Nightshade

*Borrowed this ARC from Tiger at All-Consuming BooksThis 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.

My Summary: When Calla Tor finds a stranger named Shay dying in the woods, she makes a crucial split-second decision that could cost her everything - she saves him, despite the fact that by doing so she breaks every important law that she has to obey, including letting him know of the Guardian's existence. But it isn't until Shay shows up at school that life gets a little more complicated.Being the alpha female of her pack of guardian wolves, Calla's been promised to marry Ren - the alpha of his pack. The Nightshade's and the Bane's, two packs forming as one once Calla and Ren tie the knot. As Guardian's, it will be their job to protect the Keeper's at all costs. But the closer Shay and Ren both get to Calla, the more conflicted she grows. Together, Calla and Ren make the perfect match for the pack. But with Shay, she's discovering more secrets about him, the Keeper's, the Guardian's past, and Calla begins to question everything she's ever known.In a story filled with loyalty, betrayal, secrets and love, anything goes.Review: All I can say is this: "I want MORE!"Narrated in first person by Calla, I knew right from the first page I was going to enjoy her character. She's fierce, protective, but still a bit vulnerable and easy to relate with. Her pack was full of intriguing characters like her sweet little bro Ansel, a trustworthy friend in Bryn and plenty of other great secondary characters. Ren and Shay were the big surprises to me, because at first I thought it was obvious who was the better person and the better match for Calla, but by the time I reached halfway through the novel I was genuinely unsure of who the better one was (because they both are pretty great guys).The werewolf lore is a bit different than normal, and intriguing. Scenes where Calla was a wolf were some of my favorites and the description was just right (not overbearing, but not lacking). Nightshade is packed with romance, jaw-dropping action, mystery, and I couldn't get through the novel quick enough. In all, I'd say this is a stellar debut by Cremer, and I definitely wish that the second book was in my hands right now.Highlights: Calla's strength is definitely one of the best parts. She's totally as awesome as Buffy ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete First Season (Slim Set) ). The characters are very unique from one another. But the best thing I can say is the writing is addictive and it's very easy to visualize everything. I read this book on a 5-hour flight with an annoying person kicking my chair the entire time, and Nightshade distracted me and kept me from completely losing my sanity. I love the chapter designs of the book too, it's gorgeous and unique - definitely worthwhile to buy the finished copy.Lowlights: The end got a bit predictable. I saw it coming from early on, but it didn't bother me too much. I was having too much fun reading to even care.Source: Received advanced copy in exchange for honest review, & I bought the finished copy

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.

i love it

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 !

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).

** spoiler alert ** 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!!!!!!!!!!!!