Nocturne: A Companion Novel to A Practical Guide to Vampires

by L.D. Harkrader

A romantic tale of vampires and magic from award-winning author L.D. Harkrader

Flanders Lane is tired of being protected by her Uncle Anatole. After years of studying magic in the back of his bookshop, she's ready for an adventure of her own. Then one day, strange things start happening. A burglar breaks into the butcher's shop, stealing nothing, but leaving the floors sparkling clean. Soon the seamstress's apprentice vanishes on her way home, leaving behind only a shoe still laced at the top. And then worst of all, Uncle Anatole disappears. That night, a young vampire hunter named Pascoe knocks urgently on the bookshop door. Pascoe insists there is a vampire lurking in nearby Blakely Hall. Flanders looks deep into Pascoe's gorgeous eyes and finds herself agreeing to help him. As Flanders tracks the vampire, her feelings for Pascoe grow until she stumbles upon a secret that turns everything she thought she knew about Pascoe--and herself--upside down.

Genres: Young Adult

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always impressed when an author can jump into a familiar genre, in this case paranormal/fantasy and despite the vast number of stories already out there within the genre, still manages to create their own unique spin. L.D. Harkrader did just that with Nocturne. Harkrader gave readers magic, mystery, vampires and suspense all rolled up into one. It was a great combination and while I will admit to not being sure quite what to expect with this book, I ended up really enjoying myself.

Flannery Lane is our heroine in Nocturne and she was adorable. As a little baby she was left in the care of the town wizard and has lived with her "uncle" ever since. Her uncle may be talented in the magic department but he has warned Flannery that she is not to use her magic, for the danger is too great. Being the rebellious teenager (we've all been there) she thinks that's ridiculous and that her uncle is just being overprotective. She decides to strike out on her own and begins to learn when her uncle isn't looking. But when danger begins to darken the streets of her small town and her uncle is cursed and becomes ill, Flannery has only herself to depend on. After many long debates with herself, Flannery decides it's her duty to use her magic to help her uncle and fellow townspeople.

Now of course we can't have Flannery going at it all alone right? In walks Pascoe, a mysterious newcomer who Flannery is certain hunts vampires for a living. Now that would be great, but it also doesn't hurt that he's tall, dark and handsome right? Will he be able to help Flannery with the evil that's come to her town? Will Flannery make it in time to help her friends who have started to disappear from Wicker Street? Go out and grab Nocturne when it hits the shelves and see for yourselves. It's a quick and fun read and I'm looking forward to reading what Harkrader has in store for us next.

[Malerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice lengthy story that is simple and satisfying. Would highly recommend to pre-teens, older teens may not find enough substance. Not enough magic or vampires for my tastes, but a well crafted world and characters.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE MUSIC OF MIDNIGHT

Flannery Lane is tired of being protected by her Uncle Anatole, Wicker Street's most powerful wizard. After years of secretly studying magic in the back of his bookshop, Flannery longs to show the world what her own magic can do.

NOCTURNE

Late one night, a vampire hunter knocks urgently on the bookshop door. The young man begs Flannery to fashion him a talisman to fell a vampire. Flannery looks deep into the stranger's gorgeous eyes and finds herself promising to help him. Little does she realize that this one act will lead to the adventure she longs for and a secret that turns everything she thought she knew about herself upside down.


My Review

Flannery Lane, adopted neice of formerly-renowned wizard Anatole, is tired of being told not to practice magic. She's powerful - maybe even more so than her uncle - not no one on Wicker Street, or even in all of Threadneedle Alley, knows that she has any power whatsoever. The townspeople blame Uncle Anatole for everything that is going wrong, conveniently overlooking the fact that they've ignored his instructions, and Flannery has finally had enough. When Uncle Anatole is unable to help his first customer in months with a simple amulet, Flannery takes over despite her uncle's belief that magic will bring her harm. One night, a stranger comes to the bookstore looking for an amulet for protection against vampires. Flannery's interest is piqued - and not just because of the unusual nature of the vampires. The stranger is sweet and incredibly good-looking, even if she doesn't know his name. When it comes to light that vampires are in town wreaking havoc, Flannery steps up to take care of the problem. But will she make it out alive?

I rather liked this book. It's a very quick read; I finished it in about an hour. The cover is a little misleading, as the book's main character is a girl named Flannery, and she's not a vampire. The back cover blurb, however, is fairly accurate. Flannery is a likeable, if stubborn, character who only wants the best for her uncle, the only family she's ever known. She can't stand the way the townspeople walk all over him, then blame him when they can't be bothered to do anything they've been told to do and it all goes wrong. Over the course of the story, Flannery learns about her shadowy past and comes to terms with her heritage.

I would recommend Nocturne to either middle schoolers looking for a clean paranormal read or high schoolers who want a nice, easy read or who read a level or two below their recommended grade level.

3 stars.

http://amandasbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nocturne is the first companion novel for the informational book entitled A Practical Guide to Vampires. It is the story of a magical girl and her town's struggle with a vampire that returns to a haunt the place he used to live when he was a human.

This story has both the old and new types of vampires. It has the classic vampire that I grew up knowing about. You know what I mean . . . the bad type. The type that only cares about sucking a person dry and leaving the corpse behind. He is not the sexy vampire that young girls have fallen for lately and want to spend the rest of their life with, like in the Twilight books. There is also a vampire that considers himself good, a vegetarian vampire that seems to be doing research on how vampires can return to their human form. He is young and good-looking and is the type of angst-ridden vampire that teenage girls swoon for.

I found that story by L.D. Harkrader to be an interesting departure from all of the other vampire books on the shelf today. What sets this book apart from others? The fact that it takes place in the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons. After watching every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, I seem to only think about vampires in our times and in our world. It was cool to read a story about vampires in a world that is filled with magic and creatures with magical abilities. Flannery Lane is a good example of of this. She is naturally talented with magic. She could cast magic from the time she was born. So, if a vampire were to attack her, she could put up more of a resistance than a mere mortal girl in our world. She could fight back with magic, which she ends up doing.

Young, female readers will love the character of Pascoe Christopher. He is just the type of tormented vampire hunter that girls today go for. Flan is also a highly likable and strong female lead character that girls will enjoy reading about. Then there is the vampire. Boy, is he ever a nasty one, but not as bad as some I have read about. Combine all this together with a town feeling trapped and hunted, and you have a wonderful story.

Overall, Nocturne is a great first companion book for A Practical Guide to Vampires. I highly enjoyed reading this book and loved the strong female lead character. I hope that there are more companion novels for A Practical Guide to Vampires in the future. I know I want to read more of them, and I'll bet that you will too.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nocture is a urban fantasy, YA book. It is listed as the companion novel, to A Practical Guide to Vampires. It is the story of Flannery Lane. Flan was left on the steps of Monsieur Anatole's Books, Wonders and Charms shop when she was a baby. The note that was left with her stated, "She will do better with someone of her own kind. Magic is a beacon. If it is allowed to shine, evil will find it. Please sir. Shelter her from that danger. I beg you.
Flan was never sheltered from how she came to live with Anatole, who she now calls her uncle. She is fifteen and has become very protective of her uncle. As the years has passed, his reputation as a great wizard and the towns people no longer go to him for his charms and spells. Flan is greatly upset, because of her uncle's reputation and is quick to inform the town of his greatness. However, Anatole is not concerned about what the town's people say.
Anatole is asked to spell a charm to ward off intruders in the butcher's shop. When he does try to create a charm, he falls ill. He is unable to work and Flan is forced to use magic, even though her uncle has told her not to use magic, to help the towns people who believe it is Anatole is helping them. Flan meets a charming young man by the name of Pascoe Christopher. He arrives in town when "The Blakely manor" is being restored by a descendant of Xander Blakely who was a noble man and vampire hunter.
The towns people believe the new Monsieur Blakely will take care of all their troubles make the city safe again. Flan knows that it is up to her to figure out what is going on and save the town, and she believes a vampire is the culprit. As Flan attempts to help the town, she makes discoveries about herself, her past and the two new men who have moved to town.
This story moves quickly and it is a fast read at 245 pages. There are still some story ideas that I think that could have developed, however it does answer many questions, not everything is resolved. I think we will see more of Flannery in a follow up novel. I want a resolution to the things that a romantic like me wants to know the most.

[Andye.Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I don't have a whole lot to say about this book. I wasn't crazy about it, and I didn't hate it, it was just kind of weird and forgettable. It's certainly written for a younger crowd, but I feel like it will be too boring to hold the interest of a middle grader.

Flannery was a a sweet girl, who I rooted for, but she seemed kind of slow on the uptake. The storyline was pretty obvious from the beginning, but she couldn't seem to figure anything out without it being spelled out for her in black and white. And she seemed completely unconcerned with the fact that her uncle spent days on end passed out from sickness while she flirted with Pascoe.

Pascoe was dark and mysterious and interesting, and the one character that I really liked. Unfortunately, he was hardly in the story. I definitely would have liked to have read more interaction between Pascoe and Flannery and enjoyed the scenes they shared together. The "person" that was in the story a lot was the townsfolk. I clump them together as one person because that's how they were presented in this book. They moved as one, spoke as one, decided as one....it reminded me of a Disney movie. All I could think of were the townsfolk storming the castle in Beauty and the Beast singing and finishing each other's sentences. It seemed kind of comical.

Nocturne is a companion novel to A Practical Guide to Vampires but it is more about magic than vampires. It may appeal more to middle graders who want a fantasy book that is clean and simple without all the gore and sexual content of a lot of YA books. It was a sweet story and an interesting concept and it has an old-worldy fairy tale feel to it, but overall was forgettable for me. I suggest that if you read it....you read it with a British accent! ; )

~Andye

[Peace Love and Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our heroine Flannery Lane has a mysterious past, she was left at the doorstep of the Wicker Street's most powerful wizard when she was a baby. For the longest time her life was just in that box. A lace dress worn when she was a baby and a letter that says she is better off with her own kind. Anatole (the wizard), immediately noticed that Flan is with magic. I had the greatest hopes that Anatole can teach her how to be great like him when she grew older but Anatole has been restricting her of using it. But magic is a part of her and she loves it and is efficient at it. So I feel a little disappointed in that part of the story. But Flannery's got the making of a great stubborn, independent, strong willed, resourceful heroine so at the end I started rooting for her.

The other part of what I like was the tone of the story, it was written with an medieval twang and British english accent. I like it a lot and it reminds me of Harry Potter but the difference ends there. Nocturne is not only a story about magic but vampire hunters and vampires. There used to be this great hunter, Lord Blakely but he was defeated by his former stableman turned vampire named Lucien Kidd. The cause of the feud? Love of course. After this battle nobody saw Lucien again, nobody really knows where he went and nobody questioned it that much. The town was left vulnerable and paranoid that evil might attack them. For sometime they look up to Anatole (Flannery's Uncle - adopt) until rumors started milling about him. For a long time nobody claimed the Blakely Manor until a one Adrian Blakely showed up.

The story was pretty predictable yet you have that doubt that it might be what you are suspecting. I wish there was more about Pascoe and Flannery together, it feels so unfinished. Book 2?

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Nocturne, a young girl named Flannery Lane searches for information on her birth parents and the powerful magic she possesses.

I liked the tone that Nocturne is written in. It is not a traditional fantasy novel, but instead reads like a Grimms' fairy tale or similar story. This may not appeal to some, but as a lover of fairy tales, especially those with a dark side to them, I felt it made the story refreshing and gave a different view to the predictable vampire tale. I also liked the character of Flannery Lane. She is written as a strong young female who is not afraid to follow her instincts, even when they go against what her uncle has told her. While this does lead her into trouble, it also presents her with an adventure that in turn reveals her true identity. The one thing I would have liked to read more about is Pasco. I was intrigued by his circumstances and would have enjoyed learning more about his past and how he got to be the person he is.

Despite the jacket copy, Nocturne is more about magic than vampires. In fact, Pasco, the vampire hunter, is more of a secondary character and his story is not delved into in much detail.

Nocturne is a fast and easy read. Although it is classified as a young adult novel, I feel it would appeal more to middle grade readers based on the language in the book, the tone and the way the story plays out. I also feel the ending left a little too much up in the air. This seems as if it may be part of a series because as a standalone novel, it left too many loose ends at the conclusion.

[Monster]

Flannery Lane is a 15 year old girl who possesses the power of great magic, not that her over-protective Uncle Anatole will allow her to use it, though he is a powerful wizard himself! That is, until her uncle is suddenly incapacitated by a curse. Now Flan finds that she is the only one who can perform the magic necessary to ward off the vampire suspected of break-ins and the disappearances of young girls in Wicker Street. After all, what else could be responsible, given that a gorgeous new-to-town vampire hunter has implored her to create a powerful talisman to guard against the undead? Flan must hope that she can defeat the vampire before she becomes its next victim.
Limited only by a few sentence fragments and slight predictability, Nocturne is a highly engrossing, satisfying, and quick read. Harkrader does an excellent job of giving the fantasy world of the novel life and depth and presents us with characters that fit well in that world, but that we, as readers, can fully identify with. Particularly satisfying is the strong female protagonist who is not afraid to speak out against the stereotype of the clumsy, faint-hearted heroine. Readers who enjoy a novel that blends the fantasy and horror genres will definitely like Harkrader’s tale. Recommended for readers aged 10-15 and for public library YA horror collections.
Contains: violence and murder (not gory).
Reviewed by: Stacey L. Wilson, MLIS.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fantasy book that is full of a fabulous old world charm that I just loved. Everyone in this world has small magic, but for larger protective magic they all come to Anatole's Charms and Book Shop, which is run by Flan (our Heroine) and Anatole (her "uncle").

There was some really intriguing characters. As a baby Flan was left on the doorstep of Anatole's. She was named Flannery Lane after the printing on the back of the letter that was left with her. The mystery of Flan's parentage and why she was left there was a great piece throughout the story. Uncle Anatole was a charming old man that I really enjoyed. Pascoe was a mysterious and sexy male lead, although I had figured out the mystery that surrounded him long before it was revealed.

As for what I didn't enjoy, there was several places that the story seemed to drag on a bit. Then, there was a big build up to the final fight scene, only for it to fizzle out without a big bang. Also, the ending left me hanging, but not enough to make me want to rush out and buy a follow-up book. If felt more like the book wasn't completed. More loose ends needed to be wrapped up before the book was done.

Overall, it was an enjoyable fantasy, but I was left feeling like it was missing something by the time I was through.

[Jennie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get to this book, but I am so glad I did. There are many modernized versions of Vampire novels with magical elements mixed in them but I like that this one takes it back to a time when those things were true elements of people’s lives. They believed in them and feared them all the same. Harkrader’s novel was very well written and kept me interested from the start. There were clues about upcoming events and as I read (and kept notes in my reading journal) I started to put things together… and even figured some of them out! I have quite a few “What if’s” written down and then “AH HA’s!!”
Flan is a strong, independent character who doesn’t like to receive help from anyone, but finds herself needing it when she least expects it. She doesn’t have a clue where she comes from but slowly starts to make discoveries as to who she is as her adventure progresses. I loved it from start to finish and hope that she will continue with this story. The ending does leave some things open (of course, I wrote those questions down too) and maybe we will get answers later!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here I was wishing for just a regular old vampire story and up turns Nocturne. Nocturne leans more towards high fantasy than vampire though. Mostly it is about a world where magic is common and everyday and all the magic creatures of legend exist, werewolves, brownies, vampires and the like. The vampires just are, they are not the point so that was refreshing for a change. It was also refreshing to have a head strong, capable heroine who doesn't immediately fall in love and get all stupid. Flannery is very powerful and knows it. She just been caged in by her uncle's worries and his need to keep her safe. But when she decides to take ownership of her powers, then the story really kicks in. Nocturne is a quick, fun read that borrows more from Diana Wynne Jones than Stephanie Meyer and her ilk.

The Little Bookworm

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to drag by. I don't like slow books so it was a challenge for me to get through this one. I love the idea behind the book just wish there was more going on.
Flannery Lane was dropped off on Anatole's doorstep when she was just a baby. Her mother thought it would be better if she raised by a wizard since she is one. Things starting happening and people start disappearing and Flan has to rely on her magic to save the town. This novel is more than just wizards though it also has vampires and vampire hunters. Flan turned out to be very strong-willed which is what every heroine should be. She does not take no for an answer. Even after her uncle told her not to be practicing magic she still does, wouldn't you?
The language used was great it reminds you of a simpler time, but in the end the story is predictable. I think this would be a great read for a middle-schooler.

[Sami Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nocturne takes you into the life of our leading lady, Flannery Lane. Flannery was left on the porch of a local wizard as a baby. As she grows she learns that she also can do magic quite well, but her uncle wants to protect her and won't let her use it. When her uncle falls ill it is up to Flannery to come to the help of the town that is being stalked by a vampire.

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the first time I saw Kiki's Delivery Service - just a fun read. I didn't feel very connected to the characters in the story, the story moves at a very quick pace and I think I was trying so hard to keep up that I lost some of the connection I wanted to feel for them. This is a great book to pick up if you're lounging by the pool this summer and just want something simple and fast.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the two different themes mixed in together that I have not seen attempted before. One of them as you can see from the synopsis, is magic. This book is set in a late 1800s period. When reading, I imagined cobble stone streets and men wearing top hats. This world also has a town wizard, who helps the town people with things like protection spells and amulets. Late one night a baby is left on his door step. He takes her in and raises her as his niece. Some years later a butcher comes to the wizard for help. He says every night someone has been breaking into his shop. When the wizard tries to make the butcher a protection amulet something goes terrible wrong. Flan must find out what is going in her town and find herself in the processes.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not, in the end love it - but that's mostly, I feel due to me...I was expecting, something - which I feel as though I did not get....it's more "fairy tale" rather than "real life" - does that make sense? Probably not.

It was not "for me" but lots of people love this one...I especially thing, anyone looking for a lighter story, that boarders more on the fairy tale aspect of vampires...ect. will love it.

It's really well written, with a hint of that old world charm!

[Clickety · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was SO afraid this book was going to suck. And then it didn't! It was quite enjoyable; I loved the feel of the magic and the world. The characters at times seemed a wee bit too modern, but I can forgive that. And if the plotline was thoroughly predictable, well, the familiar can be comfortable, and I enjoyed spending time with the characters and in the world.

The last few pages seemed to hint at a sequel? or that this was part of a series? I can't find any reference to a follow-up, though.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult reader this book was a bit hard to get into. Great starter book for children though.

The story wasn't too memorable but I really believe that a reader of 10 would love to read it.

[Lisa Kizer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a quick read. Not very impressive in the writing.