Verum (Nocte Trilogy, #2)

by Courtney Cole

[Cocktails and Books]

Have you ever picked up a book and utterly been at a loss for words?! Well, this is how I feel after reading Verum, the second book in the Nocte Trilogy. I enjoy Courtney Cole's books but this series has blown my mind. This review will be spoiler free because quite honestly, I don't have answers. All the questions I had in Nocte and Verum are answered in riddles or with more questions. Both books leave you with a severe book hangover.

Verum starts directly after the ending of Nocte which leaves Calla asking Dare to answer her one burning question but Dare can't answer it. Dare tells her, "You have to help me, Calla. Help me save you." Dare takes Caall back to Whitley, their family estate for the answers. Whitley is full of secrets, beyond eerie and causes Calla to question everything in her life including her relationship with Dare.

Reading this book was absolutely exhausting in the best possible way. I would catch myself going back and rereading to make sure I didn't miss anything or taking a minute to try to figure out the riddles Courtney Cole spun in her character's dialogue. You go through the book feeling a bit lost because you so desperately want to help Calla. I found myself having anxiety, confusion and fear which seems to be the norm for Calla.

There would be a moment or two when you thought you were going to get all of the answers and then you found yourself being pushed in a different direction in the story. I felt like I was lost in a complex maze and I'm a little fearful to see how this series is going to end. Courtney Cole's writing is brilliant and haunting. You feel like you are deep inside the mind of a person who is only holding onto their sanity by a thread and at times seems downright insane.

All I can say for Verum and this series is that it is not for the faint of heart….enter at your own risk!

Reviewed by Candace for Cocktails and Books