Last year, I read Keri Lake’s Anathema and I was blown away by the romantasy depiction of an oppressive religious society. Ever since, I’ve been looking forward to reading Nocticadia, a dark gothic academia romance, something that sounded quite different from the world of Anathema.
Nocticadia follows Lilia Vespertine, a young woman struggling to make ends meet after the tragic and traumatizing death of her mother. She dreams of doing medical research, but she cleans the hospital and takes a few classes at the local community college.
In a stroke of luck, her research paper for one of her college classes on the parasitic disease that killed her mother gains Lilia admission into Dracadia University, a renowned school known for its medical research. It seems too good to be true, but Lilia desperately wants answers, and this is her chance to find them.
At Dracadia, she meets the cold and enigmatic Professor Blackwell, the leading expert on Noctisoma, the disease that may have infected Lilia’s mother. He holds the key to the truth, but cracking that stony facade may be more trouble than Lilia bargained for.
Nocticadia is gruesome and gory, with a sinister tone and visceral descriptions that really place the reader in the scenes. There is a significant element of science fiction, with fictional diseases and scientific research to understand these diseases.
In addition to the sci-fi elements, this book managed to make my skin crawl like a well-written horror story. It is disturbing in many ways, but it is also utterly fascinating and refreshingly unique. Lots of intriguing secrets and discoveries make for a very engaging plot.
The book is written from both Lilia and Professor Bromwell’s perspectives, and while I would say this book is primarily plot driven, both of these main characters are well-developed and interesting to read.
Nocticadia is not a quick read. It’s slow and weighty, with lots of details, character development, and plot that build up in layers.
The romance element of this story is a slow burn, so approach it with patience, but the payoff is perfection. There’s a forbidden attraction with an element of taboo in the student-teacher relationship. The passion between these two is intense and incredible. I can’t get enough. It’s a little dark and a little possessive and I adore it.
I have never read a book quite like Nocticadia, although if you liked Gothikana by RuNyx, you might like this one too. Romances that have such a splendid mix of genres wrapped up in a love story are always among my favorites. Nocticadia has elements of science fiction, horror, and mystery, all with a spicy intensity that makes it an entirely engrossing read. I had to force myself to put this book down to sleep.
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