N is for Nightshade

I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.

Focusing on an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list, each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book.

I chose the books this year quite randomly from my Goodreads Want to Read page. Some are quite creatively added to letters.

If you’d rather check out my folklore post for today, go here.

You can read reviews for from previous years for this letter here, here and here, and my year-end reviews here, here, here, here and, most recently, here and here.

My TBR

About the Book I’ve Read

Nightshade (Nightshade #1) by Andrea Cremer

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?

Check it out on Goodreads.

My Review

A YA werewolf story with loads of twists. Those who can shift into wolves are called Guardians and their masters are called Keepers (they can do magic and call on dark creatures). There’s lots of social commentary and Shay makes Calla see the situation she is in (before you want to DNF because she doesn’t see it herself). The gore and violence is much more graphic than expected – especially the scary giant spider scene. The various pack interactions were interesting. There’s a lot going on in this book, more than your average teen wolf love triangle, and it makes for interesting reading. I like the worldbuilding, the secrets, and how Calla navigates it all. The cliffhanger ending…now I need to find time to read the next book, soon.

What I didn’t like so much: the offhand comments about religion, especially Christianity, and how the Keepers see themselves as the rulers of all creation. Something there isn’t sitting well with me, though I can’t pinpoint it past the enslavement of the wolves.

An exciting dark fantasy novel with promise of more adventure to be had.

About the Book I’ve Read

Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer

Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and 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.

Check it out on Goodreads.

My Review

Loads of back flashes from the previous book – in italics! – and telling Calla what had happened to her pack and parents. It would have had more impact if she’d been there and experienced it herself. Most of the book is about sightseeing (the Academy, Vail, etc.) and not really about saving her pack… And then the obvious things happen (her giving in to her urges, the person dying you knew would, etc.) and the book ends. I’m only going to read the next book to see what happens to Ren. Good world-building, though, but the story is a let-down after the first book.

About the Book I’ve Read

Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer

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 unnamable 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. In this remarkable final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, international bestselling author Andrea Cremer crafts a dynamic novel with twists and turns that will keep you breathless until its final pages.

Check it out on Goodreads.

My Review

An intense adventure filled with everything the last book lacked: romance, Calla figuring out her true feelings, experiencing everything first-hand instead of being told about what had happened, various guardians, character growth, raging battles and more.

Though the magic, battles and world-building was awesome, the obvious end to the love triangle was just sad and a bit lazy.

I did enjoy the scenes from a more wolf-centred POV. The places the various parts of the swords were hidden were fun and had loads of action.

I think the Harbinger might have been a bloated tick with wings? Not sure about the description, there, only that it was a grows demon with an insect-type body.

The bravest character is Sabine and I’m glad that the epilogue was from her POV.

A good trilogy with a fresh take on monsters, werewolves and magic.

My Book

Irascible Immortals Volume 7-9

Remember that you can request all of my books from your local library!

I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?

You can now support my time in producing book review posts (buying books, reading, writing reviews and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.

*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*

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