Nightshade Series

Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars
By Andrea Cremer
Book 1: Nightshade - Book 2: Wolfsbane - Book 3: Bloodrose

Calla is destined to be an alpha in her wolf pack- she has her whole life planned out for her step by step, down to her marriage to another alpha- Ren. The Keepers, masters of the wolves and ancient magick wielders have given the order and nothing can change her fate. Except Shay. Calla meets Shay when he is fighting off an attack from a grizzly bear high in the mountains, and against all rules and everything she is taught, she saves this human boy from death- knowing she will never see him again. Until he shows up at her school the next day, remembering her and what she is. Terrified that Seth can ruin everything, terrified of her strange feelings for this human, baffled that Seth is living with his uncle- a powerful Keeper, Calla's life is unraveling at the seams. When Calla protects Seth from being taken by Searchers, a powerful group that oppose the Keepers- she is forced to confront her feelings head on. Her marriage to Ren looms ever closer, yet she is falling in love with a human.

This series claimed romance and teenage angst, two things that I do not enjoy together in any book. So I found myself shocked when I totally enjoyed this series. The romance is there, but it is not cheese worthy in any way. Calla's feelings for Shay, although "love at first sight", were thought out and responsible- unlike a lot of YA romance novels. Cremer wrote the characters well, and the further you get into the series, the more that you can feel the bonds between them. Nightshade's world building skills were awkward in my opinion, with the Keepers, Guardians and mortals all in the same school but separate. It just didn't flow well to me- but the next two books improve exponentially. Once the Searchers are introduced, I found myself reading until my eyes were too blurry to see. I grudgingly admit that I loved every bit of this series, and it is a must read for any paranormal fan out there.
Show Spoilers

My only true complaint was the end. Come on, they all turn into a pack of wolves and live happily ever after? Are you kidding me? Maybe I'm too human to enjoy the thought of being a wolf forever, but realistically, the ending was awful. Period.