Nocturna Readalong: Day 5

Gorgeous photo by @megabunnyreads

Dear FairyLooters!

Happy Friday! Hope you had a lovely week. What’s one great thing, small or big, that has happened to you this week? Let us know, I think that always brings our spirits up!

Today we’re on to Chapters 24-29!

Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for chapters 1-29 of Nocturna by Maya Motayne. Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!

-!SPOILERS!-

Haha Gassy, the horse. 

If you did have a horse though, in some magical kingdom that you had to ride it often, what name would you give it?

Alfie is wearing Luka’s face. Do you think you’d like that ability or would you rather stay yourself? Seems like Alfie would just want to stay himself. I can see the appeal of both but I think I can hardly say no to some magic!

Ooooh Finn is bringing up real talk. She has a point, it’s good for Alfie as a possible future king to see it, from someone who’s unafraid of telling it how she sees it. 

“The rich are born rich and die richer, the rest of us die early.” 

Ah damn now Ignacius is heading to the prison too, since that’s where the dark hearted people are best found at! Why does he insist on being at the same places? His obsessive focus on Finn is so sickening as well. That is ALL he ever thinks about. 

I didn’t even think of how Finn would feel heading towards the prison, of course it’s the worst place for people of her particular line of work. I’m not always the biggest fan of books with multiple point of views, but I can’t deny sometimes it is beneficial to see a situation from different angles.

As I’m reading this bit just before they attempt getting into the tower, I’m afraid that the rotation of guards or something else has changed since Alfie has studied it? What if it’s out of date?

Alfie used more of dark magic when he made a guard forget he saw anything; this boi needs to stop toying with this! I know he uses it only when he needs to but I think the cost might be too high for even those little moments. What do you think will happen to him if he keeps using it?

Alfie is seen in his disguise and is led to perform a service.  How terrible is to be forced to bless someone who was behind a murder of your brother. On another hand, forgiveness can be healing. Maybe this will do just that. 

Oooh a premonition of a tattoo on a wrist! Wonder what that means! [Now of course we know, but I write my notes as I read so I shall leave my wonderings here haha].

Dang, he needed to cremate the body and used dark magic again! 

Oh shoot his face is turning back!!! He should really take the necklace off! That would maybe help, no? [Again, it did haha]

I think one of the sweetest, purest scenes in this book is Finn calming down Alfie in the bathroom while he is panicking. That was so touching. 

The bull was on the mobster woman’s arm! Hmmmm wonder where she is and what role will she play further in the book, any guesses?

Oh heyyyy they are taking the necklace of him. This is like a horocux! Although unlike a horocrux, taking it off did not relief Alfie at all, only left him feeling incomplete. 

I think throughout this chapter we are really starting o notice the affection that’s growing between the characters. 

Ignacius is here.

We don’t get to know what happens there today however, we leave it at learning that Sombra has turned into a statue rather than bones as Luka is gold by a scholar. 

I’m certain Ignacius will find Finn, I hope she manages to escape him though!


I wonder, who’s perspective is your favourite so far? 

Hope you enjoyed day 5 of the Readalong! See ya tomorrow <3

Yours,

G

23 thoughts on “Nocturna Readalong: Day 5

  1. Ignacio is such a bad guy, dark all the way through. I usually prefer my bad guys more grey but still it’s creepy to read his chapters and of course he’s going to the prison too. I knew that the dark magic would effect Alfie and I hope he will get some of his strengh back now when Finn has the dragon. But I hope she won’t get affected by it, but maybe it will save her and help her against Ignacio now? …

    And Luka has super strenght now? Is that like a new propio he gained from being saved? But he was saved by the dark magic so how good is his new power?

    My favourite perspective is definitely Finn’s.

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  2. So with Sombre has been confirmed to be a statue, so those pieces in the vault are him in this Kingdom! So we might get to see the other Kingdoms :).

    I’m enjoying the different perspectives on things. Seeing how Finn feels when Alfie’s looking at her and when Alfie is actually thinking when he looks at her.

    I’m thinking the magic might intervene again before Ignacio can do anything to Finn, it’s really focused on it’s mission first. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to him if Sombre is brought back and it leaves his body. I just hope he doesn’t put some of the dark magic in her first!

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  3. Holy Hannah!!! Dude, how can you not tell your Shadow is fading. (Must be a guy thing.) Good thing Alfie has Finn there to look out for him.
    Am I the only one that’s noticed that Alfie has stopped using his propio to see colors? It must be the black magic blocking his.

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    1. Oh I didn’t notice but you could be so right about this!

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  4. How cool is that clever little parchment trick, though? I love the idea of being able to write to someone like that, it would feel so much more secretive than a text message, don’t you think? ? At least until someone, looking at nobody in particular here Luka, spills a bunch of cocoa on it! ? And poor Luka has some sort of super strength thing going on, too? Don’t make him angry, you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry!
    Speaking of the magic, Finn’s is pretty incredible too, isn’t it? I would love to be able to change appearances like that. The stuff she’s doing for Alfie kind of reminds me of the magic system in The Belles. I loved that book!

    Alfie’s walking around this prison place, completely drained and leaning on an invisible Finn. He botches his way through a funeral and then spends a good twenty minutes in a bathroom, and when they finally arrive at the kitchens, nobody there must recognise him. Doesn’t anyone notice he’s a little odd and out of place? That’s some top notch security for a prison! ?
    Also, if Alfie is falling slowly in love with Finn which, let’s face it, seems to be happening. How will he feel when Finn gets her propio back and can change her face again? I know love should transcend appearances and all that, but it would be a bit weird all the same, wouldn’t it?

    Kol has a tattoo like the one in Alfie’s vision! ? Does this mean she was responsible, or just someone from her gang? Maybe she works for a higher up organization or something? Does anyone think it’s possible that the magic lied to Alfie, though? I mean, it wants him to keep using it so it can run him down or kill him, right? It could have dangled a red herring in front of him to keep him running around, couldn’t it?
    Ignacio is at the clock tower, too? That can’t be good. I feel like we’re heading swiftly towards an epic final battle here! ?

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  5. Damn that was intense!
    I can’t believe we had to stop there! Someone definitely has a crush there! 😉
    Can’t wait for tomorrow.
    I was so sure when we came across the statue in the vault that it was Dez, but I have to admit I was wrong. It has to be Sombra…

    I think my favorite perspective might be Luka’s!
    I also love Finn’s though. But, to be honest, i like them all, even Ignacio’s.

    I think if I had a horse, I’d name him/her Spirit, like in the movie…

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    1. I thought it was Dez’s statue too and maybe that was why Paloma was so insistent that Alfie was to stay away from the magic books, but this is better. Can you even imagine, having a god in your treasure room, stone or not, that is so creepy. Plus I really want Paloma to stay as a ‘good guy’ and not be someone who is covering up something to do with Dez’s death.

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  6. “Whether or not you want trouble is hardly important when trouble wants you”

    Damn this is some dark shit! ??

    I think only bad things will come for Alfie and using this dark magic. It’s not good for him, cause he’s a nice and good Hufflepuff ?

    The scene where Finn comforts Alfie by counting is sweet. I found that touching. And I can relate so much to it, cause counting helps me to when my anxiety comes up.

    Excited to see if the plan will work! And Sombra is a statue… intresting! I like a de POV’s but I think I like Finn’s (the sass) and Ignacio (cause of the darkness ?) best!

    Hope everyone is having fun! See ya again in a couple of chapters! ?✨

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  7. My favorite character/perspective right now is definitely Luka. I’ve actially laughed out loud with some of the things he’s said, like “Do you ever just walk into your room and hate all the furniture?” LOL! (This is after he accidentally breaks a whole bunch of stuff in his room with his newfound strength—also, I’m very intrigued by that and excited to see what it adds to the story!)

    Also…Sombre a stone statue….Finn’s elemental magic?? I hypothesize that there will be a connection there ???

    I’m also interested to hear about the larger plot behind the assassination attempts on the princes.

    I have to admit I was a liiiiiitle less interested in this section for some reason, but I think things are about to get very interesting.

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    1. “Do you ever just walk into your room and hate all the furniture?”
      That is my favourite line in the whole book so far xD

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  8. THE LUKA SCENES were the best! So funny!

    But I worry about the implications of this newfound strength. How will it affect him if/when Sombra’s magic gets defeated (or banished)?

    I want to read on, but I have to work all weekend :'(

  9. I couldn’t stop so finished the book, so I won’t leave any comments in case of spoilers, but does anyone else think Ignatius will be a perfect Halloween costume?!

  10. I really love Luka’s perspective and I wish we got more of his! Also did anyone else think of LOTR when Finn takes the dragon from Alfie to give him a break from it is just like Sam taking the ring from Frodo to give him a break from its drain on him? That’s all i could think about during that scene.

  11. Luka is definitely the most fun to read. I do wonder if this extra strong thing he now has going on extends to protecting him from poison because he’s continuing to drink things, this time the cocoa without really knowing it is safe. I was relieved when it just knocked over…just in case the cocoa was poisoned. Very glad Finn took the dragon thing off Alfie. Clearly the prison break plan is going to turn to custard with Ignacio turning up. I NEED to know what happens next….

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  12. Oops, I fell a little bit behind in reading! I just finished these chapters so I thought I’d get some thoughts down before I read today’s chapters. I knew Sombra was that creepy statue! I feel so smart. Also, I’m really not looking forward to what happens when/if that magic infects all those prisoners. It’s going to be really bad.

  13. Om I barely finished these chapters cuz me busy ? But I had a feeling that the statue was something dark ?

    What if Dez had some connection to Sombra? And that’s why he “got vanished” or whatever (I can’t really put into words what I’m thinking ? idk if this makes any sense ?)

    My favorite POV has to be Luka ? I hope nothing bad happens to him while impersonating Afie.

    I’m loving how Finn keeps helping Afie get through things and viceversa ?

    And OF COURSE Ignacio had to go to the prison at the same time as them ? I really hope the dark magic doesn’t get to Finn or Alfie with that little dragon thing ?

    I think I would name my horse ? “Esperanza” which means “hope” in Spanish ?… Can’t wait to read what happens next ?

  14. I love the different POV’s, especially Luka and Finn!
    The ending was intense, I cannot wait to read more!

  15. Hmmm I enjoy all their POV; Finn, Luka and Alfie’s. They all feel a bit different and give a different take on certain things.

    It’s just curiouser and curiouser that more and more things are being related to Finn: first, we find out that her Magic’s “colour” is a shifting sort, which is different from anything Alfie has encountered; second, her last name is the word he has to utter to travel through the magical colors with his doorknob, and third, now Sombra might be made of stone not bone, which just so happens to be Finn’s power, not to mention her propio is something so unique that Alfie is constantly asking her questions about it. Makes me wonder if she can rap deeper into herself and stop Sombra, kind of like a loving chosen one?

    Ignacio being at the clock tower is some crazyyyy tension! I’m wondering if the showdown will happen there, sooner rather than later, with poor Alfie barely conscious? I bet them rescuing the girl who can produce voids from a date from Ignacio might make it easier for them to get her to help them, but who knows!

    Also, Luka is super strong? Maybe he will have a more pivotal scene later on…

  16. First, I’ll call my horse Maldito.
    Second, he’ll of course die. It isn’t a secret for anyone.
    Thrid, I think Kol is part of a secret organisation and a rebel one because as Finn said, poor people have enough of their situation. And I’m 99% sure that the second will be about that.

    Reading these chapters was so cool and I become more and more excited!!!

  17. It’s about to get messy now that they are both going to the Clock Tower! Omg I just love the poetry of this book, like when she runs her fingers through his hair <3 I loved learning more about Finn’s limitations with her magic. I like how the dragon necklace is kind of like the ring in Lord of the Rings and I’m LIVING for these quiet looking into each others eyes Alfie and Finn moments! Oooohhh not bones but stones interesting… and that last message! The author is SO good at keeping me on my toes! So far I love all the perspectives except the bad guy but lol I understand how we need it for plot purposes 🙂

  18. rob a horse or rob the horse?
    both.
    …..
    The “lol” were strong in this one.
    Also: the prince dind’t became a dumpling. x)

    Who understood?

  19. Ignacio is the creepiest villain ever and I love it because it means I can cheer for his defeat even more now. Alfie is a complete sweetheart and Luka is definitely growing on me (though seriously destroying the magical parchment wasn’t the smartest idea in the world). Finn – I love her powers and I love her and Alfie’s banter but I think she swings between having opinions about politics and how the country is run and then not caring about anything at all a little too fast for me. I am loving her character exploration though.

  20. Finally had the chance to make a start on this book a few days ago, and now I’ve made it to Chapter 34. Reading everyone’s comments as I go along. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection between Ignacio and Kol that we may not know about. They could secretly be working together to bring Finn down, and it that happens, hopefully she can escape them both.

    The Clock Tower scene has so much suspense. Ignacio finding his way inside adds more darkness to the plot. Glad to see the development of Finn and Alfie’s characters. I love that both started out as two different characters from two different worlds, but now they’re very dependent on each other and care about each other’s safety. It makes a compelling read.

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