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yodamom's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 + audio-Shay, Ren and Calla-A triangle of love and history, and loyalty. Calla must save Ren, even if it hurts Shay. She is trapped in this place between both men, balancing on a tight rope. The lives of her fellow Guardians and the Searchers depend on them working through this. They will face the greatest danger, lives will be lost, hearts broken. The ending bittersweet.
This was not a nice easy closing of the series. It is gritty and 'real' in it's emotional delivery. I knew one of the major elements of the story (thanks to spoilers) before I read it and I was still surprised. I am glad I read it, Ms.Cremer, is a great storyteller.
This was not a nice easy closing of the series. It is gritty and 'real' in it's emotional delivery. I knew one of the major elements of the story (thanks to spoilers) before I read it and I was still surprised. I am glad I read it, Ms.Cremer, is a great storyteller.
sazana28's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, so this book was pretty spectacular, and I was firmly a Team Ren chick. That hasn't changed one bit. And the first 3/4ths of the book was definitely awesome because Cala wasn't being too stubborn about how she felt for Ren. And she let him in when it came to her feelings. But towards the end when Ren was attacked by Emile and. killed totally broke my heart. I swear, it was just awful. And Calla was super heartbroken when she realized that he wasn't responding to her. That was just sad. But in theend they honored his death, which was so sweet. I loved that. And of course in the end, the pack found out that they had to close the rift, and then turn into wolves for good. In the end it turned out really well and. I wasn't too broken over Ren after a while.But oh well, it turned out pretty well.
teeggzz's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
I loved all the action in this book and really enjoyed the plot and MOST of the characters.
Although I was really starting to get annoyed with Calla and her decisions by the end of the series. She was just so immature and relied on other people to make all of the tough desicons for her. And when she did make her own desicions they were just terribly stupid. She wasn't mentally strong and really needed to get her shit together and stop cheating on Ren and always crawling back to useless Shay.
This book was pretty good action wise but I didn't really feel good with the ending. The pack all becoming wolves just didn't really seem satisfying to me after all they'd done and all the opportunities they left behind. I cried very hard when Ren died because I actually really liked his character. He definitely did not deserve to die the way he did. The only reason he got killed off was because the lead heroine couldn't FU**ING DECIDE WHICH MAN SHE WANTED! BULLSHIT! ONE OF THE MOST UNBEARABLE LOVE TRIANGLES EVER!
Over all a pretty average book with a very disapointing ending. If Andrea Cremer had summed it up a bit differently then maybe I would have liked it better because let's be real Shay didn't deserve Calla and quite frankly Calla was a bit of a bitch.
(No pun intended)
I loved all the action in this book and really enjoyed the plot and MOST of the characters.
Although I was really starting to get annoyed with Calla and her decisions by the end of the series. She was just so immature and relied on other people to make all of the tough desicons for her. And when she did make her own desicions they were just terribly stupid. She wasn't mentally strong and really needed to get her shit together and stop cheating on Ren and always crawling back to useless Shay.
This book was pretty good action wise but I didn't really feel good with the ending. The pack all becoming wolves just didn't really seem satisfying to me after all they'd done and all the opportunities they left behind. I cried very hard when Ren died because I actually really liked his character. He definitely did not deserve to die the way he did. The only reason he got killed off was because the lead heroine couldn't FU**ING DECIDE WHICH MAN SHE WANTED! BULLSHIT! ONE OF THE MOST UNBEARABLE LOVE TRIANGLES EVER!
Over all a pretty average book with a very disapointing ending. If Andrea Cremer had summed it up a bit differently then maybe I would have liked it better because let's be real Shay didn't deserve Calla and quite frankly Calla was a bit of a bitch.
(No pun intended)
halynah's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book, wonderful series! All the readers who haven't read it - don't pay attention to bad reviews, they are not fair!!! I understand, that they are mad about the death of one of the protagonists, but to give one star to such a book, really???!!!
The plot was gripping, eventful, I loved all the battle scenes, all the adventures during retrieving of the cross. The romantic line was tense and heartbreaking, and both the guys were great, but one of them followed the tragic destiny of his parents and that's very disappointing. All the characters were awesome, I loved Ethan and Sabine, and Calla's father. Connor was wonderful in every situation and he added humour even in difficult times. The ending was unexpected and not what I wanted, but still it's not the reason to take aways stars - the author saw it that way and it's her right, but you cannot deny the fact that she is insanely talented and I'm grateful to her for creating such a wonderful series and such unforgettable characters!
The plot was gripping, eventful, I loved all the battle scenes, all the adventures during retrieving of the cross. The romantic line was tense and heartbreaking, and both the guys were great, but one of them followed the tragic destiny of his parents and that's very disappointing. All the characters were awesome, I loved Ethan and Sabine, and Calla's father. Connor was wonderful in every situation and he added humour even in difficult times. The ending was unexpected and not what I wanted, but still it's not the reason to take aways stars - the author saw it that way and it's her right, but you cannot deny the fact that she is insanely talented and I'm grateful to her for creating such a wonderful series and such unforgettable characters!
klaragon73's review against another edition
3.0
I read Bloodrose THE DAY it released, the very day, in one sitting. It has taken me the better part of a month to become impartial enough not to just sit down and write a scathing review about how badly I disliked certain things that happened. That wouldn't have been fair, because while there were things about this book that frustrated me, Bloodrose is a very well written book, with plenty of action and romance that kept me reading for eight straight hours, and any book that can do that...well, it deserves better than I would have given it minutes or even days after I finished tearing through it.
I needed to complain to my friends and anyone else who would listen. I needed to let all the events settle. I needed to step away and gain some perspective. Which is exactly what I did.
In the third and final installment of the Nightshade Series, Renier Laroche is now at the Academy and the sexual tension reaches an all time high. In order for Shay to complete his quests, he needs to be surrounded by people he can trust and strong warriors. Everybody knows Ren is the best there is, but can Shay trust him? Strangely enough...yes, at least in battle...now with Calla, that's a whole different story.
Calla calls top spot as the Alpha going into this final journey, stating she refuses to pick a mate until the war between the Searchers and the Keepers is behind them. The saying "easier said than done" takes on a whole new meaning in this case. Neither of the boys gives her a single moment of peace, each promoting their own agenda and Calla finds it hard to resist either of them. But Calla and her men aren't the only ones in love...many of the secondary characters finally find their homes.
The final battle is one of my favorite action scenes in any book. Pack mates are forced to fight one another, others reunite, and many will perish for the greater good. Those left standing may not be happy with their ultimate destiny...some will relish in it.
Many people will be heart-broken and maybe a little furious with the conclusion of the Nightshade Series. Honestly, I was mortified but I have the utmost respect Andrea Cremer's writing and her talent. She writes fascinating and complex characters and throws twists into plots like no one else can...well, she and Cassandra Clare run a close race in that arena. Things will happen that you never saw coming, and most of them, well...you'll just have to decide for yourself...
The actual story is not why Bloodrose isn't receiving a higher rating from me...it's more about the digression of the storyline throughout the series. Now...while Bloodrose was fast-paced and action-packed, I felt like everything I loved about Nightshade just disappeared during Wolfsbane and this installment. The underlying themes of fate, politics, and hard choices are what pulled me into this series initially...by the third book, the only thing left was a farce of political shortcomings. I feel like this series could have been so much more...I'm just not sure where it all went wrong.
I needed to complain to my friends and anyone else who would listen. I needed to let all the events settle. I needed to step away and gain some perspective. Which is exactly what I did.
In the third and final installment of the Nightshade Series, Renier Laroche is now at the Academy and the sexual tension reaches an all time high. In order for Shay to complete his quests, he needs to be surrounded by people he can trust and strong warriors. Everybody knows Ren is the best there is, but can Shay trust him? Strangely enough...yes, at least in battle...now with Calla, that's a whole different story.
Calla calls top spot as the Alpha going into this final journey, stating she refuses to pick a mate until the war between the Searchers and the Keepers is behind them. The saying "easier said than done" takes on a whole new meaning in this case. Neither of the boys gives her a single moment of peace, each promoting their own agenda and Calla finds it hard to resist either of them. But Calla and her men aren't the only ones in love...many of the secondary characters finally find their homes.
The final battle is one of my favorite action scenes in any book. Pack mates are forced to fight one another, others reunite, and many will perish for the greater good. Those left standing may not be happy with their ultimate destiny...some will relish in it.
Many people will be heart-broken and maybe a little furious with the conclusion of the Nightshade Series. Honestly, I was mortified but I have the utmost respect Andrea Cremer's writing and her talent. She writes fascinating and complex characters and throws twists into plots like no one else can...well, she and Cassandra Clare run a close race in that arena. Things will happen that you never saw coming, and most of them, well...you'll just have to decide for yourself...
The actual story is not why Bloodrose isn't receiving a higher rating from me...it's more about the digression of the storyline throughout the series. Now...while Bloodrose was fast-paced and action-packed, I felt like everything I loved about Nightshade just disappeared during Wolfsbane and this installment. The underlying themes of fate, politics, and hard choices are what pulled me into this series initially...by the third book, the only thing left was a farce of political shortcomings. I feel like this series could have been so much more...I'm just not sure where it all went wrong.
ttmusic's review against another edition
3.0
This review also took me forever to write. I was just so frustrated by the way some things were “resolved”. Yes, if I were speaking this, I would use air quotes on that word. If you’ve read the book, you know why. I tried to keep my review of Wolfsbane simple, but that didn’t work well. I’m trying it again.
Things I loved: 1)End of chapter 2. My notes say “HELL YEAH CALLA!!!” I absolutely loved how she handled the feuding boys here, her declaration of “I don’t need a mate, I need soldiers” was the best thing that could have happened to this love triangle. If only it’d stayed that way longer. Also, LOVED that Ren was the first one to follow her orders! Calla needed to pay attention to details like that. 2) I loved the relationship between Adne and Ren. It was an adorable sibling relationship, and after all those two had been through individually it was nice to see them bond and have someone after all the tragedy. 3) The general plot. The idea of the Scion and having to go find the pieces of the elemental sword was very interesting, and it was the reason I couldn’t put the book down. Having Shay’s uncle be this crazy bad guy was a good move, too. We pretty much knew he was a creeper and general bad guy, but having him be über bad was something I didn’t expect. 4) Sabine and Ethan. Both characters were introduced as hot-headed and somewhat abrasive. Having them fall in love and counteract each other was a cute move, although the way in which it played out was extraordinarily cliché, very “love at first sight” and all that crap. I also liked how Sabine gave up her wolf for Ansel in the end, she became a much nicer person over the course of the trilogy and not having the reminder of her horrendous past constantly was a good ending for her. 5) Honestly, I kind of liked the ending. I liked how the Guardians were able to take a step back and say “you know what, it kinda sucks that we won’t be able to be humans again, but we really need to LOCK the Rift, not just close it.” It emphasized the way that these characters were shown to LOVE being wolves, how their wolf characteristics bled over into their human lives. Which was something I really appreciated about Cremer’s storytelling.
Things I hated: 1) Chapter 5. Calla says “I’m not choosing”, and then proceeds to do the deed. Really, Calla?! Sleeping with one of the guys you’re “not choosing” yet isn’t choosing? She chose long before she admitted it to herself and she knows it. Yes, I am aware she is a fictional character. I don’t care. She chose. She did. 2) Pretty much any Calla/Shay interaction. She was constantly “not choosing”, yet acting like she’d chosen Shay. 3) Adne has had all of her family taken from her. Her mother, her father... Ren has had all of his family taken from him. His mother was murdered when he was an infant, his “father” has always been a crap excuse for a father...he finally learns who his real father is, and then he dies as well. He gets a sister out of this revelation though. Sounds perfect, right? Two orphans lose their parents only to find each other. Happy ending, right? NO! As if these two (awesome) characters haven’t lost enough, one of them is now sentenced to have ZERO family, as the other is killed off. REALLY?! REALLY?! Poor Adne... 4) Ren. Poor Ren. I cannot believe all of the crap that happened to him in this book. It’s really ridiculous. He has his Alpha position challenged, loses Calla to Shay, confronts the man who raised him to hate his real father and sister, and then has his life taken as well. Ignoring the fact that it is completely a BOGUS way to “resolve” a love triangle, Ren’s death was completely insensitive. It took away all the family Adne had left, and they barely mourned him! Calla agonized over her feelings for the two boys and her sense of duty and leaving her pack behind more than she mourned Ren’s death. Sure, it was probably overshadowed by the fact that they eventually won the battle, but seriously? Seriously? 5) IT IS COMPLETELY SPINELESS TO “RESOLVE” A LOVE TRIANGLE BY KILLING OFF ONE OF THE MEMBERS SO THAT THE MAIN CHARACTER DOESN’T HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE. PERIOD. THE END. 6) What happened to the whole mother-decides-the-child thing? Shay’s mother was not a Guardian. I don’t give a flying F if he was changed by an Alpha. His mother was human, he should have stayed human. On that note, I felt really bad for Shay’s parents. They barely got to even see him before he was taken from them again, with even less time than Adne and Ren had. Another reason he should have stayed human.
In summary, while the plot was good for the most part, I couldn’t get past the absurdity of the love triangle, and it has (probably unfairly) irreversibly tainted my view of this book. If this is what I can expect from this author, it would be a total shame, because I love her writing style and the prequel to this trilogy sounds great.( Also, she’s a fellow “Canadian Shield-er” Yay Minnesota! And Wisconsin!)
Also, BOO for not having a pretty cover to match the style of the original Nightshade and Wolfsbane covers. I abhor it when publishing companies do crap like that.I am very OCD about my books. I want a series to all be in either paperback/hardcover, and have the covers match.
Things I loved: 1)End of chapter 2. My notes say “HELL YEAH CALLA!!!” I absolutely loved how she handled the feuding boys here, her declaration of “I don’t need a mate, I need soldiers” was the best thing that could have happened to this love triangle. If only it’d stayed that way longer. Also, LOVED that Ren was the first one to follow her orders! Calla needed to pay attention to details like that. 2) I loved the relationship between Adne and Ren. It was an adorable sibling relationship, and after all those two had been through individually it was nice to see them bond and have someone after all the tragedy. 3) The general plot. The idea of the Scion and having to go find the pieces of the elemental sword was very interesting, and it was the reason I couldn’t put the book down. Having Shay’s uncle be this crazy bad guy was a good move, too. We pretty much knew he was a creeper and general bad guy, but having him be über bad was something I didn’t expect. 4) Sabine and Ethan. Both characters were introduced as hot-headed and somewhat abrasive. Having them fall in love and counteract each other was a cute move, although the way in which it played out was extraordinarily cliché, very “love at first sight” and all that crap. I also liked how Sabine gave up her wolf for Ansel in the end, she became a much nicer person over the course of the trilogy and not having the reminder of her horrendous past constantly was a good ending for her. 5) Honestly, I kind of liked the ending. I liked how the Guardians were able to take a step back and say “you know what, it kinda sucks that we won’t be able to be humans again, but we really need to LOCK the Rift, not just close it.” It emphasized the way that these characters were shown to LOVE being wolves, how their wolf characteristics bled over into their human lives. Which was something I really appreciated about Cremer’s storytelling.
Things I hated: 1) Chapter 5. Calla says “I’m not choosing”, and then proceeds to do the deed. Really, Calla?! Sleeping with one of the guys you’re “not choosing” yet isn’t choosing? She chose long before she admitted it to herself and she knows it. Yes, I am aware she is a fictional character. I don’t care. She chose. She did. 2) Pretty much any Calla/Shay interaction. She was constantly “not choosing”, yet acting like she’d chosen Shay. 3) Adne has had all of her family taken from her. Her mother, her father... Ren has had all of his family taken from him. His mother was murdered when he was an infant, his “father” has always been a crap excuse for a father...he finally learns who his real father is, and then he dies as well. He gets a sister out of this revelation though. Sounds perfect, right? Two orphans lose their parents only to find each other. Happy ending, right? NO! As if these two (awesome) characters haven’t lost enough, one of them is now sentenced to have ZERO family, as the other is killed off. REALLY?! REALLY?! Poor Adne... 4) Ren. Poor Ren. I cannot believe all of the crap that happened to him in this book. It’s really ridiculous. He has his Alpha position challenged, loses Calla to Shay, confronts the man who raised him to hate his real father and sister, and then has his life taken as well. Ignoring the fact that it is completely a BOGUS way to “resolve” a love triangle, Ren’s death was completely insensitive. It took away all the family Adne had left, and they barely mourned him! Calla agonized over her feelings for the two boys and her sense of duty and leaving her pack behind more than she mourned Ren’s death. Sure, it was probably overshadowed by the fact that they eventually won the battle, but seriously? Seriously? 5) IT IS COMPLETELY SPINELESS TO “RESOLVE” A LOVE TRIANGLE BY KILLING OFF ONE OF THE MEMBERS SO THAT THE MAIN CHARACTER DOESN’T HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE. PERIOD. THE END. 6) What happened to the whole mother-decides-the-child thing? Shay’s mother was not a Guardian. I don’t give a flying F if he was changed by an Alpha. His mother was human, he should have stayed human. On that note, I felt really bad for Shay’s parents. They barely got to even see him before he was taken from them again, with even less time than Adne and Ren had. Another reason he should have stayed human.
In summary, while the plot was good for the most part, I couldn’t get past the absurdity of the love triangle, and it has (probably unfairly) irreversibly tainted my view of this book. If this is what I can expect from this author, it would be a total shame, because I love her writing style and the prequel to this trilogy sounds great.( Also, she’s a fellow “Canadian Shield-er” Yay Minnesota! And Wisconsin!)
Also, BOO for not having a pretty cover to match the style of the original Nightshade and Wolfsbane covers. I abhor it when publishing companies do crap like that.I am very OCD about my books. I want a series to all be in either paperback/hardcover, and have the covers match.
chapters_and_pages's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have finally finished rereading this trilogy, and it’s safe to say that I have some mixed feelings…
As this is the last book in the trilogy, I’m not going to go into the storyline, except for the fact that I thought it was okay. It wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t something I haven’t read in 50 over books.
In terms of the main characters, I found most of them to be a little on the annoying side. I’m not a fan of the love triangle in this series, or the 3 characters involved in general, and while I do like some of the side characters, others I found to be irritating for a range of reasons.
There is one minor aspect of the storyline that I want to mention that is technically a spoiler but it’s a small one, and I think it’s important to highlight it. In this book, there are two characters, Adne and Connor, who begin a romantic relationship, and my problem with this particular romance is the fact that Adne is a 16 year old teenager, and Connor is a 21 year old grown adult. I first read this series back when I was about 14 years old, so to be honest, I didn’t really pick up on this, however, as a 24 year old now, this relationship made me feel very uncomfortable, and even though nothing inappropriate or untoward was described or even hinted at, it doesn’t change the fact that these types of relationships are not okay, and shouldn’t be something that are glamorised in the media, especially in media that teenagers will read. In addition to this, I found the fact that the other characters were not only supporting this relationship, but actively encouraging it, was just a bit much for me.
On a bit of a lighter note, I absolutely loved the ending! I won’t spoil it but it felt like the perfect ending for Calla, Shay and the rest of the pack.
Overall, this series had its problems and it’s probably not something I’d often recommend but I have enjoyed rereading it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Animal death, Grief, Blood, and Death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship