A review by junejunejulyjuly
Nocticadia by Keri Lake

3.0

Keri Lake started strong with a super promising lead in on an intriguing plot line which engaged me and was wildly different that anything I’d read particularly in this genre. Worms? Parasites? Connections to some historical island steeped in Eco-esque mystery? It started off strong and then started to fizzle, and then I began to feel bored, and then I began to feel as though the author had a hodge podge of ideas she just threw in and everything seemed less and less plausible (even in a dark romance way) and more like a joke. The FMC came across like a cry baby. The slow burn was slow burning, so if that’s something you like then get ready to hold a heavy ass book for ages before shit kicks off. If you love a morally grey MMC you’re in for a treat and he also can kick the bucket at any moment so it’s a double threat. There were some great moments in the story, some really excellent ideas, and I love that the author stretched the concepts the genre offers (even if it is still professor / student) but overall it was too verbose, self-indulgent, and everything but the kitchen sink. Don’t expect this book to grasp one genre only! It’s not just dark romance, but more a blend of dark romance, dark academia, body horror, and some fourth thing I can’t define, so kudos to Keri Lake for that!!