Thanks for your kind wishes while I was away at vacation. I had a blast and it was much needed, but the re-entry back to the real world can be harsh. I don't know about you but summer is going too fast for me. Before I know it, the chaos of school registration will be here. Yikes!
  I avoided reading Bloodrose, the last book in the Nightshade series, because it received a polarized fan response. I know major plot spoilers were revealed online, but that just fueled my curiosity. I had to know why so many people were upset. Unlike the first two books, Bloodrose was my least favorite in this series and there were quite a few things that bothered me in the book.

Description (from Goodreads): 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 unnameable 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.

Review: Reviewers have commented on the middle book syndrome of a series, where virtually nothing really happens in the second book until the last few chapters that connect to the book that we really want, which is (in most cases) the third and final book. Some readers can tolerate a filler book as long as the series ends well (i.e. how the reader wants it to end). Personally, I think the book's best ending is what feels true to the characters and things don't necessarily have to be spelled out. With Bloodrose, however, I felt as if I got a half baked ending.
  Without giving us a moment of a quick recap, Bloodrose immediately starts where Wolfsbane ends and our characters are forced to make decisions. The war between Keeper and Guardians is inevitable where characters will either survive or die. The love triangle fraught with tension must be solved. Fractured packs must now come back and work together for a possible future that will change everyone's lives for better or for worse.
   The draw of Nightshade for me has always been Calla, a female alpha pack leader, who wrestles trying to carve out an identity for herself while fighting expectations of what she is suppose to do as dictated by her werewolf culture. While she is an alpha by title, she is not guaranteed to hold power like her male counterpart, just being female limits her abilities. I've always liked Calla. I admire her tenacity in facing difficult scenarios, her willingness to change how her world views a female alpha, and her endless love and loyalty for her pack. In Bloodrose, I felt like I lost that Calla that I loved and she was replaced by a whiny, wishy-washy girl who placed herself first ahead of her everyone else. This is clearly demonstrated on how Calla approached the love triangle. Calla claims to feel torn, however, it's pretty clear who she has chosen to be with. What I don't understand is how she was willing to string both guys along with heavy make-out and/or bedroom scenes.
  I've been puzzled by the love triangle in the Nightshade series. If you look closely at the love triangle from the point of view of romance, it falls apart and there really isn't one. If you look at the love triangle as a symbol of pre-destiny vs. freewill, and independence vs. dependent in terms of power it becomes a bit more interesting. I'd like to delve in this aspect a bit deeper, but I can't since it involves huge spoilers.
  My biggest disappointment in Bloodrose is not seeing more of Ren's character development. I would have been fine with his destiny if I got to know him on a deeper level. I know he was far from perfect and possibly not a great match for Calla but I wanted to give him a chance. So I was really upset that Ren never rose to his full potential in Bloodrose. While he does accomplish large goals, he also loses so much in the book while Shay seems to gain everything and everything came so easy to him. Things were definitely unbalanced.
  Bloodrose is a bittersweet ending in more ways than one. I was taken aback on how many people do not survive in this book. Some of the deaths were truly heartbreaking that happened within a few short sentences.There wasn't much of a mourning for these characters, which is surprising considering who died.  I was not thrilled about any of the deaths and I did have to close the book to get over my grumblings before I could pick it up again.
  Cremer is a talented storyteller and I did find it hard to put the book down because there were plenty of actions scenes and great moments in the book, but I'm not happy with some of the concluding threads in the book. I can understand where the characters and author are coming from, but I felt many of them were a bit too rushed and/or abrupt to make any lasting impression. So I guess the big question is whether or not to read Bloodrose. Honestly? I don't know what to tell you. I really don't. The only advice I can give you is this: be prepared for the book to possibly not end the way you would like it. If you're okay with that and like these characters enough to get some closure, then read it. If not, then skip it. It's been a few months since I read Bloodrose and I still feel ambivalent about it.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence, some language, heavy make-out scenes, and allusion to sex.

If you like this book try: Dark Divine series by Bree Despain, Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Barnes, Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

  I really enjoyed reading Andrea Cremer's debut paranormal romance novel Nightshade. You can read my review for Nightshade here. The Nightshade series is highly recommended for readers who like a strong female character, excellent and intricate world building, and searing romantic tension.

Description (from Goodreads): When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, 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.

Review: Wolfsbane begins immediately where Nightshade ends. Readers new to this series must read the first book in order to gain a familiarity with the earlier story and a large cast of characters since the author offers little explanation to new readers.
  As the book begins, Alpha Calla awakens in a room where she has been held captive by the Searchers, a group of humans who fight the Guardians, a pack of werewolves. Having left her wolf pack to save Shay, she reluctantly allies with warily trusts the Searchers yet finds herself questioning all she once believed in, including the nature of her own species. Plagued by the idea that she is solely responsible of putting her pack in trouble and shocked to learn her real history, Calla joins forces with the Searchers, led by the dark and stoic Monroe. Together they hatch a scheme to infiltrate the Keepers, an evil group that controls the wolves (Calla's pack in particular). The crew embarks on deadly missions to try to save them.  
  The tone of Wolfsbane is much darker and sinister than Nightshade. As readers, we can't help but feel the urgency, seriousness, and danger that infiltrates the air and surrounds our characters. Much of this change of ambiance from the friendly banter of Nightshade is due to the large absence of the wolf packs, particularly Calla's, but that isn't to say that the wit, charm, and romantic tension is completely gone from this book. In a lot of ways, Wolfsbane is like a new story. We are introduced to new characters and learn a lot about how the Searchers function and their community. Like the wolf packs, I also really enjoyed learning about these characters. Adne is a weaver of portals and Monroe's daughter. Connor is a strong, snarky, and flirtatious Searcher who might have a thing for Adne. Connor reminded me a lot of Jace from Cassandra Clare's popular Mortal Instrument series. Ethan is a powerful fighter with a chip on his shoulder. I was surprised to see how much I warmed up to these characters who were once deemed as Calla's enemies.
   Wolfsbane is a really fast read. There are so many plot twists and action scenes that filled the pages that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. As Cremer has promised, we learn more about Ren's past, the war between the Keepers and Seachers. We also learn more about Shay's role in the grand scheme of things. There is a lot of heart break and loss in this book as lives were lost. Unlike many other paranormal romances that I read where I can predict where the author is going in his/her storytelling, I have no idea what will happen next.
  I really enjoyed Wolfsbane, but I did have a problem with how the love triangle was presented in this book. In Nightshade we were first introduced to the love triangle between Calla, Shay, and Calla's betrothed, Ren. The tension escalates as Shay and Calla become closer. Calla is sure she loves Shay, but she is racked with guilt over abandoning Ren and the rest of her family and pack. Even though Ren doesn't appear in this book hardly at all, his presence can be felt. Shay continues to irritate me to no end with his incessant reasoning of how things "should be done". Though I understand and see why his assertiveness is coming out, there is something about him that I don't trust. For me, I thought the love triangle was less exciting this time because we get to know Ren's past but not him as a person. I really hope Cremer gives Ren a larger role in the next book, which I think she will as Wolfbane leaves off with a very big cliffhanger revolves around him. I can't wait to see what Cremer has in stored for us next.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence, some language, and an allusion to sex. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Blood Rose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer released January 2012, Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 13 to Life by Shannon Delaney

  Nightshade by Andrea R. Cremer has been getting a lot of buzz this year and has been popular in my public libraries. I have read many favorable reviews of the book as well as minor negative reviews. It is so interesting to see how many people critique a novel, which is one of they many reasons why I love blogging and the blogging community. While Nightshade is marketed as a paranormal romance that centers around werewolves, the book is actually much more. It is filled with intrigue, politics, struggle of power, love, family, and betrayal. It is by far the most interesting paranormal romance book I've read this year.


Description: Calla Tor has always known her destiny. She is an alpha werewolf of the Nightshade Pack and is to be mated with Ren Laroche, the male alpha werewolf of the Bane Pack. The plans for their impending union, designed to create a new pack, are upset by the arrival of Shay, a human, when Calla impulsively saves him during a night on patrol. With this one simple decision, Calla has changed everything. Her fascination and attraction to Shay will cost her everything that she has held so dear-including her own life. 

Review: Nightshade may sound like an ordinary paranormal romance with a forbidden love story, however, its supreme world building, mythology, and intrigue sets this book apart. From the very beginning, we find ourselves in the middle of a bear attack. Calla, in wolf form, makes a rash decision to disobey her wolf pack in saving, what she thinks, is an ordinary human. Words such as Guardians, Keepers, and Searchers are introduced and used frequently, but we are given no explanation as to what these terms mean. As you can imagine, I was a little confused by the story in the beginning. I did manage to wrap my head a little bit with inferences from the plot, however, it is not until about a third of the way through the book that the information is given. While this may frustrate some readers and make the story disjointed, I was hooked right away and didn't mind the gaps. I wanted to know what these terms mean and how they relate to one another. I was glad things weren't quickly given away. 
  As we go deeper into the story, we realize that Nightshade has many layers that go deeper beyond the tropes of its genre. There is a hierarchy and social class structure in Calla's world. Guardians, what we call werewolves, are created by magical creatures (who, in my opinion, are very similar to witches and warlocks) called the Keepers. The sole purpose of the Guardian's role is to serve and protect the Keepers against their enemy, the Searchers. Humans are the lowest class and not given any importance, which is why Calla's disobedience in saving Shay is so striking. In addition to the social structure of Calla's world, we also learn about the customs and traditions of the pack. It is through her increasing fascination with Shay and his challenges to her traditions that catalyzes Calla's rebellious attitude. From the werewolf books that I have read, this mythology of magic and power is refreshing and intriguing.
  Calla is a strong female heroine. She is a firm believer in her traditions and understands what is required of her. She is willing and determined to do anything for her family and pack. Though she is an alpha and can control her pack, we see how easily her powers are overshadowed by others, especially her destined mate, Ren, and her willingness to except orders from others. Like Calla, we also begin to question what it means to be alpha, especially when she is surprised by the unfairness of being an alpha (i.e. losing personal freedom) and the traditions that bind her. Despite her uneasiness with her customs, she reluctantly goes out of her comfort zone when she and Shay uncover startling truths of her real history. We quickly find out that nothing is what it seems.
  Shay and Ren, the two love interests in Calla's lives are very interesting. Both have their shares of flaws and appeal both to readers and Calla. It has been a really long time since I have been divided by choosing a male lead. In Nightshade, there is no clear winner for me or even for Calla, I think, because there is so much left to be discovered about them. I found the boys' relationship with Calla to be fascinating. Shay first appears as your ordinary human who falls for a werewolf, but he goes through significant changes and becomes a key figure in the long fight between Searcher and Keeper. We finally go beyond the mortal/paranormal pairing. I found myself questioning whether Calla is drawn to him because he represents the unknown to her or whether it is because her alpha holds power over him. Similarly, our first impression of Ren is that he is sexy, cocky, and womanizing, however, he also begins to be much more complicated as we learn about his past and family. I also couldn't help but wonder if Calla's hesitance in becoming closer to Ren is due to her own insecurities or because her dominance is overshadowed by his. While there are steamy scenes and romance featured between Shay and Calla as well as Ren and Calla, I couldn't help but question if it was really love or simply a matter of Calla struggling with pre-determined destiny or free will or even a competition amongst our two male leads. 
  While some of the plot twists were kind of predictable, I was more invested into the characters, particularly the secondary characters. Cremer does a great job in describing the individuals that make up the two wolf packs. I loved watching them interact with one another and how they responded to their alpha's call. Since Nightshade is the first book in a series, the ending did feel abrupt and it does leave off in a cliffhanger as I expected. I look forward to seeing how each of the characters grow and what is the true history of the Guardians, Keepers, and Searchers in the sequel, Wolfsbane, which will come out in July 2011.     


Rating: 4.5 stars


Words of Caution: There is some language in the book and a few racey scenes. Recommended for ages 14 and older.

If you like this book try: Wolfsbane (NightShade #2; available in 2011) by Andrea Cremer, Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, or Matched by Ally Condie