Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Release Day! Book Review and Giveaway: NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin
Format: ARC
ISBN: 978-0-399-25482-6
Price: $17.99 Pages: 452
Release Date: Oct 19, 2010


Young adult paranormal novels have been awash in all things vampire, werewolves and angels to name a few of the more prolific creatures. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer doesn’t stray from a popular choice—werewolves, but she certainly puts a fresh and intriguing spin on it.
The premise of Nightshade is quite simple. Seventeen-year-old Calla Tor is a werewolf—when she’s not behaving like a normal student at the Mountain School.  The time for her upcoming nuptials is fast approaching. She’ll be pairing up and marrying Ren Laroche, a fellow student and werewolf. Calla and Ren are alpha wolves. The marriage solidifying their union will serve as the catalyst for uniting their respective wolf packs, the Nightshades and the Banes.  Calla and Ren will then rule the newly created pack and fight side by side as one. This has always been the plan since they were small children. It has always been their destiny, but as often happens, plans change—no matter how much we may wish otherwise.
Calla goes against all the rules of her kind, of the masters that control them and saves the life of a human boy who has strayed into the wrong part of the forest. He’s no ordinary boy and Calla will soon find out that there is much more to Shay Doran than the beautiful visage that captures her imagination as she risks everything to save him from a sure and certain death.

Andrea Cremer has excelled in her world-building endeavors. She’s created a story environment that is rich in history and in the foundation that supports and explains it. The connection between the werewolves and their masters, the Keepers is original. It gives what could have been a run-of-the-mill paranormal romance teeth (sometimes quite literally) as well as depth. And let’s not leave out the Searchers, another group, mysterious in their origins that is mixing it up and wracking havoc in the story.  Cremer, a history professor, has clearly put her expertise to excellent use.
The scenes are vivid and often filled with action that makes it hard to put the book down. Considering there were quite a few characters in this story, Cremer effectively conveyed the nuances of their feelings and interactions.  This novel is not a stand-alone book and ends in a definite cliffhanger. Some readers may not like this sort of thing, but I'm willing to wait!
Nightshade is the first book of a Trilogy. The second installment, Wolfsbane is due to be released July 2011. Since the first book ended at a critical moment, I'm looking forward to learning what happens next.
I was pleasantly surprised last week when the publisher sent me another ARC of Nightshade. It's a special limited edition that was used for the ABA Winter Institute (American Booksellers Association). I love giving away good books, but I wanted to keep my ARC. Now, I can and still share a great story. I'm giving away the ABA edition of Nightshade. If you're interested in an opportunity to receive it, become a follower if you're not already and leave me a comment telling me what other werewolf story you've read or want to read other than Nightshade. I've learned about some good stuff when you guys do this. Please don't forget to include your email, so you can be contacted if you're the winner. That is all.
The winner will be selected randomly using Random.org and the giveaway ends Friday, Oct 22, 2010
Toodles!


28 comments:

  1. Already publicly following Writing is a Blessing with Google Friend Connect [Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug}] -- I haven't read any other werewolf stories :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

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  2. Bitten, by Kelley Armstrong. (Currently reading it)

    GFC Follower. DreamyCowgirl@hotmail.com

    Would love to read this book. Thank you.

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  3. I would love to read this book. The Twilight books have werewolves and Angie Fox's Demon Slayer series has werewolves in the second book I believe. The whole series is well worth reading. I'm anxious for the last one to hit the shelves.

    seriousreader at live dot com

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  4. Hi! Old GFC follower here! I REALLY want to read this book! I've heard such great things, and it sounds like a nice fresh take on the standard werewolf lore. I'm reading Maggie Stiefvater's Linger right now, the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. The first one was good, but I didn't really know why because it was full of stuff to complain about, so I'm hoping this one turns out better. PS: It's my birthday, so I should totally win. Just saying.
    beckwithliz[at]rocketmail[dot]com

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  5. This book sounds amazing thanks for this giveaway!!!

    fantasy4eva@hotmail.com

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  6. Sharie Kohler writes fantastic werewolf books.

    robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com

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  7. Im a follower! I have recently read Low Red Moon and I loved it.

    Thanks for a chance to win!

    Don't forget to check out my giveaway.

    ashleysbookshelf[at]gmail[dot]com

    Ashley's Bookshelf

    P.S. I sell complete blog layouts made by me thru blogger template. If you would be interested in one please email for the prices and I would be extremely thrilled to assist you!

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  8. I'm a follower. I really want to read Shiver (that's werewolves, right?)

    thanks for the giveaway!

    arallison(at)gmail.com

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  9. I've read Bitten by Kelley Armstrong ( love most of her books) and maybe with another werewolf, not an entire werewolf book, was Twilight and maybe in this category would stand Summoning (Derek, the werewolf). Well, there are not that many werewolf books that I've read because I haven't had the chance, but I would love to read Nightshade.

    kaguya2000(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. I haven't read any but would like to start. Thanks for sharing.

    mystica123athotmaildotcom

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  11. A lovely lovely post!!! I cannot wait to read this book...

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  12. I'm so happy that this book is finally out! But I don't have any money right now so I'm crossing my fingers! Alright so I know that everyones probably heard of it and read it but I still have not read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Everyone says its so good but I still haven't been able to read it.

    lvtink21@wi.rr.com

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  13. Ooh, of course I'd love to read Nightshade, but I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (:

    blissfulrains(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. I have read Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson Guardian series and other series that include werewolves such as Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Nightshade looks really great and I would love to win. Thanks for the giveaway.

    GFC follower

    smccar1(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  15. I'm so excited to read Nightshade. So far, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver is one of the best werewolf stories I've read so far. :)

    -Len-
    maidenveil(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. Please don't enter me in the giveaway as I have already read and reviewed this book. I just wanted to comment on how much I loved it. The winner is in for a real treat!

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  17. Hi I am a new follower and have really wanted this book. I have read twilight and shiver and linger. All very good werewolf books. Rwilight got me reading again. Hadnt picked up a book in years. Now Im drawn into the YA genre. I think its great. I have read some really good books.
    Thanks for the great giveaway!
    chaarmedone1512@aol.com
    USA

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  18. What a great giveaway I loved need by carrie jones and 13 to life by shannon delany great books! their are so many great ones out!
    tishajean@charter.net

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  19. Hi! I'm an old follower :) I'm DYING to read this book! Everyone's been commenting about Shiver/Linger, so I'll pick two books that I've read recently. The first is the Dark Divine. I absolutely LOVED this book. I didn't think I would because of the religious undertones of the book - usually religion in literature is just a huge display of outrageous bigotry. But it wasn't like that in the Dark Divine - it played into the story perfectly. If you haven't read this, I strongly recommend it!

    The second is Raised by Wolves, which is another good werewolf story (although the MC isn't a werewolf - she's a human adopted into a werewolf pack when she was younger). I love snarky female characters, and Bryn is full of snark and back-talk. :P

    Anywho, thanks for the giveaway!
    angelmistress[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  20. I've read Bitten by Kelley Armstrong and the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.

    Skk25@aol.com

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  21. Please include me only if this is open internationally!
    Werewolf story? I've read 13 to Life by Shannon Delany!

    I'm an old follower!

    precious_shusky@yahoo.com

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  22. I'm already following and I'd like to read the Shiver and Linger books by Maggie Stiefvater!

    Thanks!
    fineinsanity {at} live {dot} com

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  23. The Dark Divine is my favorite werewolf series so far, followed by Moonlight.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

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  24. Raised by Wolves is pretty good. I think... Lol don't remember if I liked it or not. But I wanna read 13 to Life really really really really really really really really really really badly. And oh yeah, Nightshade too. Thanks for the giveaway :)

    aprilxu2222@gmail.com

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  25. I'm a fan of the Kelley Armstrong Women of the Otherworld series (one of the main characters is a werewolf) and Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series (she's not a werewolf, but her boyfriend is).

    jlynettes @ hotmail . com

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  26. Count me in if this is international! :D thank you!

    I have only read the Twilight Saga -__- It's not even the main focus lol. :/ I do have a few other werewolf books (if I'm not mistaken), but I haven't read them yet, and a lot that are still on my wish list.

    feeyonachan at gmail dot com

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  27. I really like the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs (and of course her Mercedes Thompson books too!) I thought Bitten was pretty good and I liked Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. Oh and I love the Dead Is series by Marlene Perez (the main character isn't a were but she and her two sisters have psychic powers. And there are weres in there and some other fun characters). And another fave is Graves, a were, from the Strange Angels series by Lili St. Crow.

    Some werewolf books I'm really looking forward to reading are the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn, Shiver, Raised by Wolves, 13 To Life and The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group.

    I follow on GFC

    linaramz at yahoo dot com

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  28. I haven't read any other books about werewolves, but I have been wanting to read Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater for a long time. I've heard they are great.

    Thanks for the contest!

    jennapomme[at]yahoo[dot]com

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I enjoy reading what you have to say. Seriously!