Book Review - Nocticadia by Keri Lake

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

I do not even know where to begin with this book review. All I can say is that this book absolutely lived up to, and exceeded, my expectations. The dark academia and gothic vibes were immaculate. This book just singlehandedly reignited my love for dark academia stories and I NEED MORE. 

Nocticadia follows Lilia Vespertine, a girl whose life has been extremely traumatic. Her mom suddenly died of a mysterious illness and left Lilia in charge of taking care of her sister along with her mom's boyfriend. Four years after her mom's death, Lilia receives an offer of admission from Dracadia University, an Ivy League school that is located on a remote island off Maine's coast. Dracadia's pathology professor Devryck Bramwell, also known as Doctor Death, is researching the same mysterious illness that Lilia believes killed her mother. Bramwell has some hidden and disturbing secrets, and he isn't willing to accept any assistants in his laboratory. However, Lilia's strong will to uncover the truth behind her mother's death eventually pays off. During this time, she unexpectedly develops a close bond with the mysterious professor.

I wholeheartedly loved everything about Lilia and Devryck. Both of their characters were so well written. Their past traumatic experiences make their relationship believable and their understanding of each other surpasses that of other book characters I've encountered. I was rooting for them right from the beginning, despite their relationship being taboo and horribly inappropriate. Lilia is right up there with some of my favorite female main characters. She's strong, independent, and extremely smart. My only complaint about her is that I thought it was a little strange how she started calling her professor by his first name so soon, like before they even had a friendly relationship. Despite that, I loved her. But my favorite character, by far, was Devryck Bramwell. He's the perfect put-together, mature, and brilliant love interest. Very often, the whole obsession thing can feel so forced in stories, but in this story's case, I thought Bramwell's obsession with Lilia grew naturally. Bramwell is the kind of guy who scares you but in the best way possible, and I am 100% here for it. 

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. Although it took me a while to read since I've been so busy, I was so intrigued the entire time. This is the kind of book that leaves you guessing what's going to happen next the entire time. What I enjoyed the most about the style of this book, however, is the way the academic part was described. I loved reading about Devryck's research and what went on in his lab. After going to school, getting a science degree, and starting a career in the scientific field, I can say that the research and laboratory parts of this book are very accurate and well-written. I can see how this can be boring for some readers, especially if you're not very interested in the science field, but I personally loved it. This book is very description-heavy, but I enjoy that style. 

I don't want to spoil anything, but the ending of Nocticadia had me absolutely shocked. I'm really hoping that the author follows up with a spin-off because I'm hooked.