Review: Nocte (The Nocte Trilogy #1) by Courtney Cole

Flawed, enigmatic characters with an agenda of their own and a fabulously gothic setting

Title: Nocte
Series: The Nocte Trilogy
Author: Courtney Cole
Publisher: Lake House Press
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Released: 3rd November, 2014
Nocte got picked by me after I saw many 5 star reviews from a few of my trusted co-bloggers. Further investigation stirred my curiosity and one dark, wet afternoon I decided to read this book. I am pleased to say, it does not disappoint.

Nocte is a story about twins Calla and Finn, who just recovering from the death of their mother. Finn has mental issues and Calla genuinely believes it is only her who can help Finn remain stable. Living near a lake side town, on top of a hill in Oregon, their father is a mortician and their family home is where all the bodies are kept.

Then Calla meets Dare, a mysterious guy who seems like the only thing which is keeping Calla grounded. Amidst reservations and doubts Dare and Calla have an attraction to each other which cannot be explained. Torn between her growing affection for Dare and her connection with Finn who seems to be in a downward spiral, Calla struggles to keep her life in order.

Of course there is more to the story but if I reveal it now, it would be a huge spoiler. This book may have left a few readers shell-shocked but unfortunately I had recently read a book which had a similar twist towards the end. I am not going to mention the name of the book as that in itself will be a spoiler.

What I can say that the writing comes out as the winner in this story. The story is set in the creepy Oregon coastline which it rains all the time. Calla lives in a house on a hill near a lake and the setting is deliciously creepy. There is this sense of foreboding which permeated the air, transporting the reader straight into a scene where you can feel goose bumps on your arms from the chill in the air. There is an atmosphere of mystery around each and every character which enhances the feeling of being watched all the time.

Unfortunately, as I knew there was going to be a huge twist, I kept on anticipating is after every chapter and simply could not slip into the story and get swept away by the plot.

The romance between Dare and Calla is sweet, yet sexy and Dare obviously seems to be hiding something. The ending leaves the reader with some sort of a cliff hanger but I have kind of guessed what will be in store in the next book, as where Nocte reveals Calla’s past, the next book most certainly will be about Dare.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book which was expertly written with flawed, enigmatic characters with an agenda of their own and a fabulously gothic setting lending the story the right amount of eeriness. I’d recommend reading this book on a dark, wet day like I did, and get swept away by the mystery, romance and splendid story telling by an expert in the art of engaging and haunting the reader.