MAY 2019 - AudioFile
Kyla Garcia narrates this colorful Latinx-inspired fantasy. Finn, a face-shifting thief, isn’t afraid to take risks to get what she needs. Reluctant prince Alfehr is still reeling from the sudden death of his older brother. They must join forces to defeat the powerful dark magic that was just accidentally unleashed in the kingdom of Castellan, overcoming their own demons to do so. Garcia does an excellent job narrating the world-building and magic, and she delivers the Spanish words throughout with expertise. However, her depictions of the main characters are too soft for the intense emotions they experience. It’s difficult to empathize with their struggles when the tone of the narration is so relaxed. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/15/2019
First in a trilogy, Motayne’s debut introduces Finn Voy, an orphaned thief who can magically alter her appearance, and Alfehr Reyes, the crown prince of Castallan, who can see and manipulate magical threads that bind the universe. After Alfie catches Finn trying to steal the royal family’s vanishing cloak to repay a vicious mob boss, he initially agrees to loan the cloak to her. Then his cousin, Luka, collapses suddenly after consuming poison intended for Alfie. Still reeling from his brother’s recent murder during a failed coup, Alfie releases an ancient evil that claims it can heal Luka. When chaos ensues, Alfie modifies his offer: Finn can have the cloak if she helps him stop the dark force from ushering in eternal night. This fantasy set in a Latinx kingdom explores the lasting effects of childhood trauma, the destructive potential of grief, and the redemptive power of love. Some characters lack depth, and murky world building muddies an already complex plot, but the stakes are high, Finn and Alfie’s reluctant attraction rings true, and a gratifying conclusion paves the way for book two. Ages 13–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist and Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners. (May)
From the Publisher
What makes Motayne’s debut title singular and special is that her kingdom is Latinx, with brown-skinned, curly-haired people and Spanish sprinkled throughout…. Cinematic, plentiful action as well as intriguing protagonists will pull many a fantasy reader, and the richly detailed world will keep them reading.” — ALA Booklist
“This fantasy set in a Latinx kingdom explores the lasting effects of childhood trauma, the destructive potential of grief, and the redemptive power of love…. the stakes are high, Finn and Alfie’s reluctant attraction rings true, and a gratifying conclusion paves the way for book two.” — Publishers Weekly
“A promising debut with unique magic and two strong protagonists among a varied ensemble cast.” — School Library Journal
“This searing, magical Latinx-inspired fantasy pulled me in from the first page and did not let me go. I loved adventuring with brave Alfie and brash Finn, and I held my breath until the end. Nocturna is a magnificent debut, powerful and true.” — Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
“Nocturna is an exhilarating adventure, bursting with lively, inventive magic and characters who charmed me the instant they appeared on the page. If you want to get swept up in a story, pick this one.” — New York Times bestselling author Margaret Rogerson
“Fantasy fans will embrace the creative worldbuilding and welcome these flawed and multi-layered characters into their hearts.” — Cinda Williams Chima, New York Times bestselling author of the Shattered Realms series
ALA Booklist
What makes Motayne’s debut title singular and special is that her kingdom is Latinx, with brown-skinned, curly-haired people and Spanish sprinkled throughout…. Cinematic, plentiful action as well as intriguing protagonists will pull many a fantasy reader, and the richly detailed world will keep them reading.
Julie C. Dao
This searing, magical Latinx-inspired fantasy pulled me in from the first page and did not let me go. I loved adventuring with brave Alfie and brash Finn, and I held my breath until the end. Nocturna is a magnificent debut, powerful and true.
Cinda Williams Chima
Fantasy fans will embrace the creative worldbuilding and welcome these flawed and multi-layered characters into their hearts.
New York Times bestselling author Margaret Rogerson
Nocturna is an exhilarating adventure, bursting with lively, inventive magic and characters who charmed me the instant they appeared on the page. If you want to get swept up in a story, pick this one.
School Library Journal
05/01/2019
Gr 8 Up—After his brother Dez's murder, Prince Alfehr is poised to become king—something he fears almost as acutely as finding concrete proof that his brother is truly dead. Alfie left Castallan months ago to grieve and, he hopes, to find a way to bring his brother back from the void—even if it means using his bruxo magic to ill ends. Finn is a faceshifter who can change her appearance at will. It's a magical ability that serves her well as a thief. When their paths cross, Alfie and Finn accidentally unleash a dangerous ancient power that could destroy Castallan and the rest of the world. Together they will have to confront their failures and their greatest fears to contain this dark magic before it's too late. Motayne's debut novel is an epic fantasy set in a Latinx-inspired world with a unique magic system where moving shadows can reveal a person's feelings and spells will be immediately recognizable to Spanish speakers. Alternating chapters follow Alfie and Finn, giving nuance to their motivations and bad decisions. Alfie and Finn's relationship, which evolves over the course of the novel from a reluctant alliance to obvious respect and affection, helps fill the void left by world-building that remains thin even with the added dimension of Castallan trying to assert itself in the wake of generations of Englass colonial rule. VERDICT A promising debut with unique magic and two strong protagonists among a varied ensemble cast.—Emma Carbone, Brooklyn Public Library
MAY 2019 - AudioFile
Kyla Garcia narrates this colorful Latinx-inspired fantasy. Finn, a face-shifting thief, isn’t afraid to take risks to get what she needs. Reluctant prince Alfehr is still reeling from the sudden death of his older brother. They must join forces to defeat the powerful dark magic that was just accidentally unleashed in the kingdom of Castellan, overcoming their own demons to do so. Garcia does an excellent job narrating the world-building and magic, and she delivers the Spanish words throughout with expertise. However, her depictions of the main characters are too soft for the intense emotions they experience. It’s difficult to empathize with their struggles when the tone of the narration is so relaxed. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-02-10
Crown Prince Alfie has unwittingly unleashed an evil god that must be recaptured before it destroys the kingdom of Castallan.
Unable to come to terms with the death of his older brother, Prince Alfie has traveled the world, searching and failing to find magic that will bring Dez back. Back home, uncertain of his fitness to be the new crown prince and still trying to find the elusive magic, he meets Finn, a thief with a rough background, a sassy tongue, and the ability to change her facial features to resemble others'. When his cousin is poisoned, Alfie—an inexperienced bruxo—improbably releases a god that has been bound for centuries by the combined magic of the finest bruxos. Will the cousin be saved? Will the kingdom? Unless he is recaptured, the god of darkness, Sombra, will cast darkness over the world and bring about Nocturna. Debut author Motayne has created two likable and well-fleshed-out characters in Alfie and Finn but has failed to do the same for the world upon which the novel rests. Tequila, sangria, flan, and the peso are but crumbs standing in for worldbuilding. Other characters in the novel are as sketchily described as their world.
An interesting premise, likable characters, and high adventure carry this novel, but it is difficult to see it becoming a trilogy without a backbone to hold it up. (Fantasy. 14-18)
