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Monday, June 28, 2010

ARC- Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade1

 

Calla Tor has always know 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 scared sites for the keepers. But when she violate her masters’ 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 loose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

 

Calla is the alpha of her pack (the Nightshades), and lives in a world where her future has already been spelled out for her. On Samhain, she will be mated to Ren, alpha of the Bane pack and it was decided long before they were born. She never questioned her destiny, until the day a human boy made her doubt. Could she have a choice? Could she draw her own path? Are the truth she always believed in just a bunch of lies?
The Morning Calla saved Shay’s live, the lines of her duties blurred to leave tons of questions in it’s wake. Will she be faithful to her pack or her heart?

Andrea Cremer gratified us with a fantastic lore when writing this book. The actors’ roles aren’t clear at first, but fear not you will understand everything in time. Magical beings such as Keepers, Guardians and Searchers are the main stars (their precise nature is explained in chapter 9, I don’t wanna ruin the fun!), but they are also surrounded by creatures such as wraiths, succubus, incubus and more.

I really, I mean REALLY, loved this book! From the moment Calla saves Shay you think you know how the story will end, but oh could we be more wrong? The story is full of twist and turns and you really have no idea what’s gonna happen next. You just keep on reading because you crave for more the entire time, and trust me, you’re in for quite a ride!

Cremer tailored amazing characters, and even though there are many of them, a whole pack – pun intended –, you feel like you personally know each characters. Some I liked, some annoyed me, others I would’ve smite on sigh lol, but you have an opinion on every single one of them, which makes the story that much more interesting.

Calla, also nicknamed Lily because of her white hair, is incredible. From the very first page until the very last she questions her actions. Torn between a sense of duty and a desire for freedom, every decision she makes will come down to that dilemma, and Cremer keeps you guessing the whole time. I liked how she cared for her packmates and would do anything for them, she has a big heart.

Shay is pretty much the devil’s advocate. He drops in Calla’s life as if falling from the sky and he forces her to question the boundaries she’s always lived with. And of course, he’s got to be good looking right? *winks* He is lovable, attentive, available and faithful. He’s got the whole package going for him, if you ignore the TINY fact that he is human…

Ren, oh Ren. This character has so many layers that even after finishing the book I can’t quite decide if I like him or not. He is promised to Calla, but it didn’t stop him from dating the entire cheerleader team. He is dominant, jealous, unstable and very protective of Calla. He seems to care for her, but his actions are often questionable. One thing is sure, this character will surprise you.

The pack is also awesome, they each have their own personality, hopes and shadows. I liked most of them but Fey Nightshade got under my skin. Geez that girl was annoying me lol. She’s unruly and kept giving Cal The Attitude.

Wow that was a long character’s analysis, well I guess it shows how important the characters are in the book =)

The end really took my breath away, I truly didn’t see it coming and Cremer leaves us with a deadly cliffhanger. How am I suppose to wait for the second book with an end like that? I really don’t know. I can’t wait to see how the characters will get themselves out of the trouble they got into, it promises to be interesting!

Nightshade is a magical world full action, passion, love and treason. The second you open the book you’re in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and you’ll be left wanting more. Andrea’s debut is a definite success and I strongly suggest you pre-order it now! I know I’ll be ordering myself a finished copy! Oh and how beautiful is that cover? I mean, Come On!



 

In this series:

Nightshade (Oct 2010)
Wolfsbane (Summer 2011)
Bloodrose (Spring 2012)

 

Book stats:

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 528 pages
  • Publisher: Philomel (October 19, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 039925482X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399254826

     

    Book Source: Review copy sent by Penguin Canada

    The Book Depository

  • Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

    Follow Tynga on: Facebook | Twitter

    15 People left their mark' :

    1. what a great review! Loved it.

      I love books where the plot goes places that you didn't see coming. I so have to read this one :)

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    2. I wanted to read this before, but I really, really want to read it! Thanks for the great review!!

      (And you're right, the cover is beautiful!)

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    3. Ooo...I've heard such great things about this book! I have a copy on my shelf, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Your review just made me excited to though! Lol. Maybe I'll bump it up to the top of my TBR list...

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    4. First off, I have to say I am a HUGE werewolf fan, but I also have that picky need for them to be... well, not monsters as so many movies and books display them as. So I'm a picky werewolf fan, but fan I am. ;)

      And I love wolves too! They were my fave land animal (basically still are, though leopards tend to make me happy too). And I specify land because I had an obsession as a child with orcas. LOLOL! ;D

      ANYHOODLES. I will definitely keep my eye out for this book and it is on my list of "books I must read".

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    5. Very nice review. It is compelling me to read the book

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    6. You know what? I already love this blog! I am so enjoying reading your entries! 8D

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    7. WoW! This sounds unique and suspenseful! I wasn't even aware of this book, but now it is definitely on my TBR. I also like that the author already has the next couple of books ready to go, complete w/ general release times. Great review!

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    8. Great review! I was kind of on the fence about this book because of the YA nature but I might have to check it out!

      http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/2010/06/hidden-wives-by-claire-avery-give-away.html

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    9. I love surprises too. I'll add this one to my rapidly growing TBR list. It kind of sounds like the beginning of Twilight with Calla saving Ren. Or maybe I just have Twilight on the brain this week. :)

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    10. Eek! I won this won and it should be coming in soon. I had a feeling this one would be awesome. So glad you think so!

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    11. Whoa this is a really amazing review! I loved how descriptive you were when talking about the characters. The first two sentences of the last paragraph really sold me! I can't wait to read this one :)

      Btw here from the CEP!

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    12. You are so lucky to have been able to get a copy! I've been dying to read it!

      Your review is great. I'm so glad that Nightshade has been living up to its hype!

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    13. Great review! I love how excited you are about this book! Makes me all the more excited to read it!!

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    14. Wow. I'm mesmerized by the cover and intrigued by your review. Sounds like a great read. Thanks for sharing!

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    15. Sounds awesome! I so want to read this!

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