Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Brey
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic
The first in a sweeping and epic Own Voices debut fantasy trilogy about a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince who have to team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed—set in a world inspired by the author’s Dominican heritage.
To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks. As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.
After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.
But when Finn’s and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darknesses in their pasts
Nocturna is author Maya Motayne's debut novel. It is the first in what the publisher is claiming will be a fantasy trilogy. Goodreads has this listed as part of the A Forgery of Magic trilogy, but the publisher's mailer states the trilogy is called Nocturna. I'll go with the publisher. This story features two prominent characters in Prince Alfehr (Alfie) Reyes, and Finn Voy, a thief who is able to shift her fact to become anyone she's ever met. The story kicks off with Alfie returning home to Castallan after failing to discover a way to find out what happened to his brother Dez, who just happened to be the Crown Prince.
Alfie and Finn first meet while he is trying to win several illegal books on forbidden magic hoping to find a way to bring his brother back after a near coup sent him into a void where there's no escape. Alfie also has the ability to open a door to anywhere he needs to be while also having an affinity for water elemental. Bad things start when a dark figure from Finn's past decides to stalk her to Castallan where he finds a new calling as the vessel for an evil called Sombria, and Alfie is forced into working for a crime boss in order to regain her magic.
The idea of the prince and the thief teaming up to defeat an evil magic was a wonderful premise but the story was a bit too long. I admit that I had difficulty paying attention and not drifting off to do other things. The villain in this story is absolutely relentless to the point of being comical. It seems that every time Finn and Alfie get one step ahead in trying to defeat him, he leap frogs over their plans and they end up in a cat and mouse game that leads to a twisted ending. I am glad that Alfie's cousin Luka was able to play a part in this story. He's got some issues, but he's also loyal.
I took points off for world building because the author pretty much ignores a large parts of Castallan history while being occupied by what I supposed is the English (Englass). I liked the idea behind propios (people's own magic). It is fair to say that Alfie is an intelligent character
who makes plenty of dumb mistakes. Finn is on the snarky side and it is
her past that is truly emotional knowing what she has had to do to even
survive against near ridiculous odds. Her relationship with the creepy villain had my skin crawling.
I say it's a twisted ending, because the book really wraps up fairly well. I don't believe there is a need for a sequel in this series. I think that if the author uses other characters, like Luka for instance, it might be an interesting book to read. After the way things were left with Alfie and Finn, how do you reconcile bringing them back for another story? It is fair to say I had no issues with the diversity in this book, or the setting. I don't care what color skin a character is, or what religion they are. I only care if the story is entertaining, has plenty of action, and adventure, and makes me want to care about the characters who the author has spent time writing about.
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