Nocticadia by Keri Lake – Read Along Week One (Dark Academia Gothic Romance)

Nocticadia by Keri Lake | Read Along Week One

Welcome to week one of our Nocticadia by Keri Lake read along, and we are off to a running start.

First off, this is a monster of a book, almost reaching that six-hundred-page mark, so I thought I was in for a slog. Call me pleasantly surprised. While the opening is a slow build to Lilia leaving home for the ivy league university, it’s necessary world and character building—especially the full memory of her mother’s death. It sets up so much for this dark academia gothic romance.

Want to read along with us? We still have a few Nocticadia read along boxes available—grab yours before they disappear and experience Keri Lake’s dark academia masterpiece with us.

First Impressions: Horror, Trauma, and Dark Academia

The scene is horrific—two attempted drownings before those black worms slither out of her mother into the bathtub. Gruesome and delightful…you know, for those of us who like that kind of thing in fiction. (Ahem. Me.)

This moment grounds Lilia’s PTSD, paranoia, and loner status, especially when she’s told she didn’t see what she saw. They call it a suicide. That her mother cut open her veins and bled out in the bath. But Lilia saw it. Her fake disease paper and obsession with uncovering the truth make her journey to the prestigious academy feel inevitable—and ominous.

Devryck, Secrets, and Early Predictions

Now, I already have some predictions. Between Devryck (thanks for the awkward name) and his backstory involving his father, these creatures being put into women, and the fact that two escaped—one dying recently—I’m calling it now: the other is Lilia’s mother.

It creates a deeper connection between our two main characters beyond the obvious professor/student tension. They’re studying the same thing for the same reason, and there’s something unmeasurable pulling them together. Attraction, obsession…something darker.

Romantic Tension & Side Characters to Watch

We know this is headed toward romance, but the tension right now is palpable. I’m waiting for the obsession to kick in, for Lilia to prove her value, and for Devryck’s assholishness to work in her favor. Because it always does.

Spencer is another wildcard. Is he genuinely interested in her, or is he acting on orders from the secret society his father (the provost) clearly belongs to? And then there’s Mel—intense, conspiracy-minded, and anti-everyone. Ally or eventual threat? I can’t decide yet, but I’m invested.

Complications & What’s Coming Next

Let’s not ignore the professor who helped Lilia get into the university—Devryck’s former flame (or, as he so eloquently puts it, former fuck receptacle). She’s clearly still attached, Spencer is her TA, and I see plenty of trouble brewing once the main romance ignites.

I don’t expect major fallout from these threads until the second half of the book, but the groundwork is absolutely there.

Final Thoughts for Week One

Ultimately, I’m excited. Nocticadia is easy to read, not bogged down by excessive world building, and refreshingly light on repetition. For a nearly six-hundred-page dark academia horror romance, that’s impressive.

Let me know your thoughts—are you hyped for this book? Any predictions of your own? Drop them in the comments below, and I’ll see you next week as we read up to Chapter 38.

Until then, happy reading!

If you’re reading along with us this month, don’t forget our current January book box featuring Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu is now available.