Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic)

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4.7

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Author(s)

Maya Motayne

Publisher

Balzer + Bray

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

May 07, 2019

ISBN

978-0062842732

Buy This Book

The first in a sweeping and epic debut fantasy trilogy—set in a stunning Latinx-inspired world—about a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince who must team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks.

As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.

After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.

But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.

Editor review

1 review

Colorful Creative Magiic

November 28, 2023

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

5.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

What I liked:
Have you read the Darker Shade of Magic series? Are you looking for another fantasy series with the same elements that will leave you with the same fantastic feelings? A Forgery of Magic series will fill the void for you. Though Darker Shade of Magic is an adult series, Nocturna is the start of a Latino-based debut fantasy series. We have a prince who is looking for his lost brother who vanished into a void where he can not follow. He uses magic door knobs (sounds familiar just a bit). We have a face-changing thief trying to leave behind a menacing father, and the two are thrown together by chance and have to save the world from very dark Magic.
A Forgery of Magic series does not get enough attention; the first book came out in 2019, with the last coming out this December 2023. I think it got lost as it took a while for all the books to come out, so I hope the spotlight will shine back on this fantastic series.
Final Verdict:
A Forgery of Magic is unique from A Darker Shade of Magic as the magic system is based on the Mexican language called proprio. You can gain your Magic anytime; something usually triggers it. Our MC and Thief have some fantastic chemistry between them. I also appreciated that this one did not end on a terrible cliffhanger, but I have no idea where the rest of the series is going. Pick up Nocturan, start your reading journey with the first book, and catch up on the series before December 26, 2023, when the final book is released.