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Nobility
Seven generations after nuclear chaos, the world bows to an oppressive Empire run by the genetic elites known as Nobles.
Something is bound to break.
Griffon Nightlock, an Outcast in the genetic pool, and a thief, faces the fear of execution daily with his life of shadows and violence. When he was eight he watched his parents get murdered and his home burned. When he was thirteen the orphanage threw him out to survive on his own. For years Griffon Nightlock has lived in secret, surviving by means of his wits and the few dollars he can swipe.
But when the man who murdered his parents arrives in Chicago with plans to kill many more, Griffon finds himself thrown into a game he wasn’t prepared for with dark secrets behind every player on the board as he races to stop Chicago’s greatest destruction.
His virtues are slimming.
His enemies are growing.
His vengeance is burning.
And nobody except him wants to stop Chicago’s destruction from the man who murdered his family.
Something is bound to break.
Griffon Nightlock, an Outcast in the genetic pool, and a thief, faces the fear of execution daily with his life of shadows and violence. When he was eight he watched his parents get murdered and his home burned. When he was thirteen the orphanage threw him out to survive on his own. For years Griffon Nightlock has lived in secret, surviving by means of his wits and the few dollars he can swipe.
But when the man who murdered his parents arrives in Chicago with plans to kill many more, Griffon finds himself thrown into a game he wasn’t prepared for with dark secrets behind every player on the board as he races to stop Chicago’s greatest destruction.
His virtues are slimming.
His enemies are growing.
His vengeance is burning.
And nobody except him wants to stop Chicago’s destruction from the man who murdered his family.
430 pages, ebook
Published July 14, 2018
50 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Mason Dakota
12 books12 followersMason Dakota is an American author of dystopian thrillers, urban fantasy, and speculative fiction that examines power, faith, and what it means to be human in the face of collapse. His stories combine the cinematic intensity of science-fiction action with the haunted intimacy of literary horror—creating immersive worlds where rebellion meets redemption.
Mason is best known for the Dystopian King Series—including Nobility, Illegal King, King’s Knight, and the prequel King’s Bodyguard—a dark, fast-paced saga of class warfare, genetic engineering, and moral revolution.
Drawing inspiration from Jim Butcher, Pierce Brown, Mark Lawrence, and Ben Hale, Mason’s writing blends philosophical themes with gritty realism and cinematic action. His work resonates with readers who love The Hunger Games, Red Rising, the Dresden Files, and Maze Runner.
When he’s not writing, Mason enjoys time with his family exploring the mountains and chasing down their runaway dogs.
Mason is best known for the Dystopian King Series—including Nobility, Illegal King, King’s Knight, and the prequel King’s Bodyguard—a dark, fast-paced saga of class warfare, genetic engineering, and moral revolution.
Drawing inspiration from Jim Butcher, Pierce Brown, Mark Lawrence, and Ben Hale, Mason’s writing blends philosophical themes with gritty realism and cinematic action. His work resonates with readers who love The Hunger Games, Red Rising, the Dresden Files, and Maze Runner.
When he’s not writing, Mason enjoys time with his family exploring the mountains and chasing down their runaway dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 29, 2018
Great concept - poorly executed. This book needs serious editing. I could not finish it. The errors were too numerous and glaring. They detracted from the story. With some polishing, this might be a good book. I thought the premise was intriguing. It's just not ready. Advice : Take the book down long enough to get some more editing done and re-release it. I would happily give it another go.
Here's an example showing some of the issues with this book...
“I wore a tight fitting black mask with finger-painting-like white streaks across the right cheekbones and eyes socket and little studs dotting downs my nose and across my eyebrows area.”
Not only is this sentence a complete mess, but “cheekbones” should be “cheekbone” (unless he has two right cheeks), “eyes” should be “eye”, and “downs” should be “down”. Quite a feat to screw up a single sentence that many ways! Think about it. That could be a really great sentence. The ideas are there. They are just spoiled by careless editing.
Here's an example showing some of the issues with this book...
“I wore a tight fitting black mask with finger-painting-like white streaks across the right cheekbones and eyes socket and little studs dotting downs my nose and across my eyebrows area.”
Not only is this sentence a complete mess, but “cheekbones” should be “cheekbone” (unless he has two right cheeks), “eyes” should be “eye”, and “downs” should be “down”. Quite a feat to screw up a single sentence that many ways! Think about it. That could be a really great sentence. The ideas are there. They are just spoiled by careless editing.
March 13, 2023
There’s always a choice…
…even in a ‘world of misconceptions’. A world in which street rats are rescued puppies, the Puppet Master gets played, and a necessary evil is a savior. But how does one recover from the madness when the mob rules?
I appreciate how the topic of shame was handled. Don’t want to give away anything, but I will say that it was quite a deep internal conversation.
Another serious part reminded me of the saying, “Don’t sink a ship then brag about how many lifeboats you filled”.
Some IRL sage advice from the author:
Don’t let your paycheck be your higher power.
Find for yourself a friend who makes you a better you.
Before starting to clean the streets, clean out the sewers first.
Fave quotes:
‘Some journeys aren’t worth travelling.’
‘The one who owns the exit rules the room.’
Wil readers get another party with the devil in ‘Illegal King’?
…even in a ‘world of misconceptions’. A world in which street rats are rescued puppies, the Puppet Master gets played, and a necessary evil is a savior. But how does one recover from the madness when the mob rules?
I appreciate how the topic of shame was handled. Don’t want to give away anything, but I will say that it was quite a deep internal conversation.
Another serious part reminded me of the saying, “Don’t sink a ship then brag about how many lifeboats you filled”.
Some IRL sage advice from the author:
Don’t let your paycheck be your higher power.
Find for yourself a friend who makes you a better you.
Before starting to clean the streets, clean out the sewers first.
Fave quotes:
‘Some journeys aren’t worth travelling.’
‘The one who owns the exit rules the room.’
Wil readers get another party with the devil in ‘Illegal King’?
August 30, 2021
Nobility is the first book in The Dystopian King Series. This is the first novel that I have read by this author and I have to say that he is a gifted writer. This novel is set in Chicaoo where citizens are segregated by their genetic coding and corruption runs wild. This storyline is filled with crisp dialogue without unnecessary fluff or filler, and the author is able to create three dimensional characters that come to life on the pages. He has created a believable fast paced storyline which made for a quick and entertaining read. I highly recommend this novel! I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the book with no monetary compensation.
February 5, 2019
I see what Dakota was going for however he fell short in execution. The setting was unique but poorly fleshed out. The plot was hackneyed and reminiscent of a comic book or bad scifi movie. There is a lot of potential to make this series better.
June 28, 2019
An interesting start to Dakota's dystopian series. It ends with a pause, not a final scene, and leaves the reader wondering what happens next. I would suggest an updated edition with professional editing. Overall, an enjoyable read.
July 5, 2021
Well defined characters, the good against evil is certainly clear. I must sat it’s not my type of book normally but I was not able to put it down. Distressingly it reminds me of many struggles around the world today!
November 9, 2022
This is a reasonably good dystopian story! I liked the ideas of the story & the overall world building. I found the main character had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, which I found a little tiresome by the end of book. If you like feisty angry main characters this is for you!
August 24, 2025
A very enjoyable dystopian romp. Griffon Nightlock is an arrogant thief and full of himself, until things go wrong.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews