[Book] Dark Academia And Twisted Secrets! Nocticadia By Keri Lake

I've not hidden my love for dark gothic fantasy stories hence why I plan to read all of Keri Lake's books. Her stories are dark, atmospheric and capture a kind of cinematic view of gothic settings. So I decided to read another of her recent releases and I was thoroughly impressed. Nocticadia by Keri Lake not only sets the mood but gently pushes you into a world that will make you long for the walls of an academy.

This story is set mostly within the walls of an old, prestigious university that looks beautiful on the outside but rots underneath. Fog, old secrets, strange illnesses, midnight labs, dead bodies and forbidden attractions all come together to make a fascinating gothic read.

Nocticadia focuses on Lilia Vespertine, a young woman who has spent years carrying the memory of her mother’s horrifying death. Her mother succumbed to a mysterious illness that the doctors had no explanation or diagnosis for. What they told her was unsatisfactory. Then she writes a biology paper in high school on her mother's illness and it gets her an unexpected scholarship to study at Dracadia University, an isolated and prestigious school off the coast of Maine.

Lilia sees this as a chance to study the disease that plagued and killed her mother and finally get some answers. But Dracadia is not the academic sanctuary she expected. The island has a disturbing history and there seems to be something lurking beneath the surface. Then she meets Devryck Bramwell, aka, Doctor Death, one of her professors and an unexpected attraction starts to form between them.

He's brilliant yet intimidating and connected to the dark secrets that the university is guarding closely. This makes her curious and drives her to search for the truth about the disease. It turns out there is a group of powerful, dangerous people who do not want her digging through their secrets. Her life is in danger and the only person who can help plays with death and is unwilling to be associated with her. Can Lilia Vespertine get to the bottom of the secret that the university is hiding?

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic, Mystery, Romance Publication: April 2023 Pages: 682

My Review And Rating

As always, I was impressed by the story and author's writing style. The plot is brilliant, well told in a way that makes me think if this isn't a prediction of the future or something. The atmosphere and mystery in this book pulled me in. Keri Lake makes the setting come alive and the characters relatable. The island feels moody and isolated enough to create the sense that ordinary rules don't apply there. The university is beautiful but there is always something unsettling beneath the beauty and even the walls seem like they have something to say to whoever will listen.

Lilia Vespertine is an interesting and well developed character and I like how the author wrote the mystery around her. Her search for answers is tied to grief and family and this gives the story more weight than a simple “girl discovers a dark secret at a university” plot. She isn't digging into the illness out of curiosity but to make sense of a loss that haunted her and she ends up turning every buried stone.

Devryck Bramwell is an interesting lead character who makes the romance plot sizzle. He's handsome, moody, and unforgiving, and somehow his chemistry with Lilia Vespertine works. Though their professor-student relationship is forbidden, yet the way this author writes it tangled with intensity, secrecy and power makes this book a favourite of many fantasy readers. I don't mind their forbidden attraction in the story but in the real world, I'd say it's a dark and uncertain path to tread.

One theme I valued in this book is the exploration of the relationship between knowledge and power. Science itself is not presented as evil but the people who control knowledge often are the problem and power without accountability is harmful.

This book also raises questions about what happens when an institution values reputation, money or influence more than human lives.

Another theme this author captures well is trauma and how it can shape a person's choices long after the event has passed. Both Lilia and Devryck carry wounds from their past but they respond to them in different ways.

Note however that this book is not fast paced. The author slowly builds the mystery and tension to uncover the dark secrets of Dracadia and this slow burn suits the setting. So if you are looking for a fast gothic read, you may not enjoy this book as much.

Rating this book, I'd give it 9 out of 10 stars. Gothic setting isn't easy to build and sustain but Keri Lake does it throughout this book without stress. If you enjoy sinister, twisty plots set in a university that holds dark secrets, I'd recommend you read this book.

Images generated with Chatgpt using the e-book cover

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