Review: Rift

First prequel to the Nightshade series
By Andrea Cremer
Available now from Philomel (Penguin)
Review copy
Read my reviews of NIGHTSHADE, WOLFSBANE, and BLOODROSE

Andrea Cremer is in a tricky position with RIFT.  Those who read the original trilogy know exactly where things are going.  But new readers, like protagonist Ember, are new to this world.  Cremer must try to satisfy both sets of readers.

Ember is a noblewoman pledged to Conatus since one of their healers saved her and her mother during a difficult birth.  She's perfectly happy to join the monastic order, but her father would prefer to marry her off in order to forge an alliance.  But Conatus is not any old order.  The members secretly fight against witches whose dark magic imperils the entire world.  And one of the highest ranked members, Eira, is being tempted by that magic.

I enjoyed that there wasn't a love triangle in RIFT.  There are two guys in Ember's life, but one she's actively pursuing and the other doesn't understand the word no.  I don't consider that a love triangle, although some might.  It's a scarily realistic part of the book, relevant to issues today despite being set in medieval times.  Alistair is the ultimate Nice Guy.*  While there is nothing wrong with being nice, Nice Guys think that being a girl's friend entitles them to have sex with her.  Since Ember tries to remain his friend after shooting him down, Alistair still thinks he has a chance and doesn't back off.  It's classic creeper behavior and I wish it weren't so recognizable.

But I do wish we got a little less of Ember learning to use her weapons and hanging out with Barrow and Alistair.  Nightshade trilogy readers might already know about Eira and her twin Cian, but they're still the most interesting figures in the story.  They're the people who go down in history.  But despite having a few chapters through their points of view, they remain ciphers.  Eira is motivated by power.  Cian not so much, since she doesn't go along with her sister.  I also wonder whether Ember's sister will show up in RISE.  The beginning half of the book teases her secrets, but she disappears completely after leaving Ember with Conatus.

 Cremer's fans will enjoy RIFT.  Like NIGHTSHADE and its two sequels, it has a dynamic heroine, an intriguing and consistent world, and good action scenes.  The medieval setting is well researched and provides a nice change.  Most of the main characters are progressive thinkers, but the thoughts of the world outside of Conatus seem in line with the times.  Ember is religious, as usual for a woman of her time, even if she does want to learn to be a warrior.

Cremer is in a tricky position, but RIFT is a pageturner that should satisfy both old and new fans.

*This Something Positive comic explains it in less words and with more pictures.

Review: Bloodrose

Nightshade trilogy (Book 3)
By Andrea Cremer
Available now from Penguin Philomel
Review copy
Read my reviews of NIGHTSHADE and WOLFSBANE

Part of the Breathless Reads tour

BLOODROSE is a polarizing novel. I've encountered many people who disliked the way Calla's story came to an end. I've met others who found it predictable but enjoyable. I've also encountered those who loved it as much as they loved NIGHTSHADE.

I can't help but think Andrea Cremer wrote herself into a corner with Renier Larouche. Ren was not your typical doesn't-have-a-chance leg of the love triangle. He might not have had a narrative chance of being with Calla, but he was a vibrant, charismatic character. I cared as much about him getting a happy ending as I did about Calla. But it's hard to end a love triangle without leaving the loser out in the cold. And Ren's ending was freezing cold.

The plot took until the final battle to really get going. There's plenty of action throughout BLOODROSE, but most of it is centered on retrieving pieces of the Elemental Cross, an artifact imbued with the soul of an ancient warrior. While the Nightshade series bears little resemblance to Harry Potter, it was difficult not to think of the Deathly Hallows.

I think I fall into the category of people who found BLOODROSE predictable but enjoyable. Most of my disappointment stems from feeling that Cremer possesses the talent to push beyond predictable. I absolutely love her characters, but couldn't help but feel they deserved better.

I found Calla's wavering between Shay and Ren to be somewhat annoying. She's excellent at asserting her authority and not allowing the boys to make choices for her. But it takes her a long time to accurately assess the difference in her response to Shay and Ren. As much as she cares for Ren and is attracted to him, she never allows him a chance to develop an emotional connection with her.

The side characters continue to be scene stealers in BLOODROSE. I am incredibly happy that Mason and Nev were back in full force. Sabine's maturity, confidence, and determination are awesome to behold. Adne continues to be clever and willing to take risks to do what is right.

BLOODROSE was not a bad novel. Anyone who has been reading the Nightshade series shouldn't be afraid to finish the story. (Unless you really, really, really liked Ren.)

Review: Wolfsbane

Nightshade trilogy (Book 2)
By Andrea Cremer
Available now from Penguin Philomel (HC) and Speak (PB)
Read my review of NIGHTSHADE

Part of the Breathless Reads tour

NIGHTSHADE is full of questions, but WOLFSBANE begins with an avalanche of answers. There are a few bursts of action in the first half of WOLFSBANE, but for the most part it is exposition heavy. Calla and Shay are now in the custody of the Haldis group of Searchers. They include the leader Monroe, angry Ethan, sleazy Connor, newbie Ariadne, and a few others. (Connor, I think, isn't supposed to be sleazy per se, but I interpret him that way because he takes his flirting too far. This is mostly redeemed by Calla refusing to put up with his advances.)

But once the action gets going, WOLFSBANE moves quickly. Almost all of the characters that I learned to love in NIGHTSHADE were put in danger by the events of the climax. Calla must mount a rescue. Which is where Shay becomes annoying.

As Calla and the Searchers plan, Shay constantly tries to undermine her. Now, he could just help them devise a safer plan. But he tries to insist Calla shouldn't go at all since it's dangerous. But as Shay himself points out, she's not a child and can make her own decisions. And the Nightshade wolves truly need help. If Shay stays with Calla he'll be their alpha, so it would be nice if he cared more for their safety.

I thought WOLFSBANE was an excellent sequel to NIGHTSHADE.  The first half of the book might be talky, but I loved knowing more about the world too much to mind.  I thought most of the new characters were fun additions and rejoiced when familiar faces came back into play.  I thought the love triangle was well-played too.  Ren might not be onscreen for most of WOLFSBANE, but Andrea Cremer made him feel like a legitimate threat to Shay and Calla getting together.  (Even if only because Calla wants to fully break things off with her former fiance before sleeping with Shay.)

Once more, things end in a precarious position, ready for BLOODROSE to pick up the action right where it leaves off.

Review: Nightshade

Nightshade trilogy (Book 1)
By Andrea Cremer
Available now from Penguin Philomel (HC) and Speak (PB)
Review copy

Part of the Breathless Reads tour

Calla Tor can turn into a wolf, but that doesn't make her a werewolf. It makes her a Guardian. The Guardians fight against the Searchers, under the guidance of the Keepers. Now that she is seventeen, Calla will marry Renier Larouche and begin a new pack. Of course, there's plenty of tension between the Nightshade and Bane alphas as they try to determine who will top after the marriage.

I fell in love with the characters. Calla had my heart, if only because her favorite book is WATERSHIP DOWN. But there's so much to her. Even though she's young, she's in charge of the other teenage Nightshade wolves. She thinks about how her actions affect them. Ren is super sexy. He's clearly not going to get the girl, but I almost don't mind the obligatory love triangle since he has so much sizzle. The side characters are fantastic too. I particularly like Bryn, the love interest of Calla's brother. She can put two and two together about Calla and Shay, but she's there for her friend. Shay does veer close to being more of a plot point than a character. He's the love interest, he's somehow special, but there just isn't much to him. His geekiness is endearing, but he lacks spark.

NIGHTSHADE comes close to being a first book in which nothing much actually happens. As Shay and Calla investigate what makes Shay so important, mysteries upon mysteries pile up. I might've been less satisfied with the few answers revealed if the end weren't so action-packed. NIGHTSHADE ends with Calla, Shay, Ren, and the Nightshade pack in a precarious position. Luckily, anyone who reads NIGHTSHADE now can begin WOLFSBANE immediately.

Fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance will enjoy NIGHTSHADE. Andrea Cremer plays just enough with werewolf tropes to make the Guardians and their world her own creation. I liked how much power women could have in the packs, even though the Keepers maintain ultimate control. (It's a good reason to be suspicious of them even before Calla begins poking around.) I also loved the setting of Vail, Colorado. It's a beautiful city and the mountains are a perfect place for the wolves.