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Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1)

by Andrea Cremer (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 2,798 ratings · 479 reviews

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the wo...more

Hardcover, 430 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Philomel

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Aug 15, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, my-bookshelf

Okay, I finished that in a total time of like ZERO DAYS.

Honestly, I don't know why I ever second-guess my decisions to read any of Cremer's books. Every time I end up reading them I'm done in a day and I enjoy every second of it. They're just so addicting. And good. Despite the not-so-perfect quality and the lack of realistic characters and unoriginal (sometimes predictable (view spoiler)) plotlines.

Anyone looking f...more

23 likes · like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Jana (The Book Goddess) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, blog-reviewed

Also on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.c...

Most of you know how much I HATED the ending of the Nightshade series, Bloodrose. So now you're wondering why the hell I'm reading another one of Andrea's novels AND why I'm even bothering with the prequel. My answer - I loved the world Andrea's created in Nightshade, and I was more than interested to see how it all began in this prequel. In the end, the Nightshade series is still better, but this was a very enjoyable and unputdownable read.

What I...more Also on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.c...

Most of you know how much I HATED the ending of the Nightshade series, Bloodrose. So now you're wondering why the hell I'm reading another one of Andrea's novels AND why I'm even bothering with the prequel. My answer - I loved the world Andrea's created in Nightshade, and I was more than interested to see how it all began in this prequel. In the end, the Nightshade series is still better, but this was a very enjoyable and unputdownable read.

What I really like about RIFT was the main character Ember. Thank God she wasn't some whiny snobby bitch like Calla (from Nightshade). Ember's brave, intelligent, and just downright awesome. She's a perfect example of a fierce heroine. And it's not just Ember. What makes me love Andrea's novels is that she always makes me feel for each and everyone of her characters. I laugh with them, I cry with them, I kinda want to slap some of them. Even the minor characters all triggered an emotional response from me. And can I just say how much I love Kael? He's just Ember's friend but he is by far my favourite; he's funny and charming. Anyway, Barrow (the love interest) reminded me so much of Dimitri from VA. Which isn't really a negative thing, just something that I noticed. So if you fell in love with Dimitri (well, who hasn't?), then I think you'll swoon over this knight.

At the start of the book, I thought there would be a love triangle. BUT. It's pretty obvious from the start who Ember likes. The other one was just there. And I kinda understand why he did what he did at the end (I won't say no more - spoilers). Though I still freaking hate him. Anyway, another one of Andrea's strongest points are her kissing/lovey scenes. She just knows how to write a good hot sexy scene. And I can't wait for RISE, just saying ;).

What brought down this to a four star rating was probably the language and writing. That's not to say the writing wasn't gorgeous (it is!) but I just found it too formal and people like me just get bored easily and lose interest. The way she described the setting was just so long and boring. But I did appreciate her world building and fighting scenes.

I wish authors would do prequel series more. I loved this prequel to Nightshade series and also the The Infernal Devices by Cassie Clare. It just makes the story far more special in my opinion. Though I do think that even if you haven't read the Nightshade series, you can and will be able to understand this.

Overall, RIFT is a highly creative sequel with bad ass characters that I'm sure you'll fall in love with just as much as Nightshade. (less)

12 likes · like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

August 7 2012 RIFT (Nightshade Prequel 1)
January 8 2013 RISE (Nightshade Prequel 2)

Wow! This was so much better than Bloodrose!

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Hayden Casey marked it as wishlist

Can't wait for this! Just requested an ARC (although I'm probably not going to get it). But I can still hope, right?

13 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2012 Marie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, not-bad-but-not-good-either, witches, waste-of-time

Before:
I've heard good things about this. And although I HAVE IN NO WAY FORGIVEN MISS CREMER I am willing to give this a shot.

If this however turns out anything like bloodrose in which she kills of one of the main and awesome charachters- that really does signal the end of her in my world.

In this im hoping for a charachter exactly like Ren and where the heroin falls madly in love with him and they live happily ever after- yeah yeah, probably not how it's going to go, but I can dream righ...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, fantasy-historical

I’ve followed Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade Series from the beginning, so when I first hear about Rift – the prequel to Nightshade, I knew I wanted to read it. I adore everything about Andrea’s work, her style of writing, her unique storyline’s and I love that she’s not afraid to take risks with her stories too. And if I had to sum Rift up into one word, it would be FANTASTIC!

Ember Morrows is a sixteen-year old girl who is suffocated by her father’s rules to be married off at a young age. So when...more I’ve followed Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade Series from the beginning, so when I first hear about Rift – the prequel to Nightshade, I knew I wanted to read it. I adore everything about Andrea’s work, her style of writing, her unique storyline’s and I love that she’s not afraid to take risks with her stories too. And if I had to sum Rift up into one word, it would be FANTASTIC!

Ember Morrows is a sixteen-year old girl who is suffocated by her father’s rules to be married off at a young age. So when she’s called to fulfil a family obligation to join the Conatus Guard, she is more than thrilled to be away from her father’s strict rules. Once there, Ember is trained as a guard to help fight the evil in the world, but when one of her leaders starts dabbling in dark magic Ember must choose which side she’s on.

While diving into Rift I have to admit, I knew it would be good but I didn’t know what to expect. With story pre-dating Nightshade, it’s based in the early fifteenth century so it did take a few chapters to get into this new world and the style of writing, but once I got past them first few chapters it became a great read. I really enjoyed that this was a historical paranormal read but there are only a hint of paranormal through-out the book, mainly because to start with, the story focuses on Ember’s journey and her discovery of this new world. It was quite slow paced but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. The real excitement comes near the end because we start it see the paranormal aspect in full force and with the return of Bosque Mar; well you can only imagine what he’s been getting up too.

The characters of completely different to those who are in Nightshade and as much as I loved them characters, it was nice for Andrea to create a whole new set of characters that were just as unique and made them stand out on their own.
Ember is a strong, determined and a courageous young girl, she wants to throw herself into the firing line and help stop the evil of the world. She isn’t what her father wants her to be and her boyish qualities are frown upon by him. But with the guard, she can be who she wants to be and take charge of her future.
Barrow - I love him. He's the strong silence type, broody and always tries to do right, he helps Ember become the guard she needs to be. He fights his attraction for her for many reasons, but love over rules all, and he’s soon falling for her. I loved that he was willing to protect Ember from the start, even though she is capable of looking after herself, he still wants to be there for her. Their relationship isn’t a key role in this book, it’s not until the end that we see it so I’m hoping with Rise; book two, we will see more of it.
The secondary characters were also great. There are many laughs with them which brings the humour into the story. Some of them like Sorcha and Lucasz quick became my favourites.

Andrea Cremer has done a fantastic job creating a whole new setting for Rift and not only that but writing this book really shows the talent’s she has as an author. Rift is not a book without detail and Andrea really captures the setting well. I can't wait to see what she with next.

A big thank you to Atom for giving me the opportunity to review this book.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 Lexxie (un)Conventional Bookviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nightshade fans

Shelves: fave-series, i-own, kindle, strong-female-protgagonist, magic, read-in-2012

Very exciting prequel to the Nightshade series. Of course, with a very strong female MC who knows how to fight and take care of herself

Full review can be found on my blog: (un)Conventional Bookviews.

Rift is the first book in the prequel series concerning the Nightshade universe. I was completely engrossed in this story, I loved Ember, as I usually love strong female protagonists. I also really liked to understand more about what happened during the Nightshade novels, the mythology, the hunger fo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 Damieka {LivingInYABooks} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: andrea-cremer, ya, romance, paranormal-romance, 2013-reads, i-own

Before:

I just bought this book yesterday after waiting forever. However, I'm glad I waited so long because now I'll have Rise too if I like this one. I really, really hope the protagonist is as kick-ass as everyone says she is. But after Calla's whole supposedly kick-ass personality(which only turned out to be a slut who uses people), I'm not crossing my fingers.

I hated Bloodrose for the horrible ending and the killing of one of the only good characters so I'm jumping off a ledge just by buying...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Eileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, arcycling, fantasy, romance, physical-book, owned, young-adult

Check out more reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

Rift, the prequel to the highly acclaimed Nightshade trilogy, was something that I debated reading for quite some time. On one hand, I was totally ready to kill the author because of the ending of Bloodrose (I actually did tweet the author saying that I was about ready to kill her because that ending was so brutal. That may not have been the BEST decision at the time, but hey, I'm a weird creature. Don't judge me. I probably should'...more Check out more reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

Rift, the prequel to the highly acclaimed Nightshade trilogy, was something that I debated reading for quite some time. On one hand, I was totally ready to kill the author because of the ending of Bloodrose (I actually did tweet the author saying that I was about ready to kill her because that ending was so brutal. That may not have been the BEST decision at the time, but hey, I'm a weird creature. Don't judge me. I probably should've added a winky face, yes, but I've been blocked more than once on Twitter, I'm sure.)

But I should probably talk about the book at hand right? Good idea! I absolutely have to talk about the love triangle. Who was it between again? Other than Barrow. It wasn't even a very significant love triangle, and if I can't even remember the apposing player, that's a pretty bad sign. Speaking of other insignificant things, I need to talk about the whole concept of Rift. A few terms were mentioned, but I had no idea how it had to do with Guardians, aka werewolves. I don't know if this chronicles the beginning of the Guardians and how they came to be, but I expected something that was along the lines of Nightshade, with the werewolf concept, but with a twist. I didn't expect something that didn't even mention a werewolf anywhere, so hopefully Rise will answer any of my doubts.

Staying along the same lines of the concept of Rift, I have to say I really loved it. I know, contradictory. But, I loved how it wasn't the same idea, the same cookie-cutter idea as the original trilogy it derived from. Some authors will make a prequel as a series of books with totally different characters, but with the same exact concepts, and although I would've liked to see a stronger resemblance to the original, I still loved how it was different. So, basically, what I'm failing at trying to say was I would've liked a balance between the two ideas.

Something about Rift that was so amazingly great was the action and the intrigue (vocab word! I'm trying to use more vocabulary words from my vocabulary units in my words...even though I use most of them daily anyway). Andrea definitely knows how to bring on the different aspects of a addictive read and blend them together.

Although some aspects of Rift turned me off, I would definitely recommend this to any hardcore Nightshade or historical fiction fans for its action, romance, and creativity!(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this ARC (for review) at the RT Booklover's Convention via the Goody Room!

So yeah, I went a little spastic when I saw Rift in the Goody Room at RT a few months ago! Needless to say it was the first book I grabbed! And it was wicked awesome! Granted I couldn't remember the history of this upcoming story that we got bits and pieces of in the Nightshade trilogy. I was a little lost, but then I told myself to just stop trying to remember something that I obviously wasn't going to remembe...more I received this ARC (for review) at the RT Booklover's Convention via the Goody Room!

So yeah, I went a little spastic when I saw Rift in the Goody Room at RT a few months ago! Needless to say it was the first book I grabbed! And it was wicked awesome! Granted I couldn't remember the history of this upcoming story that we got bits and pieces of in the Nightshade trilogy. I was a little lost, but then I told myself to just stop trying to remember something that I obviously wasn't going to remember!

The story was good! Ember was an outstanding character! She was fierce, much like Calla was! I really enjoyed seeing Ember go through her struggles, she really grows. The book has a fairy tale like quality in that when her mother was about to give birth there were complications, and it was quite possible neither would survive. So the group Conatus steps in, saying that when Ember reaches her 16th birthday, she was to come join them. 16 is such a lucky or unlucky age in this manner!

Ember was actually excited about this, for her father had mundane plans of marrying her off to the highest bidder. He was not an affectionate father and the things he did to try to keep her with him were not heartfelt either.

Barrow Hess! Oh man, what a guy he was! We know right away, without being told by the cover description, that he and Ember are going to have some sparks flying between them! (Ha! an unintended pun!) But it's a love that grows ever so slowly, and to me, those are the best kinds. I don't go for insta-love.

When Ember comes to the place where Conatus calls home, she is about to learn a whole lot about the world around her and the creatures that live there! It was quite exciting! It's like getting a new look at the world we sort of knew from Nightshade!

And of course there's the evil lurking in the shadows as well, causing chaos for Ember and her new friends. The evil will begin to corrupt them, looking for the one who will set it free! And of course we've seen this evil before! That much I did remember! But there are other characters who may not seem evil at first that took me by surprise.

The ending definitely leaves you hanging a bit. Nothing totally killer, but just as things really start to get on the edge of the cliff, Andrea leaves us hanging! :)

Rift is a stellar prequel to the fabulous Nightshade trilogy! I look forward to reading the rest of Ember's adventures to see how everything pans out!

Overall rating 4.5/5 stars--a near perfect rating, except my ARC was missing some pages, I was able to get some idea of what I missed, but still I was sadden to see that scenes were missing or sentences were left hanging, not that an actual page was gone.

Rift releases August 7, 2012(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Black Lotus ❤Letting Go Is the Hardest Part❤ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nice cover, not as good as Nightshade, though...
Wow, there's a prequel? Wonder why Ember was never mentioned in the Nightshade series and stuff...also, if things were still like that when Calla came into the mix..I hope Ember didn't fail, in her..duties or something.

---UPDATE---

Rift was surprisingly good, and I'm looking forward to the next book, Rise.

I seriously didn't like Alistair, though. He kept mistreating Ember, and the way he betrayed the Guard by easily crossing over to Eira's side re...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, better-than-the-first-one, good-ones, historical, magic, pn-romance, read-in-2012, young-adult, swoon-inducing, best-couples, 3-5-stars, workshop-2013

Strong protagonist, action, and romance combine for solid read, 3.5 stars

In Rift, the prequel to Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series, readers get a glimpse into the origins of the Keepers and the Witches War of the 15th century. The daughter of a noble, Ember Morrow must leave her family after her 16th birthday to serve the mysterious order of Conatus. Though most fear the knights, Ember readily embraces the life of battle and purpose the order provides. Once training begins, she finds not only h...more
Strong protagonist, action, and romance combine for solid read, 3.5 stars

In Rift, the prequel to Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series, readers get a glimpse into the origins of the Keepers and the Witches War of the 15th century. The daughter of a noble, Ember Morrow must leave her family after her 16th birthday to serve the mysterious order of Conatus. Though most fear the knights, Ember readily embraces the life of battle and purpose the order provides. Once training begins, she finds not only her skills tested, but also her wit and her heart. Dark powers soon start to infiltrate the group, and Ember must decide where and with whom her allegiances lie.

Though I had a rocky relationship with Cremer's other Nightshade books, I really enjoyed Rift once I got past some slow parts in the beginning. Ember was an able and spirited protagonist with a strong sense of self. Though a bit reckless at times, she doesn't complain or expect others to rescue her. Action scenes were well-described and plentiful, and the author's prose painted beautiful images of the Scottish highlands cloaked in gray fog. The slow-building romance was another highlight with its swoon-worthy love interest who was both strong and masculine but also considerate and effusive. Even though it's a prequel, Rift can also be read on its own as the satisfying start to a new series, and the story ends in a place where a reader can look forward to the next installment without being left on a terrible cliffhanger.

As mentioned, Rift was slow to start, however, and I felt bogged down during the first 100 pages by some character interactions and historical information that wasn't always clearly explained. Ember became too adept as a knight too quickly to be believable, and the romance blossomed from little sparks to full devotion in too short of a time near the end to feel truly natural. The story line about the split within Conatus also wasn't nearly as engaging as hoped, and I found myself rushing through those sections to get back to Ember's story. Overall, the story just felt a bit light on content where there could have been more development.

While I might have found a few stumbling points, Rift is the best thing I've read by Andrea Cremer, and I'm already looking forward to the sequel (Rise). In it, I hope Cremer develops the swoony romance even more and provides greater tension to the emerging story about the split that leads to the Witches War.

Note: This review refers to an advance review copy. (less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Mariya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, books-i-own, all-nighter, action-packed, bad-ass-hero, best-couple-award, cliffhanger-disaster, emotional-wreck, epicness-happening, great-dialogue, heartbreaking, ya-boy-harem, swoon-moments, sexual-tension, re-read-material, kick-ass-heroine

He drew a shuddering breath. “I thought myself strong, but discover I am weak as the next man. Perhaps weaker.” “And if I wish to give what you ask,” she whispered. “What then?” He bent down, brushing his lips over her forehead, the bridge of her nose.

After the horrifying ending of Andrea Cremer's Bloodrose, I have been a bit terrified to even read another one of her books. Come release day of RIFT I didn't realize how excited I was for it. I thought I"d give her one more chance since she is one...more

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Aug 30, 2012 kayla** rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, wizardry-witchcraft, own-it

So...
This is a prequel coming in Fall 2012.
Very exciting... it's going to be called...
RIFT!
Looking forward to it!
___________________________________________

I liked this book, but it was a bit too confusing at times.
I understand that it's fantasy as well as historical fiction, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I did the Nightshade trilogy. I also thought that the (view spoiler)...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Caitlings rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favourites, own, romance, ya

Review originally posted at whatchyareading.net:

This is definitely my very favourite of Andrea Cremer’s books. With the Nightshade series, there were elements I liked and I liked the world it took place in but I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle or the way it was resolved. And the love triangle was such a central theme in the books it detracted a bit from my enjoyment of them.

Not so in this case. Rift still has the wonderful world building and the action and the strong female characters without...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Natalia Belikov rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 2012, arc

Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

4.5 stars!! <33

Magic, Sword Fighting, Romance and Breathtaking Landscapes!

As a fan of of the Nightshade series, I was really excited for Andrea Cremer's new novel Rift. No need to mention that the fact that this is a prequel to one of my favorite paranormal series (even though the ending killed me) increased my excitement to a whole new level. Now, after turning the last page of Rift , I have to say that Andrea Cremer did it again! Rift is ubberly fa...more Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

4.5 stars!! <33

Magic, Sword Fighting, Romance and Breathtaking Landscapes!

As a fan of of the Nightshade series, I was really excited for Andrea Cremer's new novel Rift. No need to mention that the fact that this is a prequel to one of my favorite paranormal series (even though the ending killed me) increased my excitement to a whole new level. Now, after turning the last page of Rift , I have to say that Andrea Cremer did it again! Rift is ubberly fantastic and full of sword fighting, mythology, romance and a breathtaking setting that will leave readers highly satisfied and dying for the sequel!

Rift is about the ancient facts behind the Nightshade series. Facts that certainly deserved to be told on its own. This prequel is about the origin of the Keepers and how and why the ancient war that is spoken in the Nightshade series, happened. Rift is set on 1404 (A.D.) in the breathtaking Scottish highlands. Andrea Cremer couldn't have chosen a better and more fascinating place and time period to tell the story of the Keepers. The mythology, magic and breathtaking landscapes are just the tip of the iceberg of the wondrous world Cremer's created. In fact, Rift is full of action, romance, danger, and so much more!

Ember Morrow, the lead and kickass female character, is in training with the tall, strong and totally gorgeous Barrow Hess in order to become a female warrior. However, this female training is strictly secret, specially from the eyes of the church. Yet, Ember Morrow's blood runs with bravery and she is willing to face demons and death while walking the path of the warrior. Barrow Hass, as I previously mentioned, is training Amber in the arts of fighting, and then in the art of kissing. So readers should rest assured that there is a heart-racing romance in this novel. This is Andrea Cremer after all, and she knows extremely well how to write delicious and highly enticing love stories without overpowering the rest of the plot. This book is perfect!

Contrary to Nightshade's first person narration, Rift is told in third person and I loved it! I think this works wonderfully and I felt it enhanced the atmosphere and feeling of this novel. The third person narration definitely gives a wider perspective of the story by providing insightful chapters about different characters and situations that happen at the same time as Ember's. The Warrior Sisters' chapters, for example, are highly important part of the story and history of the Keepers and I was absolutely intrigued by the story of these two powerful woman who play a major role in the ancient war.

With exhilarating adventures, swoon-worthy romance, sword fighting, magic and mythology, Rift is an fantastic prequel and addition to the international bestselling Nightshade series! Yet, it is very different and unique from the popular werewolves/wolves series. In fact, Rift shines with a bright, powerful and scorching hot flame on its own! Highly recommended!
(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ashley by: Avery

Shelves: arc, my-books, signed-copy

Wow, this book was pretty intense and awesome! I loved how Ember was this awesome warrior woman and was proud of her strength. The supernatural element and the secret church connection were fascinating, and I loved the whole idea of the order.

There's a little bit of a love triangle going on, but not really in a bad way... it wasn't Ember flailing around not knowing who to choose -- it was a slow growing affection between two people, as well as the presence of another guy who has been in love wit...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Erin added it Recommends it for: Everyone

“The road ahead is unknown to all. I cannot offer you wisdom or guidance. Only the promise that I will never leave you.”

When I read that at the end of Rift, those three sentences sealed the deal. I was going to read the second book when it came out. Speaking of which, when does it come out on paperback? I was apprehensive about reading this book after reading Nightshade; I hated it! However, Ms. Cremer redeemed herself with the prequel. I absolutely fell in love with her characters, and what th...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Yoon-Ji rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://www.theinkgobbler.blogspot.com

I'm always a little iffy about prequels. On one hand, they can be whole new adventures with hints of the original book woven through, while on the other, they could be stale shadows of the original. "Rift" by Andrea Cremer is the first of a two-part prequel series to "Nightshade", which I loved despite the fact that I found myself rooting for the other guy who doesn't get chosen! The series is completely different from its original series, with new characters...more http://www.theinkgobbler.blogspot.com

I'm always a little iffy about prequels. On one hand, they can be whole new adventures with hints of the original book woven through, while on the other, they could be stale shadows of the original. "Rift" by Andrea Cremer is the first of a two-part prequel series to "Nightshade", which I loved despite the fact that I found myself rooting for the other guy who doesn't get chosen! The series is completely different from its original series, with new characters (save our favourite bad guy!) and an entirely new world.

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

I don't really know whether this is a new thing with me, or whether it's a sudden realization that's come to me, but I'm beginning to find these love-at-first-sight romances way too unrealistic and sappy. Unfortunately, the relationship between Barrow and Ember seemed a little too sudden and shallow to be interesting--the development of their romance consisted mostly of Ember staring at Barrow's muscles...yeah. One thing that I will give props for is Barrow's attitude toward Ember and his budding lust/love for her. He remains a gentleman, which I preferred immensely to Alistair's pretty crass what-the-hell-invoking attitude. That guy really needs to get it when he's friend-zoned.

Ember herself was an okay character to me. I liked that she had a kick-ass side to her, but she was honestly kind of boring at times. There was no self-struggle save for her inner battle against the lust/love she feels for her handsome, brooding mentor. When the only really dynamic thing or huge problem that the heroine herself faces is romance, there's just not much to work with to make her character compelling. In fact, I found myself enjoying the chapters told from Eira's point of view rather than those told from Ember's. At least Eira had some dark flaw that kept things juicy.

I am, however, fairly interested in the potential development of the plot. The big bad Bosque Mar is here (for those of you who haven't read the "Nightshade" series, he's there too!) and ready to take over the world. I liked how Ms. Cremer brought in a character from the original series--it's like an inside joke that only readers of "Nightshade" share with the author. There's a lot of potential with how the storyline could go in the next book, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

Overall, "Rift" is a fairly okay prequel to the original "Nightshade" series, with potential for both character and plot development in its second installment. I'd definitely recommend reading the original series first if you haven't done so already, but I'm a little iffy about the prequel series. I'd say read a couple of chapters to see whether it clicks with you, and if it doesn't, just skip it.

Rating: 2.5/5(less)

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Jun 16, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm infamous around my library for judging books by the cover. My librarians know me by name. I'm there a lot and I read a lot of books.

So really, when I pulled this off the shelf because the title looked cool (and yes, that was my lone motivation for reading this when I first saw it) and checked it out because of the epic-looking girl-and-sword combo, it didn't cross my mind that this would be as awesome as it was.

I tend to lean more toward dystopia and sci-fi. Magic and lore are really hard fo...more

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Jun 05, 2013 *~Sammy~* rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved the Nightshade series, so I was pretty excited to read this, and rightfully so. There were a lot of familiar names, but I had a hard time remembering who they were in the Nightshade trilogy because there was a decent gap between my reading of the trilogy and Rift. Rift was so much better than I thought it would be. I loved how the layout of the book was the same as Nightshade and the pages were broken up like Nightshade, it makes them all really unique, and lets them stand out fr...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have not read the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer, so I went into Rift with no expectations and no idea of what it would be about. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it! I had a few minor problems, but overall, Rift was a very enjoyable book and I’m glad I read it.

Ember was, for me, a great protagonist. In order to repay her father’s debt, she was being sent to a group called Conatus, who were an order of knights. Her family was desperate to stop this happening, but Ember actual...more I have not read the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer, so I went into Rift with no expectations and no idea of what it would be about. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it! I had a few minor problems, but overall, Rift was a very enjoyable book and I’m glad I read it.

Ember was, for me, a great protagonist. In order to repay her father’s debt, she was being sent to a group called Conatus, who were an order of knights. Her family was desperate to stop this happening, but Ember actually wanted to go. She felt restricted by the life she led under her father and the few options available to women of her time; she didn’t want to get married and spend the rest of her years being told what to do and how to dress and how many children to bear. She preferred to fight, and wanted to learn swordsmanship and become a member of the Guard in Conatus, like her childhood friend, Alistair.

One of the reasons I was impressed with Ember was because she actually walked the walk as well as talking the talk. A lot of these supposedly strong, fighter type heroines in YA are actually nothing of the sort (I have also talked about this in my review of Wings of the Wicked here). They talk of wanting to fight and get stronger, but then stand around and do nothing when a difficult situation arises. I hate that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a heroine who is not a fighter, and who isn’t strong. She could be just as awesome in other ways. If I were in some action novel, I’d probably die in the first ten pages because of lack of fighting experience! But the worst thing is having these characters that are portrayed to be all badass and strong when really they’re just useless and arrogant about themselves for no reason. Just have a normal heroine if that’s going to be the case! Ember, luckily, was not this type of character. She actually trained. She used the weapons forged for her. She got injured trying to do her job. She made mistakes, yes, and had to be saved on occasions, but she also did the saving sometimes. She wasn’t perfect and was still in training. But she tried hard, and I liked that about her. She had some flaws – I didn’t think she was the greatest of sisters (she didn’t notice something I found pretty obvious – and noticing is a pretty big part of being a knight!) and she could often be selfish and hypocritical. But, I think a sixteen year old should be allowed to get away with that in small doses, so I’ll let her off. Plus, as I have said many times in my reviews, perfection is boring.

Barrow was a difficult character for me to understand. I liked him, don’t get me wrong. But he was kind of...odd. He was one of the Guard’s strongest members and had no problem hacking off someone’s arm to prove a point, yet he elected to become Ember’s mentor which would use up a lot of his time and energy. He seemed quite ruthless at the start, yet he was clearly capable of feeling and hurting and desiring. He judged Alistair for wanting to be with Ember, but at the end he didn’t act much differently (though he was more tactful – Alistair was just forceful and stupid on that point). I find it difficult to believe that someone like him would not only fall in love with the one he was training, but would then announce that love to her. But then he did say that he thought he was strong but turned out to be as weak as any other man. I’m surprised he didn’t try to hide it from Ember for longer to avoid endangering his position, but I guess I could understand how he was feeling at the time. I think this was one of the reasons the relationship between Ember and Barrow was so engrossing. It happened quite slowly, trusting each other a little bit more each day, feeling more comfortable around each other, starting to enjoy each other’s company... I think I liked their daily banter and the time they spent together just as much as the romancey bits when they finally admitted their feelings. My only concern was age. I don’t think (correct me if I’m wrong) we were told how old Barrow was. And he seemed quite mature and I would guess at least a few years older than Ember. With Ember being only sixteen, I don’t know how I’d feel if it turned out Barrow was in his twenties. Ember was not the most mature of sixteen year olds as she’d lived a sheltered life and was quite naive in some aspects. Not a major issue but just one to think about.

Plot-wise, I found the purpose of Conatus and their whole mission very intriguing, and the way women were forced to hide their presence among the higher ranks was an issue that I think well reflected society back in those days (though women in the Guard seemed to have a lot more freedom). The fact so many people were corrupt as well added to the fact that it was hard to trust anyone and that all people could do was fight their hardest. I was sort of concerned about the love triangle – I have to admit that when I first suspected there would be one, I was kinda dreading it. But it wasn’t that bad. Alistair liked Ember but it was unrequited (though that might change in the next book, who knows) and his character was actually quite important – he was more than just “the other guy”, but was sort of this tragic character that was tempted and willing to do anything to have his love returned. I’m starting to think maybe something might happen between Alistair and Eira, though (Eira being another character the book focussed on), but maybe not considering her age. I could actually see where Eira was coming from at the start, but she went too far and did things the wrong way.

Overall, I really liked Rift and would definitely recommend it to fans of historical fiction with paranormal, action and romance.(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 ♈Adrianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: actual-book, own

Rift was AMAZING!! The story takes place in 15th cenury Scotland and our main character, Ember Morrow, is strong & fierce. Her best friend, Alistair, Ember's childhood friend, has been in love with Ember for quite some time now. When she leaves to join up with the Conatus, (a group who saved her mother's life while giving birth to Ember in exchange for Ember's service at age 16) she falls in love with Barrow Hess. Who happens to be her instructor. Ember reminds me of a tom-boy. Not wanting t...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Kacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have a love/hate relationship with teen fiction, and it's safe to say that this particular book found its way into the "love" spectrum. Mostly because it was very different in tone and writing style. The historical aspects and location were all done beautifully, and the characters acted accordingly.

Dare I say it? This book might have actually worked in the regular fiction section.

One thing I appreciated was that the love story was not the main focus, nor Ember the central character. She wasn't...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: caitlin, paranormal, series, young-adult

I loved this book so much! I don’t even know where to begin with how much I loved it.

This is definitely my very favourite of Andrea Cremer’s books. With the Nightshade series, there were elements I liked and I liked the world it took place in but I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle or the way it was resolved. And the love triangle was such a central theme in the books it detracted a bit from my enjoyment of them.

Not so in this case. Rift still has the wonderful world building and the action and...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

I would definitely give this book 4 stars. After finishing the Nightshade series, I didn't know what I wanted to read, but I was jumping up and down when I found out there's a prequel to one of my favorite series! I immediately bought it on my kindle, and it did not disappoint. I love the time period it was set in. Women were limited, but when Ember is sent to Conatus in her father's debt, she enters a world unlike anything she's ever known. She becomes part of the Guard, a gr...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rift sprints from the gate as though the evil contained in its pages is nipping at its heels, immediately enveloping us in its dark and richly atmospheric world and continuing to coat us in layer after layer of complexity until we are so thoroughly ensconced in the life of the Guard that we dread the next page because it brings us one step closer to reaching the end. The time period is integral to the success of the story, the absolute control Ember’s father feels he has over her life instantane...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is about a head strong young woman who does not want the life expected of women in the historical time setting associated with knights, the wars for religion, the killing of the templars, and the control men had over the lives of others. She is the second daughter and upon her birth, a healer from Conatus, saves the baby's life and the life of her mother. As a debt, she is required to give her life to Conatus. Her father does not feel like she, a noble woman, should go into the order a...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Jessica Day rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rift was amazing, and it pains me to give this book anything less than a perfect score. However there were some aspects about Rift that I disliked, and many aspects I loved. To be fair, let me start off with the things I didn’t like.
Rift was not a book I admired for its characters, like in the Nightshade trilogy. The Nightshade characters were funny and quirky, but Rift brings more seriousness into Cremer’s world. I admired Ember, but didn’t really love her or any other character. I still don’t...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

Andrea Cremer is in a tricky position with RIFT. Those who read the original trilogy know exactly where things are going. But new readers, like protagonist Ember, are new to this world. Cremer must try to satisfy both sets of readers.

Ember is a noblewoman pledged to Conatus since one of their healers saved her and her mother during a difficult birth. She's perfectly happy to join the monastic order, but her father would prefer to marry her off in order to forge an alliance. But Conatus is not an...more Andrea Cremer is in a tricky position with RIFT. Those who read the original trilogy know exactly where things are going. But new readers, like protagonist Ember, are new to this world. Cremer must try to satisfy both sets of readers.

Ember is a noblewoman pledged to Conatus since one of their healers saved her and her mother during a difficult birth. She's perfectly happy to join the monastic order, but her father would prefer to marry her off in order to forge an alliance. But Conatus is not any old order. The members secretly fight against witches whose dark magic imperils the entire world. And one of the highest ranked members, Eira, is being tempted by that magic.

I enjoyed that there wasn't a love triangle in RIFT. There are two guys in Ember's life, but one she's actively pursuing and the other doesn't understand the word no. I don't consider that a love triangle, although some might. It's a scarily realistic part of the book, relevant to issues today despite being set in medieval times. Alistair is the ultimate Nice Guy.* While there is nothing wrong with being nice, Nice Guys think that being a girl's friend entitles them to have sex with her. Since Ember tries to remain his friend after shooting him down, Alistair still thinks he has a chance and doesn't back off. It's classic creeper behavior and I wish it weren't so recognizable.

But I do wish we got a little less of Ember learning to use her weapons and hanging out with Barrow and Alistair. Nightshade trilogy readers might already know about Eira and her twin Cian, but they're still the most interesting figures in the story. They're the people who go down in history. But despite having a few chapters through their points of view, they remain ciphers. Eira is motivated by power. Cian not so much, since she doesn't go along with her sister. I also wonder whether Ember's sister will show up in RISE. The beginning half of the book teases her secrets, but she disappears completely after leaving Ember with Conatus.

Cremer's fans will enjoy RIFT. Like NIGHTSHADE and its two sequels, it has a dynamic heroine, an intriguing and consistent world, and good action scenes. The medieval setting is well researched and provides a nice change. Most of the main characters are progressive thinkers, but the thoughts of the world outside of Conatus seem in line with the times. Ember is religious, as usual for a woman of her time, even if she does want to learn to be a warrior.

Cremer is in a tricky position, but RIFT is a pageturner that should satisfy both old and new fans.(less)

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Is Rift better then the Nightshade series?	6	24	May 29, 2013 04:28pm
Is there going to be a third prequel?	2	10	May 28, 2013 01:39pm
How old is Barrow?	3	23	Jan 25, 2013 09:08pm
Who was your favorite character	8	37	Jan 18, 2013 03:06pm
Ending?	2	16	Jan 15, 2013 05:11am
Give it a try?	9	33	Jan 10, 2013 07:28pm

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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 Rift

“Ember pulled his face to hers, kissing him again before she said, “Your strength gives me courage.” He smiled gently. “No, Ember, that is all your strength and none of mine.” She balked, but he kissed her, murmuring against her lips, “And that is why I love you.” — 25 people liked it

“The path is here," he said quietly. "But you are free to walk it or choose another way.” — 16 people liked it

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Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1)

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