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A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.

**This BOTM thread will be open until December 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

I think I'm going to read this

I'm definitely reading this. I've been meaning to for months and have been putting it off.

I am about halfway through and I will tell you, it's a dark weird book. Trigger warnings (view spoiler)[ suicide-discussed on page, assault discussed off page, worms crawling out of bodies while those bodies are alive, (hide spoiler)] with that being said, it did distract me while waiting for the votes to come in. It is written very well and does get science heavy at times but not in the long drawn out boring way.

Oh and the student/professor thing really isn't my jam but there is only like a 7 or 8 year age gap if that helps anyone.

I decided to try this one out before seeing it was almost 700 pages lol. It’ll be a challenge to finish it while the bom thread still exists. I’m only 6-7 chapters in but I am very curious about this professor.

Just page pg 462. Got just passed the spicy bits. I'm enjoying my read. Not because of the spicy bits. But because the science is interesting. It has Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibes. (both books are mentioned in the story).

I just finished. It's really good. The science was interesting, the twists were good. The romance in it was <3

Felicia wrote: "I just finished. It's really good. The science was interesting, the twists were good. The romance in it was <3"

yay can't wait to keep going :)

I'm starting this now

=> chp 12
There is a lot of wollrdbuilding and talking about the "disease".
Our MCs haven't met yet. But I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.
I like the writing style so far, and I am hoping there will be a lot of character development.
(view spoiler)[I do think that Dev has the disease.... and I think her mom is the other woman who escaped the trials of Dev's father.
And boy oh boy.... he's experimenting on humans..... that's another level of morally grey. (hide spoiler)]

Ch.25 (view spoiler)[ you’re trying to tell me a girl who doesn’t like to be naked or “take care” of herself is now all of a sudden going to do it in class and film it?! Sure this can’t go sideways at all (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[i hadn't realized that i hadn't posted anything here when i finished. In the beginning i was really enjoying it, then i thought it got bogged down in the research aspect, I figured out the twin thing pretty quickly. overall i enjoyed the story and thought it was pretty good. gory and insane but good.. (hide spoiler)]

=> chp 39
(view spoiler)[I initially thought that the masked man following her around was Devryck.
Now I am thinking it's probably Lippincott Senior.
And that Sr knows what Spencer is doing and it's on his command.
I also think maybe Spenser is the one who killed Barletta? (hide spoiler)]

Ch.26-49 (view spoiler)[ ooo the spice level is up!! But let me back up some. It’s nuts what she tried to film and how and I’m surprised Spencer didn’t call her out. He’s obs got a thing for her. The gala dress sounds gorgeous and I’m curious if it was really Spencer who drugged her. Fast forward to the spicy scene! Yo what teacher who is trying to avoid sleeping with a student voluntarily has her sleepover and in the same room?! I do enjoy the one bed trope though haha. Can’t wait to see how this progresses in class the next day. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished - 3 stars for me (view spoiler)[ I liked the science, the spice was decent, and there was an overall mystery. I think I struggled with the number of storylines: her sister is away at a special school and she needs to pay for it; her mom died of a mysterious disease that she wants to cure; secret society on a creepy island; professor with a different mysterious disease; missing student; missing dead brother; thug life; secret dads. I'm sure there are more but it was like what am I following here?! If there were like half of those I think the book would've still been good. Also, that ending lol...I can't. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Kim wrote: "Ch.26-49 [spoilers removed]"

I agree.
(view spoiler)[It was a bit odd for me how she decided to touch herself in class and the thought process leading up.

The relationship between Spencer and Mrs what's-her-name is not clear for me, and I feel his father is involved with the drugging.
But not sure if they were both trying to drug her separately or in coordination. (hide spoiler)]

Is anyone reading the bonus novella?
Found for download here

https://www.kerilake.com/nocticadia

Grace wrote: "=> chp 39
I initially thought that the masked man following her around was Devryck.
Now I am thinking it's probably Lippincott Senior.
And that Sr knows what Spencer is doing and it's on his comman..."
(view spoiler)[ I figured it was his twin right away but couldn't figure out why he didn't show himself to Devryck. right away if he was alive. (hide spoiler)]

Grace wrote: "Kim wrote: "Ch.26-49 [spoilers removed]"

I agree.
It was a bit odd for me how she decided to touch herself in class and the thought process leading up.

The relationship between Spencer and Mrs wh..."

(view spoiler)[I enjoyed the book overall but some of these relationships...whoa. Poor Spencer. His "dad" was a tool and the other teachers and the secret society were creepy. (hide spoiler)]

Prologue - Chapter 17

(view spoiler)[ I like Lilia, and Devryck seems interesting too and I can't wait to see more of them working on the parasite. I've liked their few interactions so far.

Lilia has flashbacks and hallucinations, but are Devryck's headaches caused by the parasite or a brain injury? So far it seems like the parasite comes from eggs, but could Devryck's bite from the parasite have bigger consequences?

Lilia's mother has to be one of the escapee women from Devryck's father's study. I can't wait to find out what he was trying to do. How did Lilia's mother's autopsy report say that she committed suicide? I can understand that they might not have seen the black worms, but there would be physical evidence if she slit her wrists.

There are a few things that have been mentioned that I don't quite understand how they fit into the overall story yet (at the beginning the people coming from the ship but the boy saying that they're hallucinating and are actually being burned; the moths; the missing student that Devryck was accused of murdering), but I'm excited to see how it's going to tie in.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapters 18 - 35

(view spoiler)[ Lilia has seen figures a few times now - are those real people, hallucinations, or ghosts? Also, there was a shadow in Devryck’s lab. Was it the same person/being as the one Lilia saw?

While the book is a bit slow, I’m still intrigued and I just want things to speed up with Lilia getting information, and Lilia and Devryck possibly working together (especially since Angelo seems to be Devryck’s next target). Also, what actually happened with the missing girl?

I’m assuming that the worst part of the situation is going to come from Spencer’s father, what with him being so worried about his reputation.

I don’t really liked Spencer and he has to have ulterior motives, especially since he was with the professor that’s pining after Devryck.

Mel’s character is fine, but she needs to be shown more.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapters 36 - 53

(view spoiler)[ I was hoping to see more of Lilia and Devryck trying to research the parasite together. While I like that their relationship is changing, I thought that it could have been a bit slower and the forbidden nature is annoying, although I guess understandable.

Spencer pulling Lilia aside (especially after what happened between them) just to tell her that his father actually isn’t his biological father came out of nowhere. What was the point in that?

I’m just ready for a conclusion or something to start happening, for example Lilia seeing Angelo’s picture.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 54 - Epilogue

(view spoiler)[ Lilia finding the letter from her mother, at that moment seemed very convenient.

There was a lot going on in the end and I would have wanted to see more of Caed and his relationship with Devryck, especially since he hated him for a bit.

When Lilia started talking about something living instead her, I thought there was going to be more about the parasite.

The texts in the epilogue from Bee to Lilia about Caed weren’t my favourite. If they do get a book, I don’t think I’d be interested in reading it as not enough of them was shown in this book.
(hide spoiler)]

I was hoping to jump into this today but seems like a tomorrow thing - very excited though!