Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Reading level: Young Adult
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Source: BEA 2010
Language: English

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?

Nightshade was so astonishingly well-written, so well-crafted that I'm wondering how could this possibly be Andrea Cremer's debut? Every single detail about this novel, from the fantastically awesome main character to its world building and beyond, was flawlessly executed; there is never a lull in the story, never any moment where I, as a reader, wanted to take a break and stop reading--I was, simply put, addicted to this story.

Calla, as I mentioned before, is an awesome main character; she is fierce, intelligent and extremely loyal to her family and friends. As a reader, I appreciated her strength but I really admired her devotion to her family and pack. As the alpha, she has a lot of responsibility placed on her and she never takes this lightly: she has a no-nonsense attitude which was very commendable. The hierarchy of Calla's world was fascinating to read about--there was a political vibe to it which really caught my attention and as the story progressed, the menacing undertone, coupled with Calla's increasing fear for her situation, really helped moved the story along. Cremer also wove mythology and philosophy into the book which really added to the mystery (and the promise of more danger to come).  

Oh, and how can I forget the romance? Cremer knows how to write a good love triangle: The two boys she presents are so deliciously sexy that even I'm torn as to which one is better suited for Calla. Ren and Shay both stand a good chance of winning Calla and since there's no definete idea (so far) of what's going to happen to these three, I'm even more anxious to get my hands on the sequel.

Addictive and sizzling with power, Nightshade was a stellar debut. Cremer has tremendous potential as a writer; I sense that her new take will be a welcome change among all of the usual werewolf stories. Fans of Blood & Chocolate should pick this up without fear of being disappointed; Nightshade truly delivers.

Rating: 5.0

Mini-reviews: The Awakening & The Reckoning

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1st, 2009
Obtained: From my public library

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

I loved The Summoning and I couldn't wait to get to the sequel. I can happily say that The Awakening is even better than its predecessor. The action, the drama, the romantic tension between Derek and Chloe (and yes, Simon) are all heightened and I zipped through this book in a matter of hours. NOTHING could have ripped me away from this book. Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 6th, 2010
Obtained: From 1 ARC Tours

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope

Moments after finishing The Reckoning, I slowly closed the book, feeling a mixture of sadness, happiness and mostly disappointment. I noticed the amount of pages that the book had and was hoping that Armstrong would somehow magically resolve everything but unfortunately there were some plot points that never get touched upon or are mentioned and then ignored. Armstrong did throw some MAJOR curve balls in this last installment and I loved them but as I mentioned, they are never properly fleshed out. One thing I did immensely enjoy about The Reckoning was that there's FINALLY some action between Chloe and Derek. FINALLY. I got my sexy scenes! Woot! And Chloe finally grows a backbone in this last book (not that she wasn't brave before but she was very quiet. She's more vocal this time around). Rating: 3 stars

Final Verdict: After falling in love with the first two books, I was expecting an EPIC ending to one of my  favorite series. Alas, The Reckoning left me wrestling emotionally because while I was happy with how certain things wrapped up, Armstrong unleashed some new more plot lines that won't be properly answered since the series is over. My only hope is that those plot lines will be mentioned in her companion series; I hope Chloe and her crew make cameos :)

Clickables: Kelley's website, Kelley's Twitter, Kelley's Goodreads, Kelley's Amazon page

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Source: Library 
Language: English

Synopsis: Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils...

(SLIGHT WARNING: There are some spoilers so read at your own risk!) Leslie’s noticed that ever since Keenan’s shown up, Aislinn’s been different; she hardly recognizes her friend who splits her time being with Seth, her official boyfriend and Keenan, her “close” friend. Well, whatever. Leslie has enough to deal with-a father who’s never around, a useless brother drowning himself in drugs and her waitressing job that earns her barely enough money to pay the bills. But something’s happened to Leslie that she’s refusing to acknowledge...instead, she’s decided that the best way to erase the past (and reclaim herself) is to get a tattoo. Months pass before her eyes land on the perfect image: inky-black eyes surrounded by shadowy wings. Drawn to the image, she saves up until finally, it’s hers. But then she realizes that the tattoo does change her...irrevocably it seems. What was once her greatest desire turns into her worst nightmare.

In Wicked Lovely, Leslie was a minor character mentioned in passing...in Ink Exchange, though, she is front and center. Frustrated with her life, she decides that the best way to bring positive change is to get a tattoo, a symbolic gesture that proves her body is hers. Her friendship with Aislinn is strained and she wonders why Aislinn seems intent on keeping her away from Keenan’s crowd, especially Niall, Keenan’s (sexy!) older uncle. Leslie’s attraction to Niall grows...and Niall feels the same way. But! (for there’s always a but in these kinds of stories) Niall is part of Keenan’s world and Aislinn, knowing this, tries her hardest to keep Leslie safe. Meanwhile Irial, the King of the Dark Court, begins following Leslie and whenever he’s around Leslie feels connected to him, almost as if she’s a part of him. Ignorant of the faery world, Leslie doesn’t know that Irial’s presence means sinister events are only just around the corner and as she finds out, she must fight to not lose herself in the seductive world of faeries. I was honestly blown away by this book! Leslie had something horrific and in desperation decides that she must get a tattooo. In her mind, it’s the only way to ever regain a shred of normalcy from her old life. Not even Aislinn is the same and Leslie knows she’s holding something back. Then she finally receives that tattoo, Irial shows up and Leslie’s life spirals into oblivion as her involement with Irial grows to epic proportions. Leslie then finds out everythnig about the faery world, how its influence s are greater then she’s ever known and that she becomes instrumental in the Dark Court's survival. Despite Irial being the villan, you can’t help liking him a little...his main concern is how to regain his court’s strength since Beira’s (the last Winter Queen) death has crippled it enormously. Niall has his own past and as the story unfolds, you see how his relationship with Irial continues to plague him even though his loyalties lie with the Summer Court.. Ink Exchange is a amazing novel that depicts its characters perfectly, showing each one’s vulnerabilities and that difficult decisions must be made. It’s bittersweet, wonderful and proves that the choices you make hace an impact on everyting.

rating: 4.5