Nightshade: Book 1 (Nightshade, #1) (Nightshade Universe, #4)

by Andrea Cremer

The first book of the internationally bestselling Nightshade series by New York Times bestselling author Andrea Robertson!

Calla is the alpha female of a shape-shifting wolf pack. She is destined to marry Ren Laroche, the pack's alpha male. Together, they would rule their pack together, guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But then, Calla saves a beautiful human boy, who captures her heart. Calla begins to question everything - her fate, her existence, and her world and the orders the Keepers have asked her to follow. She will have to make a choice. But will she follow her heart if it means losing everything, including her own life?

Calla's story continues in WOLFSBANE.

*formerly published under Andrea Cremer*

• ISBN10: 014241980X
• ISBN13: 9780142419809
• Publish Date: 14 June 2011 (first published 19 October 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 496
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780142419809

Reviews

[Angie]

I liked Nightshade, but I also kind of didn't. I found the premise interesting and the plot engaging, but everything else came across as just silly. Calla is preparing for her union to Ren, and the formation of their new pack. While out in the woods, she stumbles upon a human being mauled by a bear. The Guardians are not suppose to get involved in human affairs, but she saves him, and doesn't think she'll see him again. Come Monday, there's a new student, and of course, it's him. Shay may seem like a normal human, but Calla and Ren are asked to protect him. For what, who knows, until Calla and Shay team up to do some research on her history.

I was quite confused at the beginning of Nightshade. We're just thrust into this world with names and labels thrown around, but with no explanation. Guardians, Keepers, and Searchers! Oh my! I had no clue what any of these were, and assumed they were just different groups of werewolves. Well, they're not. There are a couple of info-dumps disguised as conversations, which I ended up being thankful for. It took too long to get to them, but at least I knew the differences between the groups before the end. Although, I'm still not sure what Searchers are exactly, and I have no clue why the Guardians serve the Keepers, but that seems to be a main mystery in the plot. So I'm definitely eager to read more about that. However, the way shifting works is quite ludicrous. Something about parallel dimensions, so they can be human and wolf at the same time, which explains why their clothes don't disappear. Sorry, but that's dumb.

While I liked the tensions and secrets between these three groups, I didn't enjoy the werewolf world at all. It's very sexist and disgusting, for no reason other than that's how it's always been done. Shay actually points this out a few times to Calla and asks her why she just goes along with everything without question, but she's stuck on the "that's just how it is" setting. She's about to be mated to Ren, who is a big jerk, and most of time it's obvious that she barely tolerates him and only for her pack's sake. Her mother is obsessed with "finesse" and dressing Calla up and preparing her to be a bride. Calla has to remain pure for her union, while Ren is expected to run around screwing anything on two legs. Even the Guardians' "masters" are super sexed up, but their partners aren't exactly willing. It's just gross all around.

Aside from uncovering all kinds of lies the Guardians have been told, Nightshade focuses heavily on the love triangle, which is kind of not a love triangle. Like I already mentioned, Calla is essentially engaged to Ren (since they were babies), but she's not that into him. He seems to really like her, even though at times, he's a jerk. I absolutely hated how he kept trying to pressure her into sex, but I'm proud of Calla for saying no despite all of the raging hormones. Shay is kinda of sweet, but I do think he's a bit awestruck by Calla, but at least he's a guy of her choosing. I'm hoping she picks him.

In the end, I kind of like Nightshade. I'm a sucker for all things paranormal, so I was drawn in by this world that seems to be falling into chaos. Many things were problematic, but I've read worse.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

Maybe 4 stars. I don't know right now. I absolutely loved the story itself and unique take on everything. I've never read anything like it! But Shay and Calla annoyed me! Well, I like Calla. But the whole "I love Ren. Now I love Shay. Now this. Now that" thing got really annoying. I think this book could've been a bit shorter. And Shay's only redeeming grace is towards the end when he finally acts like a man. Only took him 300 pages. Though I'm definitely hooked.
Full review to come

[boghunden]

VERY predictable.

[Hixxup]

It took me forever to get into this book, I mean forever in my book reading world since I usually can devour a book or two within a 24 hour period. This one took me over a week to read. It wasn't that it was bad, it was just something about it just couldn't hold my interest. It might have been the fact that Calla had started out as this strong fierce Alpha female. But then Shay comes into the picture and Ren gets all jealous, which can you blame him. Through the entire book Ren is trying to win Calla's affection and convince her that his feelings aren't just duty related, but are real. And Shay OMG can anyone be anymore annoying I mean seriously!!!! That boy would have gotten kicked and punch waaay too many times by me, I mean he literally bullied her into liking him, well it seemed that way in my opinion. And now she's turned her back on Ren and her pack... damb ass move if you ask me yes it she went with Ren and didn't turn her back on what she knew it wouldn't have made an interesting book. OK well until like page 200 or so is when I finally got interested in it enough to finish it. And I still wanted to smack Shay over and over and got to the point where I wanted to smack Calla too and just ask her "what the hell are you thinking you dumbass?!" but oh well I was going to say I hope things get better in the further books, but i'm afraid I might be disappointed as well in those, but I will read them, because I have this insane obsession of finishing a series once I've started it. And so Bring on Wolfsbane!

[Linda]

WOW, this was truly amazing, a very different kind of shifters, with a very '1984' or 'Animal Farm' feel about it. Oppression is very tight, and until the very last word (and even now!) I am still not sure who Calla and Shay can trust!

It was heartbreaking to see how Calla's trust in all that she had ever known got turned from trust to fear - and the things she had to do to feel safe again.

I really wonder what will happen to the rest of the Nightshade pack, and how Ren will deal with the aftermath.

are the Seakers good or bad? What about the Keepers? And the Guardians - are they slaves or chosen?

So many questions, I need to take a few quick clicks over at amazon to find out what happens next!!

[catiebug]

Originally posted here: http://escapetowonderland.org/reviews/nightshade-by-andrea-cremer/

I absolutely loved Nightshade and this is definitely my new favorite series already.

There was never a dull moment at any point from the first page to the last. I loved how there was a history and so much detail for not only the main characters, but the supporting ones as well. And the mythology was so well thought out. I was so on edge the entire time, especially because nothing was predictable. Once you think you have something figured out, something completely different happens.

I heard so many good things about Nightshade, but it was never a book I was dying to read. I just happened to see it when I was out and so I grabbed it and I think that's what made it so much better. I didn't have my expectations high so I wasn't disappointed at all (not that I think you could be!)

I love all the characters and how they are all different from each other, but they fit so well together and balance each other out. Calla is such an amazing character and I think she is perfect for being an Alpha. She is strong, she does (for the most part) what she is suppose to, but she also is able to do what she thinks is right and I think that's what being a leader is about. Some times certain situation don't exactly work out according to rules, and you need to do something else.

While I love Shay, I don't think he and Calla should be together. I them more as the best friends who are able to work together and help each other through anything. Calla and Ren seem to just fit together more. And even though Ren act like he's this big tough guy, you can tell when he is around Calla, that he really cares about her and he acts so different. He would do anything for her.

The plot was just so fast paced and filled excitment and anticipation that you can't put this book down. You get a balance of romance and action. Everything is so well written and thought out that it just fits together perfectly.

[elysium]

Calla is the alpha female of the younger generation of her werewolf pack. In Calla’s world there are werewolfs called the Guardians who serves witches called The Keepers. The Keepers are in war with Searchers who used to be part of The Keepers. Calla has always known her future: to bond with Ren, the alpha male of the other pack, and to form a new pack with him. But when their packs are beginning to merge, things start to change.

When Calla is on a patrol she comes across human hiker, Shay, being attacked by a bear and can’t let him die. But when Shay turns out to be a new student in Calla’s school things are about to get complicated.

I’m glad to tell that I loved this book! I’ve read so many great reviews and I feared I would end hating it and I’m glad I was wrong.

Calla is strong, has a sense of duty and knows what is expected of her. She has been raised as a warrior and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I liked her and the fact that she wasn’t a damsel in distress waiting for someone to save her.

And of course there is the love truangle.
Ren is the young alpha male of the Bane pack - hot, womanizing and he’s used to girls fallin’ at his feet. But he is lot more insecure about Calla than he pretends to be. I may or may not have a liitle crush on him...

Then there’s the human boy Shay. There’s something about him that Calla can’t let him die and ends up saving him against every rule. I kinda liked him but had some problems too. He keeps insulting the werewolves and can’t understand Calla’s loyalty to the Keepers. And he has problem with the tradition of bonding with someone who’s been chosen to be your mate. Because Calla’s should be able to choose for herself and of course Shay is the right one for that. I thought he was little selfish at times.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Shay but I could have lived without him too. I liked Ren and I think he was much better for Calla and didn’t understand the need for love triangle. I just wanted more Calla-Ren scenes.

I’m surprised that there wasn’t any characters who really annoyed me. Because I didn’t hate Shay but just didn’t like him to be with Calla. And I would have liked to read more about Mason and Nev. Now there would have been a story!

I’m looking forward reading the next book and I’m hoping there will be more Ren in it!

[rakesandrogues]

Posted at Muggle-Born.net

As I write this review, I am honestly still trying to decide how I feel about this book. Hopefully, the more I write the more my thoughts get sorted out.

NIGHTSHADE starts off with a bang. From the very beginning, we are introduced to Calla and her werewolf form. Calla, the alpha female of the pack Nightshade, is betrothed to the alpha of the Bane pack, Ren. As their upcoming union nears, the two feel pressure from their masters, Lumine and Efron respectively. NIGHTSHADE is a constant tug of war of loyalties but more importantly the heart.

I honestly did not understand the initial attraction between Shay and Calla, especially after such a brief introduction - if one could even call it that. Instant attraction, I could understand, but to feel a connection after a couple of minutes? Not so much. Thankfully, their relationship is further developed as the book progressed.

As for the love triangle, I honestly had no preference between the Ren and Shay. For me, neither of the characters was better than the other. They both had their charms, but neither Ren nor Shay sparked that something in me. I didn't mind if Calla ended up with either of them.

I read paranormal books every now and then but I definitely wouldn't call myself a fan of the genre. Once I started to learn more about Calla, the Guardians, and the Keepers, I had a harder time immersing myself into her world. Despite the fact that Calla kept saying that things were just the way they were and always have been, I just couldn't comprehend their societal norms - much like Shay when he first found out. To be honest, I was kind of weirded out whenever they would be in wolf form. I could take their animalistic tendencies in human form but the whole wolf thing just hasn't completely settled in my mind.

The main reason I kept reading was to figure out Shay's role in the book. Everyone had a feeling something was up, but had no idea what it was. As more clues were uncovered, I kind of figured out his pivotal role. I was a little disappointed, but there were a ton more secrets that had me reeled.

The ending was a bit disappointing for me. It left off without me feeling truly satisfied and failed to answer some of the most important questions that I had. Based on where the first book leaves off, I don't think I'll read the second one because I think it will turn into the paranormal book that I don't like to read. I still have questions left unanswered, but I don't know if my curiosity is piqued enough. Maybe I'll change my mind when it comes out and I've read some reviews.

I would recommend this book to readers who love the paranormal genre. If you're a reluctant paranormal reader like me, just take caution when you read it for yourself.

On a final note, this book is absolutely gorgeous. I unfortunately have an ebook copy from the library, but when I saw it at the bookstore, I wanted to buy it on the spot just for its looks.

[Jo]

She can control her pack, but not her heart ...

I wanted him to kiss me, wished he could smell the desire that I knew was pouring off me.
You can't, Calla. This boy isn't the one for you.

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: graduation, marriage and then a life leading her pack. But when she defies her masters' laws to save a human boy, she must choose. Is one boy worth losing everything? From Amazon UK

Wow! Really, just wow! For some reason, despite all the hype surrounding this novel, I wasn't too enthusiastic about reading it. I didn't exactly think I wasn't going to like it, I just didn't expect it to be brilliant. But my word, how it was!

The story and mythology are absolutely brilliant, though nothing is explained to us. This is Calla's world, so, unlike in other novels, Calla doesn't "think" about the world she lives in through the narration to explain things to us. We discover through the first few pages that she can turn into a wolf, she has a pack, and that she shouldn't save the human boy from the grizzly bear. We don't know whether she's wearing clothes or not. We don't know why she shouldn't save the boy, only that it's forbidden. Why? Because she knows the answers to these questions, so has no need to think about them. It's annoying at times, but mostly brilliant. We find things out as the story continues, either through her talking to new boy Shay, or through talking to pack mates; things are unravelled through the conversation. It's brilliant!

As I said, the mythology is brilliant. Calla is not a werewolf, she's a Guardian. Guardians are wolves, warriors that protect the Keepers, magic users who are their masters. A new pack will be formed when Calla is united with Ren, as organised by the Keepers. She's known this her whole life. She's known her job and what her future will be since she was a child, it's the reason of her existance. What's also great is the plot. On the surface, this is a paranormal romance, but as paranomal elements are uncovered, it's something much deeper. And it reminded me a lot of high fantasy. I can't really go into why without spoiling the story, but all the fantasy elements are just fantastic.

The characters are awesome. There are quite a few of them, but they all had their own distinct personalities. There's the young Nightshade pack, which Calla is alpha of, consisting of Bryn, Ansel, Mason and Fey, and then there's the young Bane pack, consisting of alpha Ren, Dax, Sabine, Neville, and Cosette. And they're all awesome, there's all kinds of tension among these group of teenagers, and the pack dynamics versus normal teenage behaviour is great to watch.

But the important characters are Calla, Ren and Shay. Calla is strong, brave, and loyal, yet not entirely comfortable with the future set before her, even though she understands it. She's fantastic, and you can't help liking her! Ren, as I said, is the alpha of the young Bane pack, and he's... well, he's a typical boy, and extremely hot. Unbelievably hot. And Shay is an orphan, human boy who's recently moved to Vail, where the story is set, with his uncle - a man who is extremely important among the Keepers. Who is also pretty hot. The damn novel is hot! The sexual tension between Calla and Ren, and Calla and Shay is at fit to burst levels! It's a wonder this girl doesn't explode! Seriously, sexual tension to give Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick a run for it's money!

The action in this book is brilliant, though it's mostly a tension builder than incredibly written choreography. Although there is a smattering of action throughout the novel, most of it is towards the end, as the main crux of the story is to develop the relationships and learn more about the mystery.

Some pretty serious themes are covered in this book as well, which was unexpected. Themes such as homophobia and abuse of power. There are some moments in this book which are seriously hard to read, and actually left me feeling disgusted and so terribly angry. Although an urban fantasy novel, this is not a "silly little novel" to overlook. This book has powerful messages to share.

I'd say this book has pretty much everything you could want from a YA novel; romance, danger, fear, action, the paranormal, contemporary themes, it has it all! And I loved it! It has a killer of a cliff-hanger, and I am absolutely dying to read the next novel, Wolfsbane, which will be out, according to Goodreads, 7th July 2011! I cannot recommend this book enough. You all need to read it! Simply amazing!

From Once Upon A Bookcase - YA book blog.

[Amber]

Let’s start with the plot. There’s so much I would love to tell you, but if I was to do that there would be some serious hate/rotten tomatoes thrown my way due to immense spoilers. The plot is very fast paced, but at the same time, things are slow at being revealed/discovered. It doesn’t all come out at once, which I loved, because it meant that it wasn’t all thrown at you or Calla. Andrea Cremer took her time explaining the (brilliant) world that she has created, whilst keeping a lot of things a mystery at the same time. I couldn’t put this book down once I had started reading it. It was really a tremendous read for a debut novel, and I was shocked, even though I had heard plenty of excellent reviews on this book.

Learning about the Keepers and the Guardians was the best part of this novel. The history involved was in-depth and brilliantly thought out. Each little connection made led you closer to the truth, but even by the end of the novel you’re left needing and wanting to know more. Which is more than appropriate, because there is going to be a sequel coming out next year.

The main character, Calla, was brilliantly described and is probably one of my favourite female leads I have read about in the past few years. As some of you may know, I tend to have a major problem with a lot of female main characters, but I really loved Calla’s strong, independent character.

However, what kind of brought this book down a notch - for me - was the love triangle. I’ve seen so many of these, I’ve become bored of them. On one point of the triangle is Ren, the alpha male of the new pack, and consequently the werewolf Calla’s betrothed to. He’s strong, sarcastic, and flirty, at the same time as being loyal and kind. I did like Ren, but at times he got on my nerves and at one point in the story I truly did dislike him. However, I understood why he did what he did. He’s a pack leader, and won’t put the safety of his pack at risk for anything.

The other point in the love triangle is the new boy in town, Shay. He’s human with whom Calla suffers from the “love-at-first-sight” debacle. I honestly didn’t see why they had a sudden and immediate connection. Shay was an interesting character, but like I said - I wasn’t keen on the love triangle.

Cover: A+ . It’s absolutely beautiful. It has to be my favourite cover… ever!