Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: October 19th 2010
Pages: 454
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Source: Bought (Signed!)
Goodreads
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?Nightshade is a book that has been on my radar for a long time but I had not gotten around to reading it until now. Ever since I first heard of this book right around the time I started book blogging, all I heard about the book was great things. Nightshade is a very well written story with a very unique plot and structure that is so unlike any other werewolf books I have read in the past. Instead of being a typical werewolf story with just shape shifters, this story also brings in other unique magical beings that are either leaders or enemy to the shifters.
Calla, the main character in the story is a very strong minded girl who has been raised in the ways of the Guardians and is soon to become an Alpha female to Ren, the boy she has been paired with since the were very young. Unlike many stories with an arranged marriage aspect, Calla was not at all opposed to being paired with Ren for much of the story, which surprised me a lot, it was an interesting twist to the average story. Ren was an on-the-line character for me. Even though he was always good to Calla and he seemed like a very good boy, he also had a history of dating a LOT of other girls at their school even though he and Calla had been paired since they were very little. Shay, the human boy the Calla saves, is a very adventurous boy that would do anything to protect Calla after she helped him. I see Shay like a little boy who is just a bit star-stuck after witnessing Calla shifting from wolf to human to save him from a bear. I really didn't see a spark between Calla and Shay, more of just a really cute friendship.
Overall I loved the plot and the writing, but the romance was a bit complicated and I really didn't really see the spark between Shay and Calla.
Glad to hear you liked this too! I've been trying to convince Rachel to read it now:). I agree with you about the romance, I wanted to like Shay because Calla seemed to like him so much, but I didn't really like him any more than I liked Ren. I guess I'm kind of neutral? I love this series though! -Megan
ReplyDeleteSo I didn't really fall in love with this book. But after meeting the author a second time recently, I'm thinking about picking this one up again! I really liked how Calla actually liked Ren, that was a pretty fantastic plot twist. However, I totally agree with you about Shay. I didn't really like him as the main love interest. While I was reading the series, I was pretty neutral, but now that I really think about it, I'm definitely Team Ren! ;) I also loved all the different creatures in Nightshade, along with the pretty normal werewolves.
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, as always, Erika! <3