Nightshade

*Borrowed this ARC from Tiger at All-Consuming Books This book gets a grand golden 5 out of 5 gnomes for being quite the intriguing take on a whole bunch of supernatural elements. In this book there are witches(Keepers), Guardians(wolves), wraiths, succubus, incubi and even a smidgen of zombies. The book is 453 pages long but those chapters sure fly by. The book itself has a beautiful cover, the jacket art is by Suza Scalora and the cover design is by Linda McCarthy. The page breaks showing the moon phases is a genius idea and builds up the tension even more. Calla is an alpha wolf of the Nightshade pack who very soon, in a ceremony arranged since the day she was born, will become the mate of the alpha from the Bane pack. She thinks she knows all the rules of her world but she's very wrong. Then Calla saves a human boy, Shay, from an attacking bear. She is definitely not supposed to care for humans but feels a connection with Shay anyway and saves his life. Their first meeting ends rather abruptly and Calla is scared that the Keepers and the rest of her pack will find out what she's done. Then Shay shows up as a new student at her school. Calla is a great character who is comfortable with who she is then as the union between her and the Bane alpha gets closer she has to conform more to what is expected of her. Let's just say if I had Naomi for a mother things would not have gone very well. Her Mother and Father are not in much of the book but you do get a peek into their personalities and what kind of alphas they are. The relationships between the older alphas of the Nightshade and Bane packs make an interesting contrast when you look at the younger members of the pack. There is a lot of pressure going on to unite the young alphas and start a new pack because it's been a long time since a new pack was formed. The characters and setting of Nightshade really pull you into the story. Essentially just like any teenager Calla has a choice to make about what her future will entail. Her brother Ansel is supportive of her and understands a lot even though he's only fifteen and Bryn her second in command would follow Calla anywhere. Bosque, Shay's uncle is another part of the puzzle because he seems to be more powerful then the other people already in power yet the reader doesn't find out why that is for sure. In a refreshing sort of way the two love interests are both actually likable and she has many reasons for choosing either one. It does show the double standard that Calla experiences with Ren being able to date anyone but she can't date and must stay pure. I do have a bias for choosing Shay over Ren though since I've been following the promotional stuff they did for the novel and thus found out a lot about the character. Then there's the prequel that makes me like that character even more. To be fair though the reader can easily see why Calla would choose Ren or Shay. She's known Ren for a long time and that she would have to marry him when she graduates. Shay though represents something new and the fact that change is coming one way or another. Throughout the book you can see that she does have feelings towards both of them. There are bits of steaminess here and there in the novel that keep you guessing on what choice she will make and who she will be with. This book is about choosing your destiny and figuring out which path is best and as the front cover of the book says, "She can control her pack but not her heart." Through Shay Calla starts to realize that there are secrets and mysteries about the Guardians, The Keepers and the Searchers that she doesn't have all the answers to. They do find out some vital information but it may be too late. The history of this world is complex because the history that's known has as the saying goes been written by the winners. This witches war that the Keepers and Guardians took part in is still going on with the Searchers gaining strength. Calla and Shay have to find out what has happened in the past and what and who they should believe in now. There's a twist at the end that does make you wonder if Calla did make the right decision or if certain factors thrown at her were indeed only a test of her strength as an alpha. Be warned that there is quite the cliff hanger ending but the first chapter of the next book is already available. This is a supernatural story that has a lot of heart and will leave you eagerly anticipating the next book.

The Guardians, beings who can shape-shift from human form to wolf and back, have always been protectors for the Keepers. It has been their role to make sure that the Searchers do not discover the secrets in the sacred Haldis caves. They have served their masters as is their duty and are well-taken care of in exchange. But their lives and futures are not their own. While their needs are provided for - education, food, shelter and a few luxuries - they do not get to choose their mates, nor do they get to decide their future. Those that question receive a swift and terrible justice. When Calla, alpha female of the Nightshade pack, breaks the rules by saving a human boy from a bear attack, she puts her loyalty to her masters and to her pack on the line. When that boy, Shay Doran, turns out to be the nephew of a very important Keeper, her actions put her at even greater risk. Only if Shay is willing to keep her secret will she be safe. The very need she had to protect him in the first place draws her to him, jeopardizing the arranged match she is to have with the Bane pack alpha, Ren Laroche, on Samhain that will bond the two packs and make them stronger protectors. As Calla's feelings for Shay grow, will she abandon her pack, her masters and her future mate in order to have the freedom to love who she chooses? Or will the secrets that she learns about Shay change everything. *** Nightshade is a book that starts off running and does not stop. From the moment Calla Tor saves Shay Doran from the bear to the very last sentence of the book with its dramatic cliffhanger ending, the story just keeps moving. Each of the main characters has such a distinct personality. Calla is fiercely independent, even in a situation in which she has little control over the direction of her life. Ren, while a typical alpha male - cocky, charming, with a long list of girls pining for him - shows a hint of his vulnerability when it comes to Calla, his "Lily." And there's Shay, in his near perfection aside from his secret addiction to comic books, with his good looks, intelligence and his ability to do almost anything. Author Andrea Cremer's writing is smart and creative. This is not another werewolf story or one of sorcery and magic. The wolves are most definitely wolves. Even when they're in human form all the younger members of the two packs display their animal natures, whether by bowing to the hierarchy of the pack, scenting the air for danger or to track, or whether they are nervous or quick to anger as any wild creature might be. The story moved forward quickly but is not hurried and is detailed but not overly so. It is a surprise that the book is over five hundred pages for the print edition, as it doesn't feel like such a lengthy story. Every moment was germane to the plot and was exciting, suspenseful, humorous, tormenting or heart-breaking. For a debut novel this was absolutely brilliant. The journey with the characters in this story really felt as if you were following along with a wolf pack.

To start off, I have to gush about this cover. This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before (and I have seen some pretty beautiful covers before like "Fallen" and "Torment" by Lauren Kate, "Halo", and whatnot). When I originally bought the book I thought that if the book wasn't that great, I would be okay with that, just because the cover is so beautiful... (which thankfully I didn't have to worry about). Anyways, on to the story. This book is very much the case of girl and boy meet, as they look at one another/ touch one another they fall madly and deeply in love (all within an hour of knowing one another). I hate when this happens in books, mainly because it is not realistic whatsoever, and I personally believe that the stuff that happens as two people fall in love is extremely interesting. However, I didn't fully hate that this happened in this book. I mean, it did bug me, but it didn't completely turn me off of the book (*cough, cough, "Halo" by Alexandra Adornetto)... I think that what made up for this occurring was the boys.... Oh, the boys... It's weird, lately while reading books where the female character has to choose between two boys, I haven't been able to choose which boy I prefer, or if I do choose between the two boys, I only like one over the other by a fraction (ie. Gale and Peeta in "The Hunger Games" trilogy) and in the first half of the novel, I, for the life of me, could not choose between Ren and Shay. I also found it weird that I liked Ren in this book. Usually I am anti-player boy, but with Ren, I was almost able to overlook the fact that he was a player, mainly due to the fact that he clearly cared about Calla and when he was a sweet, he was a really sweet (ie. giving her the ring). On the other hand, well, Shay was the perfect snarky/ sarcastic boy who also clearly cared about Calla. So how is a girl to choose? I did end up picking my favourite between the boys about halfway through the novel, but I still felt really bad for the boy that I didn't choose (the one who Calla didn't end up with in the end) and I think that because of his sacrifice at the end of the novel he still might have a chance with her. While reading this book I found myself growing more and more frustrated with Calla. I felt like she was playing both boys way too much in this book. I understand that she was confused and everything, but there was another option available, she could have isolated herself from both in order to think over the decision carefully without having any outside influences impacting her decision (as opposed to making out with both of them, making them both think that he was the one she was obviously going to choose in the end). I did find that this book was pretty predictable in some matters, but not in others. When it was first discovered that Shay was the Scion and that the Scion was a "gift" or something or another, I groaned, predicting (correctly) how this was going to play out with the union between Calla and Ren. On the other hand, I did think that what happened between Calla and Shay in the cave would eventually happen, I just didn't think that it would happen that suddenly or in that instance. I wish that in that part that it had been more elaborated upon, I found it to be quite rushed (it only took up a couple of pages at most), I would have loved hearing more about the process of transformation and whatnot. So it was nice that some things were still able to take me by surprise (and I am sure that lots will take me by surprise in the next novel in the series, "Wolfsbane", as so many questions were left unanswered in this book). I loved the secondary characters in this book (which is also quite surprising as I typically loathe them). I found them to be so dynamic and multi-faceted. For instance, Sabine, the obvious bitchy/ slutty girl, who despite it all, is obviously an extremely caring person as she does everything in her power to protect her pack member, Cosette, from the big bad world, Neville, the quiet boy whose music and poetry speak volumes, and Ansel, the little brother, who throughout the novel is discovering himself and what he wants in life, all the while, protecting his older sister, no matter the cost to himself. All in all, this is a great book (both the story and the cover). This book is perfect for the reader who loves a balance of the paranormal and romance (seriously, this book is an extremely hot YA novel).

No sé como puntuar el libro, a sido una pena porque no lo ha podido leer, ha venido dos veces en mal estado, amazón nos ha devuelto el dinero, la portada es preciosa.

Marre de la bit-lit ? Vous avez adoré Frisson de Maggie Stiefvater ? Alors Nightshade est fait pour vous. Premier livre d’Andrea Cremer, Nightshade offre une plongée dans un univers riche et proche du nôtre. Suivez le destin de Calla Tor, l’alpha du clan Nightshade. Destinée à Ren, l’alpha des Bane pour former une nouvelle meute, la jeune femme prend son rôle de leader très à cœur. Car Calla n’est pas comme les autres, c’est une louve, une Protectrice ayant la capacité de changer de forme comme elle l’entend. Elevée dans un monde où les Protecteurs servent les Gardiens, ses maitres, Calla ne s’imagine pas une autre vie. Pourtant, elle va transgresser toutes les règles pour sauver la vie de Shay, un humain. Peut-on tout sacrifier par amour ? C’est à cette question difficile que va devoir répondre Calla . C’est à cause d’un accident l’immobilisant pendant douze semaines, qu’Andrea Cremer se met à l’écriture deNightshade. Son premier livre est d’une excellente facture. Fort, envoûtant, frissonnant, Nightshade conquiert ses lecteurs avec une recette efficace. Même si l’histoire de couple et de destinée n’est pas neuve, l’auteure arrive à construire un monde plein de suspense et de rebondissements, possédant une atmosphère particulièrement attirante et pleine de mystère. Si l’ambiance concoctée par l’auteure nous transporte avec une facilité déconcertante dans l’intrigue, les personnages et les relations les unissant sont parmi les plus brillantes réussites d’Andrea Cremer. On se sent proche de Calla, car, avant d’être une Protectrice, c’est une jeune fille comme les autres qui se retrouve à aimer quelqu’un qu’elle n’a pas le droit de fréquenter. Partagée en deux, elle n’arrive pas à savoir quelle direction prendre. Un choix peu original certes, mais pourtant bien plus compliqué dans ce roman que dans les autres du même genre. Car Calla n’est pas banale. Possédant deux forces en elle, ce sont elles qui se combattent. Si la louve est naturellement attirée par l’alpha Bane, l’humaine se reconnaît en Shay. Et c’est ce qui devient intéressant. Car Calla ne peut lutter. Le choix se révèle donc impossible, incroyable et diablement complexe. Et c’est ce qui nous plait ! Dans un cas similaire, les relations entre Bryn et Ansel et Mason et Neville sont si belles parce qu’elles sont interdites. Car un Protecteur ne peut choisir son partenaire. Une tâche réservée aux Gardiens qui ont à leur charge la descendance des meutes sous leur contrôle. C’est là que Calla et son destin sont les plus déchirants. Être avec Ren signifie pouvoir offrir à ses amis le bonheur qu’ils méritent. Mais c’est aussi s’interdire d’être heureuse et d’aimer l’homme de son choix. Tragiquement délicieux n’est-ce pas ? Vu son tempérament, on comprend rapidement que Calla n’est pas du genre à se laisser vivre et laisser les autres choisir à sa place. Mais que faire quand on découvre que le monde que l’on a toujours connu est bâti sur des mensonges ? Nightshade démarre doucement pour offrir une histoire dynamique et pleine de suspense. On aime profiter de laplume incroyable de l’auteure qui réussit à nous immerger complètement dans son univers. Le plus dur étant de devoir attendre la sortie du second tome, Wolfsbane (disponible le 26 Juillet aux USA). Un livre, que l’on dévorera avec avidité sans aucun doute. Oui, Nightshade est un livre d’une impressionnante qualité. Et si vous n’avez qu’un livre fantastique à lire cette année, c’est bien celui-ci !

i love it

This book deserves the hype it has been getting - I had avoided getting excited about it initially but then got swept in and I am so glad I did. The best thing about this book is the characterisation. I loved Calla as the lead and looking at how she saw the world. I liked seeing how she held on to her faith in how the world should be and her role in it throughout the majority of the book. The two male leads were both good in different ways. If I had to pick I would say I liked Ren the best. Yes he was arrogant but I loved that about him and I reckon him and Calla together would be totally awesome. Shay was also good (although I didn't like him as much as Ren) in how he challenged Calla to see her world differently. I also loved the other wolves in a variety of different ways like Ansel and his cute brotherly role and Bryn in her cool side kick role. All in all this is a host of characters I need to find out more about. Another thing I loved about the story is I was never bored. I have read a lot of book recently where the plot drags for 300 pages then the action happens in the last 50. Not the case in this book. I was entertained and enthralled throughout and desperate to find out what happens next. There were so many twists and turns and so many things going on. I literally can't wait for the next book. All in all a uniquely awesome take on the werewolve genre (probably the best I've read) and definately one of the best books I've read in 2010. Sexy, exciting and action packed - I want more!