Nocticadia

by Keri Lake

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.

Genres: Dark Romance, Fantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Dark, Gothic, Romantasy

682 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2023

About the author

Author of gothic romance who specializes in demon wrangling, vengeance dealing and wicked twists.

I love connecting with readers, so feel free to join my reading group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thego...

Reviews

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: IM LEGIT TRAUMATISED MISS KERI LAKE U CRAZY CRAZY LADY THIS NOVELETTE WAS A MASTERPIECE IHY FOR ENDING IT LIKE THAT 😭🤚

***

WE FINALLY GOT A NOVELLA ON THE SISTER IM SCREAMING WHY AM I JUST FINDING THIS OUT NOWWWWW?!!!!!

***

I wanna tattoo this book on my forehead and travel the world- that’s hm i love LiliaDevryck 🙏

This review is my long asf and chaoticc love letter to this book 🤭💗

The characters, the romance, the plot, the writing, the banter, the SARCASM *violent chefs kiss*

It took me like a week to get past the first 12% but then IT POPPED OFF like I was hooked gripped choked fisted EVERYTHING. The way it has plot AND romance is just MWAH chefs kiss. The writing was so easy to follow but also not. Imma reread this in the near future so I can look closer at the little details and not be overwhelmed by everything else.

Fair warning — this book is dark asf. There’s gore, explicit detail of said gore and a fuck of a lot of other things. Pls don’t look to this book for something realistic lmao you’re gonna be disappointed. There’s a lot of questionable stuff in here but I didn’t give a shit. It was perfect to me 🙏

There were times when I was like Omf i was NOT expecting that to happen. I was shooketh at the thing that happened around the 30% mark like i was legit shaking screaming howling. I had no idea how I was supposed to react but then it happened and I literally couldn’t stop to question my morals anymore 💀😭 love that.

This atmosphere Miss Ma’am created was beautifully disturbing. I’m completely enamoured by the detail that went into writing this. I can tell there was brainpower used bc the science terms actually made sense. It made my biology loving heart SING 🤭🩷✨🙏
The noctisoma was so fleshed out and the world building was executed in the most amazing way. I cannot get over how invested I was in their study of the specimen, the drama, the conspiracies.

The plot was crazy as fuckkk hahaha the last 20% had me going feral. There were some plot twists I couldn’t predict. That made me happy. The ones that I did predict and was proven right for?? My serotonin levels 📈📈📈📈 💅✨

THE CHARACTERS

Devryck Bramwell, my grumpy sarcastic hot asf dimpled professor KADHUDRJ 🤭🦋💗💞🤌 he has my whole heart ugh the way his inner monologue had me creasing so fucking bad it had me tearing up fr. his sarcasm had me screaming. He’s such a jaded bastard that’s been THRU IT and it just made him funnier bc he hated everything. This guy would literally roast anyone and everyone in his head and I was just pissing myself laughing I can’t- 💀🤣
The depth to his character, his illness, the reason he is the way he is had me wanting to cry for him. My heart was aching when he was talking about his past — which was written in SUCH a great way and I commend Keri for that — and the way I could feel the genuine wonder and happiness in him towards the end 🥹💗🫂
our mans J/P streak had me giggling and kicking my feet ahdgjdhd-

╰┈➤ ❝ “I don’t share. If anyone else so much as looks at this pussy, I’ll take pleasure in dissecting him, starting with his eyeballs.” ❞

AND HE FOLLOWED THRU ON HIS THREATS 🥰 had me eating out of his hands fr.

The way he would be so adorable and cute towards Lilia had my heart in a fist. And when he said that he would burn his hard earned work, his reputation, THE WORLD for her with a smile on his face?? Mouth open for this man 🙏

╰┈➤ ❝ “The beautiful girl with her autumn hair, and eyes that reminded me of both the sea and the sky. And she was everything. The earth, the sun, the moon. The air I breathed, and the tenacious beat that kept my eroded heart pumping.

What I felt for Lilia wasn’t healthy. Beyond simple obsession, it was a sickening possession. Savage and rapacious, bordering on violence.“ ❞

*

Lilia Vespertine, my love my fiesty precious adorable redhead qween.

You know when the fmc says she’s from the rough side of town and she’s seen things, is tough and has fought her way thru life and then BAM the mmc enters and she forgets that she has a spine?? Yeah Lilia is definitely NOT that.

She knows when to blend in and when to speak up. Omg i absolutely LOVE that she had a spine and literally went out SWINGING lmao it was beautiful to see 🥲 her character development was gorgeous.
I loved how she opened up and found stability in Dracadia 😭🫂🩷 this girl didn’t deserve the shit she went thru Omf. She was so passionate about finding the root of noctisoma and I loved to see the relentless drive in her. She never backed away from a challenge. once her mind was made, it was MADE. Lilia is one of the rare strong yet vulnerable characters I’ve come across and I cherish her sfm.

I could feel her love for her sister even if we didn’t get to see them spending time with each other (which I’m kinda salty about ngl)

The way she was eye fucking Devryck every lesson 🤭🤭🤭🤭 and their heated glances when he’d finally look back?? ugh 💘🦋😩

Once they accepted their illicit relationship i was shaking bc i want what they have 😭🙏
- the hugs from behind 🤭🦋💘
- the hair tucks 💕
- subtly caressing the others hand when passing each other in public 🧍‍♀️🚂
- them studying together at night 😭💞
- the witty banter 🙏
- the slowburn 😩
- the SPICE?!🤌🔥 OMFDS had me rolling my eyes back and fisting my sheets; it was toe curling crack fr. I’m an addict atp.

The steady progression in their relationship was so natural and they didn’t go around saying the L word the moment they felt it. The layers from them first accepting what they felt, to mutually acknowledging how they felt, to giving in, to trying to protect themselves, to going all in and then having all those small moments sprinkle in a fuck lot of trauma bonding eventually exploding into soulmatery of the highest level 😭🔫

The way Keri lake wrote these characters makes me wanna kiss her. Give her a big ol smooch. She clearly understood the assignment 👑

*

The next part of the review is gonna be for all my ZA lovers- YOU ARE GONNA GOBBLE THIS BOOK UP SO FAST KABDHGD

LiliaDevryck were so BlueLance coded and I acceptttt this variant 😌💅✨ the characters are so fricken similar OMFDSSS it was like the BlueLance fanfic i never knew I needed. Everyone has to read this book just for that reason alone 🙏

Exhibit A:

╰┈➤ ❝ “I don’t like interruptions. This isn’t a fuck around class. Know that I’ve failed more students than I’ve passed.”
“With all due respect, I believe that’s the failure of the one teaching.” ❞

➥ you cannot tell me that’s not something bluelance would say in books 1-3.

Exhibit B:

╰┈➤ ❝ “The next time you decide to eavesdrop, perhaps you might opt to be more subtle.” ❞

➥ SCREAMINGGG

Exhibit C:

╰┈➤ ❝ “No one touched what belonged to me without repercussions.
My class.
My requirements.
My student.
Without a doubt, Lilia Vespertine was going to be a massive headache. But she was my headache.” ❞

➥ Lance is that you?? 🤭🦋💞

Exhibit D:

╰┈➤ ❝ “They had no idea the girl was brilliant and witty. Too damn smart for her age.
Too damn beautiful to be seen as something so simple and entertaining.” ❞

Exhibit E:

╰┈➤ ❝ “Don’t fuck with me, Miss Vespertine. You want to play hardball? Know that mine are made of steel.”
“That sounds painful.”
His lips twitched as if he were trying to hold back a smile. ❞

➥ I’m convinced that’s BLUELANCE in an alternate universe

Exhibit F:

╰┈➤ ❝ “It was a wonder he hadn’t rubbed all of the hair clean off his skull, the way he kept running his hands over it.“ ❞

➥ pls that’s definitely something Lance would say 💀

Exhibit G:

╰┈➤ ❝ Calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. She’d blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. And fuck me, I’d felt the heat. ❞

➥ plssss I’m gonna die I need a Lance disguised as Devryck 😭🙏

Exhibit H:

╰┈➤ ❝ The crease at the corner of his eye hinted at the slightest smile. Man, the guy was stingy when it came to them. ❞

➥ that’s so darcy coded help

Exhibit I:

╰┈➤ ❝ “Have you always been so damn stubborn?”
“Since the womb, I’m afraid.” ❞

➥ It reminds me of the scene when Lance was like why are you so stubborn, let me protect you and Darcy was like no I can protect myself 🤭🤭🤭

Exhibit J:

╰┈➤ ❝ “It was there that I began to wonder if what I felt for Lilia was something more than I cared to admit.
I dared not slip into those thoughts, though, because I knew fate and the world didn’t give so freely. “ ❞

➥ that’s so Lance coded 😭😭

And one last parting quote:

╰┈➤ ❝ “Are you jealous?”
The dark smile on his face sobered to something serious, and he pushed a stray hair behind my ear. “Jealousy is a callow schoolboy’s emotion that ends in hard feelings and bloody noses. What I feel for you, Miss Vespertine, would destroy lives.” ❞

➥ THE BLUELANCE BRAINROT IS REAL

*

I’m still reeling from the ending omf hahaha the scream I scrumpt at that last chapter- 😭 I need a book on Caeden rfn I beg 🙏

Lmao if ur still here after my long asf review, get on this book rfn bestie! 🤭

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
The funny thing is that I wasn’t even gonna write a review for this lmao. i never realised I had the words in me but here we are 🫂 this is by far the longest review I’ve ever written Omg 😭

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧

My Nocticadia Playlist

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
Zodiac academy
Gothikana
Devils night series but sfm better

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Update: someone pls teach me how to breathe again🙏 THIS BOOK ALTERED THE CHEMISTRY OF MY BRAIN IDK WHO I WAS BEFORE I READ THIS 😭

***
I’ve been wanting to read this book since it first got announced pls be amazing 🤞

***
Nov 2022 — DARK GOTHIC ACADEMIA ROMANCE?? TEACHER x STUDENT?? DOCTOR MMC?? AGE GAP??

Where do I sign?!!!

[Heather Mclarry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long as hell but so worth it!! Perfect read for the fall! I really enjoyed this book

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

“That I would kill for you without a beat of hesitation, or remorse. And yet, at the same time, I could be reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash without you. I’m weak for you, Lilia.”

4.5 stars ✨
Read if you are looking for Blue Lance vibes

✔️ Gothic romance
✔️ Dark academia
✔️ Forbidden romance
✔️ Professor x student romance
✔️ Age gap
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Angsty
✔️ Only one bed
✔️ Secret society
✔️ Smuttyy (4/5 🌶️)
✔️ "Touch her and die"

Damn I don't read a lot of gothic romance but this one sure peaked my interest. I went in with the expectations that the main characters in this have to live up to Blue Lance from Zodiac Academy and boy, they absolutely did.

The first 40-45% of the book was really slow in my opinion so I was a tad unsure then but after that the way it picked up 🤌 I did not want to put the book down at all.

The plot was super intriguing. NGL the prologue had me confused initially but things started making sense soon enough. Can tell how much thought and work the author put into this book, absolutely worth reading. So kudos to her 🙌 Although it's romance but the sub plot was so gothically pleasing to read. Of course it's unrealistic (I sure hope so) but the way it was pulled off 🤌

Lilia and Devryck are EVERYTHING 😩🥵 They are so perfect for each other. I liked how both of them had perfect balance in the story and one didn't overpower the other. The chemistry and heat is off the charts. And thank goodness Lilia is not dumb.

Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck Devryck 🥵😩❤️ Say hello to my new book boyfriend. Man's so hot and dreamy I'm not even exaggerating. He was making me swoon so much it's embarrassing. I loved his jealous, possessive ass.

The angst and slow burn was delicious. The spice was oof 🥵🥵🤭🤭 *fans self* Read to find out 👀 One thing I really appreciated was that Lilia did not kept things (majority of the times) from Devryck which didn't cause any unnecessary conflicts or drama. I liked she was open about the problems she was being put through as it gave them time to resolve those things and the fact that Devryck reassured her EVERY. DAMN. TIME. 🤌🤌🤌🤌

Need me a man like him.

The ending was satisfying and am so glad I read this. Possibly one of the best books I've read this year so far but let's see if that changes. I rate it 4.5 stars instead of 5 cause of the initial pacing. If you push through it, am pretty sure you'll end up loving the book.

Recommended.

Note- There are a lot of gore and vivid descriptions, some real creepy and strange. There's also violence, and abusive situations towards the FMC (not caused by the MMC).

~•~•~

Cause apparently it gives Blue Lance vibes 😌

[shanayaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

if devryck asks me to bark for him, I'd literally get on my knees and start woof-woofing 🫣

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was good, but she wasn’t great. Absolutely loved the first 80%, by the last 20% I was like pls hurry tf up. Also he never said I love you back to her?!? Like HELLO?!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ STUNNED. Might be one of my fave books of all time. I would poison myself with Noctisoma for Professor Bramwell or to reread this book all over again. Zero questions, seriously just give me all the noxberries I’ll eat them from a bowl idgaf. This needs to be the STANDARD for a contemporary dark gothic romance. Equal parts plot and romance, but heavy on both. It’s daaaark, haunting, beautiful, horrific, romantic, spicyyyyy, thrilling, symbolic, and all-consuming.

"It was my mother, my refusal to accept her death, to accept what the world had taken from me, that had brought me to Dracadia in the first place. And it was there that I'd faced death head-on. So smitten, I fell in love with him--his abrasive heart and blood-stained hands." 🧪💜☠️🪱🐦‍⬛🖤✨🥵

LITTLE MOTH. Picture this: Dracadia, an elite ivy league-type university situated on a small island off the coast of New England. Collegiate vibes on a gothic campus straight out of cambridge and a haunted history rife with secrets, death, and Native American tribal lore. A mysterious disease called Noctisoma that exists only on the island. Secret academic societies where members wear plague masks. A smoldering sexy young professor nicknamed DOCTOR DEATH with black hair and copper eyes. Said professor is also brooding (bc duh) and ignores everyone but you (touch-her-and-you-die vibes…..literally). Midnight labs where Doctor Death lectures about this creepy as hell disease through tanks filled with swimming black worms and purple moths that turn black when infected. Apparent suicides in women that, on second glance, all appear to have links to black worms......including the FMC’s mother.

So. LITTLE MOTH aka Lilia who is incredible writes a paper at her community college in Massachusetts about a "fictional" disease, only she bases it on what she actually witnessed during her own mother's death. After submitting it, her professor recognizes the disease as the one that Dracadia studies and recommends her to Dracadia's dean. She's then whisked off to Dracadia, which is also her dream school, where she meets Professor Bramwell, aka Doctor Death, aka the professor who specializes in this disease, aka the dreamiest devilish alpha 30ish year old mad scientist smokeshow. NOW picture this: a slooooowwww burn romance with Doctor Death. Secret trysts that grow spicier and spicier and spicier until the entire jar of spice is simply dumped all over you. Again, I would risk Noctisoma if it meant having Prof Bramwell. The romance is not insta-lust or insta-love but authentic and real. Lilia and Bramwell are each other's moths and flames. They are each other's toxins and antivenoms, one's life to the other's death. But its not just that one of them embodies one trait--at times, Lilia is Bramwell's toxin and medicine, and at times Bramwell is Lilia's life and her death. They contemplate each other in a deadly way. 🧪💀💜

Perfect writing (like so good even your english prof would agree). Perfect dark gothic romance. Perfect professor-student romance. Perfect academic setting. Perfect creepy af disease plot. Perfect spice that makes you want to go back to college and do it a bit…..differently. Perfect suspense and WTF is going on?! vibes. The last 20% is such thrilling high stakes chaos that I had to catch my breath. I'm reeling from how much I'm obsessed with Lilia's and Bramwell's story. AND its dual first person POV between them, and being in Bramwell's mind when he starts falling for Lilia is...something else.

I will never recover from this until Keri Lake agrees to write a sequel. Even if its just the day to day boring lives of Lilia and Bramwell. I will read about them doing f*cking laundry and washing dishes together if it means I get more. One million stars.

[chloé ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have found another book that you need to add to your fall tbr, i fear 🤭

what to expect

❂ creepy, isolated, + gothic ivy league university w/ a very dark history 🖤
❂ secret societies!!!
❂ all of the dark academia vibes (specifically studying a nightmarish parasite that causes hallucinations, worms to spill from your body, and a gruesome death 🫣)
❂ a very morally gray mmc (he has a cat, though!)
❂ revenge + vengeance
❂ professor x student relationship
❂ murder, missing person, and other mysteries
❂ not knowing who to trust

what i loved

✥ SLOW burn 🔥
✥ perfect read for fall 🍂
✥ this was a brick, yet i was never bored
✥ the fact that i read a nearly 700 page book in less than 3 days


things that were eh…

꙰ a very strange, inappropriate use of commas where they didn’t belong
꙰ overuse of the random phrase ‘eyebrows winged up’
꙰ few sentences of spice that gave me the ick, but that’s a me problem

【 caution: there is SPICE and you may want to check trigger warnings. this is a dark romance. <3 】

【【 available on Kindle Unlimited! 】】

AHHH what a cool concept. i need to pick up more keri lake books immediately!🖤

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ ⭐️s Hands down my favorite read of 2024 so far. OH. MY. GOD. I need this book INJECTED INTO MY VEINS!!! Keri Lake, where have you been all my life?!!! This book was sheer perfection, I wouldn’t change a single goddamn thing!

The gothic world, the academic setting, the tension, the spice, the banter, the writing, the characters, the romance, the plot….. ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

This book is DARK and TWISTED and really made me question my morals, and I ate up every last word on the page like a starved feral animal.

I seriously have never read ANYTHING like this before. The atmosphere was so spooky and haunting, and the world is so immersive I felt like I was watching everything take place through the characters eyes! The plot was absolutely INSANITY! I seriously could not predict the plot twists at the end and the last 20% had me pacing back and forth with anxiety, I LOVED IT! The science nerd in me also went crazy for this, even if they are studying a completely fictional disease, Keri Lakes attention to detail made it feel so realistic! The perfect balance of plot and romance that had me quite literally incapable of putting this book down.

Professor Devryk Bramwell aka Doctor Death… DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FUCKING MAN! I don’t even know how to properly articulate how much I love this grumpy, traumatized, dark, sarcastic, smart, dimpled man. His inner monologue was everything to me, I never wanted to leave his head. He’s so unserious and sarcastic and unintentionally hilarious, I was giddy every time he opened his damn mouth. He has such a hard exterior and lets his guard down for no one because this man has been to hell and fucking back. His past made my heart hurt but I absolutely loved the way Keri Lake told the story of his childhood and upbringing, GENIUS. The words this man uttered were a cross between absolute poetry and down right filthy. How possessive and obsessed he gets with Lilia had me SWEATING. He literally had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time, one of my new favorite book men of all time. I will never get this man out of my head. For example….

“The wealthy possess an insatiable appetite for the rare and priceless. They stare because you’re the only thing worth staring at.”

“You’re a sickness inside of me that begs never to be cured. Infecting me with this unshakable craving for things I shouldn’t want.”

“She was the warmth of the sun on a cold and rotting corpse. The first breath after a lifetime of death.”

“Her name was a dirty scalpel plunged deep inside my chest, past crumbling bones and decayed flesh. It pierced the only organ I vowed could never be touched again and infected me with insufferable greed.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to stay away from you after this. But let me be very clear, I don’t share. If anyone else so much as looks at this pu$$y, I’ll take pleasure in dissecting him, starting with his eyeballs.”

“I have lived a lifetime in death–a cold existence in an endless void. It wasn’t until you came along and cast the first ray of light that I felt a pulse of life. A pull that I couldn’t resist. It was you who dragged my heart from this insensate slumber. And it’s you for whom it beats now. It’s a fucking wreckage, though. Scarred and caged by ravaged bones. But it belongs only to you.”

Lilia, I couldn’t love this girl more if I tried! Her character development and growth brought tears to my eyes. She is a fucking FIGHTER! It’s rare to find an FMC that is damaged and vulnerable, but also has the strongest backbone and doesn’t let anyone else fight her battles, especially not a man. I adored how she fought for what she truly deserved and never backed down despite the odds being against her on multiple occasions. I loved how she found solace in Devryn but also never backed down from the challenges he presented. This girl must be protected at all fucking costs.

Lilia and Devryn honestly, one of my favorite fictional couples of all time. There’s just something about a professor student relationship that DOES SOMETHING TO ME like nothing else! The tension, the constant push and pull, will they won’t they???!! Gets me REELING! The definition of soulmates. One truly does not exist without the other.
- the heated glances from afar
- The longing
- The angst
- The banter
- The hair tucks
- The stolen touches
- The most scrumptious slow burn
- THE FUCKING SPICE!!!! Don’t even get me started, some of the best spicy scenes I have ever read im actually getting hot just thinking about it.

For my Zodiac academy lovers, they are so BlueLance coded it’s not even funny.

I could rave about this book for HOURS ON END!! I now have a gaping hole in my heart that will never be filled. Please read this. I’m not the same person I was before I new this masterpieces existed.

[kim ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

── 4 stars ୨ৎ
꒰ spoiler-free review ⊹₊ ⋆

⊹ ࣪ ˖ "that i would kill for you without a beat of hesitation, or remorse. and yet, at the same time, i could be reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash without you.”

┆ ⤿ 🦇 ⌗ thoughts
⟡ to preference, i am not a dark romance girlie by any means. every time i try to get into the genre, it always ends up being too dark for me (i know, how paradoxical). however, i really enjoyed this one.

⟡ this book follows lilia vespertine, who leaves her hometown to attend dracadia university to investigate the stange, mysterious death of her mother. this university specializes in studying the parasite "noctisoma", which lilia believes may be the reason for her mother's passing. while she's there, she begins to learn secrets while engaging in a forbidden romance with her professor, whose leading the noctisoma studies.

⤿ ⌞ side note. while it's forbidden + an age gap trope, this takes place in a college setting and the fmc is 20 years old⌝

⟡ to begin, i really liked the writing of this book. when i read books, i love for there to be beautiful descriptions and alluring writing, and this book delivered just that. the way keri lake perfectly transmitted me into this world was so amazing, and i struggled to put this book down at night or to do my daily tasks because it was so good. i would love to read this book during the fall time, because the dark academia vibes really would be perfect for a foggy autumn day.

⟡ i also really liked how this was more than a romance. there were spooky, thrilling aspects to it, as well as mysteries being unsolved and other things. getting to learn more about this disease with lilia was so fun, it really felt like i was in her shoes as she was discovering more about it. same with her family history, and getting to learn about the weird things involving her mother and the university was interesting as well. there were times where i felt horrified as well, HINT : THE WORMS 😭 overall, it was just a good expierence and i'm surprised more people aren't talking about it on goodreads (at least from my mutuals)

⊹ ࣪ ˖ “calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. she’d blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. and fuck me, i’d felt the heat.”

┆ ⤿ 🕷 ⌗ characters

⌗ ┆ lilia verspertine

despite what i've seen in some reviews about her, i genuinely enjoyed her character. she was such a badass, and she was actually not as aggrivating as i thought she would be. a pattern i've noticed with dark romances is that the fmcs are portrayed often as a 'helpless, damsel in distress who needs saving from her murderer boyfriend', which is always just so boring and dull 🙄 luckily, lila wasn't that way at all, at least most of the time. she was empowering and dynamic, and seeing her drive to learn more about her mother's death was inspiring to read about. we love a motivated queen. also the scene where she's filming herself in the classroom.... i don't need to say anymore 🤭

⌗ ┆ devryck bramwell

a mannnn 🫦🫦 i actually loved him so much, he's not my usual kind of book boyfriend but i'll take him. him being her professor and being older than her just screams lana del rey, and he was so ultraviolence coded (specifically shades of cool). while i do like the golden boys better, he definitely was giving with the "touch her and i'll kill you" vibes and i genuinely loved it so much. the scenes where he's teaching but won't stop looking at her live rent free in my mind. i loved men who have a soft spot for their girls <3

the scene where he calls his lawyer to immediately have her video on that strange website taken down after she posts it, saying she can find money a different way because he didn't want other men watching her 🫣 if you know, you know

⌗ ┆ devryck + lilia

teacher x student is one of my least favorite tropes ever, i think i'm still traumatized from lolita/my dark vanessa LOL. but it was, of course, done right this time. forbidden romances are always amazing, and them sneaking around this school because it's prohibited was so fun (but also thrilling) to read about. all the little stolen glances and kisses throughout the classes and in-between them>>> and they were such a power couple once they got together, i was rooting for them so hard

⊹ ࣪ ˖ “you don’t have to be scared. i will never hurt you, lilia. in fact, i’ll rain hell on anyone who ever hurts you again.”

┆ ⤿ 🗝️ ⌗ final thoughts
⟡ i really liked this book and i would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky, dark academic gothic romance (that's so much more than a romance 🤭).

⟡ my one problem with this book, though, was the last 80% were very rushed but somehow dragged at the same time? there was just too much going on, and i think we could've left without the secret society stuff/the stuff with bramwell's brother. otherwise, i think this book would've been a 4.5 stars! i will definitely be reading more titles from this author in the future <3

started ➤ june 9, 2025
finished ➤ june 14, 2025

[✰⋆☾ ⋆ Anna ⭑☽ ✧˖°. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did we all read the same book? Cus’ what in the worms infested brains is this.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... honestly, the first 65% or so was pretty underwhelming, boring and a bit cringe. The last 35% was good enough for me to hand over 2 stars. I thought this was going to be so much better though. Full review to come.



I was searching for a cute angsty romance for v-day but since I'm not having any luck... I might as well go in the opposite direction. 😏🖤🥀

“What separates monsters from good men is only a matter of perspective.”

[Uswah · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, I’m so in love with this book!! 🥹🤭🖤

Bestieeee Caroline and I absolutely ate this book up 🤭 We’re sooo obsessed with this read especially Professor Devryck Bramwell, aka Dr. Death 👀🤭 I mean, c'mon, how could we not fall for him? 🙂‍↕️🤭 He’s literally perfect. A man who would do anything for his woman??? 🥹 Sign me up. We love a man who will destroy the world for his woman and then help her clean up the mess with a cup of coffee like nothing happened 🤭 And I had such a great time reading and yapping with bestie 🫶 ILYSMMMM!!! 😘💋

And Lilia??? YES to clever, curious FMCs!! 🥹🫶 I’m seriously so impressed by her! Her random urges to ask questions had me giggling every time 😂 It made me so happy to read Devryck’s responses to her curiosity 🤭 Their dynamic is just everything. Also her friendship with Jayda??? Top-tier. 🥹 I wish we got more of them, but honestly, I’m still super happy with what Miss Author gave us 🙂‍↕️ And don’t get me started on her sibling relationship with Bee 🥹 SO CUTE. Again, I wish there was more of them, but it’s okay. I’m content with what we got 💜

Now... CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE TWISTSSSS!?!? 😭 Miss Author was out here throwing twist after twist like fireworks 😭 I was able to guess a few of them, but the rest?? Had me frozen in absolute shock 😭 This book is honestly perfect for this season—spooky vibes, eerie mysteries, unexpected reveals—you will be hooked from start to finish 🥹

And the ending!?!? That epilogue??? I. KNEW. IT. 🤭 I freakin’ knew it 🙂‍↕️👀 Now I desperately need their book 😔 I’d be obsessing over it. Pls Miss Author, make it happen 🤭 I’m already in love with Caed 👀

As for Spencer... I have very mixed feelings. I don’t hate him, but I don’t love him either. Sure, I still hate some of the things he did, but he did change a little 🤷‍♀️ Sooo... idk 😭 Now Melisandre Thorpe?? I hate her. So much. I made the mistake of trusting her. I really thought she could be good. I even imagined her becoming Lilia’s bestie 😭 But nope. She proved me so wrong. Manipulative and shady af 😠 And Professor Gilchrist??? I’ve never wanted a character to fall harder 😭 I kept waiting for her downfall, but it didn’t happen like I expected 😭 She’s honestly the worst.

There were a few other characters I totally loathed too, but they got exactly what they deserved 😌 And that? That was satisfying.

Overall, an amazing book. 🥹🫶 I loved every second of it 🙂‍↕️ So yea, that’s it guys. Love y’all 🫶🖤

————————————————————
✮₊⊹₊⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆₊ ⊹✮ pre-read ✮₊⊹₊⋆ ☠︎︎ ⋆₊ ⊹✮

My first buddy read with Bestieeee Caroline 🤭🖤 And we’re sooo excited for this. Also helloooo!? The Blurb 👀 Yea, IT BETTER DELIVER 😤

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

He called her a “newly minted adolescent” and then still proceeded to bone

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

– 3 stars

I’ve finally succumbed to the pressure after reading in several reviews how Lilia x Devryck is being compared to one of my favs Darcy and Orion from Zodiac Academy. After reading Nocticadia , I can safely say that the comparison is a reach 🧍‍♀️ besides the student-professor trope, age-gap and forbidden relationship aspect of both couples I don’t really see similarities.

No one touched what belonged to me without repercussions.
My class.
My requirements.
My student.
Without a doubt, Lilia Vespertine was going to be a massive headache. But she was my headache.

--- not really a review, but I wanted to share some thoughts here and there and they might include spoilers ---

💀 the beginning is painfully slow .. I was waiting for Lilia (h) and Devryck (H) to finally interact and be on the same page and it takes FOREVER. 21% of an almost 700 pages book until they cross path and 23% until they have a conversation… it was really testing my patience. I’d even say that until 50% of the book liliadevryck have maybe a handful of interactions .. they don’t have that many scenes together until she gets to be his assistant in his lab. Literally Mina and I complaining every 5 pages when Lilia and Devryck would meet:



💀 Lilia Vespertine (h): she was a decent heroine for the first half of the book... there but not super annoying .. so basically the bare minimum, but I take it. But then in the last 40% she started to annoy me, and she became such a hypocrite. Accusing Mel of being a snake when she was the first person who sold out Mel’s name to a certain someone for information, but then woe is me when Mel did a reverse uno card on her lmao. I don’t even like Mel, she is a huge cunt and deserves what is coming for her, but it’s the principle what Lilia did wasn’t great either so stop acting like she didn’t do something bad too.

“The wealthy possess an insatiable appetite for the rare and priceless. They stare because you’re the only thing worth staring at.”

💀 Devryck Bramwell (H): I like him, but I don’t quite love him. Professor who doesn’t like anyone with a tragic backstory, all the potential for a 5* hero was there, but Dev never reached that potential, and I can’t tell you why. Every time I see his name, I hear the “you were good I’m waiting for you to be great” sound in my head.

“To answer your question about why I didn’t leave you in the gardens that night, I find you to be an intriguing annoyance.” “I guess that’s appropriate, coming from a man I find to be brilliantly antisocial,” I quipped.

💀 at 30% there is the first interesting scene when Lilia masturbates in class during Devryck’s lecture, films herself and gets caught by Professor Dearest who confiscates her phone and gets obsessed with that video as he should cause that shit was hot 💅 the scene without context might sounds cringe, but it was so good, kudos to Keri Lake tho most of her smut scenes in this book were pretty well done. The sex scenes are prob my fav part about Lilia and Dev’s relationship 🏃‍♀️

“You’re the fever in my veins,” he said through clenched teeth, as he drove into me with furious determination. “An incurable madness I can’t shake. Fucking you is the only thing that keeps me sane, Lilia.”

💀 the dark academia gothic vibes were def there, while I thought that the writing and description were very pretentious, it’s on par with the dark academia and topics that Nocticadia covered, but I couldn’t help but feel like Keri Lake wanted to shove the fact down my throat how smart she is by putting in how much research she did with all the medical and biological terms she threw around

💀 the plot of Nocticadia is all over the place I wouldn’t even know how to begin to explain all of it. Within the mystery plot were several other mysteries woven in and the last 20% of the book was a whack show plot wise. Miss Lake did too much that I didn’t know half of the time what was going on…

💀 the epilogue got me very intrigued. I’m waiting for Lilia’s sister book with a potential other teacher/professor hero that I already like more than Dev from what little I’ve read about him on screen 👀

Conclusion

all in all, not a bad book, but not great for me either. It was too plot heavy and it didn’t have enough couple scenes imo, even tho the smut was very good, but if you're not a character driven reader like me this book should work a lot better. The book should have been 200% shorter as well, cause books that aren’t fantasy that are more than 500+ pages are a crime to humanity.

[anastasia ♥ hiraeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

When she started masturbating during class AND filming herself while doing so it was over for me. No thanks to the cringe.

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

omg this book was SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I LOVE DARK ACADEMIA AND GOTHIC ROMANCE (this is definitely my alter ego speaking), AND THIS BOOK DELIVERED. i’ve never read anything quite like it, and i kid you not, i was completely hooked from the very first chapter.

that said, i didn’t rate it 5 stars for a few reasons:
1. chapter 25-28 made me kinda uncomfortable and gave me second-hand embarrassment 🤦🏻‍♀️😭
2. the author seemed to lose focus on the plot at one point because lilia and devryck could not stop smashing each other.
3. the last 20% of the book felt underwhelming. while the author masterfully established a slow, suspenseful, and deeply eerie atmosphere along with an intriguing plot, the conclusion felt rushed due to the rapid-fire revelations, leaving me unsatisfied. on top of that, the last chapter and epilogue felt so unnecessary, and i was left with so many unanswered questions.

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ lilia
lilia is strong and independent, i’ll give her that, but she’s certainly not the wisest 😭

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ devryck
devryck is hot and all, but i didn’t really swoon over him 👀 i’m sorry but he’s nothing like orion, and no other professor can compare to my man lance. i loved how he shared his backstory as if it were story time though.

ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ lilia and devryck
the tension and slow burn were executed really well, but i honestly couldn’t feel their connection beyond their constant lust for each other. i picked this book up hoping for a good ‘professor x student’ romance, but the plot was so captivating that i ended up not caring much about the romance 🫢

“I both hated and craved the addicting way he’d hooked himself into my veins and fed me with this unbridled and reckless desire. It went against everything I was. Everything I believed. And yet, it was everything.”

“She was the warmth of the sun on a cold and rotting corpse. The first breath after a lifetime of death.”

“After I lost my mother, and Bee went off to school, I kind of spiraled into myself and learned how to find solace in loneliness. It became my home. The only place I felt safe. Then I came here. And I met you. And I learned that loneliness was a choice for me. This place is more than just a school to me. I suppose I could’ve kept to myself, as I always have, and remained another forgettable face in the crowd. And maybe Gilchrist wouldn’t have bothered. Or maybe she would’ve and I’d have just gone back to my old, lonely life, and had all the answers I’ve yearned for. Answers that don’t really matter anymore. The decision was made the moment I met you, though. To stay here. I choose you.”
“I choose you. And believe me when I say, you’re hard to forget, Miss Vespertine.”

“You don’t have to be scared. I will never hurt you, Lilia. In fact, I’ll rain hell on anyone who ever hurts you again.”

“Don’t hide from me, Lilia. You are no less beautiful than that day you walked into my classroom and stole my fucking breath.”

“I have lived a lifetime in death—a cold existence in an endless void. Never feeling. Never knowing the warmth of touch. Every unfulfilling breath a suffocating reminder of how hollow I’d become. It wasn’t until you came along and cast the first ray of light that I felt a pulse of life. A pull that I couldn’t resist. Don’t ever hesitate to touch me, Lilia. You’re the only one who can. It was you who dragged my heart from this insensate slumber. And it’s you for whom it beats for now.”

“I hadn’t come to Dracadia with any notion of falling in love with my professor, or Death, as some had referred to him. Perhaps that was the nature of the world, to take so cruelly, then swoop in and blindside us when we least expected it. There was an implicit truth in the dead teaching the living, though. It was my mother, my refusal to accept her death, to accept what the world had taken from me, that had brought me to Dracadia in the first place. And it was there that I’d faced death head-on. So smitten, I fell in love with him—his abrasive heart and blood-stained hands. The dangerous and erudite professor, with fiery eyes and cold steel flesh. We hid away in shadows, stealing kisses under midnight stars. He taught me passion and courage, and to seize what I wanted by the teeth. And in return, I taught him to feel again.”

overall, i ate this book up, and i had a great time reading and discussing it with kendall. i love how our thoughts and opinions perfectly aligned 🤭


pre-read 💀🦋:

‘professor x student’ is my new favourite trope and i miss bluelance sm but can’t read book 4 of ZA yet so i’m hoping this one will make up for it 😭🤞🏻

update: impromptu br with kendall because she's currently reading it too 🖤

[giulsxx · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★

”Mortui vivos docent. The dead teach the living.”

╰┈➤ read this if you like:
★ dark academia
★ touch her and 🪦
★ professor x college student
★ forbidden romance
★ slow burn + spicy🥵
★ gothic
★ morally gray mmc
READ THE TWs!!!!!!!!

reread 15/03/2026:
i loved it like the first time! this is one of my all time favs

first read 08/10/2024:
OMG the way i devoured this book!!!
the perfect read for the spooky season, couldn’t have chosen a better one to start.

”I forgot the world outside the gates of Dracadia. If Heaven existed, I'd found it in those ancient, dark hallways, under cold misty skies with autumn's wet leaves sticking to the soles of my boots, in the scent of coffee and old books. And him. My moody and devilishly handsome professor.”

➥ lilia vespertine finds herself with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attending Dracadia university to study and uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. dracadia is on a secluded island, 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. but then there’s also the handsome professor devryck bramwell, a pathologist with as many skeletons in his closet as lilia.
the dead have much to teach, and it's only a matter of time before Dracadia's most depraved secret is resurrected.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Lilia & Devryck💜🖤
these two made me question my morals ngl. but the romance between them was *chef fucking kiss*!!!
lilia is smart and brilliant, she asks lots of questions (to which devryck pretends to be annoyed by, but he’s actually a proud fucker); she’s passionate and absolutely strong. she knows when to fight and when to flee. she’s curious and cunning. her passion is what drove her to dig into her mother’s death cause. she’s no fool, even tho people have always claimed she was crazy. she knew something wasn’t normal the day her mother passed away, so she wants to uncover the truth and hopefully find a cure to help others.

devryck (aka doctor death) is morally gray, perpetually annoyed by people and a total bastard—but i love him for it. he uses sarcasm and black humor all the time, making him unintentionally funny. he’s a man of his word: make no mistake, if he makes a threat, be sure he’ll follow through. his past and his illness made my heart ache for him.

together, they are the perfect duo. they share the same interest in science and you can definitely see how their love for each other grows all throughout the book. from their first glance to their first kiss, everything felt so natural and inevitable because they clearly couldn’t stay away from each other.
i LOVED the dynamics between the two of them. the tension and banter, the angst, the heated glances, the stolen kisses and slow burn… TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS BOOK ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS!
aaa i loved them so much!!!

”She was the warmth of the sun on a cold and rotting corpse. The first breath after a lifetime of death.”

overall, i’ve been hooked on this book since page one. the academic setting, the dark themes, the tension, the writing—everything was so fucking good. the intricate plot and the final twist left me with my jaw on the floor. this is the perfect book if you want something spooky, creepy and disturbing but also hot and mysterious.
this is truly one of the best book i’ve read this year. i have no criticism about it bc everything was on fucking point. i’ve never read anything like this and i’m definitely picking up more of keri lake’s books bc i love her writing.
DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED!
ALSO, we have a novella about bee??????? omg????? this is insane! brb i have to read it asap!🏃🏻‍♀️💨

onto the next💋

Without a doubt, Lilia Vespertine was going to be a massive headache.
But she was MY headache.

In a normal human being, it might’ve triggered an urge to get the heck out of there, because what the hell kind of person would’ve been caught on a rocky cliff, in the woods, with a man who carved corpses at night?

“That is the tragedy of women, isn’t it? We deny ourselves beauty for the sake of misleading men.”

Again, the thought of Professor Bramwell studying my puke somehow seemed worse than him handcuffing me to a bed inside what must’ve been a prison at one time. Crazy, but that was my state of mind right then.

Calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. She’d blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. And fuck me, I’d felt the heat.

“Says who? I happen to get very attached to my fictional boyfriends.” Yet another frown. “Boyfriends?”
“I read a lot.”

If the man buried his compliments that way, or softened his insults behind handsome smiles and poetic words.

Curiosity and trepidation clashed his eyes, and he skated his palm down my cheek, pausing to rub his fingers together. His thumb caressed my bottom lip, and his hand moved to my hair again, where he let a strand slip through his fingers, eyes alight with fascination. “I feel you.”

Lilia. Her name was a dirty scalpel plunged deep inside my chest, past crumbling bones and decayed flesh. It pierced the only organ I vowed could never be touched again and infected me with insufferable greed.

Could it have been more perfect? Could I have known another soul so intimately as in that moment, with the two of us wound so tightly together? Entombed by rapture and the shame of knowing we’d breached the forbidden boundary and there was no going back.

“Jealousy is a callow schoolboy’s emotion that ends in hard feelings and bloody noses. What I feel for you, Miss Vespertine, would destroy lives.”

Over her shoulder, she shot me a smile–one so fucking beautiful, I wanted to frame it. Capture it. Study the alchemy of it. How wonderfully intoxicating one simple expression could be.

I couldn’t fucking do it, because all I could think about, all that mattered to me, was the girl. The beautiful girl with her autumn hair, and eyes that reminded me of both the sea and the sky. And she was everything. The earth, the sun, the moon. The air I breathed, and the tenacious beat that kept my eroded heart pumping.

It was in that moment, I believed him when he said he belonged to me. Like a vast ocean claimed by a single grain of sand.

Burrowed deep into the roots, it blossomed from the wounds of my broken heart, tearing through the stitches that burned with memories of those who’d tried to hurt me. Sometimes, the pain was too much to bear. But sometimes it felt good, because it meant that I was capable of feeling something.

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I should be ashamed of myself. I've been adding Keri Lake's books to my tbr for years and have listened to more than one enthusiastic friend fangirl over her, but did I pick up any of her work? No. Why? The world may never know why I do the things I do. I certainly don't. All I know is it was a big mistake. I could have been in Keri Lake heaven all these years, because let me tell you, I definitely was this week! My expectations couldn't have been higher after all the aforementioned waiting and high praise, but she blew those expectations right out of the fucking water! 



Nocticadia is a forbidden, gothic, age gap, dark academia, slowburn romance with horror/sci-fi vibes. It's set on the fictional island of Dracadia where our heroine, Lilia, is invited to attend a prestigious university on a full scholarship. Up until that invitation, Lilia is barely surviving, working long hours to pay rent and half of her sister's expensive boarding school tuition while managing a couple of community college classes on the side. Her dreams of earning a degree and providing a decent life for the only family she has left seems far out of reach, so when this seemingly too good to be true opportunity presents itself along with an additional way to afford her sister's schooling, she takes it despite her skepticism and any other concerns she may have. 



Devryn is an aloof, brilliant, and hot as hell professor at Dracadia University with a deadly reputation. He's studying a peculiar species of worms Lilia suspects are responsible for her mother's strange death, so she makes it her mission to become his lab assistant by any means necessary despite the rumors responsible for his nickname around campus, Doctor Death. Devryn and Lilia's chemistry in and out of the lab is intense, and before long, the sexual tension is just too much to bear. 



Devryn and Lilia's story gave me everything I could have hoped for! It's mysterious, atmospheric, intriguing, chilling, and macabre with a healthy dose of naughty student/teacher taboo. Both characters have interesting, tragic backstories that will break your heart, and if you're into sexy, morally gray antiheroes and smart, strong heroines, you'll absolutely adore these two. 



Nocticadia is a slow moving, beautifully written romance that is worth every bit of the journey. I usually devour books I'm loving as quickly as possible, but with this one, I actually prolonged my reading experience, because I wanted to live in this world for as long as I could. It's so well done and unique that I know it's going to be hard to find something that will give me similiar feels and that I'll enjoy as much as I did this one. 



Gothic romance fans, this one's for you!

P.S. I would love a book with Lilia's sister and a certain someone, especially after that ending!!

[ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was actually so good. RTC

[aislinn ୭ ˚.⁺⊹ .ᐟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

─── ୨ৎ 5 stars
⤿ .ᐟ spoiler-free review

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎⤿ ‎⋮ ⟢ started: march 14, finished: march 28

°˖⟡ ─ "I have lived a lifetime in death-a cold existence in an endless void. never feeling. never knowing the warmth of touch. every unfulfilling breath a suffocating reminder of how hollow I'd become. it wasn't until you came along and cast the first ray of light that I felt a pulse of life. a pull that I couldn't resist.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ summary ⟡〃📜
when Lilia Vespertine's mother succumbs to a mysterious illness that slowly made her unrecognizable both physically and emotionally, Lilia abandons all of her original life plans and decides to dedicate her time to one thing: figuring out what really happened to her mother. after receiving an offer to attend the prestigious Dracadia University's secretive medical program, she discovers this institution is the only place that studies the rare and fatal disease, Noctisoma—the very disease Lilia feels killed her mother. once Lilia arrives, she begins to learn all of the dark and dangerous secrets surrounding the school, the disease and her professor, Doctor Death.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ thoughts ⟡〃🪶
➳┆oh. my. GOD. this might just be my favourite book of 2026 so far... I am utterly obsessed and I fear I am going to fall into a rude slump in the near future because I am still stuck on the island of Dracadia with Lilia and Devryck. UGH. my heart still beats a little harder when I think about this story and it's been a few weeks since I finished it.

➳┆the setting of this book delivered in every single shape and form. this book included thriller, dark academia, dark romance AND gothic elements which made it remain extremely entertaining throughout. I felt genuinely creeped out several times while reading this and it really felt like I never knew exactly what was going on. while this book would be amazing at any time of the year, this is definitely the ultimate fall book and will surely give you the creeps while simultaneously making you fall head over heels for the characters.

➳┆I have to say, I was intimidated by this book at first because it's nearly 700 pages but I guarantee you, you will not even notice. I'm not sure how Keri Lake did it but the pacing of this book was nearly perfect. while the romance within this book was a beautiful slow-burn, the other events moved at a fast pace but still slowed down where necessary, ensuring that anticipation was constantly built. and the world-building? stellar. every time I picked this book up I was completely pulled away from reality and into this world.

➳┆and I also need to mention the fact that Keri Lake's way of writing was just perfection. the prose was complex and beautiful and you can just tell she really planned this book out. there was so much talk about parasites and just a bunch of medical terminology that I'm mostly unfamiliar with and usually would not go for in a book but she wrote this in such a way that you just need to know more. putting the book down was never an option, it was throughly addicting.

➳┆also, let's talk about how complex this story got at times and yet everything came full circle beautifully. there was not one plot hole in this book and that really just goes to show how much work and dedication went into this story—this book was planned out hard and that showed through its flawless beauty.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ characters ⟡〃🏹

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎˗ˏˋ ꒰ lilia vespertine ꒱ ˎˊ˗
"calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. she'd blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. and fuck me, I'd felt the heat."

➳┆I have only amazing things to say about this girl and she is easily an all-time favourite fmc of mine. for starters, this girl has a backbone and that was incredibly refreshing. despite her trauma and horrible events of her life, she is strong and bold and will never let people walk all over her or treat her poorly. her intelligence is also something I strongly admired. to think she was going to stay in her community college and she may not have gotten the opportunity to prove how capable and valuable she is is a crazy thought. Lilia is a real, relatable and thoroughly respectable character and she will be living in my head for a long time to come.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎˗ˏˋ ꒰ devryck bramwell ꒱ ˎˊ˗
"my dark sea. the mystifying depths that both captivated and terrified me."

➳┆your honour, I love him. this man was the most perfect mix of mysterious, profound, intense and sexy. sexy, sexy, sexy. he was so insanely intriguing, I was starving for his story and his chapters in his pov. I'll be so real, he was already a new favourite book boyfriend before he even opened his mouth. UH HUH, he's that good.

➳┆and yet, underneath this god of a man, there is a scared little boy who yearns for family and love and that just made me love him even more. I cried with him during his flashbacks and cried for his reality in the present day at times as well. I really did feel everything for this man.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎˗ˏˋ ꒰ lilia + devryck ꒱ ˎˊ˗
“and so the moth befriended the flame.”

➳┆the slow-burn, the yearning and the forbidden aspect created one unforgettable and enchanting love story between these two. Devryck had this urge to protect Lilia and stand up for her in quiet ways which turned into loud and unashamed ways. they were always each others, even before they cared to admit it. I loved the push and pull between these two. it wasn't prolonged enough to make you annoyed, it was prolonged just long enough that when they finally gave into one another, you're having a dance party in your room at 3am.

➳┆Lilia was so bold to Devryck's face and I devoured that. she had nothing to hide when it came to her feelings for him and she went for exactly what she wanted. the way she also cared for him was beautiful. she knew precisely what to do when he needed help and she would seriously do anything for that man.

➳┆I don't care much for smut in books these days but oh lord, if it's going to be written like it was in this then throw all the smut my way. I actually didn't want to skim these scenes for the first time in SO. LONG.

‎𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ quotes ⟡〃🪻

“jealousy is a callow schoolboy’s emotion that ends in hard feelings and bloody noses. what I feel for you, Miss Vespertine, would destroy lives.”

“he was moody, like rainy days and bitter coffee. sensual whispers in dark corners and the slow burn of fine whiskey.”

“that I would kill for you without a beat of hesitation, or remorse. and yet, at the same time, I could be reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash without you.”

"over her shoulder, she shot me a smile—one so fucking beautiful, i wanted to frame it. capture it. study the alchemy of it. how wonderfully intoxicating one simple expression could be."

“don’t hide from me, Lilia. you are no less beautiful than that day you walked into my classroom and stole my fucking breath.”

“the wealthy possess an insatiable appetite for the rare and priceless. they stare because you’re the only thing worth staring at.”

“you don’t have to be scared. I will never hurt you, Lilia. in fact, I’ll rain hell on anyone who ever hurts you again.”

"it was my mother, my refusal to accept her death, to accept what the world had taken from me, that had brought me to Dracadia in the first place. and it was there that I'd faced death head-on. so smitten, I fell in love with him-his abrasive heart and blood-stained hands. the dangerous and erudite professor, with fiery eyes and cold steel flesh. we hid away in shadows, stealing kisses under midnight stars. he taught me passion and courage, and to seize what I wanted by the teeth. and in return, I taught him how to feel again"

and lastly,
⤷ to Vanessa,
thank you so much for reading this one with me! I'm sorry I read ahead so fast lol 🙈 I'm so happy we both got a new favourite book out of this though 💌

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

󠁐# —pre-read 🪻
⤿ ⟢ started: march 14

oh my goodness y'all I am FINALLY reading one of my most anticipated books for so long now!! the synopsis immediately captured my attention and so many of my besties on here have told me such great things about this book. my hopes are through the roof tbh. 🥹🤞🏼

and to make this experience even more exciting, I'm doing my first br with the gorgeous vanessa 🤭🖤💫 I've been beyond excited for this moment since we planned it, and I cannot wait to yap and obsess over everything this book has to offer with you!!

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

4.5 Stars (rating up bc the BLUELANCE vibes were GIVING!)

I'm OBSSESED with this book! It was Dark Academia at it's most fun and macbre and I loved all of it! Four years ago Lilia witnessed her mother die in a gruesome and perplexing way but no one believes her instead believing it to have been suicide. But Lilia knows what she saw that night and finding the answers to what illness afflicted her mother and perhaps saving others from the same fate becomes her mission in life, so when the opportunity to attend Dracadia University, the premier school that studies the same parasite the she suspects killed her mother she jumps at the chance. In order for Lilia to achieve her goal though she must get close to the Professor everyone calls Dr. Death. Prof Devryck Bramwell is taciturn, unyielding and she also can't take her eyes off the alluring teacher but with rumors swirling around him and several murders and disappearances, coming to Dracadia may have put Lilia in a world of danger.

"You've infected every part of me, and I can't stop. I can't stop this obsession."

Aaaahhh! This book was so much fun! The dark vibes, the academia, the CHEMISTRY between the main characters and the mysteries!! All of it was so good and captivated my attention from the first chapter. This book does skirt the line of horror and can be a little GORY at times but I delighted in it and all the biology heavy references and scenes were fascinating! I loved all the mysteries and plot twists, I guessed most of them but it didn't take away from the exciting pace of the storytelling. But the relationship between Devryck and Lilia was heart of this book and I am infatuated with them! For my ZA fans, YES, this is SOOO BLUELANCE coded!!! The writing was beautiful and the plot was intelligent, I did think it was a little slow at a certain parts when it leaned heavily into the science but it makes up for it later in the plot.

"A strange pull tugged at my chest. I couldn't explain it. Even as abrasive as he was, I found him utterly captivating. Magnetic."

Lilia-Determined, intelligent and doesn't put up with any tomfoolery. She was such a fantastically written fmc. I loved her perseverance and how she always was steadfast to draw her own conclusions instead of allowing other people to influence her decisions and opinions.

"She was the warmth of the sun on a cold rotting corpse. The first breathe after a lifetime of death."

Devryck-GAH!! THIS MAN!!!! He is grumpy, brilliant, bossy and he has such a FILTHY mouth!!! I LOVE HIM!! He also is a bit unhinged but it's all forgiven bc Dr. Death is just too HOT! I really loved his story and how it all played out, it was heartbreaking and created an immediate attachment to his character. The way he is so possessive and protective of Lilia tho! 🫠He was PERFECT! He was deliciously Lance coded all the way down to his bourbon and the dimple in his cheek!

Fave quotes 🤌

"What separates monsters from good men is only a matter of perspective. In your eyes, I'm a sick fuck for what I've done to you. But I, on the other hand see you as a parasite."

"I reached down into the bottom drawer of my desk and grabbed a bottle of bourbon, along with two glasses." OH HELLO LANCE! IS THAT YOU?! 🤭

"My grouchy nature serves a purpose Miss Vespertine. Unfortunately, you seem to have some inexplicable resistance."

"And because I'm a selfish prick who has to love with the fact that I cannot have you to myself, I'm going to ruin you so that any boy who comes after me will leave you deeply unsatisfied, and you will be left fucking your own fingers, desperate to remember the time you had your professor's face between your legs."

"Good fucking girl."

"There's a violence in my blood. This rage that twists in my gut, and it makes me sick. I'm fucking sick when it comes to you."

"That I would kill for you without a beat of hesitation, or remorse. And yet, at the same time, I could be reduced to nothing more than a pile of ash without you. I'm weak for you, Lilia."

"I will bleed out everyone of your demons until you feel safe."

...........................................................................................................................................................
When my bumblebee Iqra says BlueLance vibes and read this now, you do what she says! Give me the dark and twisty goodness!!! 🤭

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Jolie McAdoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanna read it again

[hater ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the dark, gothic atmosphere!! the worldbuilding and concepts felt fresh (i haven’t read many books with this kind of plot lately). the pacing is a bit slow at first, but after around 25% it gets super addictive. i also liked that there’s actually a PLOT, so it didn’t revolve entirely around the romance… oh, and i cringed sm in the last chapter before the epilogue i’m sorry 😭

warning: there’s a professor x student romance… i usually don’t like that, but i kinda ignored it

[lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

do yall hate bluelance??

—

br w my girl autumn <3

i heard they give bluelance vibes n i miss my babies 💝

[sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ

⤷ What a rideeee RTC

____________

Preread
A gothic, academia romance w a hot professor that we are calling Dr. Death??? Ok sir class is in session and I am SAT

[Ss · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ 𝗚𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮, 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗹, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘅 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 What more would anyone wish for??!

I enjoyed the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 so much, It was fun, enjoyable and the world itself is interesting in a way that keeps you wanting to know more.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟳𝟱% 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟱%??? 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁. Amazing plot full of twists, many things unraveling that had me thrilled.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 was perfect🤌🏻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽, 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻?!! Yes please.
I enjoyed their relationship and the way they get each other, They really felt 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.
Would've been my new fav book couples if Devryck didn't give me the ick 😭.

𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗿𝘆𝗰𝗸 is truly everything I wish for in a book boyfriend, He's hot, He's a tortured soul that pathetically yearns, BUT unfortunately he lost me when he sent her🐱 vid to his phone ⁱʸᵏʸᵏ, THEN deleted it from her messages so she wouldn't know he has the vid. THAT gave me THE ICK.


“What was it about the girl that had me breaking my own rules?”

“Remember you must die.”

“You’re going to destroy me. And I won’t stop you.”

“There isn’t a sharp enough blade to carve you out of my head, Lilia. I’d have to tear out my own goddamn eyeballs to keep from noticing your every move. Who you talk to.”




|𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 -`்*ੈ
𝖨'𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁 𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖺 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗌𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖨'𝗏𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖨 𝖺𝗆🙇🏻‍♀️.

[Alyssa Nieves · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect dark and moody academia romance!! This gave the vibes I needed! 🖤

Lilia and Devryck (daddy dr death 😮‍💨) were EVERYTHING!! They are for the Bluelance girlies! Ugh the chemistry, the banter, the slow burn??? So good!!!

The plot was so interesting and the mystery of it all had me so intrigued! I was very close to giving this 5 stars, but I think the ending wasn’t completely satisfying after following these characters for over 600 pages. It felt a little rushed towards the end, especially when the first half of the book evolved slowly. But, I still loved it so much!! I can’t wait to read more from Keri Lake now!

𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓆𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈! <3

“That is the tragedy of women, isn’t it? We deny ourselves beauty for the sake of misleading men.”

“You’re a sickness inside of me that begs never to be cured. Infecting me with this unshakable craving for things I shouldn’t want.”

“The wealthy possess an insatiable appetite for the rare and priceless. They stare because you’re the only thing worth staring at.”

[benedicta · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ you just didn't speak to me

I think this was supposed to be some kind of slow burn dark academia/fantasy and Devryck and Lilia were not bad main characters but they and their lab activities weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged for 700 pages, to put it mildly it was bordering on torture 😬

Usually I'm obsessed with age gap, professor-student to lovers but this was soooo drawn out when the smut finally came the thrill was gone and I had literally fallen asleep 😭

[Reynita ★ The Night Reader ★]

⋆. 𐙚 ̊ 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ₊˚⊹𝜗𝜚

❤︎ Professor x college student trope 🫣 (forbidden romance?)
❤︎ Age gap 🥵
❤︎ Touch her & ☠️
❤︎ Slow burn and morally grey MMC 🫠

Don’t judge me pleasee but why does this sound so PERFECT?! I AM SO READY Y’ALL 🤫