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Nocturn #1
NOCTURN: Book 1
When Michael, an amnesiac vampire, wakes up on the edges of Breton, a strange Virginia mining town in the midst of Civil War, he puts the townsfolk on a trajectory for disaster with an ancient coven of vampires and their mysterious handlers, "The Alliance", uncovering an international conspiracy.
The government officials of Breton await the arrival of a lantern containing the heart of a powerful vampire, a telepathic device used to control the masses. As war rages outside the town, an unlikely team of misfit orphans and spies takes on the local government and the vampires who control them. When the lantern is released and Lord Ruthven, the vampire trapped within it, descends on the town only an amnesiac Michael can stop him from destroying everyone in Breton. As the battle rages into the night, Michael must question himself over whether he should join the vampires or fight them in order to save the people of the town.
The government officials of Breton await the arrival of a lantern containing the heart of a powerful vampire, a telepathic device used to control the masses. As war rages outside the town, an unlikely team of misfit orphans and spies takes on the local government and the vampires who control them. When the lantern is released and Lord Ruthven, the vampire trapped within it, descends on the town only an amnesiac Michael can stop him from destroying everyone in Breton. As the battle rages into the night, Michael must question himself over whether he should join the vampires or fight them in order to save the people of the town.
- GenresVampires
514 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2013
4 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 2, 2013
*This review is part of the First Reads program.*
I'm always searching for what I call "vampire fiction that doesn't suck," and NOCTURN Book I made it into that category. If you're looking for a love story between vampire and human, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a mindless thrill that you don't have to think too much about as you're reading, look elsewhere. This novel is weird. It will make you consider the ways we imagine other-worldly beings, their thoughts, and their motives as we read. It offers glimpses of their imagined consciousnesses and synthesizes the best elements of novels and films like Orwell's 1984, Night Shyamalan's The Village, and Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Readers seeking a deeper, creepier, vivid vampiric experience will find it in NOCTURN.
I gave this book three out of five stars for two reasons--first, because it is full of minor type-o's (a fault of the editor rather than the author) and secondly, because I felt that there were far too many characters to keep track of.
In all, I'm looking forward to the next installment.
I'm always searching for what I call "vampire fiction that doesn't suck," and NOCTURN Book I made it into that category. If you're looking for a love story between vampire and human, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a mindless thrill that you don't have to think too much about as you're reading, look elsewhere. This novel is weird. It will make you consider the ways we imagine other-worldly beings, their thoughts, and their motives as we read. It offers glimpses of their imagined consciousnesses and synthesizes the best elements of novels and films like Orwell's 1984, Night Shyamalan's The Village, and Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Readers seeking a deeper, creepier, vivid vampiric experience will find it in NOCTURN.
I gave this book three out of five stars for two reasons--first, because it is full of minor type-o's (a fault of the editor rather than the author) and secondly, because I felt that there were far too many characters to keep track of.
In all, I'm looking forward to the next installment.
September 28, 2013
It's increasingly difficult to come across vampire books that are original and well written. Everyone who takes on the subject of the vampire's origins has their own creative take, some far better than others. Luckily, this is one of the good ones and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it. At it's heart, this book is so much more than JUST vampires. Many a supernatural creature makes an appearance, villains galore, a cursed town, brave little orphans who you can't help putting all your hope in, and an unlikely hero, fighting a fate that was forced upon him. Needless to say, this is not your typical vampire fantasy, at least it wasn't to me. It was a truly unique reading experience, and I'm seriously looking forward to another book so that I can continue the journey with characters I came to know, some in hate, some in love.
August 30, 2013
This is definitely one of my top favorite books. A man newly turned vampire sets out to remember his past when he finds himself in something way deeper than he ever imagined. This books will definitely keep your attention. The way Moore moves between characters in the book lets you get different perspectives on the same story. The way he describes things in the book lets you imagine them perfectly in your mind. It's like you're watching Nocturn not really reading it. I also love how he kept with the traditional vampire. I absolutely love this book. It's a must read! Can not wait for the next one to come out!
September 11, 2019
I jumped into this book headfirst. It was an amazing story, with so many interesting characters. I will admit, I have been a bit wary of the vampire genre for a while now, however, this story renewed my interest in the subject. While the begining of the story seemed to jump between characters quite a bit, and was a tad but hard to keep up with, it was worth the chalenge. There will ve characters you hate, and characters you love. I am looking forward to the second book.
There were a few formating errors. If you're like me and tend to get excited when you find typos and un-indented paragraphes, it might be a bit distacting. Overall though, the plot Kept me focused.
There were a few formating errors. If you're like me and tend to get excited when you find typos and un-indented paragraphes, it might be a bit distacting. Overall though, the plot Kept me focused.
April 16, 2014
Welcome to Hell.
Yes, Breton, Virginia is Hell on Earth where all the criminals and murderers are placed to face their demise at the hands of Vampyres: the judges of morally right and wrong.
I have to say after having just finished this novel, I found myself speeding through the rest of the pages to read the Epilogue - and I need to know what happens next.
This was a delightful take on the Vampire genre. And as a good fan of Vampires, I have to say, Ronald Andrés Moore's Vampyres are a fresh take on, what I feel, Vampires have always been at their core: Creations for a purpose beyond themselves. Whether it be to take blood for the sake of surviving, or, in this case, existing to dish out justice to those deserving of it (and sometimes not).
Which leads me to the colorful cast of characters. Here we have a vast (and I mean vast) collection of characters that fill this claustrophobia-inducing novel with their differences. Even the town itself is a character, a low hanging cloud of amnesia hovering just above its mostly derelict buildings.
I don't want to give too much away, so I won't, but our heroes vary greatly from an amnesiac Vampyre named Michael, to a cast of (IMO) fiery orphans who have known nothing but their existence in the stifling town, to a renowned Vampyre Hunter with numerous tricks up his sleeve, an assassin, and two English Gentlemen, not to mention the various women that take up the fight to the soul suckers.
At its core NOCTURN is a tale. Simply put. A riveting tale of that morally gray area we humans always seem to dwell within. It asks the question, "What would happen if we got rid of our criminals and placed them within a town away from the good?" And it answers that question with a roaring romp through darkness, blood, and gore. Those that created this town are the wrong ones, but we can hardly spare a feeling for them because we're so swept up in the varying characters's dilemmas as they come to terms (slowly) with the fact this town that always exists in one year, is not all it appears to be. (But we feel rightly justified when everyone wakes up and takes the fight to those in charge.)
The baddies in NOCTURN are a slew of Vampyres, many of which, I'll be honest, I can't name right now, but I do remember Isaac, Rurk, and of course, Ruthven, a brilliantly crafted Vampyre that has lived far too long - so long he's let his power corrupt him to the point he's oblivious to any notion of humility - it's not for him, you see.
There's so much I can say about this novel, from it's origin of the Vampyres (they're Nephilim), to the different fantastic creatures that all descend from mothers of ancient (dark) lore, to the awesome characters, and the world that existed in this one town.
Mr. Moore has created a riveting tale that I believe any fan of Vampires (they're vicious, just like I like 'em), historical fiction, claustrophobic horror, suave Van-Helsing-type Vampyre Hunters, and the little orphan inside us all will enjoy greatly.
I greatly await the next installment in this series. Mr. Moore has crafted the Vampire story I didn't know I wanted to read. But I do now, and that's all that matters.
Keep your bite, Mr. Moore.
You're a blessing to the Vampire genre.
Yes, Breton, Virginia is Hell on Earth where all the criminals and murderers are placed to face their demise at the hands of Vampyres: the judges of morally right and wrong.
I have to say after having just finished this novel, I found myself speeding through the rest of the pages to read the Epilogue - and I need to know what happens next.
This was a delightful take on the Vampire genre. And as a good fan of Vampires, I have to say, Ronald Andrés Moore's Vampyres are a fresh take on, what I feel, Vampires have always been at their core: Creations for a purpose beyond themselves. Whether it be to take blood for the sake of surviving, or, in this case, existing to dish out justice to those deserving of it (and sometimes not).
Which leads me to the colorful cast of characters. Here we have a vast (and I mean vast) collection of characters that fill this claustrophobia-inducing novel with their differences. Even the town itself is a character, a low hanging cloud of amnesia hovering just above its mostly derelict buildings.
I don't want to give too much away, so I won't, but our heroes vary greatly from an amnesiac Vampyre named Michael, to a cast of (IMO) fiery orphans who have known nothing but their existence in the stifling town, to a renowned Vampyre Hunter with numerous tricks up his sleeve, an assassin, and two English Gentlemen, not to mention the various women that take up the fight to the soul suckers.
At its core NOCTURN is a tale. Simply put. A riveting tale of that morally gray area we humans always seem to dwell within. It asks the question, "What would happen if we got rid of our criminals and placed them within a town away from the good?" And it answers that question with a roaring romp through darkness, blood, and gore. Those that created this town are the wrong ones, but we can hardly spare a feeling for them because we're so swept up in the varying characters's dilemmas as they come to terms (slowly) with the fact this town that always exists in one year, is not all it appears to be. (But we feel rightly justified when everyone wakes up and takes the fight to those in charge.)
The baddies in NOCTURN are a slew of Vampyres, many of which, I'll be honest, I can't name right now, but I do remember Isaac, Rurk, and of course, Ruthven, a brilliantly crafted Vampyre that has lived far too long - so long he's let his power corrupt him to the point he's oblivious to any notion of humility - it's not for him, you see.
There's so much I can say about this novel, from it's origin of the Vampyres (they're Nephilim), to the different fantastic creatures that all descend from mothers of ancient (dark) lore, to the awesome characters, and the world that existed in this one town.
Mr. Moore has created a riveting tale that I believe any fan of Vampires (they're vicious, just like I like 'em), historical fiction, claustrophobic horror, suave Van-Helsing-type Vampyre Hunters, and the little orphan inside us all will enjoy greatly.
I greatly await the next installment in this series. Mr. Moore has crafted the Vampire story I didn't know I wanted to read. But I do now, and that's all that matters.
Keep your bite, Mr. Moore.
You're a blessing to the Vampire genre.
September 11, 2013
I had trouble putting this book down once I had started reading it. The fantastic descriptions not only painted a picture of a small mining town in Virginia, it made you feel as if you were in the character's shoes. The story of Michael, a vampire with no memory of his past, draws you into the book. It follows his journey as he pieces together his past and the unnerving present of the town he stumbles into.
Moore has created one heck of a twist on the typical vampire story. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
Moore has created one heck of a twist on the typical vampire story. I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us.
September 12, 2013
Dan Brown and Ann Rice had a baby, and his name was Ronnie. Just kidding.
It's the very best of mystery and the very best of vampires.
Nothing happens in the way you expect it to. I'm very much attached to the characters in this book now and am anxiously awaiting the second book's arrival. The author doesn't paint with broad strokes. The descriptive setting sets such a visual! I've never seen such a combination of old west, civil war, vampire, and fantasy. I just don't have a name for this genre because nobody has done this.
It's the very best of mystery and the very best of vampires.
Nothing happens in the way you expect it to. I'm very much attached to the characters in this book now and am anxiously awaiting the second book's arrival. The author doesn't paint with broad strokes. The descriptive setting sets such a visual! I've never seen such a combination of old west, civil war, vampire, and fantasy. I just don't have a name for this genre because nobody has done this.
October 14, 2013
It was an interesting premise and a unique twist on the usual Vampire themes...However, the characters were not well developed and story was disjointed and difficult to follow...I only read about 20 pages at a time because it just didn't hold my interest...professional editing would have been helpful
***This book was provided to me free from Goodreads First Reads***
***This book was provided to me free from Goodreads First Reads***
August 31, 2013
This is a great start to what looks to be a good series. Not your typical vampire novel, this book tends to go back to the roots of 19th century horror. It's a great read. It's visual. It's epic and it's fun. You can't ask for more. I think it would also make for a great movie.
September 10, 2013
I loved this book... It's definitely a can't-put-it-down type of read, with great description language and wonderful character development. A refreshing alternative to other "vampire" novels out there.
October 1, 2013
This is a seriously good book that like a train, starts slows and builds steam until it wrecks. The book has a large, relate-able cast that feed into a massive conspiracy story. I highly recommend it for fans of Lost, westerns, vampires, anime, and steampunk.
April 26, 2015
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book! The primary character's story was completely compelling and the development of the intricate entanglement of the people of the town totally drew me in. I am looking forward to the next installment of this series!
July 27, 2016
If I were to edit this, I would edit to 1) fix the choppy exposition, 2) make the dialogue work, and 3) do more showing and less telling
November 5, 2013
I really enjoyed Nocturn! The mythos of Vampires and other supernatural entities that Moore weaves throughout the story is entertaining and well-written. I look forward to book 2!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews