Nocturna (Nocturna, 1) Hardcover – May 7, 2019

Maya Motayne’s Nocturna is an exciting fantasy debut that embraces its Latinx culture, seamlessly weaving it into a high fantasy setting. When Prince Alfehr “Alfie” Reyes returns home to Castallan, he has one goal in mind: find his older brother who was swallowed by a magical void months earlier. If he doesn’t succeed, he will have to accept his role as the next king, something he is not ready for. Finn Voy is used to being on her own. Her ability to change her appearance has been invaluable, after all, you can’t catch a thief if you don’t know what she really looks like. When Finn is blackmailed into stealing an item from the royal family, it places her in direct opposition with Alfie. Their encounter sets up a series of events in which the prince is forced to make an impossible decision in order to save his cousin, but in the process he unleashes a dark and ancient power. As unlikely allies, Alfie and Finn race to stop the malicious magic from reuniting to its master, an event that will bring back a darkness capable of corrupting the entire world.Nocturna is a Latinx fantasy that doesn’t detach itself from real world history. It addresses colonialism and slavery while also creating its own unique world. Castallan was once enslaved by Englassen colonizers who believed only they deserved to wield magic. They stripped Castallans of their culture, including their language which tied them directly to their magical abilities. Castallans were able to expel the Englassen out of their land and reclaim their language and magic. Nocturna underscores the long-term consequences of colonialism and how a culture is forever altered by it even in ways that at first seem inconsequential. I loved that the magical system in the novel had so many different layers. While people had an affinity for a particular elemental type of magic, their level of skill depended on training and study. Finn and Alfie have also been gifted with propio magic that manifests in different ways but is tied to how a person perceives themselves.I loved both Alfie and Finn as characters and they were both easy to like and root for. Alfie has grown up the second son and never imagined that the kingdom could one day be his. He is haunted by the death of his older brother Dezmin, and isn’t sure if he can live up to the same kind of expectations. Alfie is sensitive, compassionate, and despite how much he beats himself up for any dark thoughts he might have, incredibly good. It’s always so refreshing to read about a soft male character and I especially loved how important his relationship with his brother and cousin, Luka, were to him. The Alfie and Luka dynamic was one of my favorites in the novel and it’s so rare to see such an affectionate relationship between two male relatives in fiction.I loved how brusque Finn could be, her words were often as sharp as her blade. She is also clever and crafty. Much of who Finn is is a result of the traumas in her life. She grew up poor and lost her parents at a young age. Finn was taken in by a man who enjoyed controlling her, who was possessive and abusive. When Finn was finally able to get away, she had already learned keeping people at bay was both easier on them and herself. Like thievery, it’s just another means of survival. Much of her character arc revolves around her reclaiming personal autonomy. Her dynamic with Alfie is a lot of fun to read because they are so different, but also because they make a stellar team. I loved how rewarding their interactions were and how each of them made such an significant impact on the other.Maya Motayne’s Nocturna is a fun fantasy that functions on multiple levels both as a fictional story and narrative on Latinx history. With every page I read, I grew more and more invested in the characters and the bittersweet ending left me begging for more.

Sooooooo good! I loved the magic and the world it took place in. The idea of propio was exciting and fun.Alfie as a prince and character wasn’t my favorite. He almost came across as a typical brooding hero...except his personality had a pretty big reason. Though I still found him whiny, he eventually grew on me and by the end, I liked him a lot.I loved Finn! She had the best personality. Her wit and sarcasm are so relatable. Plus, she had a really cool propio!The book starts out really intense with some action sequences. That’s what hooked me right away. It’s also when our main characters meet for the first time. From there, the story only gets better. With a one-sided heist, a confrontation, and the release of deadly dark magic, <i>Nocturna</i> sinks its hooks into you and never lets go.While they have different long term goals, Alfie and Finn are able to work together to meet the immediate threat. One that is clearly going to take them working together. I’m not going to lie, I saw this was book one and expected a different ending. So I was caught completely by surprise when it ended (somewhat) favorably. Though I suspect there’s more going to happen that we didn’t see. I also truly expected for Alfie to find/free his brother! Another shocking plot point in YA. And it’s not a bad thing at all. It was far more realistic. The ending battle scene is insanely intense. And we get both points of view. We know what they’re thinking, what they won’t do, what they will. And since I wasn’t expecting the defeat, I totally didn’t guess what/how they’d do it.This was super fun and I’m glad I picked it up! Looking forward to seeing what’s next, because that ending wasn’t THE END, if that makes sense. Plus, I want more Finn and her snark.

“Who you are when you’re angry is still you. It doesn’t have to be all of you, but it’s a piece of you all the same. If you deny that, you might as well deny your whole maldito self and be done with it.”Nocturna is an enchanting Latinx inspired fantasy. The world is rich and the author takes her time using her words and language to show your all of the colors of the world and really let you experience it. The main characters were fun and both a treat in their own ways. The magic was familiar yet had its own twist and was interesting to explore its limitations. And this book was just fun, and sometimes scary, and I had a really good time reading it. I especially enjoyed the beginning and found myself highlighting so many beautifully written passages.

“‘Given enough time,’ she said, her eyes on the well behind him instead of his face, ‘you can learn to survive most anything. You learn to breath when your lungs are too scare to move and you learn to calm before your heart bursts. You learn.’ She shrugged. Or you die.’”In Nocturna by Maya Motayne, when the lives of Finn, a thief, and Alfie, the crowned prince of Castallan, collide a series of events unfold that releases a terrible and ancient power into the world. They learn they need to work together to rid the world of what was unleashed.I truly enjoyed this book and feel like it deserves a lot more attention. The story felt unique and easy to fall into. The characters where complex and easy to connect too and love. I looked forward to picking up this book each day and can’t wait for the next installment. I give it 4.5 stars.

Rushing to read the second book. Really loved this and the rich setting and world building

My 30 year old daughter and I share a kindle account. I started reading this one and was about 40 % into it when I recommended it her. She had it finished in about 3-4 days. I knocked if out in about 3 weeks which is lightening fast for me. A real page Turner from the start. Great villain! Nice banter between the prince and the thief. No gratuitous sex. I leaned some Spanish words as I looked then up whenever they were new to me. We pre-ordered the next book.

This was a wonderful escapist read. Although it would have been nice if it had made better use of the Latin-American inspiration for the fantasy world created (overuse of the word "maldito" doesn't quite cut it!), I did really enjoy this story of magic and adventure. The plot was well planned and executed and I loved the developing friendship between Finn and Alfie. I am looking forward to the next installment in this trilogy.

No problems. Would recommend.

I loved this book, it was beautifully told and engaging. I recommend it for all but especially for lovers of V.E Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic series. I can't wait to read Maya's next book.

El libro está hermoso y no llego maltratado !!! Estoy feliz !

Amazing read!