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Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2)

by Andrea Cremer (Goodreads Author)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 21,118 ratings · 1,770 reviews

The thrilling second book in the bestselling Nightshade series
When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, 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...more

ebook, 400 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Speak

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Dec 28, 2011 Steph Sinclair rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: *sigh* Read it if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Recommended to Steph by: Shamefully, myself.

Shelves: werewolves, could-have-been-better, fell-for-the-hype, 2011-reads, le-sigh, lots-of-fail-going-on-here, didn-t-care-for-it, i-totally-saw-that-coming, no-just-no, ahhhhh-my-eyes, glad-it-s-over, all-the-wrong-choices, bound-to-inflict-a-migraine, can-t-believe-i-finished, disappointment, heroines-i-want-to-shake, guilty-pleasures, rubbish, stop-it-already, where-s-my-chocolate, why-why-why-did-i-read-it, young-adult

**The second half of this review contains spoilers. So, if you haven't read this book, read at your own risk.**

OMG, thank goodness it's over. I think I give out 1 star reviews about the same amount as 5 stars. I like to think of myself as a forgiving reader. I am still able to enjoy a book that has an interesting premise even with a few flaws. I also can usually find *something* I liked from a book that probably shouldn't have been published. So how did I like Wolfsbane?

Geez. Where to begin?...more

85 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Mikaela marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: top-of-to-read, christmas

Damn. I love the covers of this series. Can't wait for it to be released though JULY IS TOO FAR AWAY! I hope Ren gets a bit of slack in this novel, I have to say, I love him a lot more than Shay.

EDIT: Ummm... what happened to the cover? Can anyone enlighten me? Or have I just gone crazy? I don't like this cover quite as much. To be honest she looks a little slutty. Is that really meant to be Calla? Why does she look like a stripper? (I mean, she's wearing leather pants!)

On the other hand, I lik...more

27 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Jana (The Book Goddess) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-ten-2011, 2011-reads

Even better than Nightshade! (I know, how can that be possible? but believe me it is :D )
I got this yesterday (25th) and finished it today (26)!

So. Bad things first:

Shay once again IRRITATED me to death. Seriously. That boy needs to crawl up and die somewhere. Alone. I do NOT like how he pushes Calla to do things when she can't even think straight (poor girl got a lot of stuff happening). He's also so annoying and selfish. Enough said.

I don't know what to think of Calla. There are times when I a...more Even better than Nightshade! (I know, how can that be possible? but believe me it is :D )
I got this yesterday (25th) and finished it today (26)!

So. Bad things first:

Shay once again IRRITATED me to death. Seriously. That boy needs to crawl up and die somewhere. Alone. I do NOT like how he pushes Calla to do things when she can't even think straight (poor girl got a lot of stuff happening). He's also so annoying and selfish. Enough said.

I don't know what to think of Calla. There are times when I admired her for being strong and confident, but there are several times when I felt like she was weak, and SELFISH. That is one thing that Shay and Calla have in common. I find her quite selfish, and didn't realize how much her stupid decisions (about saving Shay at the end of 'Nightshade') affected her family and pack mates back home. She's lucky she's got SOME great friends, 'cause if I were her I would not forgive her that easily after what the Keepers had done to the rest of her pack mates. And for what? For Shay?? Please he is not even worth it.

ALSO: Where is Ren in this book? *SPOILER* He's only appeared in one tiny scene, which didn't even last long. Is this the way that Andrea's telling us that Calla will end up with Shay?????
I HOPE HOPE HOPE Ren would play a MUCH BIGGER part in Bloodrose. Or I will die. And. You'll know who to blame.

Now after I got that out of my chest, moving on to the best:

What shines in both 'Nightshade' and 'Wolfsbane' is the plot. It is so amazing and complex and interesting. I really enjoyed learning more about the history of both the Keepers and the Searchers. How Andrea weaved them all together is just so magically done and wow, there are times when I my jaw literally dropped after all the revelations. Trust me, you wouldn't see anything coming. (Or at least, I didn't hehehe)

While I didn't love the main characters (except for Ren! TEAM REN FOREVER!!! ) I did found myself loving the secondary characters much more. Monroe, Connor, Ethan, Adne and Silas all added something new to the story and I love learning the history and personalities of each one :D
And I am in love with Connor. ;P *SPOILER* The pack members reappeared in Wolfsbane aswell, and I am not shocked to see which ones sided with the enemy (those that have read it would know what I mean).

Overall, I LOVE Wolfsbane. And I screamed when the biggest cliffhanger of death appeared in front of me. Seriously I am already getting impatient waiting for Bloodrose. And we still have 6 months before its publication. Sigh.

My blog: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/(less)

29 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2011 Anila marked it as not-with-a-ten-foot-pole · review of another edition

Edit: Ugh, I didn't like the original cover but this one is worse. If I had any respect for Calla, it's gone now. She looks, honestly, like a skank.

Predictions:
- Calla will continue to be described as a 'warrior'.
- She will not act like one.
- She will instead let all available males of any species or allegiance push her around...
- ...unless Shay is in danger, at which point she will drop everything and act like an idiot to save him.
- Shay will continue to be the only smart one in the equation.
-...more

71 likes · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc

WHEW! I thought that Nightshade blew me away... wowzers!

I thought that we discovered a lot of the history in book one... I was wrong so very very wrong. I loved the history lesson that we got this time around. And it wasn't a boring history lesson. I've been known to (and shhhh don't tell anyone) to skip over those boring over detailed parts in a story (Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer comes right to mind.. you know what I'm talking about) but I did NOT want to skip over any of this, I was just total...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Mariya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, shifters, favorites, books-i-own, action-packed, best-couple-award, cliffhanger-disaster, cuddle-bunny, emotional-wreck, epicness-happening, friends-to-lovers, heartbreaking, love-triangles, re-read-material, ya-boy-harem

I admit I was a little terrified to read WOLFSBANE. I had no freaking clue of the contents inside this book, but after flipping the first page I could not put the book down. It was like I was possessed and if I put the book down I could not stop thinking about it. Oh, man Andrea Cremer has done it again!

WOLFSBANE picks up right where Nightshade left off. Calla is now in the searchers hands and being taught all her life that the searchers are the evil ones she is quite un-trusting of them. Calla...more I admit I was a little terrified to read WOLFSBANE. I had no freaking clue of the contents inside this book, but after flipping the first page I could not put the book down. It was like I was possessed and if I put the book down I could not stop thinking about it. Oh, man Andrea Cremer has done it again!

WOLFSBANE picks up right where Nightshade left off. Calla is now in the searchers hands and being taught all her life that the searchers are the evil ones she is quite un-trusting of them. Calla finds out just how much lying her beloved Keepers have been doing. And Calla decides it is time to get her pack back, it should be really easy, right? Well, guess again. Nothing is easy in the world of Nightshade.

I seriously thought this book has changed so much from Nightshade and in a very good way. I wasn't completely in love with the first book to be honest, I mean I liked it and the ending had me guessing while glued to my seat, but Andrea Cremer really stepped it up in WOLFSBANE. I think I was completely caught off guard that I didn't expect to be this blown away.

"Staring at the wreckage of the life we could have had, I knew it wasn't about love or Shay or the Searchers now. It was about sacrifice and redemption, loss that could have new meaning."

We meet some new characters in WOLFSBANE and I love them to death. Great character development. I mean we have some really fun and loving characters that you don't ever want to forget. And some secrets to be revealed that will blow your socks off.

Ren and Shay. Ren and Shay. Oh, my god. I am becoming Team Shay, when the hell did that happen? We got to spend more time with Shay than Ren in this book and we got to learn more about Shay. He is very overprotective and jealous in this book. I am liking that. And I don't know, I have really become conflicted in this book. I love both Ren and Shay!

"Yeah, she is great. I spent the whole week with her.
"Doing what?" I asked, catching a growl before it left my throat. "Aw, you're cute when you're jealous."

I declare WOLFSBANE one of the best YA books of 2011! It deserves it big time. Secrets will be revealed, deaths that will make you mourn, steamy hotness between characters and a bloody cliffhanger that will make you go insane. I loved this book to death and I think that Andrea Cremer enjoys being evil with all these damn cliffhangers she writes. I am highly anticipating the last of the Nightshade Trilogy, Bloodrose, coming February 2012.

More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews(less)

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Jan 30, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-mt-bookpile

I really liked Nightshade and had high hopes for the next book but, well... sigh. One of the problems I identified in the first book remains, that of the ending. It's not a cliff-hanger, it's more like you're being thrown off the cliff: the ending is too abrupt. The narrative thread is snipped in what feels like an arbitrary fashion.

And then there's the prose. It's lilac, not quite purple. On one randomly chosen page, we have eyes widening ... gazing as though seeing the other character for the...more

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Apr 30, 2011 TheDuchess marked it as maybe-read · review of another edition

stop rating this book if you havent read it.

33 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Amy (Amy's Book Den) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires-or-shifters

I loved Nightshade and thought Wolfsbane would be even better, but sadly my expectations had evaporated by the fourth of fifth chapter.

Calla is now in the Searchers’ stronghold, called the Roving Academy because it moves around the world. I thought that was pretty cool. Even cooler was the whole portal creating process. I really liked how it’s described. And I got answers for the whole Alchemy/Four Elements and how it all ties in with the Searchers and Keepers. But while I did appreciate the exp...more I loved Nightshade and thought Wolfsbane would be even better, but sadly my expectations had evaporated by the fourth of fifth chapter.

Calla is now in the Searchers’ stronghold, called the Roving Academy because it moves around the world. I thought that was pretty cool. Even cooler was the whole portal creating process. I really liked how it’s described. And I got answers for the whole Alchemy/Four Elements and how it all ties in with the Searchers and Keepers. But while I did appreciate the explanations I hated the fact that the story got mired down in an info dump. Just because the official scribe of the Searchers was doing all the info-dumping, did not make it OK. Also during the info dump some “secrets” were being revealed but Calla seems oblivious to it all. When Monroe talks about the last Guardian rebellion, Calla notices he’s a bit stressed and restless when he talks about Ren and his mother. He even averts his eyes and also leaves the room to avoid any more questions. But Calla would never EVER make the connection that Monroe and Ren’s mom had it going on. Seriously?

Moving on. I loved all the wolf action, the tearing of limbs, the blood running :) That really made me happy. That is until the action ended. I think the basic rules in Rescue Missions 101 is you arrive, you move fast, you kill enemies, you rescue friends, and you turn around and run getting your sweet behind as far away as possible before starting up a conversation! What’s with all the stopping and introducing each other and reminiscing? For me, it didn’t make sense. I would’ve loved for an ambush and more people getting killed right then. And what’s funnier is that after all the talking and wasting time Calla says…“We needed to get out of here and Adne’s grief was slowing our escape.” Really? Because I think it was all the chit-chat you and your pals had going on there.

Another thing that didn’t make sense was Calla’s sudden erratic and irrational emotions. I love Shay, I love Ren, I love Shay, I love… for &$%# sake! I thought we’d already cleared that in the first book where Calla chooses Shay renouncing everything for him to have a life of freedom by his side. But now suddenly she grows this overbearing conscience that doesn’t let her enjoy her time with Shay because she might-kinda-maybe still feels something for Ren. It would have made more sense to me if the ring Ren gave her had some kind of compulsion spell by the Keepers that made Calla suddenly remember him and desire him. But no.

The ending I did not care for. Calla still doubts her feelings for Shay, she is doubting the Searchers’ intentions, as if we hadn’t just spend an entire two books proving those things. Calla even says “I didn’t choose Shay.” NO? You didn’t save his life, run off with him because he was THE ONE as in the one you loved for sure? Sigh. You can see how this review has progressed from good, to bad, to worse. Well it’s exactly how I felt when reading this book. (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2011 Jess (Gone with the Words) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, werewolves, spellcasters, read-2011, female-narrator, autographed

Read my review on my blog! --> Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Andrea Cremer, I bow down at your amazing story-telling. If you thought Nightshade was full of unique, incredibly interesting characters and original story, Wolfsbane will leave you wondering how it was possible for it to have gotten even better.

Wolfsbane truly felt like a “Part II”. Yes it picks up where Nightshade left off, but it’s also almost like a completely new story. I loved that!! We’re introduced to new characters (who I inst...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Kenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: covers-i-dislike-extremely, excited-for

I hope this cover is actually used. The other one is not something I want marring my shelf of lovely booklings. I take great pleasure in having splendid books, regardless of cover, but the other cover for this book is disturbing to me.

Grr.

Update: Yuck. Seriously, I loved Nightshade's cover, so I bought the book and --in turn-- fell in love with the story. And then the publishers or whomever go and change the Wolfsbane cover. Wtheck? Is this not a YA fiction book? What's with the "Sexy cover"? T...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Hayden Casey rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nightshade and Wolfsbane are like black and white.
Wolfsbane was full of action but devoid of everything else. It went like this:

infodump

infodump

infodump

action

infodump

infodump

action

infodump

action

infodump

action

infodump

action

action

action

slight infodump

end

The whole thing was like one giant conversation with a few good action scenes in between. I really don't want to say anymore, because that would just be wasting the time I could be using writing glorious things about the third book.

So, like my ins...more

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Aug 07, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Shifter Lovers!

Recommended to MISS VAIN by: Mariya

"Hope was real. Burning brighter than the stars that hung above us in this empty winter night."

A week after the events that took place in Nightshade Calla wakes up to find that her world has been altered and now there's no turning back.

"This is only about love."

She discovers the tragically heartbreaking consequences of her actions. Several discoveries in this book including death, betrayal, and devastating revelations caused my heart to ache and tied my stomach in knots. Calla has n...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Khalia Hades rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Call it the Sophomore slump, the second season syndrome, or what have you, but last year I gave NIGHTSHADE, the first book in the series of the same name by debut author Andrea Cremer, a perfect 5/5 rating. Today I'm giving the sequel, WOLFSBANE, a 2/5 rating. What happened to the story, the characters, the romance, and the writing between books one and two to cause such a drastic change? A lot of annoying, confusing, and boring things.

The mythology of the Keepers, Guardians, Searchers, and the...more Call it the Sophomore slump, the second season syndrome, or what have you, but last year I gave NIGHTSHADE, the first book in the series of the same name by debut author Andrea Cremer, a perfect 5/5 rating. Today I'm giving the sequel, WOLFSBANE, a 2/5 rating. What happened to the story, the characters, the romance, and the writing between books one and two to cause such a drastic change? A lot of annoying, confusing, and boring things.

The mythology of the Keepers, Guardians, Searchers, and the Scion still offer an interesting twist on witch, werewolf, and demon mythologies. Likewise the sociopolitical interactions of each group are well thought out and have wide reaching effects on themselves and each other. Andrea Cremer's background as a history professor comes into play as well providing a detailed and very realistic origin for her mythologies. Unfortunately, those are about the only good things I can say about WOLFSBANE.

Just about everything I loved about NIGHTSHADE is absent in WOLFSBANE. The forbidden love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren? Not so forbidden anymore. But don't tell Calla. She still anguishes over which guy to choose ad nauseam. Shay, barely recognizable in this sequel as a whiny possessive hot head, bears the brunt of her indecisiveness. Calla still wants to make out (and more) with Shay until mid smooch session when she'll abruptly shove him away out of guilt over Ren. But then the situation just repeats a few chapters later.

More annoying still was the plethora of new and extremely irritating characters. NIGHTSHADE was all about the wolves, WOLFSBANE is all about the Searchers. In the first few chapters a dozen new characters strut in and out of scenes with lots of desperate attempts at humor and inside jokes to show how close they all are. It was like a badly cast reality show. Calla and Shay basically just watch and ask zero questions about why they are there, what they are being asked to do, what the ultimate plan is, why they are so desperately needed etc. They are just ordered around and basically meekly obey. Well, Calla grows and shifts back and forth a lot, but that's about it.

90% of WOLFSBANE takes place in the Searchers academy and mostly consists of the Searchers inappropriately timed jokes (like after people just died), stupid sexual come ons, and lots and lots of history lessons. The last hundred pages or so finally spark with a bit of energy and action along with the first appearance of some of the original characters from NIGHTSHADE, but it wasn't nearly enough to compensate for the rest of this extremely disappointing sequel. The third book in the Nightshade series is titled BLOODROSE and will be published on February 21, 2012. Based solely on the strength of the first book, I still plan to read it, but I'm keeping my expectations firmly in check. (less)

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Aug 08, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who REALLY enjoyed Nightshade (since Wolfsbane is much of the same)

Shelves: 2011-reads, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, surprisingly-liked, left-me-feeling-drained, left-me-feeling-conflicted, reviewed

(Actual Rating: 3.5 stars)

"This is only about love."

The above words, uttered near the end of 2010's Nightshade, come back to haunt Calla, runaway alpha Guardian, in this much-anticipated sequel, Wolfsbane. Calla finds herself beside the boy she has chosen and saved, yet all is still not well with her world. The web of lies the Keepers have spun still ensnare the Guardians, the legacy of "Chosen One" Shay is still very much shrouded in mystery, and guilt trails after Calla because she has left be...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

omigod. I can't wait. I loved the first book, and I cannot wait until Wolfsbane!

Although, the cover. Ehhh. Don't like it. Actually, not at all. May I ask, whats with the pants?! Leather, really?

Well anyway, the first book was really cool, I hope the second one is even better :]

-missrosey

~~~~~~
after reading... 1.5

ohmigod. boringggg.

okay, after the first 250 pages it got a little bit better. but I mean a little. like, very, very tiny.

the first book was so. much. better.

1 - Shay is annoying.

2 - R...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Ramona Wray added it · review of another edition

Wow. I haven't felt so disappointed about a book in a very long time. Trouble was that with the amazing debut, Nightshade, Ms Cremer set herself some really high standards. I LOVED Nightshade, so naturally I was expecting to be blown away by the sequel. Blown away I was not, however.
SPOILER ALERT
The only thing that happens in the book is Calla and her new 'friends', the Searchers, go back to Vail to try and rescue Call's pack mates. It happens fast. Before you know it, it's over.
The rest? It's a...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Nina ♥ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-be-released

Read the first chapter after I finished Nightshade. I want more!
BTW, I love the cover!

UPDATE: Oh, they changed the cover! I liked the other one more but this one is actually pretty cool too. :)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dogs-wolves, wtf, second-book-curse, stupid-heroine, terrible-cover, disappointment, horrible-love-interest, boring-as-shit, oh-my-a-love-triangle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2.5 stars.

3-1-12 Review Rewritten Due to Anger After Finishing Book Caused Excessive Use of Exclamation Points and Caps.

Calla and Shay are stuck in the Searcher's headquarters, their sworn enemy. But when they are told the deadly secrets the Keeper's have kept from them their whole lives, they choose to form an alliance with the Searchers.
During her time with the Searchers, Calla is constantly torn between Shay and Ren; Shay being always by her side and supportive, and Ren a constant thought a...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fangirls all over the world!

Shelves: paranormal-fix, ya-is-dead, fat-kitty-judges-you, furry-wild-and-rabid, dafuq-did-i-just-read, is-it-just-me-goddammit, fucking-love-triangles, whiny-bitches, kill-it-with-fire, reviewed-2011, a-bit-of-mush, authors-i-want-to-stab, masters-of-snoozeville, cheesetacular, i-am-disappoint, just-kill-it-already, zzzzzzz, facepalm

Well… my fangirl moment came to an end. I woke up reading the second book and I was thinking wtf did I see in the first one? This is bullsh*t! Yep! Maybe I’m having a multiple personality disorder or aliens were controlling my brain and were forcing me to like Nightshade. I guess that would be the logical explanation, don’t you think?

In the first book we saw the world from the Keepers and Guardians POV which now is considered the enemy line. Now we get to see where the good guys stand. If they r...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Schay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-male-babarian, kick-ass-strong-heroine, paranormal-supernatural-romance, witches-magic-alchemy, urban-fantasy, weres-shape-shifters, young-adult, completed-series

Wolfsbane picks up immediately where Nightshade ended, when Shay and Calla were ambushed by the Searchers...

A lot of questions from the previous books were answered, which I'm pleased about. We also discover more about the Keepers' origins.
Calla seems emotionally stronger in this book, too. However, I think there was an over-usage of the words 'warrior' and 'alpha' during the first half of the book; okay, Cremer, we get it - Calla is a FIGHTAAA! But seriously, actions speak louder than words.

I d...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epics, series, books-with-endings-that-made-me-mad

I fell in love with Nightshade and really want to read this book. But the way people make it sound like it was a fail compered to the first based only on a love triangle and teenage hormones. Well news flash for ya that's all young adult paranormal romances are ever about these days, and ripping on this one just because you didn't like how one character acted or how the direction is going is not a fair rating. Personally I hate shay as much as the next girl but you can't give the book a lower ra...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Dee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites, books-i-love, love-the-love

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Things got a tad steamier, even the magic was amped up. While the former I totally saw coming, it is the latter that gave me problems. Why? I have no idea. If I could take shifter wolves, it shouldn't have been a stretch for me to swallow what the Searchers had to offer. But I had a hard time with this new side of the story, (there wasn't much that hinted at the magic part of the world in Nightshade, unless I counted the wraiths and Old Ones.) This second book isn't bad especially given all the...more Things got a tad steamier, even the magic was amped up. While the former I totally saw coming, it is the latter that gave me problems. Why? I have no idea. If I could take shifter wolves, it shouldn't have been a stretch for me to swallow what the Searchers had to offer. But I had a hard time with this new side of the story, (there wasn't much that hinted at the magic part of the world in Nightshade, unless I counted the wraiths and Old Ones.) This second book isn't bad especially given all the introductions made. There's a whole slew of new characters (where some were disposable; others quite fascinating.) This new bunch had with them a whole world of magic and hierarchy that could annoy even the most patient of readers. And it wasn't even that complicated, it was the delivery that annoyed me. Each question posited was answered by a 'that's not important.' All that hedging I did not like!

There's information overload which was surprising. After Nightshade, I thought everything was settled with Keeper vs Searcher and Guardians in the middle plus the some wraiths. But Wolfsbane revealed more. Not only are there a lot of new people, there's also more of the specifics that are shown. The Harrowing for instance, is explained in greater detail from a different perspective. The Searchers too reveal a bit more of what they thought Calla and her Guardians could be, and what they themsleves "really" were. Shay's role as Scion was a muddle at first but was eventually cleared up. Honestly, though? All that was like catching the tail end of a conversation, I knew where the story was going but couldn't help but feel a little disconnected. There were a lot of lines being pulled on and I couldn't focus: Shay as Scion. Calla as guardian on the run and hopefully savior to be. Shay and Calla as a couple. And the Searchers! As she observed, there's "So many hidden stories linking all of them together."

Despite all that, it wasn't bad for me. If in the first Calla had to make a choice, here she dealt with it's consequences, but jumping from the escape to her waking up, reading it was a chore at first. The beginning was rough because there are a couple?a bunch? of new characters added in one after another. It started to feel like a load of people (more than needed) were pouring in. Also I wasn't happy with how Calla was sounding. It's been a while since I read the first book, but I don't recall her being this way. It's just that in this one Calla was sounding...how can I put this... mercurial. She's paranoid, then in love, then ~~a bit~~ a whole lot defensive about being alpha (as opposed to mere girl, or worse, just someone's girl friend) and then jealous and then back to any one of those enumerated. What surprised a little more was her second choice, despite her doubts she jumped in. And I mean jumped in, eyes closed... but perhaps this was a throwback to her former alpha protective self.

It's the last thirty pages that make the book an OK read. I can't really use the phrase 'snake in the grass' because I totally called it, it's just that things were extremely disappointing on the emotional level for her. On a positive note, Shay had turned over a new leaf too. Here he was behaving a bit like Ren in Nightshade; this in turns annoyed and pleased me. Pleased me because he wasn't so weak; annoyed me because there was something overbearing in his manner. One thing though, there're a lot of butterlfies in this one, butterflies that flit from one camp to another, and it was the last one revealed that has me curious about what's to follow.

3/5(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Eileen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy-shape-shifters, read-2011

Let me start this review with writing that Andrea Cremer is a great story teller and that she wrote an amazing sequel to 'Nightshade'. This sequel is well written, different from 'Nightshade'(less romance and action) and not at all what I expected that it would be and this surprise was mainly, but not only, good. I thought a long time about how to rate this book and I decided: 4,5 stars, but it's possible that I'll change my mind when I read it for the second time.

I wasn't very charmed by the fi...more Let me start this review with writing that Andrea Cremer is a great story teller and that she wrote an amazing sequel to 'Nightshade'. This sequel is well written, different from 'Nightshade'(less romance and action) and not at all what I expected that it would be and this surprise was mainly, but not only, good. I thought a long time about how to rate this book and I decided: 4,5 stars, but it's possible that I'll change my mind when I read it for the second time.

I wasn't very charmed by the first 100 pages, because there is mainly a lot of dialogue about the historical background of the Searchers, Seekers and Guardians. We are introduced to the new and sometimes complicated world of the Searchers and also a lot of interesting characters. I love that they treat nature/the earth with respect and I would love to become one of their 'Weavers'.
I understand that this background information is necessary and I enjoyed reading it, because it answered a lot of my questions, but I just wanted the action to be more spread throughout the book and not saved for only the last part. This makes the first part a little bit hard to read.

Calla made a huge decision that is life changing for her and never really realized what the consequences would be for her pack and Ren. When she starts to find out she is full of guilt and believes that it's her duty as an alpha female to put things straight, which means risking not only her life, but also the life of others. I believe that she is unaware that she blames Shay too for what has happened and that's why she keeps him at a distance.

Shay has to deal with the responsibilities of being the 'Chosen One', but also with being a wolf. It must be hard for him to let Calla go risk her life for her pack (including Ren)while he,as the Scion, has to be protected and can't take part in the action. He's getting as possessive and jealous as Ren in the first book, but I guess that's a wolf thing and not something I appreciate in both of them.

While Calla and Shay are getting to know the World of the Searchers, the pack is left behind in the World of the Seekers and don't know what is going on. They don't now the truth and have to make their own decisions. Some choose for friendship, freedom and Calla and others are afraid to go against the Seekers or sell their soul to them in return for favors.
Ansel, poor, poor Ansel what happens to him broke my heart. In the first book he was such a happy and positive spirit (***SPOILER***)........... and the Seekers used him and destroyed him completely. He's totally lost and I hope that somebody can reach out to him and save him. I need my favorite character to be well!
I absolutely refuse to believe that Ren is under the influence of the Seekers. I believe that he does what he thinks that he has to do to survive and help the situation. He'll be back together with his father, I'm certain of this, but I guess I'll find out if I'm right or wrong when 'Bloodrose' is released. Then I'll put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my door!
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Dec 25, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow. What a sequel.

After reading how Nightshade ended I could not wait to start reading Wolfsbane. I'm glad the book picked up right where Nightshade left off. I felt like the beginning of the book was still a little slow, but it definitely picked up. There was way more action is this one which I liked. At first I was confused with all the new characters and the new story lines but as I kept reading it all fell into place and made sense. At times I felt like I had to force myself to read, which...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Portrait of a Book rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

First reviewed on Portrait of a Book

If you haven't read Nightshade, go buy it and read it immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you've read it, you know that Nightshade is amazing and that the wait for Wolfsbane was cruel and unusual punishment.

Wolfsbane begins just after the end of Nightshade. Calla Tor wakes to find herself surrounded by Searchers, far removed from her pack, from everyone but Shay. She is desperate to find her way back to her home, but the Searchers have other p...more First reviewed on Portrait of a Book

If you haven't read Nightshade, go buy it and read it immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. If you've read it, you know that Nightshade is amazing and that the wait for Wolfsbane was cruel and unusual punishment.

Wolfsbane begins just after the end of Nightshade. Calla Tor wakes to find herself surrounded by Searchers, far removed from her pack, from everyone but Shay. She is desperate to find her way back to her home, but the Searchers have other plans for her. They need her and her pack as allies in their war against the Keepers. At first, Calla refuses - after all, she's fought the Searchers all her life - but the more she talks to them, the more she comes to realize that some of her long-held truths were actually lies. But no matter what has happened, she is the alpha, and she has to help her pack...and her mate. Yet will Calla be torn between love and duty? And can she find her pack - and protect them - before it's too late?

I was thrilled to be back in the Nightshade world. Once again Andrea's writing drew me in and kept me turning page after page, needing to know what happened next. In addition to seeing more of Calla and Shay, there are a new cast of characters to meet, each with their own stories and quirks, and some (especially Connor and Adne) with very entertaining senses of humor. The details and descriptions are always so vivid, and the constant plot twists and romantic tension make for riveting reading. The stories and memories revealed in Wolfsbane are by turns alarming and poignant.

Wolfsbane is just as intense as Nightshade, but in a different way - it has a darker tone and is driven more by events than by the romantic tension, but for this book that certainly works. My only complaint about Wolfsbane is that it ended when it did - I wanted more! Is it time for Bloodrose yet???

I've said this before, and I'll say it again - Andrea Cremer's writing style is brilliant. I absolutely cannot wait to read the third installment of this story!(less)

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Sep 02, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OMG Jan 24th is so far away! It was soooo good. I can't say more without spilling my guts and spoiling the whole thing for those that have not read it but WOW!

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Dec 12, 2011 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, adventure, fantasy, shapeshifters, painfully-awful-sequels, bad-sequels-to-good-books, lowest-quality-books-ever, so-bad-they-re-funny, young-adult

Nightshade: Win
Wolfsbane: EPIC FAIL!!!

Nightshade was awesome. I read 130 pages in one day. I couldn't put it down. Wolfsbane? Yeah...

I read 5 pages a day so I could get it done in the week I had left with it from the library. I wish I didn't have to endure that much of it at once.

Pages 1-80: Calla and Shay look like idiots, not figuring even the simplest things out by themselves while Silas(the freakishly racist scholar) tells them about their real history.

If you thought Calla was slow in the fi...more

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May 14, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, for-review, favorites, own

Posted on http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com

I'm going to try and write this review the best I can without spoiling it for you all BUT if your not sure please don't continue.

I couldn't believe my luck when I won a copy of this book off Andrea Cremer on Twitter. Yes people! Twitter! You know, I now love Twitter that much more. ;) Anyway....I've been eagerly awaiting this book since reading Nightshade and let me say, this book didn't disappoint.

Wolfsbane starts with Calla waking up in the home...more Posted on http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com

I'm going to try and write this review the best I can without spoiling it for you all BUT if your not sure please don't continue.

I couldn't believe my luck when I won a copy of this book off Andrea Cremer on Twitter. Yes people! Twitter! You know, I now love Twitter that much more. ;) Anyway....I've been eagerly awaiting this book since reading Nightshade and let me say, this book didn't disappoint.

Wolfsbane starts with Calla waking up in the home of her enemy; the Searchers. Believing she is will be killed, she is shocked when she is made an offer. An offer to help the Searchers take down her masters giving her the one thing she's wanted....freedom. After years of being told the Searchers were the enemy, Calla finally learns the truth and now she must faces the choices of choosing her own destiny.

I loved it! Just loved it! Andrea Cremer blew me away the first time and she's done it again. Wolfsbane was everything I could of wanted. It's pretty fast paced with information from the start and we finally find out the truth about the Keepers, Searchers and Guardians. I won't go into to much detail about that but it was really interesting to read about, a lot of the blanks from the first book are answered. I loved that we finally get to see what life on the "enemy" side is like and the fact that we see just how evil the Keepers really are.

We also get introduced to a few new characters Connor, Monroe, Adne & Ethan, ones that I took and instant liking too. I found them great to read about especially with the banter and jokes between them all. The story itself was exciting, entertaining, action packed and I found I could of just kept on reading and reading. There was also a few sad times, one that completely shocked me but I'm not going to spoil it and second was Ansel's situation...them Keepers are just nasty. I do hope it gets sorted.

The relationship between Calla & Shay, well....lets just say things get a lot hotter between them BUT for you Shay fans, I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet because I felt there wasn't really any improvement to their relationship. I thought after the first book Calla had pretty much chosen Shay but she is more confused than ever in this book with who she should be with. To all you Ren fans, SORRY but Ren's pretty absent for the whole book, he's more of a supporting role. We mainly see him in Calla's thoughts, and as I said she is more than confused right now. With me, sitting on the fence with Team Ren & Team Shay I'm actually really excited to see how both relationships are played out in the next book. Oooh I'm also really looking forward to seeing if anything happens between Sabine and Ethan ;)

I do believe that Wolfsbane has been set up just right for Bloodrose. I enjoyed the ending and I can't even imagine where this third book is going to lead us but I'm praying there is happy ending.

Guys, I hope i've made some sense during this review, lol but when you've read Wolfsbane PLEASE find me! I can't wait to talk to you all about it :)
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Ren or Shay?	143	303	Jun 12, 2013 09:44am
Crazy for Young A...: Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer → Start Date: April 4th, 2013	34	14	Apr 10, 2013 09:56am
~!The Young Adult...: Wolfsbane	9	21	Aug 27, 2012 02:06pm
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About Andrea Cremer

Andrea Cremer spent her childhood daydreaming and roaming the forests and lakeshores of Northern Wisconsin. She now lives in Minnesota, but she thinks of her homeland as the “Canadian Shield” rather than the Midwest.

Andrea has always loved writing and has never stopped writing, but she only recently plunged into the deep end of the pool that is professional writing. When she’s not writing, Andrea...more

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Quotes from Wolfsbane

“What are you even doing here?' I barred my fangs at Silas. 'Aren't you just a paper pusher?
'That's my girl.' Connor smiled.” — 84 people liked it

“Yeah, she is great. I spent the whole week with her."
"Doing what?" I asked, catching a growl before it left my throat.
"Aw, you're cute when you're jealous.” — 71 people liked it

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Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2)

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