A Review for Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer

Posted by Donna

Release Date:  August 7th, 2012

Finished Date: July 21st, 2012

Publishers: Atom

Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 455
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!
Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.
With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

The Review: I’ve followed Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade Series from the beginning, so when I first hear about Rift – the prequel to Nightshade, I knew I wanted to read it. I adore everything about Andrea’s work, her style of writing, her unique storyline’s and I love that she’s not afraid to take risks with her stories too. And if I sum Rift up into one word it would be, FANTASTIC! 
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Ember Morrows is a sixteen-year old girl who is suffocated by her father’s rules to be married off at a young age. So when she’s called to fulfil a family obligation to join the Conatus Guard, she is more than thrilled to be away from her father’s strict rules. Once there, Ember is trained as a guard to help fight the evil in the world, but when one of her leaders starts dabbling in dark magic Ember must choose which side she’s on.
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While diving into Rift I have to admit, I knew it would be good but I didn’t know what to expect. With story pre-dating Nightshade, it’s based in the early fifteenth century so it did take a few chapters to get into this new world and the style of writing, but once I got past them first few chapters it became a great read. I really enjoyed that this was a historical paranormal read but there are only a hint of paranormal through-out the book, mainly because to start with, the story focuses on Ember’s journey and her discovery of this new world. It was quite slow paced but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. The real excitement comes near the end because we start it see the paranormal aspect in full force and with the return of Bosque Mar; well you can only imagine what he’s been getting up too. 
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The characters of completely different to those who are in Nightshade and as much as I loved them characters, it was nice for Andrea to create a whole new set of characters that were just as unique and made them stand out on their own. 
Ember is a strong, determined and a courageous young girl, she wants to throw herself into the firing line and help stop the evil of the world. She isn’t what her father wants her to be and her boyish qualities are frown upon by him. But with the guard, she can be who she wants to be and take charge of her future. 
Barrow is the strong silence type, broody and always tries to do right, he helps Ember become the guard she needs to be. He fights his attraction to her for many reasons but love over rules all, and he’s soon falling for her. I loved that he was willing to protect Ember from the start, even though she is capable of looking after herself, he still wants to be there for her. Their relationship isn’t a key role in this book, it’s not until the end that we see it so I’m hoping with Rise; book two, we will see more of it. 
The secondary characters were also great. There are many laughs with them which brings the humour into the story.  Some of them like Sorcha and Lucasz quick became my favourites. 
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Andrea Cremer has done a fantastic job creating a whole new setting for Rift and not only that but writing this book really shows the talent’s she has as an author. Rift is not a book without detail and Andrea really captures the setting well. I can't wait to see what she with next. 
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A big thank you to Atom for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

A Review for Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer

Posted by Donna
Published Date: January 3rd, 2012
Finished Date: January 7th, 2012
Publishers: Philomel
Source: Bought
Format: Hardback
Pages: 406
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The Blurb from Goodreads: The Ultimate Sacrifice. Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is. In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breath-taking trilogy.

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Non-spoiler review:
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Before I started Bloodrose I was so nervous. I was actually pretty scared because all I’ve heard for the last few weeks was how disappointed people were and they were not satisfied with the ending of the book. We’ll let me tell you, Bloodrose was frigging amazing and I loved every minute of it.

Andrea Cremer has knocked out an entire series of pure awesomeness and has left me wanting more of her work. It only seems like yesterday that Nightshade was released but it sure was one hell of a ride. With action all the way through, a love triangle that will have to rooting on both teams and danger waiting around every corner, what’s not to like?

I loved every single character is this book. I’ve always been a fan of Calla but she was so much stronger this time around. Yes, she still doesn’t know which boy to choose but I’m glad she took no crap from either of them. Yes, she kind of made out with both of them but well, who wouldn’t? Ren and Shay….sigh! And yes, she does finally pick her guy….FINALLY.  And overall I was happy with the outcome.

The secondary characters were awesome as well. It was so good to see Ren and Adne connect as brother and sister, despite how hard it was, it was nice to see how quickly they connected. And then there’s Sabine, Ethan, Connor, Adne, Bryn, Ansel, Mason & Nev who I became so attached to in this novel, you just can’t help root for their happy endings.

Now the ending of the book was an unexpected one. I have to admit it wasn’t something I had even thought about but I loved it. It was such a great twist to the whole Guardian story but Andrea wrote it in a way that left me satisfied as a reader and I'm so pleased. 

Overall, Andrea Cremer definitely out did herself with Bloodrose. It proves that as a writer she isn’t afraid to go to the extreme and I have to respect her for that. The Nightshade series has been fantastic one from start to finish and I’m so glad I was a part of the journey. PURE AWESOMENESS! Highly recommended! 

Want to know my thoughts with spoilers? See below:

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MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!!!

So Ren dies, yeah he dies! I know what you’re thinking? And I have made my review sound like I’m happy with his death. But firstly I’m not happy that he died and I’m so, so sad but looking back on the overall book, I think everything fits so well. 

I’ve always been on the fence of the whole Ren/Calla/Shay love triangle so I guess I have a different outlook than most people that are just set on one team. I’ve never really been able to pick between the two of them because they both have good and bad qualities. BUT after reading the epilogue everything just kind of fell into place for me…and here’s why:

Firstly, there cannot be two Alpha males in a pack, there can’t be, it just wouldn’t work because Ren and Shay will always be Alpha’s in their own way. Calla herself even says that one of them would have to leave for it to work and I don’t think anyone would be happy with Ren leaving. Secondly, Calla already chose Shay before Ren died so I don’t think Andrea took the easy way out. Calla clearly says Shay is her choice because he changed her whole life. And thirdly, the epilogue; it just proves that Shay was always destined to become a wolf even though he wasn't born into it. Even the Nightshade pack mates had started to see Shay as an Alpha because he really came into his wolf in this book and I think he really grew as a person.

Team Ren fans either way aren’t going to be happy with this ending. I’ve heard a few people say Ren should of met someone else and even I’ve played with that idea myself but personally, had that of happened I don’t think it would of fit the story. Everything would have been tied up too nicely. So I do think Andrea did the right thing. I know a lot of people won’t agree with my thoughts on this book, so it’s going to be a case of we’ll have agree to disagree. But for all of you that haven’t read the book yet and are put off by what other people are saying, READ IT and make your own mind up. 

A Review for Treachery: A Nightshade Novella (#2.5) by Andrea Cremer

Posted by Donna 
Published Date: December 2011
Finished Date: December 13th, 2011
Publishers: Philomel
Source: Bought
Format: Kindle
Pages: Unknown


The Blurb from Goodreads: From Andrea Cremer’s internationally best-selling Nightshade series, Calla Tor’s brother Ansel tells his side of the betrayal and treachery depicted in Wolfsbane. Ansel’s world is falling apart. The Nightshade pack led by his parents has been violently destroyed. His sister, Calla, abandoned her little brother, leaving him to answer for her crimes. And the Haldis pack that would have been his future is irreparably broken by Calla's betrayal. Suffering at the hands of the Keepers, Ansel is losing everything he's ever loved. The only chance he has to save himself means an alliance with his tormentors, and repaying Calla in full for her treachery. In this novella, find out why Ansel makes the decisions he does in Andrea Cremer's New York Times bestselling novel, Wolfsbane.

***Spoilers if you haven’t read Wolfsbane***


The Review: Treachery was just pure awesome…..just I like I knew it would be!

When we meet Calla in Wolfsbane, she doesn’t know what is going on in the outside world. She doesn’t know what has become of her brother or her pack so you kind of go through Wolfsbane only getting information from characters like Ansel when they are re-introduced. Now Treachery is your main key to finding out what really happened when Ansel is being help by The Keepers because this story is told from his point of view.

The pack and himself are being tourted and poor Ansel has the worst of it. The Keepers take his wolf from him by physically removing it and you can imagine that hurts pretty badly. The Keepers with the help of Ren try to convince Ansel that Calla is the problem and it’s her fault that all this happened. They offer Ansel to work with them, to get Calla back but can Ansel really betray his sister?

I loved this novella mainly because I’ve always loved Ansel and it was nice to get into his head, even just for a little time. I loved that even through all of his problems, his feelings for Bryn were coming through and he was still thinking of her. Not only that, but guess who is back…REN…yes! It was so great to see more of him seems as he wasn’t in Wolfsbane that much, however it’s pretty clear Ren is Team Keepers at the moment so don’t really expect any of the old Ren. The Keepers have convinced him that Calla is the problem and now he hates her.

You really do see how evil The Keepers are during this novella because you see how fair they are willing to go too just to keep control over everything and I hate them even more now. I seriously need Bloodrose like now and January cannot come quick enough.

Overall, Treachery was fantastic and I’m sure any Nightshade fan will love it. Thank you to Ms Cremer for writing it!

A Review for Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer

Posted by Jess
Publish Date: July 26th, 2011
Date finished: 17th August, 2011
The Blurb from Goodreads:You're an alpha, a leader. That's what we need. It's what we've always needed. When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack ? and the boy ? she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.

The Review: "This is only about love."


This was totally worth the wait :D 


I was so excited when I finally received this to review (bit late but better late than never). I'll try and give this the review it deserves. 


I loved it more than I thought I would! Andrea Cremer totally outdid herself in this book. Everything was really fast paced and just intense that I was on the edge of my seat when I was reading it. All the questions that were raised about The Keepers in the first book are answered in this one, and I loved seeing old enemies become new allies for Calla and her pack. 


I loved coming back to Calla and some of the older characters from the first book. When I read Nightshade I got so emotionally invested in all of them that I was so pleased to feel reunited with them all. New characters like Monroe, Connor (LOVE CONNORRR!!)Adne, and Ethan (love Ethan too), such fantastic new characters that brought some new life to some interesting moments to an already fabulous book. 


Now, as some of you are aware I'm team Ren, always was and always will be. The only gripe I have is that there just wasn't enough Ren, except for flashbacks and a couple of pages Ren wasn't around much. Which made me sad, I want more Ren. However having said that, I now understand why Andrea Cremer wrote Ren out of Wolfsbane because its the ending to this book that makes you understand and hope that Bloodrose will consist of Ren's story and the turn of events between himself, Calla and the Keepers lies. That's all I'm saying on the Ren subject, because I have a tendency to get carried away when I speak about Ren.


Calla and Shay's relationship is tested but ultimately Calla's love for him gives her strength and allows her to make the decision that leads to the end of Wolfsbane.


I honestly cannot wait for Bloodrose, to see more Ren, more Calla, Connor and Adne and I CANNOT wait to see how things with Sabine and Ethan turn out, THAT is going to be exciting stuff.


Anyway, I read this whilst I was on holiday and I read it in about 3 days on the beach, it was a fantastic read and I'm so glad I read it. I can't wait to read Bloodrose and finally get everything tied up and answered! :) Read it guys, its fantastic!

A review for Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer

Posted by Donna

Expected Published Date: July 12th, 2011

Finished Date: May 14th, 2011

The Blurb: This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended–Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer–one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack–and the man–she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive

The Review: I'm going to try and write this review the best I can without spoiling it for you all BUT if your not sure please don't continue.

I couldn't believe my luck when I won a copy of this book off Andrea Cremer on Twitter. Yes people! Twitter! You know, I now love Twitter that much more. ;) Anyway....I've been eagerly awaiting this book since reading Nightshade and let me say, this book didn't disappoint.

Wolfsbane starts with Calla waking up in the home of her enemy; the Searchers. Believing she is will be killed, she is shocked when she is made an offer. An offer to help the Searchers take down her masters giving her the one thing she's wanted....freedom. After years of being told the Searchers were the enemy, Calla finally learns the truth and now much faces the choices of choosing her own destiny.

I loved it! Just loved it! Andrea Cremer blew me away the first time and she's done it again. Wolfsbane was everything I could of wanted. It's pretty fast paced with information from the start and we finally find out the truth about the Keepers, Searchers and Guardians. I won't go into to much detail about that but it was really interesting to read about, a lot of the blanks from the first book are answered. I loved that we finally get to see what life on the "enemy" side is like and the fact that we see just how evil the Keepers really are.

We also get introduced to a few new characters Connor, Monroe, Adne & Ethan, ones that I took and instant liking too. I found them great to read about especially with the banter and jokes between them all. The story itself was exciting, entertaining, action packed and I found I could of just kept on reading and reading. There was also a few sad times, one that completely shocked me but I'm not going to spoil it and second was Ansel's situation.... them Keepers are just nasty. I do hope it gets sorted.

The relationship between Calla & Shay, well....lets just say things get a lot hotter between them BUT, for you Shay fans, I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet because I felt there wasn't really any improvement to their relationship. I thought after the first book Calla had pretty much chosen Shay but she is more confused than ever in this book with who she should be with. To all you Ren fans, SORRY but Ren's pretty absent for the whole book, he's more of a supporting role. We mainly see him in Calla's thoughts, and as I said she is more than confused right now. With me, sitting on the fence with Team Ren & Team Shay I'm actually really excited to see how both relationships are played out in the next book. Oooh I'm also really looking forward to seeing if anything happens between Sabine and Ethan ;)

I do believe that Wolfsbane has been set up just right for Bloodrose. I enjoyed the ending and I can't even imagine where this third book is going to lead us but I'm praying there is happy ending.

Guys, I hope I've made some sense during this review, lol but when you've read Wolfsbane PLEASE find me! I can't wait to talk to you all about it :) 

A review for Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

***Possible Spoilers in the below review***


Posted by: Jessica                       

Published Date: 19th October 2010
Read Date: 10th January 2011
Blurb:Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?


Review: WOW!  From the moment I started reading this book, I was sucked in, like I've never been sucked in before. Its an amazing book. 

We meet Calla Tor, an alpha of the Nightshade pack, who goes against everything she has ever believed in. She saves a human named Shay Doran from an attack, and they form an unsteady relationship, mostly developed out of curiosity of each other. Calla is to be mated with Bane alpha Renier Laroche. Ren is cocky and overconfident, but his love for Calla is undeniable. Shay Doran, is pushy, clingy and far to nosy for his own good. I tried really hard to like Shay, really really hard, but I just couldn't. I couldn't see Calla's attraction to him. I honestly didn't get it. Ren, is great, in fact he's awesome. He's your typical alpha male which plays a big part in the story. He's easily likable and there's something about Ren that gets you going, you instantly want Calla to choose Ren, but ultimately deep down in your gut you know she won't. And she doesn't! 

Personally, Calla made the wrong choice, but I guess choosing your heart over your duty makes you do stupid things. I was hoping for an ending where Calla comes to her senses, but it wasn't to be. Chapter 33 is an emotional chapter, and is the chapter that I'm pretty sure will set off the next events in the 2nd book Wolfsbane. 

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in a new take on wolves. This book is good for people who enjoy reading of forbidden love, honor, betrayal, and a sense of duty. 

That's pretty much all I have to say, apart from thanking Andrea for writing this book, she has a great knack for story telling, and I also thank her for bringing this book into my life as well as Ren Laroche. 

P.S TEAM REN!!!!!!!!!!!!