Nightshade

NIGHTSHADE

By:  Andrea Cremer

FIRST SENTENCE

“I’d always welcomed war, but in battle my passion rose unbidden.”

SUMMARY
from goodreads

Calla Tor has always known 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 sacred sites for the Keepers.  But when she violates her masters’ laws 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 lose everything – including her own life.  Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

REVIEW

Everything was set in motion when Calla was first born.  It was already decided that she would be the alpha wolf of the Nightshade pack.  It was also predetermined that she would marry Ren, the alpha wolf of the Bane pack.  Everything seemed perfect as these two would join their packs together.  And it was all perfect, until Calla met Shay.  That’s when things got interesting.  Shay, a human boy, was supposed to be off-limits for Calla.  But who ever said Calla followed the rules? 

When it comes to love triangles, this one was like a love pyramid.  There were so many layers and levels.  Andrea Cremer did such a fabulous job of creating infatuation, longing, tension, desire, and resentment.  This was not a simple case of choosing one boy over the other.  It was much deeper.

Ren, true to his alpha status, was impulsive, loyal, and strong.  His impulsive nature made him seem like a jerk sometimes at the beginning, but I grew to like him.  Ren really only had Calla’s best interests at heart.  Shay, although new to the whole wolf-thing, fit in well with Calla and he had a confident personality.  Finally, there was Calla herself.  She started as the powerful alpha wolf, but she lost some of her strength when it came to her love interests.  It was as if she had some human qualities to her heart.

Nightshade is beautifully written with rich descriptions and a plot that doesn’t quit.  There is attention to detail and the pack history is not forgotten.  I appreciate a book that is unpredictable and that captures my attention from the very first page.  Yes, that is what Nightshade did.  It grabbed me and did not let go. 

With an awesome love pyramid, fantastic writing,  and a twisty plot, Nightshade is a winner.  I am looking forward to the sequel, Wolfsbane, in July, 2011.  Can we speed up the clocks a bit?

RATING

5        Plot

5        Characters

5        Attention Grabbing

4        Girlie Meter

5        Ending

24      TOTAL

5        STARS