Friday, October 11, 2019

Review - Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic, #1) by Maya Motayne





Title: Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic, #1)
Author: Maya Motayne
Pages: 480
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 2nd May 2019


Blurb from Goodreads:

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 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 darkness in their pasts.










My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*






With the ability to change her appearance with magic, Finn Voy is a talented thief, and handy with a knife. But when Finn finds herself in trouble with a mobster, she is given the task of stealing an important item from the royal palace. It seems impossible, but Finn is determined to try, otherwise she won't get her magic back.
Prince Alfehr - Alfie - is the unwilling heir to the throne after his older brother was killed. Racked with guilt, and knowing that he will never be as good a king as his brother would have been, Alfie searches for a way to bring his brother back, seeking forbidden books about dark magic.
Finn and Alfie are thrust together when their paths cross. Then Alfie accidentally releases a dark, ancient power and the duo must work together to stop it.
Will they succeed?


The blurb for Nocturna really intrigued me, but, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped.
I liked the characters, and reading as they interacted, but there were times when I found Alfie (and his decisions) frustrating.
The plot was pretty average overall - nothing surprising happened and I lost interest once or twice.
The setting and magic were interesting. I would be intrigued to read more books set in this world.
I liked that Nocturna was set in a Latinx inspired kingdom.
The writing was easy to follow.
My main gripe about Nocturna is that it's far too similar to the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab for my liking - the main characters, the villain, even some of the plot and magic, all reminded me of the series.
I think I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn't previously read the Shades of Magic books.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.


Overall, this was a mixed read for me.



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