I liked the book.

November is trying to figure out her future. Which apparently is moving in with long lost family and a musical school. Although, November is not musical. But we'll see how this goes.

Things build up kinda of quickly but also is a messy way at parts. Some scenes could've been longer and really bring out the moment instead of being short and leaving you asking yourself what just happened. There were a few moments that if the scenes were detailed just a little more than it would have made the book even better for me.

Put that aside, the story overall is there and worth the read. November having to learn the past of her parent's, deaths happening, a killer on the lose that she needs to figure out too. Lots of emotion, lots of questions and will leave you wanting the next book.

I'll still continue with this series since overall I did enjoy the book.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

A book that hits in the way a lyric does. It imprints upon you. Leaving you sitting blankly as it ends wondering how you will possibly move on to the next read.

Alas though I must. But I did sit still and silent with the book in my hands though. I let it linger for a while before I consumed anything else.

Serenade is a great dark Academia book with a lot of mystery. I also enjoyed the boarding school setting of this book. The characters were also well developed and the interaction between them were very interesting and kept my attention. The world building is something new and I liked how the author described the setting without it being too much. I felt the end of the book a to be a little rushed, which took some of the joy of reading it. I also thought the start was a little slow. I overall did enjoy the book though and I would recommend giving it a shot.

This novel is about a haunted boarding school. To be honest, I expected more from this novel. I was hoping for more paranormal activity with the main lead investigating the school. However, I did not really get that. Still, this was a simple story. I recommend this for fans of the paranormal genre!

This one took me a little bit too get into, but once I did, I enjoyed it. I think some of this has to do with the main character's interests - she was a competitive rock climber, a sport I've never really been particularily interested in. Also, the school she goes to is primarirly a classical music school, another thing I am not particulay interested in. I was horrible at all music related things in school., so it is hard for me to be excited about a music school.
The book does have a lot of dark acdemia vibes, and another world with ominous creatures, so I think fans of the dark academia subgenre would really enjoy it.

2.75 stars.
November Huntington was very "different" and sad, wich made her so boring and sort of predictable in a way. I found the other characters interesting, but the magical aspect was a bit so and so.

This book has everything! Amazing characters, page turning plots, many twists and turns that took my breath away! I am so glad the other books in the series are out so there is no waiting!

I quickly fell in love with this story!! November’s struggles are so relatable to me. The world building was the easiest for me to grasp so far in my reading journey, so great job on that!! I cant wait to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book for the most part. It gave me a certain sense of nostalgia, reminding me of books I had read when I was a teen and I think I would have probably been obsessed with this as a 14 year old.

I enjoyed the world building a lot, I liked how the house had so many different rooms all focused on particular themes. And I did enjoy the fantasy aspect of this book a lot.

The downside for me of this book was the plot twist. It was shocking yes, but I don't think it made a lot of sense and seemed to just be for shock value mainly. However, I am interested to see where the author will go with this in the future book/s.

Overall, an enjoyable easy read that I would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aethon Books for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book for its mysterious atmosphere, nice characters and good romance. It reads like a suspenseful murder mystery, set in a boarding school setting, which I always appreciate. The magic system was also really good and I liked the focus on music and the arts. The plot twists were kind of predictable, but still interesting to read about.

The writing style was rather average, although quite lyrical at times, but the book was easy to read and not too long. It's very fast-paced, which helped me get out of a reading slump. I enjoy this kind of storytelling; overall it was a nice, fun read.

The main character was a little annoying, and so was the love triangle, but I loved the romance. November and Vincent are great together, I was rooting for them the whole time. I can't wait to read more about them. Cam was alright too, but not my favorite. I also liked the mental health representation and found it to be quite accurate.

This is the first book in a planned trilogy, and I will make sure to read the next books when they come out. If you're looking for a short YA fantasy, with cool magic and a nice dark academia aesthetic, Serenade is definitely a good match for you.

Serenade was a well done YA about facing your depression and your fears as you step into a new world of magic. I liked November and Vincent, and the plot twists were good!

SPOILER WARNING.

Oh God, where do I start?

At first, I really, really liked this book. Dark academia, spooky overtones, ghosts, even the way the magic system was so unique... that appreciation quickly got lost in the most convoluted, weird, and nonsensical plot. The MC is selfish, all knowledge of anything useful is hidden from the MC even though it could have been super useful, a badly executed love triangle between brothers (father and son???) and an immortal being who sits on his ass the whole story knowing people are looking for him just to say not my problem dawg. And said immortal being has a thing for underage girls.

Oh, and the fact that the most powerful beings is the world are suddenly scared off by a group of ghost children? What.

I'm not trying to be mean here, I promise... I'm just so confused....

the main character was very relatable which made the story much more enjoyable. also, the world building was done really well and it was easy to understand.

personally, i didn’t enjoy the love triangle but other than that, it was a good read.

This is the first book in The Dark Nocturne series and the first book I e read by this author. This book captivated me so fast. Character development and world building were amazing.

So compelling. Full of mystery, secrets, love, drama, suspense, twists and so much more. And that cliffhanger!? OMG. I can’t wait for book 2!

This was such a fun read!

I haven't read a boarding school novel in a while, and this was so entertaining! November is such an interesting character. Her relationship with Vincent in swoon-worthy and there's also a murder mystery! It was compelling, fun, and the writing was easy to follow. The set-up of the school was so good and the relationships were well-written. I was kept hooked throughout.


The pace did slow a little in the middle, but it picked up by the end. I want to read more by this author! Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Serenade by Morgan Shamy is the first book in the Young adult fantasy series The Dark Nocturne. This book for me started off so slow to the point that I almost didn't want to finish it. I am so glad I did! The plot twists in this book are phenomenal and that ending....so Unexpected! The way the author details the main characters struggle with mental health issues is relatable. The paranormal aspect of the book was totally unique as academics of music and dance infused with magic. The love triangle was an added bonus to this great storyline. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book a lot! In many ways, Serenade reminded me of RoseBlood by A. G. Howard, which was my favorite read so far this year. Both of them feature musical academies, mysterious murders, and magical musicians/dancers! If you love fantasy and any performance art, I think you would love Serenade! The world-building was absolutely peculiar and unique! I had so much fun reading about the academy and the Huntington manor. The quirkiness of it satisfied my curiosity and fuel my imagination.

Aside from the musical theme, I loved the variety of social representation in Serenade. Featuring LGBTQ+ secret lovers and physically challenged side characters, it felt like everyone could find someone they could relate to in this book. The main character, November Huntington, suffered from bipolar disorder after her parents died a mysterious death. As her mental condition worsened after her breakup, she was brought to St. Paul’s Academy, an unusual musical school with secrets about her parents. As important as mental health is, it is seldom represented in fantasy novels, and I’m so glad Serenade addressed this issue with a wonderful storyline. November’s mental condition played a major role in her decisions, written in a way that felt realistic.

As much as I loved the characters and diverse themes, the execution could have been smoother. It was fast-paced, which I love, but sometimes the scenes jumped around a bit and could have used some more transition. Despite this, I was still able to immerse myself in the plot and enjoyed it!

The ending was quite surprising! It was super creative, though I’m still not sure how I felt about it…it opened up a lot more potential for the next book, so I’m really looking forward to the sequel!

Overall, Serenade is a refreshing YA paranormal fantasy for music and dancing lovers, as well as lonely souls that seek refuge. I liked it a lot and I can’t wait for the sequel, Etude!

*My thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the review copy*

I received an ARC from NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.
this book was really interesting, i really loved the main characters and how her mental illness was shown in the book. also, the forced proximity trope and the boarding school really had me !
the cover of the book is so beautiful, it honestly what made me want to read this book in the first place.
now i wouldn’t say i wish i hadn’t, cause it would certainly be a lie, though i must admit, even if i really liked it, it still wasn’t my favourite read. i don’t really know but some things just weren’t right for me and though all the paranormal and forced proximity and everything really got me, somehow i couldn’t really appreciate this book as much as i thought a would.
nonetheless i’ll definitely read the next book to be sure i don’t miss anything !
i still enjoyed it a lot and would definitely recommend it !

3.5/5

Um livro com vibes de dark academia! Gostei do enredo, do plot e da forma como a autora nos conduziu pelos mistérios.

No entanto, a protagonista deixou muito a desejar. Compreendo uma parte da inocência e da ingenuidade dela, caiu de pára-quedas num mundo em que não sabia nada, mas achei-a demasiado moralista e chata. Espero que não próximo haja uma evolução e um crescimento.

O triângulo amoroso para mim foi demasiado previsível e tornou-se chato. Senti alguma dificuldade em entrar na história, mas é uma leitura rápida e bem conseguida.

Estou muito curiosa com o que aí vem e quero, sem dúvida, ler mais da autora.

!! Foi-me cedida uma cópia avançada deste livro em troca de uma opinião honesta.