Nightshade Review

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Publisher: Philomel

Release date: October 19, 2010

Source: Publisher

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:

From the first page I was drawn into the awesomeness that is Nightshade. Andrea is a phenomenal writer and combined with a love triangle, a kick butt main character, and an intense plot line it makes for one terrific read.

To start off, Calla Tor is one of my favorite paranormal heroines. She was brave, determined, but kind at the same time. When things get tough Calla always knows the right decision to make to protect her pack and as alpha she never backs down from a challenge. I loved seeing things through Calla's eyes and understanding how hard things were for her. The other characters were all great. I loved her best friend, Bryn, and her brother Ansel. All of the characters were well developed and original.

I think my favorite part of this novel was the romance. I adore love triangles. Even though they are really overdone I just can't get enough of them. Especially in Nightshade. Andrea Cremer constructed a love triangle that just has the reader hooked. Calla is supposed to mate with sexy playboy Ren and they will man a new pack together and Calla is ready to take this huge step until Shay arrives. Mysterious, hot, and intriguing Shay, Calla is attracted to him from their first meeting. The only problem is he's human...and she's already promised to Ren. From there things get crazy and Calla's loyalties, and heart, are tested.

The plot line was also fabulous. It was original, exciting, and kept me glued to the pages right away. Andrea's writing and creative plot twists kept me reading and I never knew what was going to happen next. The ending especially was such a cliffhanger. I'm dying for the second book!

Soaked in history and intrigue, Nightshade wasn't just your average werewolf story. Keepers, Guardians, Searchers... Andrea really made Nightshade her own.

Overall Nightshade was an intoxicating and beautifully written debut novel filled with romance and plot twists that will keep you glued to the pages. Calla was an awesome main character and I love Shay and Ren. Emotions run strong throughout and by the last few chapters you won't be able to stop reading. I can't recommend this enough!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars