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Nocturne
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
5 posts | 5 read | 7 to read
A gorgeous, lyrical and haunting fantasy novel set in Depression-era Chicago and starring a young ballerina, perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera Grace has always wanted to be a ballerina - ever since she first looked through the windows of the Near North ballet company. The elegance and beauty of the dance seemed almost transcendent to a child of the working poor. So when Grace is orphaned, it is to the ballet that she flees. To the ballet mistress, Grace is her little bird - a wounded creature flown in through her window, one that she can heal and make fly. And indeed, years later, Grace is ready to spread her wings as the new Prima ballerina of the Near North company. But it is a position that comes with a price. For every struggling company - especially at the tail end of the Great Depression - needs a rich patron, and Grace is merely the bait in an elaborate trap. So when she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa, she realizes that her new position is just another sort of cage - albeit a brighter and more gilded one. But in Master La Rosa's mysterious, decaying mansion, she begins to sense what it would truly mean to break her bars and fly free at last.
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blurb
wordslinger42
wordslinger42
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
post image

Diving into this one next. The last time I looked, it didn't have great reviews on Litsy, so I'm interested to see what I think of it!

rubyslippersreads The synopsis sounds interesting, and the cover is lovely, so I hope it turns out to be good. 13mo
TheBookHippie Me too! I have it in my TBR .. 13mo
wordslinger42 @rubyslippersreads @TheBookHippie I couldn't get into the story, so I bailed. 12mo
TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 I keep seeing bails!!!!! 😵‍💫 12mo
23 likes4 comments
review
kissmehardy
kissmehardy
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
post image
Mehso-so

This wasn't it for me. It felt like the sentences were lyrically exquisite but didn't do much to actually convey the story. The Beauty and the Beast/Phantom of the Opera vibes were cool, but Grace's realizations about who Mr. Russo and Catherine truly were came SO late that it just frustrated me. I appreciate that Emilia was prima and Mexican American, tho! More of that in fiction, pls. #fantasy #historicalfantasy #fairytales

6 likes
review
KristiAhlers
KristiAhlers
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
post image
Mehso-so

This is one of those times I was glad I didn't in fact pay for a book and was able to read an ARC. I honestly had high hopes for this one. Phantom/Beauty and the Beast vibes plus, ballet and historical setting with fantasy elements. Should be a no Brainerd. Sadly this one was a twisty (not in a fun way) and ponderous story. 🌟🌟🌟 star read. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

megnews Gorgeous cover though 14mo
TheAromaofBooks So sad that that cover didn't pay off!! 14mo
48 likes2 comments
review
robinb
robinb
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
post image
Mehso-so

An adult fantasy (although I‘d argue it‘s more YA), this one took place in 1930s Chicago and centered around Grace Dragotta, a young ballerina who is elevated to prima ballerina as her best friend, Emilia, retires to marry. She is taken up by a mysterious benefactor/patron, Master La Rosa, and comes to realize that all is not what it seems (both of La Rosa and her dream position). As she is basically “sold” by her dancing Mistress, she is 🔻

robinb forced to live in La Rosa‘s house, a shrouded Gothic-style relic where she is essentially under house arrest, with only La Rosa and his enigmatic “assistant” Mr. Russo as her companions. She is allowed to perform a new ballet, commissioned by her Master which begins to eerily reflect her own life situation. At home, La Rosa asks only that she dance with him at midnight every Sunday. As he begins to explain some of his 🔻 1y
robinb circumstances/responsibilities, Grace begins to soften toward him. However, each time he asks her to marry him and live with him in his world, she says no. And as his and Russo‘s association builds into volitivity, she must make a life-changing decision or risk losing herself. I enjoyed the lyrical and sometimes poetic nature of the prose although at times it was too over-the-top and dense. The Gothic-like atmosphere was well-done, and the 🔻 1y
robinb story had a heavy, dark overlay throughout. But this one was difficult for me in a couple of ways. First, while yes, this was a fantasy with elements of Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera and Hades/Persephone, it was darker and harder to follow than those stories. The characters, especially La Rosa and Russo, felt underdeveloped and stereotyped and also too easily dispatched considering their power over Grace. 🔻 1y
robinb And yes, Grace does ultimately grow into her own power (at a steep price), I was left with only sadness and just plain mental exhaustion getting to that point. While I wanted to wholeheartedly love this book, I found myself ambivalent and just plain confused by a lot of the plot and actions of the characters. I think lots of folks will enjoy this, but for me, it was just an OK read. 3/5⭐️ 1y
40 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
underground_bks
underground_bks
Nocturne | Alyssa Wees
post image
Mehso-so

In 1930s Chicago, a newly anointed prima ballerina with a tragic past finds herself the beneficiary of a mysterious patron with haunting gifts and dark demands. This is the author‘s adult debut; while I felt the lyricism of the work was more mature, the main character and the romance felt more young adult to me, which just isn‘t my cup of tea. Recommended for fans of Phantom of the Opera and retellings of Beauty & the Beast or Persephone & Hades.

26 likes1 stack add