Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this and it wasn't bad. But, while I found the story compelling, the prose was way too overdone. It was superfluous and gave off more tell than show vibes, to me personally. Which is just my opinion and you may love that! I would definitely encourage you to check it out. This one just fell short for me and was too hard to get into.

In this haunting, lyrical fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she's pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.

Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet Company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.

Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company's new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron, and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.

Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master's secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought.

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I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was a magical, beautiful read.

I DNF’d this one at about 20%. The synopsis was interesting and the writing is lovely but the plot/pace was slow and I was bored, just couldn’t get into the book. The chapters are long and this just wasn’t the book for me right now. I might come back to it later, but for right now I’m moving on.

One of the finest Gothic retellings I’ve ever read, bringing a new take on the Phantom of the Opera. The sweeping, dreamy world of 1930s Chicago hides horrors in its shadows.

Grace, an orphan, experienced a lot of suffering and death before she wins a place in a ballet school. Now, she’s striving to become prima and dance all the best parts, while the school struggles to find a patron. But when Grace gets chosen prima and finds a mysterious patron, she feels more dread than joy. Master De La Rosa drops hints that he’s been watching her for longer than she can imagine, and he wants all of her, not just the parts Grace is willing to give. The lyrical, nightmarish prose draws the reader - and Grace - into a world filled with all kinds of monsters. Grace will have to decide how hard she’s willing to fight to live.

I loved Grace's friendship with Emilia, the retiring prima donna. Both girls - isolated because of their differences - have a fierce friendship. Emilia tries desperately to reach and save Grace, even as her own wedding approaches.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of book in exchange for an honest review.

A struggling ballet dancer in Depression-era Chicago becomes entangled with a mysterious patron who might be much more than he seems. This book was clearly the product of a lot of influences, Phantom of the Opera and Eastern European folktales most prominently., but it had enough of its own magic to separate it from them and be entertaining in its own right. Though the story took a while to build in the beginning, by the end I was frantically reading through the last chapters in order to see how it would resolve. The relationships of the main characters were suitably developed, and Grace was an engaging protagonist, although there were several moments where I figured the twists out before she did and was disappointed it took her so long to catch up. And even though it broke my heart, the ending was perfectly fitting for this dark little fairytale. An entrancing, bittersweet novel.

As life-long dancer, I was pulled in by the ballerina concept. Add onto that Chicago (one of my favorite cities) AND the Great Depression, SOLD!

However, it just didn't live up to my expectations. It had such good promise, but felt like a weak The Phantom of the Opera.

It was a fine read, but one I'm glad I didn't pay for.

A ballerina during the Great Depression, growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily, who is an orphan finally finds herself achieving her dreams of success as well as earning a patron.... but not all is as it seems. The more she tries to find out who her patron is and who her ballet mistress sold her off to the more she delves into the mysterious world of the Master. Grace Dragotta is promoted to prima ballerina by a wealthy benefactor who promises to keep the Ballet running in exchange for Grace. She will move into his home, wear what he tells her, eats what he tells her, and dance the waltz with him every Sunday at midnight. She is taken to his mansion and soon finds herself navigating a handsome beast and the mysterious world he inhabits... she soon finds Noctem and the spirits there. Her master turns out to be Death himself and he only wants her to marry him and stay dancing with him forever... but he isn’t telling her all there is and someone else is after her as well. This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast as well as Hades and Persephone... but just lacking in actual substance or plot. The atmosphere was great, the book leans heavily into building an atmosphere and a certain vibe... but other than that, the actual plot felt disjointed and meh. Unfortunately the only thing the book really had was atmosphere and that’s so disappointing considering how the premise could be so interesting. It goes heavy on the descriptions and floweryness of things but the story itself felt slow and like you could skim it and still get the entire story by the end. Wile this one didn’t work for me definitely give it a go if you are looking for a gothic read with ballerinas and a touch of beauty and the beast retelling.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I feel empty after finishing this. And not empty in a good way. Not empty because I loved the book so much it drained all of my emotions. Empty because this was so unremarkable. I feel so drained just from forcing myself to read it.

Which is so sad because I expected so much. I mean, the cover and the synopsis promise and atmospheric, wintery fantasy. They promise something you can escape into. This wasn't that. This was bleh. It tried to be atmospheric, but failed completely. It was the sheer visage of something impressive, bur without any real substance.

Somehow, the atmosphere had more substance than the plot though. The plot was bad. I finished this, and I can't tell you what the heck happened. A lot did, but it was all disjointed. It was all unremarkable.

After going through some reviews, it's obvious I'm not the only reviewer who felt this way. I hope you (if you pick this up) like it better than me, but don't go into it expecting excellence.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

I liked Nocturne but not enough to recommend it to a friend. It was a sort of retelling of Beauty and the Beast- the author even refers to the male protagonist as a beast. There are also references to the myth of Hades and Persephone. However I feel as though the world building and description was lacking. Some of the sequences were difficult to follow and I was unsure exactly what happened in some parts.

To start, I have to say how beautifully written this book was. I tend to get immersed into the setting of whatever book I'm reading pretty easily but Alyssa Wees went above and beyond with the prose in Nocturne. A mixture of ballet and magic, you'll never guess where this book ends up. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast but I would absolutely recommend if you loved Phantom of the Opera as well.

I didn't realize how much I needed a book like this. Not only does the main character dance, she plays violin???? Which at this point is literally my only personality trait at school????

The writing style of this book was literal magic. The descriptions and emotions just felt so immersive in the most realistic-fantasy-esque way possible. At first, I tended to agree with other reviews I'd read that called the writing too flowery, but as the chapters went on I really fell in love with it.

"Here there were only those who smiled when they said something kind, and those who smiled when they said something cruel.
Mistress was both."

The plot of this book made me want to become a world-renowned performer, because it was just so freaking gorgeous and so...spotlighted?? I'm sure that's not the correct context or meaning of that word, but I took an English final this morning so I'm disregarding all those rules.

This book is spotlighted. It's got this infused aesthetic that makes dance and music seem so extraordinary. Oh, and did I mention that it's basically a cross between a Hades and Persephone story and a Beauty and the Beast retelling? Because it is and it's absolutely gorgeous.

"It was a trick; it had to be. He was only a mirror, no different really from the ones on the walls, reflecting what I so desperately needed to see: a prince in place of a monster, kindness challenging cruelty. An illusion; this was not his true skin. For only a monster would tear a young woman away from her home, flexing his wealth to exert his dominion over her. He did not have to smile for me to know it."

Grace Dragotta, an orphan who has been taken in by Near North Ballet, is promoted to prima ballerina of the corps. Her performance is at the behest of a mysterious, wealthy benefactor who promises to keep the Ballet running in exchange for one thing: Grace. He demands one waltz every Sunday at midnight. Stolen away from her constrained, stultifying world of rehearsals and competition and cramped quarters, Grace is taken by the Master la Rosa to his mansion.

Grace's character development was absolutely stunning. I thought her character was pretty cool in the beginning: she was a determined person who felt a need to get away from the walls of her life. As the book went on and she learned more and more about the worlds outside of her own, her perspective changed into something that I just absolutely adored.

"But when had fear ever stopped me from doing what I must do? I was afraid when Mamma died and left me alone; I was afraid to play my violin for an audience of strangers. I was afraid when Mistress took me in, and I was afraid to perform for the Master. I was afraid of coming here, and afraid of the Master, and afraid of the dark and of the beasts and of the labyrinth. I was afraid to say goodbye to my best friend, my sister.
But all these things I was afraid to do - I did them anyway."

This book was one of the most motivational things I've read this year, and I don't know why. It's a dark, historical fantasy retelling about a ballerina. But at the same time it's just so pretty and haunting and more than a little bit off-putting at times. It made me want to learn how to dance pointe (my ankles and coordination skills say no) and practice violin (my schedule and wrist injury say no).

"Playing violin was like breathing, but dance was the thing that kept my heart beating, wild and free. Breath or blood? Air or ichor? If I had to choose, I chose my heart."

Also, the setting was so new to me. I've been to Chicago a lot of times before, but reading about it during the era of the Great Depression and reading it described in these twisted metaphors was just this overwhelming, slightly Gothic experience.

"I felt like fate as I danced - like something inevitable, unavoidable. Cold, perhaps, but radiant. My shadow was long and touched every single person in that room as I piquéd and promenaded."

Overall, Nocturne was the exact form of escapism I needed. At first, I thought it was a little bit depressing and a little bit overdone; I mean, I was reading about the deathly snowfall in Chicago while on my way to Florida for fall break, so the contrast is more than a little bit ironic.

But this book made me feel the cold, the soreness and the want that ripped through Grace's character. It made me reconsider life and death and music, because it described art forms in such a transcendental way that I never thought could be put into words. Maybe I related to it too personally. Maybe it's because I'm a violinist who does dance and wants to be an author and loves mythology. But this book felt like it was tailored to the parts of my brain that live and breathe dark fantasy.

"I was stuck here, in this world, and there wasn't another one; there wasn't anywhere else I could go. There was nothing beyond this earth with its wonders, pyramids and waterfalls. With its horrors, war and poverty; with its art and cynicism; with its cathedrals and trenches.
Please, please, there has to be more, I thought, I need there to be more."

This book was so good! Dark and haunting in the best way and I could not put it down. This book deserves so much hype and I can not wait for release day to see others that love it as much as I did. The world building and the character profiles were perfect!

This book has a little bit of phantom of the opera and a little bit beauty and the beast and a little bit hades and persephone, but it still feels very unique.

Wees has a masterful grasp on language and how to use it to make the reader not only feel something but to experience that feeling as they read the words on the page. This is not a long book, but each word is expertly chosen in order to have the most impact possible.

Centered around an aspiring prima ballerina in a Chicago ballet company during the Depression, Nocturne takes dance and music and makes them magical. It imbues these arts with capabilities that they are often talked about with hyperbole, but makes them real. Dance and music are escapes, but the question Nocturne raises is, escapes from what? and what happens when you do break free?

While I think some of the execution in the latter part of the story, particularly the inner workings of the world of Noctem could have used a little more explaining, not knowing the rules is also what makes the story work. Because you don't see the ending until its right upon you, even though you've been looking at it the whole time.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Nocturne, while containing some lovely descriptions and wonderful scenes of ballet, is ultimately a confusing mash-up of retellings, under-developed characters, and absent motives. There are several elements that are made out to be important that just fizzle out, and the long descriptions of every. single. thing slow the story down significantly. I found it quite easy to skim large sections of text without missing anything relevant because it was all unnecessary flourishes. I think Nocturne had the potential to be a lovely dark romance, but it lacks focus and believable characters and sadly falls far short of that potential.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The overwhelming feeling is that I loved it, but I do have a few complaints. I'm not sure I can address all of them 100% spoiler-free so be cautious with this review. To start, the book began VERY slowly. Like DNF slowly. It definitely wasn't a "hook me from the beginning" kind of book. I wasn't really hooked until about halfway through, but when that happened I was already well past my bedtime and still couldn't put the book down. I was only able to go to bed once I finished, that's how hooked I was. I do think the ending could have used some improvement. I didn't like that it took Grace so long to put the pieces together, and that she let Mr. Russo sway her decision so suddenly, but I understand that it was used to progress the story and that it helped emphasis the power of Death vs Sleep. I wish though that there had been more with Death after the big moment. There was an emphasis on giving up his mortal human form and I was yearning for an appearance in the afterlife so that everyone got their HEA. I felt like Grace deserved more than what she got.

The premise of this book sounded so good and I was absolutely looking forward to it until I actually started reading it and found that it embodied the one thing I hate most in books - purple prose. Everything was overly descriptive, just a regurgitation of adjectives, simile, metaphor, etc. I’m not sure if the author felt she needed all this to tell a good story of if she was trying to get her word count up, but whatever the reason it didn’t work for me.

In this haunting, lyrical fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she’s pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.

Weaving together elements of the Phantom of the Opera, Hercules, and all the haunting, lyrical fantasy. NOCTURNE is heavy on the prose to craft the world that it lives in, with added notes of historical elements and emotion. For me, it wavers between being so full of story that it goes beyond the pages, and being a bit too overwrought. The story is fascinating, but it sometimes becomes clouded within the writing. I found myself at the end of the story wishing that the ending was able to be developed more instead of the long bouts of attention given to describing environments. It’s an interesting book and if you prefer your book with a heavy focus on the writing, then this might be for you.

What originally drew me to this book, and what continued to be my favourite element throughout, was the role of ballet. Through ballet, we are exposed to Grace’s character and seeing how she develops throughout the book. Ballet is such a perfect grey area and works so well within this book in the fight between death and sleep. It reminded me of how much I wanted to be a ballerina when I was little and how I’m still fascinated by it. It is strongest at the core of ballet, and the connections that Grace forms through it.

As a side note, I really loved Grace and Emilia’s close relationship, and I truly wouldn’t change a thing about it.

NOCTURNE is full of beautiful writing, a fascinating concept, and almost leaves more questions than answers at the end. It is not a fairytale with a happy ending, but one that looks at the darker underbelly. It takes a little while to get to the true story and then it feels as if it almost ends too quickly, but it’s hard to put down when you’re in it. And I would certainly go see a show by the Near North Ballet.