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crtsjffrsn's review
4.0
When a prominent society lady (and, as it turns out, essentially the head of a powerful coven) mysteriously dies at her own party, the only thing anyone knows for certain is that foul play is more than suspected. So it's also no surprise that Thaddeus and Sarasija find themselves working to track down the murderer. And if it's not enough to be on the trail of someone (or something) nefarious, they still need to track down the missing grimoire (a.k.a. guide to demon summoning) while Thaddeus is struggling to keep himself in control and Sara is having strange dreams that he is keeping to himself. Recipe for disaster? Probably. But these two just might be up to the challenge.
I was excited to see another installment in this series. There was something about Thaddeus and Sara that drew me in when I read Vespers, and that something is definitely still here. These two have experiences that are so different--they're even from different eras, really--and through those differences they have managed to find something that works for them. Now, sometimes it doesn't work as well as others, but I think it's safe to say that is true of nearly any relationship. There are some unexpected twists to rush down in reading this story, and--I'll just put it out there now--there are some unanswered questions that remain at the end. But that's what book three is for, right?
[Disclaimer: This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the authors.]
I was excited to see another installment in this series. There was something about Thaddeus and Sara that drew me in when I read Vespers, and that something is definitely still here. These two have experiences that are so different--they're even from different eras, really--and through those differences they have managed to find something that works for them. Now, sometimes it doesn't work as well as others, but I think it's safe to say that is true of nearly any relationship. There are some unexpected twists to rush down in reading this story, and--I'll just put it out there now--there are some unanswered questions that remain at the end. But that's what book three is for, right?
[Disclaimer: This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the authors.]
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
I really think this was my favorite so far in the series. I liked seeing a bit more of Thad's "le monstre." I liked that there wasn't so much angst about his perceived sins and I liked that Sara had struggles of his own, outside of getting Thad to accept his love. Plus, they were sweet together and I thought the writing was just really good.
I did think it dragged just a little and I was disappointed to end the book not knowing what's up with Sara's situation. I assume this is the next book, but it was a pretty big issue to go not only unresolved, but undiscussed even.
All in all, I can't wait for the next one.
I did think it dragged just a little and I was disappointed to end the book not knowing what's up with Sara's situation. I assume this is the next book, but it was a pretty big issue to go not only unresolved, but undiscussed even.
All in all, I can't wait for the next one.
jennyoli96's review
4.0
*ARC received through the authors*
Actual rating: 3.5/5
I must admit I was very excited for the comeback of one of my favorite vampires in literature. One of my favorite vampires and his lover, fighting monsters in what was one of my favorite POC mxm fantasy books of perhaps... ever? By this I mean the first book in the series, where these characters are introduced to us, plus Thaddeus' badass female assistant, and they solve mysteries and fight demons while being faithful to a bunch of monks.
On this book, they're still the same characters. They still solve mysteries. They like the monks a little less, thank goodness, and demons take on a whole new meaning. My problem with the plot was the huge amount of information inside such an average sized book, and how things might have been exaggerated in the fantasy department. Kind of reminds me of when Pullman started adding all those other creatured to his His Dark Materials series. Sometimes less is more, guys.
Apart from that, I really appreciated the new characters, especially the twins. I continue to love the alternating point of view from first person to third person every other chapter, gives Thaddeus and Sara their separate personalities. I just wished the plot had been steered in a different way, and made a bit less complicated.
Actual rating: 3.5/5
I must admit I was very excited for the comeback of one of my favorite vampires in literature. One of my favorite vampires and his lover, fighting monsters in what was one of my favorite POC mxm fantasy books of perhaps... ever? By this I mean the first book in the series, where these characters are introduced to us, plus Thaddeus' badass female assistant, and they solve mysteries and fight demons while being faithful to a bunch of monks.
On this book, they're still the same characters. They still solve mysteries. They like the monks a little less, thank goodness, and demons take on a whole new meaning. My problem with the plot was the huge amount of information inside such an average sized book, and how things might have been exaggerated in the fantasy department. Kind of reminds me of when Pullman started adding all those other creatured to his His Dark Materials series. Sometimes less is more, guys.
Apart from that, I really appreciated the new characters, especially the twins. I continue to love the alternating point of view from first person to third person every other chapter, gives Thaddeus and Sara their separate personalities. I just wished the plot had been steered in a different way, and made a bit less complicated.
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
~ 4.5 Stars ~
Nocturne, book two in Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt’s Hours of the Night series, is next level entertaining and suspenseful. As much as I liked the heck out of Vespers and the introduction to their alternate New Orleans, this new full-length installment in the series not only advances its overall arc but gives a whole new dimension to Sarasija Mishra—vampire Thaddeus Beaumont’s human lover—and adds more than a bit of moral conflict for our pious demon hunting vampire, and I loved it.
If you’re already into the series, then you know that Thad straddles two worlds. He is man and le monstre. He is righteous and sinner. He is spiritual and secular. He is in love with Sara and punishes himself for it. He’s a 115-year-old man in a contemporary world, and self-flagellation, both physical and psychological, is the price he pays for existing in direct contradiction to his faith. Parts of the series are told from Thad’s first-person point of view, and in those passages, we see his internal struggle as that of a man who believes with all he is that his very existence is a sin, an abomination, and yet, for him to do anything as drastic as to choose to end his life would be a violation of his Catholic faith. There’s a point in the story where Thad says, “I didn’t dare countermand his invitation, though for the life of me, I had no idea how I’d entertain a houseful of strangers,” and I loved what I’m going to call a slip of the tongue here, even if the authors intended it as tongue-in-cheek. Or, meant nothing by it at all. “For the life of me” is something Thad struggles with in every fiber of his being, in addition to the external conflicts he faces.
Sara’s evolution in this novel is fabulous. It would have been rather obtuse of me not to expect his association with a vampire to alter his life in unimaginable ways. Add demons and witches to the equation, and those alterations put Sara up against a few serious problems, not the least of which is his relationship with Thad and Thad’s contrary need to have Sara near and the belief that Sara would be better off running as far away from Louisiana as fast as he can. I grew to love Sara even more in this book. His loyalty to Thad comes not from a place of duty but from a place of love. His strength comes not from a place of religious faith but from a place of personal conviction that Thad is honorable and good. I couldn’t help but feel their relationship, while dealt an unexpected twist, is now on more solid ground.
The mission in this novel provides the danger, both worldly and otherworldly, needed to keep readers on the edge of our proverbial seat. A missing grimoire in the wrong hands is all it takes for hell to break loose during Mardi Gras, which leads to another thing I love about the series: its setting. New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou are characters unto themselves—why else would authors choose it as a place to tell stories of the supernatural? It is a place steeped in the history of voodoo inspired spiritualism, ghost stories and haunted cemeteries, so of course it should be rife with all manner of the metaphysical as well. It lives and breathes to inspire the story in and around it, and the authors handle it with aplomb.
The secondary characters, most notably Thad’s paladin, Nohea, along with twins Jo-Jo, aptly combined and hyphenated, add yet another layer of dimension to the story. I wasn’t at all sure about the twins at first, but I ended up liking them in the end. I think… Trust? No. But like, sure. There is a secondary conflict still playing out involving Nohea, a missing child, and the part Thad played in all of that provides for a mounting tension between Nohea and Thad, one that’s somewhat detrimental to their working relationship, so it’s going to be interesting to watch that play out in future books. Or, at least the next book, depending upon how many are planned for the series.
A murder mystery adds another layer to the Southern Gothic feel of the story. The investigation and the subsequent revelation of the mastermind behind the chaos, inspired by dark magic and steeped in tradition and in-fighting, is suspenseful and leaves an ellipsis at its end… There are still strange things afoot for Thad, Sara, and Nohea to confront. The more the better, as far as I’m concerned. Who doesn’t need an occasional departure into the extreme and unusual?
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
Nocturne, book two in Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt’s Hours of the Night series, is next level entertaining and suspenseful. As much as I liked the heck out of Vespers and the introduction to their alternate New Orleans, this new full-length installment in the series not only advances its overall arc but gives a whole new dimension to Sarasija Mishra—vampire Thaddeus Beaumont’s human lover—and adds more than a bit of moral conflict for our pious demon hunting vampire, and I loved it.
If you’re already into the series, then you know that Thad straddles two worlds. He is man and le monstre. He is righteous and sinner. He is spiritual and secular. He is in love with Sara and punishes himself for it. He’s a 115-year-old man in a contemporary world, and self-flagellation, both physical and psychological, is the price he pays for existing in direct contradiction to his faith. Parts of the series are told from Thad’s first-person point of view, and in those passages, we see his internal struggle as that of a man who believes with all he is that his very existence is a sin, an abomination, and yet, for him to do anything as drastic as to choose to end his life would be a violation of his Catholic faith. There’s a point in the story where Thad says, “I didn’t dare countermand his invitation, though for the life of me, I had no idea how I’d entertain a houseful of strangers,” and I loved what I’m going to call a slip of the tongue here, even if the authors intended it as tongue-in-cheek. Or, meant nothing by it at all. “For the life of me” is something Thad struggles with in every fiber of his being, in addition to the external conflicts he faces.
Sara’s evolution in this novel is fabulous. It would have been rather obtuse of me not to expect his association with a vampire to alter his life in unimaginable ways. Add demons and witches to the equation, and those alterations put Sara up against a few serious problems, not the least of which is his relationship with Thad and Thad’s contrary need to have Sara near and the belief that Sara would be better off running as far away from Louisiana as fast as he can. I grew to love Sara even more in this book. His loyalty to Thad comes not from a place of duty but from a place of love. His strength comes not from a place of religious faith but from a place of personal conviction that Thad is honorable and good. I couldn’t help but feel their relationship, while dealt an unexpected twist, is now on more solid ground.
The mission in this novel provides the danger, both worldly and otherworldly, needed to keep readers on the edge of our proverbial seat. A missing grimoire in the wrong hands is all it takes for hell to break loose during Mardi Gras, which leads to another thing I love about the series: its setting. New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou are characters unto themselves—why else would authors choose it as a place to tell stories of the supernatural? It is a place steeped in the history of voodoo inspired spiritualism, ghost stories and haunted cemeteries, so of course it should be rife with all manner of the metaphysical as well. It lives and breathes to inspire the story in and around it, and the authors handle it with aplomb.
The secondary characters, most notably Thad’s paladin, Nohea, along with twins Jo-Jo, aptly combined and hyphenated, add yet another layer of dimension to the story. I wasn’t at all sure about the twins at first, but I ended up liking them in the end. I think… Trust? No. But like, sure. There is a secondary conflict still playing out involving Nohea, a missing child, and the part Thad played in all of that provides for a mounting tension between Nohea and Thad, one that’s somewhat detrimental to their working relationship, so it’s going to be interesting to watch that play out in future books. Or, at least the next book, depending upon how many are planned for the series.
A murder mystery adds another layer to the Southern Gothic feel of the story. The investigation and the subsequent revelation of the mastermind behind the chaos, inspired by dark magic and steeped in tradition and in-fighting, is suspenseful and leaves an ellipsis at its end… There are still strange things afoot for Thad, Sara, and Nohea to confront. The more the better, as far as I’m concerned. Who doesn’t need an occasional departure into the extreme and unusual?
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
4.0
I really think this was my favorite so far in the series. I liked seeing a bit more of Thad's "le monstre." I liked that there wasn't so much angst about his perceived sins and I liked that Sara had struggles of his own, outside of getting Thad to accept his love. Plus, they were sweet together and I thought the writing was just really good.
I did think it dragged just a little and I was disappointed to end the book not knowing what's up with Sara's situation. I assume this is the next book, but it was a pretty big issue to go not only unresolved, but undiscussed even.
All in all, I can't wait for the next one.
I did think it dragged just a little and I was disappointed to end the book not knowing what's up with Sara's situation. I assume this is the next book, but it was a pretty big issue to go not only unresolved, but undiscussed even.
All in all, I can't wait for the next one.
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