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Ballad of Emerald and Iron #0.5
Nocturne
Lorelei’s not alone in the forgotten halls of the Citadel of Night. An ancient evil lies waiting to be awakened…
Despite her best efforts, Lorelei ap Moura can't even control even the simplest of spells. Her parents think she's a failure, her professors think she is dangerous, and her classmates avoid her. Her only hope lies in the legacy of a great bard, lost in the depths of the forsaken Citadel of Night.
With the help of her friends, Lorelei sets off to claim the legacy and prove to everyone that she is deserving of being bestowed the title of "Magus".
Forgotten horrors await within the dusty halls along with new dangers. Can Lorelei stop a plot to awaken an ancient evil and endanger all Fae?
Nocturne is the captivating novella in the Ballad of Emerald and Iron epic fantasy series. If you like strong women, potent magic, and non-stop adventure, then you’ll love Natalya Capello’s enthralling tale.
Despite her best efforts, Lorelei ap Moura can't even control even the simplest of spells. Her parents think she's a failure, her professors think she is dangerous, and her classmates avoid her. Her only hope lies in the legacy of a great bard, lost in the depths of the forsaken Citadel of Night.
With the help of her friends, Lorelei sets off to claim the legacy and prove to everyone that she is deserving of being bestowed the title of "Magus".
Forgotten horrors await within the dusty halls along with new dangers. Can Lorelei stop a plot to awaken an ancient evil and endanger all Fae?
Nocturne is the captivating novella in the Ballad of Emerald and Iron epic fantasy series. If you like strong women, potent magic, and non-stop adventure, then you’ll love Natalya Capello’s enthralling tale.
103 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2019
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Natalya Capello
6 books22 followersNatalya Capello lives in a world of oddballs, weather wizards, and big dreams. Really, it’s just Texas. She loves chocolate and spaghetti (but not together!) and writes about fantastical worlds with strong heroines and lots of magic. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her cat and playing video games and tabletop RPGs.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 30, 2020
What a fantastic action-packed story that is a complete TEASE for the series! My first taste of Capello's work. This book deals with Lorelei's struggle to control her magic because of her visions, so she goes on a quest to retrieve an artifact that will help her control her magic so she can pass her trials. LOTS of epic fights with creatures, and different races, each with their own gifts! And I totally have to give bonus points for such a unique magic system!!
And did I mention this cover is GORGEOUS???
What a great intro to the series! Totally had me hooked from beginning to end!
And did I mention this cover is GORGEOUS???
What a great intro to the series! Totally had me hooked from beginning to end!
March 31, 2021
Novella-length.
Lorelei, the younger daughter of the most powerful house of the land, has always been compared to her sister and fallen short. This year, her sister is set to step up to the rank of magus, while Lorelei is taking her third attempt at her first-year trial, and if she doesn’t pass it, she will be thrown out of the school. She knows she needs focus over the visions that seem to plague her, so she concocts and idea to retrieve an ancient relic, a guitar used by a famed bard who used it to entrap an evil general. She enlists the help of the fellow student who initially told her the tale, who brings along her friend who can control portals, and Lorelei’s boyfriend Arryn decides to tag along, too since Lorelei has a penchant for getting into trouble over her head. Together the team heads to a haunted ruined citadel filled with plenty of monsters.
During the first couple of chapters, I was so tempted to quit since it was the stereotypical spoiled girl complaining about failing classes, complaining about a teacher unfairly treating her, obsessing about her boyfriend, obsessing about the need to rank as well as her sister, if not prove that she’s better. And then the story suddenly turned into Tomb Raider. It was epic with monsters, adventure, and a crumbling fortress! It’s a bit like The Mummy movies with undead monsters trying to kill our adventurers. There were also points where it felt like a video game like World of Warcraft with specific groups of monsters attacking them at set places. Like the group of wolves outside the citadel, then the group of skeletons inside, then a granite guardian, and assassins, etc, but still a fun adventure.
My main complaint was that I didn’t like Lorelei. Which doesn’t sell me on continuing with the series. She didn’t seem to care about the others she dragged along on her adventure, including her boyfriend, to the point where she didn’t really care about them potentially dying, just so long as she retrieved the artifact. She’s also really over-powered, which made facing the big bad of the book done in a blink of an eye. There were things that were brought up in this, but never really addressed, like if the visions really were a past life, and what did the sister whisper to Lorelei’s boyfriend and was she coming on to him? I’m assuming they’ll probably be addressed in the main series. The ending ended on a negative note, which also didn’t encourage me to continue on. I felt sorry for Arryn since Lorelei didn’t seem to really appreciate him other than wanting to have sex with him (btw, this story is clean).
Lorelei, the younger daughter of the most powerful house of the land, has always been compared to her sister and fallen short. This year, her sister is set to step up to the rank of magus, while Lorelei is taking her third attempt at her first-year trial, and if she doesn’t pass it, she will be thrown out of the school. She knows she needs focus over the visions that seem to plague her, so she concocts and idea to retrieve an ancient relic, a guitar used by a famed bard who used it to entrap an evil general. She enlists the help of the fellow student who initially told her the tale, who brings along her friend who can control portals, and Lorelei’s boyfriend Arryn decides to tag along, too since Lorelei has a penchant for getting into trouble over her head. Together the team heads to a haunted ruined citadel filled with plenty of monsters.
During the first couple of chapters, I was so tempted to quit since it was the stereotypical spoiled girl complaining about failing classes, complaining about a teacher unfairly treating her, obsessing about her boyfriend, obsessing about the need to rank as well as her sister, if not prove that she’s better. And then the story suddenly turned into Tomb Raider. It was epic with monsters, adventure, and a crumbling fortress! It’s a bit like The Mummy movies with undead monsters trying to kill our adventurers. There were also points where it felt like a video game like World of Warcraft with specific groups of monsters attacking them at set places. Like the group of wolves outside the citadel, then the group of skeletons inside, then a granite guardian, and assassins, etc, but still a fun adventure.
My main complaint was that I didn’t like Lorelei. Which doesn’t sell me on continuing with the series. She didn’t seem to care about the others she dragged along on her adventure, including her boyfriend, to the point where she didn’t really care about them potentially dying, just so long as she retrieved the artifact. She’s also really over-powered, which made facing the big bad of the book done in a blink of an eye. There were things that were brought up in this, but never really addressed, like if the visions really were a past life, and what did the sister whisper to Lorelei’s boyfriend and was she coming on to him? I’m assuming they’ll probably be addressed in the main series. The ending ended on a negative note, which also didn’t encourage me to continue on. I felt sorry for Arryn since Lorelei didn’t seem to really appreciate him other than wanting to have sex with him (btw, this story is clean).
July 7, 2021
That's was a cracking read, Lorelei an Elf can not pass her trials, it's been three years, is at risk of being expelled, always in her sisters shadow and failure in her mothers eyes, plagued with nightmares and visions, Fast paced and a grand little adventure...😁
March 20, 2021
what a good book. I really like the story so far. I like Loreili and how sahe handles herself with her challenges especially when facing a vampire.
September 24, 2019
Nocturne
Lorelei ap Moura attends the AIMIR a school of magic for the Sidhe. She is a Lyrist, she sings spells. She is attempting to pass her third level exams for the third time but is struggling to ignore the visions that’s she gets and which throw her control of the songs. She hears a senior practicing for her final and singing about the lost Citadel of Night, but Ilia says that it is not finished. Lorelei suggests that they travel to the lost city in the song and look for the finish there. What she doesn’t say is that she is looking for the magical guitar in the story. For some reason she thinks that it could help her control her music and enable her to pass her exams. She has an elder sister, Freya, who breezed through all her exams and is now competing for Illume, the best mage.
Lorelei, Ilia and Dae, a pixie friend of Ilia who will open the portals for them, are meeting that night to avoid being seen. They are suddenly joined by Arryn who is pledged to Lorelei. He is to go into the army soon, and is a bit of a stuffed shirt. He refuses to let them go without him.
They soon find that they have bitten off more than they can chew but the action is fast paced and they support one another through all trials.
I found the MC to be too self doubting despite the fact that she proves herself time after time. Her biggest drawback is her family since her father is weak, her mother is a snob and her sister is a snake.
It’s funny but though I got very frustrated at times I couldn’t stop reading the book and I am going to definitely read the next one!
- [ ]
Lorelei ap Moura attends the AIMIR a school of magic for the Sidhe. She is a Lyrist, she sings spells. She is attempting to pass her third level exams for the third time but is struggling to ignore the visions that’s she gets and which throw her control of the songs. She hears a senior practicing for her final and singing about the lost Citadel of Night, but Ilia says that it is not finished. Lorelei suggests that they travel to the lost city in the song and look for the finish there. What she doesn’t say is that she is looking for the magical guitar in the story. For some reason she thinks that it could help her control her music and enable her to pass her exams. She has an elder sister, Freya, who breezed through all her exams and is now competing for Illume, the best mage.
Lorelei, Ilia and Dae, a pixie friend of Ilia who will open the portals for them, are meeting that night to avoid being seen. They are suddenly joined by Arryn who is pledged to Lorelei. He is to go into the army soon, and is a bit of a stuffed shirt. He refuses to let them go without him.
They soon find that they have bitten off more than they can chew but the action is fast paced and they support one another through all trials.
I found the MC to be too self doubting despite the fact that she proves herself time after time. Her biggest drawback is her family since her father is weak, her mother is a snob and her sister is a snake.
It’s funny but though I got very frustrated at times I couldn’t stop reading the book and I am going to definitely read the next one!
- [ ]
August 4, 2019
I love a good fantasy novel, especially when it’s imaginative - and certainly more than the group of adventurers out to fight the “Great Evil”. That doesn’t mean that an evil baddy is bad to have, or that some sort of quest is always a negative. It just means that there has to be some logical and hopefully creative reason for why the characters are doing what they do. That’s certainly the case with Nocturne, A Novella From The Ballad of Emerald and Iron, by Natalya Capello. I’ve never read anything by this author before but based on this book I’m going to have to remedy that. Nocturne is just the fun and creative yarn that the fantasy lover in me craves, with a great plot and really wonderful characters from Lorelei ap Moura on down. Frankly, but for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. Since this is a prequel story, I’m definitely looking forward to the series that follows.
July 26, 2019
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
"Nocturne" was my first chance to read Capello's work.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Capello did a nice job of balancing world-building, exposition and action as we follow Lorelei and crew while Lorelei seeks a means to control her magical powers. Does she find it? Read the book and find out.
As with all good story-tellers the author tells the reader just enough to make us hungry to know what happens next!
I recommend this book.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a copy of this book for review. This is my own honest opinion.
"Nocturne" was my first chance to read Capello's work.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Capello did a nice job of balancing world-building, exposition and action as we follow Lorelei and crew while Lorelei seeks a means to control her magical powers. Does she find it? Read the book and find out.
As with all good story-tellers the author tells the reader just enough to make us hungry to know what happens next!
I recommend this book.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a copy of this book for review. This is my own honest opinion.
September 17, 2019
A different twist on magic and the Fae. Apparently casting spells isn't the only magic to be had in this story. We have Loreli, who has problems with her magic, but thinks if she can get ahold of a magic guitar all her problems will be solved. Well, like in most cases, she may have bitten off more than she can chew. She doesn't attempt this venture alone, but none saw the dangers already ahead of them that could spell more than her limited magic can attempt. However, she is stronger than she even imagines, but at what cost. READ!
July 2, 2019
An exciting fantasy prequel novel introducing Lorelei and her quest to find an instrument that may help her control her magic. The story was captivating and highly absorbing, and I realised too late that I had finished the entire book in one seating.
Looking forward to reading Song of Shadow, though.
Looking forward to reading Song of Shadow, though.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews