Nocticadia

By: Keri Lake

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock, Stella Hunter

Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

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 received 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 tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

©2023 Keri Lake (P)2024 Podium Audio

Whoa. So good.

I had to pause this a couple times bc I was so caught off guard by a couple scenes. New to dark romances, but man… this is as so good. I couldn’t stop listening to this one. Stayed up all night to finish it when I have a baby and a toddler to take care of. That tells you it’s good. I want to read everything by Kerri now.

FABULOUS!!!!!!

LOVE ,LOVE ,LOVED THIS LISTEN !!! Kept me on my toes the whole time I recommend this book for sure and looking for to the other books of this Author also !!!!! Narrators were AWESOME too !!!

Wow. Just wow. All of the things!!!

This book has allllll of the dark academia vibes with a gothic setting. This might be one of my favorite books since the Empyrean series. It has me by a chokehold and I’m not even finished yet with it and I’m already excited to re read it in print. But wow this audio is 🔥🔥

Saw on TikTok

One of the creators on TikTok recommended this. I loved it! Kerri Lake does an amazing job with the science and her pacing was great.

What a Masterpiece

“Stay out of trouble, Curious Moth,” he said, as he strode for the door. Curious Moth. A nickname. A fitting one, too, given the fact that I had no intentions of avoiding the flame.”

I DEVOURED this book. I haven't been this feral over a book in quite a while. I was thinking about it ALL the time. It is a perfect combination of a gothic forbidden dark romance. Right off the bat we experience something traumatic with our fmc which sets the scene for the story. The entire book is based around the idea of this mysterious illness. Lilia turns in a paper based on watching her mother succumb to this illness and that is how it all begins. Lilia gets offered a spot at a prestigious school to study pathology. That's where she meets our mmc Dr. Death.

Devryck grabbed my attention from the beginning. I love student/teacher so I was immediately transfixed. The plot was so rich and full of substance. There was always something happening, something being revealed, something to figure out. The author took us on a scavenger hunt and I ate up every breadcrumb she dropped. I loved the ways he wrote Lilia. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She listens to her heart and her mind despite what others tell her. She is a strong fmc that I truly admired.

"You're a sickness inside of me that begs never to be cured. Infecting me with this unshakeable craving for things I shouldn't want."

The tension between Lilia and Devryck was intoxicating. I am a slut for forbidden romance. Every scene is a "will they wont they" moment. The slow burn was so good. I was truly obsessed with these characters. Nothing about them and their relationship was ordinary. I loved the secret glances and little comments Devryck would make to Lilia. It was always so poetic. Nothing as simple as "you're beautiful". It was always something more. He is so much more.

“What I feel for you, Miss Vespertine, would destroy lives.”

The smut was written so well. It added to the story rather than overtaking it. It was hot af. There are some scenes that live rent free in my mind. There is a lot more to this story than just the alluring relationship between Devryck and Lilia. There's the sickness that Lilia's mom succumbed to, there's Devryck's research, there's complex family relations, corruption, trauma, and a hell of a lot of "woah" moments. This book was such a well rounded story and I am sad that it's over. This is a masterpiece.

"Some kisses were said to feel like fireworks. His felt like a slow-drip anesthetic, silently siphoning my senses, until all I could smell, taste, and feel was him."

Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Spice: 🌶🌶.5/5

The story was so so good. Good character development, spot on plot twists, and trust me you need to read the prologue and epilogue! Keri Lake is one if my favorites authors, this book however, is definitely one of her more mild books in the spice department. You have to get halfway through the book to really get some good sex scenes. I'm teetering between giving the spice 2.5 or 3 out of 5. I do hope that Ms. Lake writes another book detailing B's story; I need to know more on that! If you're looking for crazy hot steamy smut in every chapter not your book but if you're looking for a slow burn and mild smut with a fantastic storyline definitely worth it!

(Side note, did not LOVE the females voice interpretation for the main character. The performer made her sound a but like a whiney 14 year old brat....her normal talking was fine but when she was talking as Lilia it was a bit annoying)

delicious gothic romance

I loved this book reading it, and so I bought the audiobook to listen to it. Love the narration and Keri is always able to build such a wonderful and ambient world and characters who captivate you. Totally recommend this and also it’s super steamy.

Loved the dark romance and the science!!

The narrators were excellent. The storyline was interesting and engrossing. The plot twists kept me waiting with bated breath for the next one!

LOVE THIS BOOK!

Professor Bramwell. that’s it. that’s the review. (jk i have to hit 15 words) the entire story i was hooked. i love the mystery and the action but most of all i LOVED the romance!!! Age gap & forbidden love? Sign me up!!!

LOVED LOVED LOVED

I don’t remember the last time I loved a book like this! Genuinely hooked from beginning to end. I’m so happy I picked this one up!