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The Last Nocturnae
YOU HUMANS CALL us vampires, but I, Sorin Harker, am a Nocturnae and I am the last of my kind.
Forget what you think you know about us. Crosses and holy water are bulls***. Having to ask to enter your home or being unable to walk on hallowed ground is utter malarky. Garlic and vervain are just plants, nothing more.
Nocturnae weaknesses are simple: silver and sunlight. If you could get a wooden stake in my heart, it wouldn’t kill me; but it would piss me off. And I most assuredly do not glitter, glisten, or sparkle in sunlight.
I don’t know how it started or who popularized it, but the unwavering infatuation your kind has with vampire-human relations is disgusting. Especially, the fantasy of the century-old-vampire and young teenage girl.
Let me be very, very clear…
Humans are my food. I have no desire to court or be intimate with my food. Just like you wouldn’t think of a cow, chicken, or a cucumber in that way. Well, maybe some of you would.
I’m not soft and cuddly. Maker, I’m not even nice. I am a monster. And I’ve been hunted my entire life.
A secret organization operating in the shadows of governments and religious groups has hunted my kind to the brink of extinction since before I experienced my new birth and became Nocturnae. They are known as, The Company.
And I am their prisoner.
CONTENT WARNING: This story is intended for the adult audience and contains content that may not be suitable for all readers and troubling to some.
Forget what you think you know about us. Crosses and holy water are bulls***. Having to ask to enter your home or being unable to walk on hallowed ground is utter malarky. Garlic and vervain are just plants, nothing more.
Nocturnae weaknesses are simple: silver and sunlight. If you could get a wooden stake in my heart, it wouldn’t kill me; but it would piss me off. And I most assuredly do not glitter, glisten, or sparkle in sunlight.
I don’t know how it started or who popularized it, but the unwavering infatuation your kind has with vampire-human relations is disgusting. Especially, the fantasy of the century-old-vampire and young teenage girl.
Let me be very, very clear…
Humans are my food. I have no desire to court or be intimate with my food. Just like you wouldn’t think of a cow, chicken, or a cucumber in that way. Well, maybe some of you would.
I’m not soft and cuddly. Maker, I’m not even nice. I am a monster. And I’ve been hunted my entire life.
A secret organization operating in the shadows of governments and religious groups has hunted my kind to the brink of extinction since before I experienced my new birth and became Nocturnae. They are known as, The Company.
And I am their prisoner.
CONTENT WARNING: This story is intended for the adult audience and contains content that may not be suitable for all readers and troubling to some.
710 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2024
6 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Michael Terrance
1 book5 followersMichael Terrance is an Ohio native who's spent most of his life near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he's worked in the Defense Industry since 2008. With a Master's in Engineering, he's led R&D teams across classified programs—experience that seeps into the shadowy government rooms and military machinations in his fiction.
Writing started as therapy. When he was young, his mother—a poet and journalist herself—suggested he channel his emotions through words. He began with poetry and lyrics, but his real influences came from Saturday morning cartoons: Marvel's X-Men and Spider-Man, DC's Batman, and his father's love of fantasy and sci-fi. Add in his father's comic book collection, and it's no surprise he landed in urban-dark fantasy.
Michael writes character-driven stories where morality lives in the gray. His debut novel, "The Last Nocturnae," is the first arc in his "Atrocities of Blood & Moon" series—books that believe depiction is not endorsement, and that every character, however monstrous, has layered motivations worth exploring.
As if a career in defense contracting and writing novels weren't enough, Michael also owns two companies: Little Yellow House, LLC (publishing) and Ottawa Illustrations, LLC (custom cover design and illustration).
Michael believes the best stories are lights in dark rooms—inviting, yet full of shadows.Retry
Writing started as therapy. When he was young, his mother—a poet and journalist herself—suggested he channel his emotions through words. He began with poetry and lyrics, but his real influences came from Saturday morning cartoons: Marvel's X-Men and Spider-Man, DC's Batman, and his father's love of fantasy and sci-fi. Add in his father's comic book collection, and it's no surprise he landed in urban-dark fantasy.
Michael writes character-driven stories where morality lives in the gray. His debut novel, "The Last Nocturnae," is the first arc in his "Atrocities of Blood & Moon" series—books that believe depiction is not endorsement, and that every character, however monstrous, has layered motivations worth exploring.
As if a career in defense contracting and writing novels weren't enough, Michael also owns two companies: Little Yellow House, LLC (publishing) and Ottawa Illustrations, LLC (custom cover design and illustration).
Michael believes the best stories are lights in dark rooms—inviting, yet full of shadows.Retry
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 26, 2024
Vampires, werewolves, no thanks count me out… Until I read this novel. The imagery and converging storylines kept me captivated and intrigued at what could possibly come next; but don’t bother trying to foresee anything, the author spins such an amazing tale thatthat you will never see it coming.
December 30, 2024
The Last Nocturnae is one of the most unique, captivating, and richly developed stories I’ve ever read. I found myself relating to and really understanding Sorin Harker, despite him being a human-devouring monster. His relationship with Jean is the perfect blend of cold-hearted, sarcastic cruelty and warm, human emotion. The elaborate and intense character development is unparalleled. The intricate and polished details throughout the story force the reader to fully immerse, and become… shall I say, compelled… in the well-built world Michael Terrance has so delicately crafted in his debut novel. The Last Nocturnae reads like the work of a seasoned author of many published novels and it’s apparent Michael Terrance has complete control of his world, his story, and his style.
I can’t wait to continue the Atrocities of Blood & Moon series! Book Two release date?
I can’t wait to continue the Atrocities of Blood & Moon series! Book Two release date?
November 11, 2024
Really enjoyed this engrossing debut novel, complete with vampires, werewolves, magic, and secret government organizations. Perfectly blending my love of fantasy, magical realism, and clandestine government operations. Sorin is a multilayered character with depth, and his journey as the last of his kind is full of twists, turns, and action. I can’t wait until book two to see where his journey takes him, and the found family he’s amassed in this book.
January 1, 2025
A mix of past and present with a twist on a lot of old stories. Michael took a lot of hints at different stories and combined them to present a new truth. Add in the puzzles / Easter eggs and it was a great book. Am I mad the second book isn't out yet? Absolutely! I need to know what happens. I also want to reread the book and see what other clues/puzzles I missed along the way.
July 22, 2024
With The Last Nocturnae, it is refreshingly clear that there are greater depths to mine in the vampire genre. This work gives us a tale that may actually be more foundational… an origins story spanning time and place with historical accuracy. Sorin drew me in. We find in this character, more protagonist than villain, a richly complex being with whom we cannot help but empathize. Michael Terrance has breathed new and compelling life into a genre I thought was exhausted and he created a rich tapestry, infused with compelling characters, interwoven to produce a page turning thrill ride! This debut novel transports the reader with the expertise and nuance of the most seasoned works. This author has created an exotic world, in a crowded space, that is yet fresh, and enticing, leaving the reader wanting more.
May 1, 2024
An engrossing story with a captivating approach to “if monsters were real, how would modern society respond?” The monsters are cunning, dangerous, and ancient. Humans are physically outmatched but have more than just numbers to thrive. The world building is excellent; it becomes readily apparent that real places and time periods are well researched and the places unique to this story are fascinating… I hope we see more of The Sandbox in future stories!
April 27, 2024
Are we seriously discussing another Vampire novel? Wait, let me guess, they glitter in the sun? Wrong dear readers, and to think such things would be very wrong indeed. It would be more prudent to harbor the thought of vampires ingesting the blood of children.
The name is Harker, Sorin Harker to be precise. He was once a human, frail and fragile until he was awakened by his maker. His longing for her burns like the need for blood with which he cannot satiate. He needs her, and she needs him, but why? Does Harker love his maker? What causes him to yearn for her in the very fabric of his being? He searches for her until he is captured by those who hunt his kind. He had never heard of such people, yet his education is just beginning. The lady he meets inside his silver prison will change the course of his life, but in the meantime all he can imagine using her for is his next meal.
The character development is unparalleled with other books in its class. The glimpses of the past while being immersed in the present is a particularly clever way Michael provides a backstory of these intriguing characters. Revoting imagery, Reckless Vampires, Elegant plot twists, and of course the introduction of the ever faithful -Werewolf- sets this tail apart from the others of its kind. When new characters are introduced, it is performed with an almost sensual connotation. As if Michael knows his readers will love the character and he introduces them as if the bond between reader and character has already been established. Each character will become as intricate as any other; however, 1 or 2 might reach the level of climax only personal preference can achieve. Be prepared to immerse yourself, and do not expect this adventure to be over quickly. I foresee many more books to accompany this one in this riveting series highlighting the true nature and intent only readers who have unlocked their primal natures will understand.
The name is Harker, Sorin Harker to be precise. He was once a human, frail and fragile until he was awakened by his maker. His longing for her burns like the need for blood with which he cannot satiate. He needs her, and she needs him, but why? Does Harker love his maker? What causes him to yearn for her in the very fabric of his being? He searches for her until he is captured by those who hunt his kind. He had never heard of such people, yet his education is just beginning. The lady he meets inside his silver prison will change the course of his life, but in the meantime all he can imagine using her for is his next meal.
The character development is unparalleled with other books in its class. The glimpses of the past while being immersed in the present is a particularly clever way Michael provides a backstory of these intriguing characters. Revoting imagery, Reckless Vampires, Elegant plot twists, and of course the introduction of the ever faithful -Werewolf- sets this tail apart from the others of its kind. When new characters are introduced, it is performed with an almost sensual connotation. As if Michael knows his readers will love the character and he introduces them as if the bond between reader and character has already been established. Each character will become as intricate as any other; however, 1 or 2 might reach the level of climax only personal preference can achieve. Be prepared to immerse yourself, and do not expect this adventure to be over quickly. I foresee many more books to accompany this one in this riveting series highlighting the true nature and intent only readers who have unlocked their primal natures will understand.
May 1, 2024
I typically prefer fantasy and avoid books set in the modern world- books should be escapist, right? However, The Last Nocturnae walks the perfect line of merging the realistic (firmly grounded in the present, with some intriguing exploration into the past) with the fantastic. It takes a unique look into the conspiracy aspect of vampire stories, but turns it on its head- who is really in control, and how many secrets are nested inside other secrets?
The characters are compelling without being caricatures, the action is gripping without being gratuitous, and the plot is bold and believable- almost unsettlingly so? All I know is, if I ever catch myself at a whisky bar in DC, I’ll be looking over my shoulder for Sorin Harker…
The characters are compelling without being caricatures, the action is gripping without being gratuitous, and the plot is bold and believable- almost unsettlingly so? All I know is, if I ever catch myself at a whisky bar in DC, I’ll be looking over my shoulder for Sorin Harker…
November 25, 2024
Excellent debut novel from a brilliant author. The story take you on a thrilling adventure of old fantasy mixed with modern day reality, and feeds you just of enough information along the way to keep your interest piqued. But just when you think you have a handle on the storyline it throws you a curve that takes it to a new level. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a good vampire/fantasy/government conspiracy tale. You won't be disappointed. Looking forward to the next novels in the series.
December 6, 2024
Reading a great novel is like stepping into another world, one where the characters become friends, the settings feel vivid and real, and the story pulls you along with its twists and turns. Each page invites a deeper connection, sparking emotions that range from joy to heartbreak, and often offering new perspectives on life. A truly great novel lingers long after the final chapter, leaving its mark on your heart and mind, like a cherished memory you’re reluctant to let go. Michael is a great writer and this book exemplifies the power of storytelling that keeps us on edge
November 21, 2024
This book surpassed all expectations I had. So many characters brought to life so beautifully. I had a hard time putting the book down and just wanted to keep reading. I cannot wait for more books in the series.
December 10, 2024
The Last Nocturnae easily became an obsession! The story is full of adventure and interesting characters. The anticipation of what is going to happen next is fun. Michael Terrance, I am looking forward to reading the twists and turns your next novel in this series reveals.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews