who will listen to me for more than 5 seconds THAT THEY NEED TO READ THIS!!!
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Four years ago Lilia Vespertine watched her mother commit suicide, or at least that is what everyone says to her is what happened. No one believes her when she says her mom was sick and infected with black worms Lilia saw crawling out of her when she died. Now haunted by the trauma, and determined to discover a cure for her mom's illness, Lilia is studying to be a scientist. When tasked to write a paper on a "make-believe illness" Lilia writes about the worms, which urns her a full scholarship to the mysterious and prestigious Dracadia University. The reason is the disease is very much real. It is called Noctisoma and is found nowhere else but on the island, the university is found on. Her knowledge of the disease sparks a few curious questions. Soon, she finds herself in very close proximity to Professor Devryck Bramwell, a brilliant and devastatingly hot pathologist in charge of the laboratory researching the disease. And something about Lilia Vespirtine keeps drawing Professor Bramwell in...
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Lillia is feisty, and she has a pretty hard exterior as she has grown up in a difficult environment, where life hasn't always been fortunate towards her, and even basic necessities have been difficult to come by. Her home life before leaving for Dracadia is just as difficult because while her mother's boyfriend is pretty ok, the company he keeps is very questionable, causing her to garner quite a bit of unwanted attention now that she is older.
I loved her tenacity, her curiosity and her metaphorical balls that she was able to question and challenge things and stand up for herself when she needed to. Her thirst for knowledge and her drive to try and understand it was really impressive. Having read a few books that contain a woman in STEM, I am often wary of the depiction as it often turns into a "sexist fest". I appreciated that this book didn't do that. She is given credit. She was never underestimated or had her ability diminished. Her sex wasn't held against her and I liked that it gave a very good representation of what a woman in STEM could look like. About the fact that she can be smart and brilliant and passionate and have a mind that makes her equal.
Professor Devryck Bradwell was definitely an interesting character and MMC. He was an absolute dick and arsehole which meant obviously I love him and he plays into the whole "I hate everyone, including her". He often likened Lilia to a virus, parasite and poison, that has crawled into his mind and infected him. He is not happy about her presence and he is really not happy about what her presence does to him. He is haunted by his own trauma. Scarred from being physically and emotionally abused by his parent, and dealing with his grief that he hasn't come to terms with in the years since he's lost his brother. He is a hard man, doesn't take shit and has this bad-boy persona that should not exist on a professor.
I'm not going to lie, when I first saw that a big part of this plot had to do with gross parasitic worms that remind me of leeches, especially since some of them have teeth, I was a little bit grossed out. BUT, the writing in this has such a compelling and alluring effect that I was absolutely addicted to its pages. The way that the science and the fantasy elements are blurred together, especially since the aspects of science were so rooted in fact, that it was almost impossible to discern what was real and what wasn't was brilliant!
You can see, no actually, YOU CAN FEEL that Keri Lake has done a lot of scientific research into this book because the terminology, methodology, examples and aspects she pulls from science is not just common knowledge. The tools, equipment and procedures used were spot on.
Do not be persuaded that this is long, because it will not feel this way. The book takes time to develop but its pacing felt right and gave the characters a chance to grow and develop feelings for each other. I do think the ending was a little fast though - especially for the reveals that came at the end.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Dark Academia
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Morally Grey MMC
▶ Tending to Injuries
▶ ProfessorXStudent
▶ Age Gap
▶ He is a Daddy Death
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ "Fuck It"
Overall I loved this! I am STILLL THINKING ABOUT IT! It sang to the scientist within me and made my happy place purr. ACTUALLY, lots of things in this book made my happy place purr. This is currently tied as one of the best books I have read this year.... so there is that...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence and Rape
kenzie_grace22's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Keri Lake has officially become one of my favorite authors from this book alone. The writing was immaculate. This book was rather long, but not once did it slow down, drag, or get boring. Her descriptive writing amazes me. An amazing plot PLUS well written spice? Can’t get better than that. And a morally grey MMC and an actual intelligent and independent FMC!! This book was so amazing and I highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
traci_b's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
lauraschuhmann's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
would be a 5⭐️ read if it wasn’t for the beginning which was really hard to get into as it was describing a lot of different things with an unreliable mc to deal with. additionally, sometimes some things were too descriptive which I understand adds to the charm and aesthetics of the book but sometimes you just wanted the plot because with these two you couldn’t get enough. totally loved this dark academia book, also if you liked this one, read gothikana!! 🖤 also i need an extended epilogue WTF please😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
booklovinmamas's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Why did I wait so long to read Nocticadia? I have no idea, but I’m glad I made time to read it now for the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge. I’ve read Keri Lake’s books before, and she’s the author who actually got me into reading Dark Romance years ago. She tends to write some dark, gritty, angsty books, and Nocticadia was no different. The story and the characters alone for this one had me hooked. This book did give me nightmares after I finished reading it, but it’s all due to the worms that were mentioned in this book. It was well worth it, though, with having nightmares because, in the end, this book definitely is going on my favorite lists of all time.
I’m not going to go into detail about the storyline for this book because the synopsis gives you enough of what to expect from the book. I am going to gush over the slow-burn tale of a forbidden romance between a Professor and his student. I friggin’ loved Lilia and Devryck and how these two took a bit to give in to their desires for one another. Yes, it’s a slow burn, so it will take a while to get to the steamy parts between the two characters, but let’s just say Keri makes the wait worth it, especially with how jealous and possessive Devryck is with Lilia.
Devryck is not a sweet guy; he’s a morally grey character who is definitely top-notch book boyfriend/husband material, even if he’s known as Doctor Death to the students and staff at Dracadia University. I highlighted a lot of quotes from him because he had a way with words when it came to Lilia.
“And because I’m a selfish prick who has to live with the fact that I cannot have you to myself, I’m going to ruin you so that any boy who comes after me will leave you deeply unsatisfied, and you’ll be left fucking your own fingers, desperate to remember the time you had your professor’s face between your legs.”
I loved Lilia in this book, too, and how she was determined to find out what truly happened to her mother, and she wasn’t willing to give up until she had answers. She wasn’t going to let the rich kids at Dracadia University and the professors who didn’t want her there stop her from achieving her goals. She also didn’t listen to everyone when it came to Professor Bramwell (Devryck). She found him fascinating and so did I, especially with how Keri wrote his character. He definitely was who she needed in her life, and vice versa.
I loved the Dark Academia Gothic feels to this book and how descriptive Keri Lake went into the research of the Noctisoma, which made this biology/science nerd in me geek out. I loved science as a kid and loved it even more in college, so even when Keri tended to creep me out a bit with the worms and such, I still loved every second of it because I’m a science geek forever and ever.
The ending had me on the edge of my seat, especially with the twists and turns. My poor cat, Midnight, who tends to nap on me while I am reading, had to deal with moving a lot because I couldn’t sit still during the ending. She’s been my reading buddy for fifteen years and is used to it by now.
Nocticadia is one book I will never be able to forget, and it will live rent-free in my mind forever, especially the characters. (I just don’t want to dream about the worms anymore.) I wish I could give this book more than five stars because it definitely deserves more.
Audiobook Recommendation – If you enjoy listening to your books, then I definitely recommend the audiobook to Nocticadia. The narrators, Aaron Shedlock and Stella Hunter, did a fantastic job bringing the characters and story to life.
Trope(s)/Element(s):
🖤Forbidden Romance
🖤Professor x Student
🖤Age Gap
🖤Secret Society
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Touch Her and I’ll ☠️ You
🖤Morally Grey MMC
🖤Forbidden Romance
🖤Professor x Student
🖤Age Gap
🖤Secret Society
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Touch Her and I’ll ☠️ You
🖤Morally Grey MMC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual assault, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence and Kidnapping
snowmitts's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Gore, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
tanacef's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
selestre's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Colonisation