Bloodrose (Nightshade #3)

Well. I hate to say it, but reading this one was like pulling teeth-painful.

PART ONE
For the most part Calla was a whiney, idiotic, brat. All she could talk about was how Ren and Shay kept trying to kill each other and she didn't know which one she would pick...you get the idea. The only good part from part one was when Adne and Calla were rescuing Ren. I'm serious.

PART TWO
This part was better. Calla stopped whining about boys and focused on the upcoming war.

PART THREE
Calla started whining again. But not as much. Aside from that, the final battle with the keeepers and Bosque Mar was rushed and the Guardians turning into Wolves forever was cheesey.
IN GENERAL
I found this book to be incredibly sexist.
I think Ethan and Sabine were a little too all over each other.
AND WHY DID REN HAVE TO DIE?
I hate the cover. Calla looks too dramatic. And dramatic females on covers is something I associate with a sexist book, a weak main character, and cheesy/predictable plots. (Unfortunately this book was most of those things)

.

Where Nightshade had me blushing from all of the sexual tension, and Wolfsbane had my head reeling from information overload, Bloodrose had me blushing, reeling and sobbing uncontrollably as I held on to the edge of my seat, not daring to breath as I unravelled the remaining secrets of the war between the Searchers and the Keepers and what that meant for Calla, Ren, Shay and the Guardians.

Calla was back in full force. Emotionally wrecked and feeling like she had abandoned her pack in Wolfsbane, finding Ren seemed to have brought her the strength she needed to become the leader her pack deserved. She put both boys in their place, claiming her position of dominance and her title of alpha over both of them until she was able to choose her mate - a choice she decided was best left until after the war was over. Other then a couple of moments of weakness, Calla was able to stand by her decision and focus on the tasks at hand, and I loved watching her resume her role of someone who was able to fend for herself, without needing someone else to tell her what to do or hold her hand while she did it. She was strong, fierce and determined.

"I don't need you...But I want you...If I needed you, I wouldn't be me."

I also loved having Ren back. His interactions with his new-found sister Adne were adorable, and I love how fiercely protective of her he became so quickly. The sexual tension between him and Calla was as palpable as ever, and the pack's reaction to his return brought back the family dynamic I had admired in Nightshade. I still don't like Shay, but he did grow on me slightly. His arrogance was mostly gone, replaced with something resembling humility over his status as the Scion. His attempt to make Calla's choice for her had me outraged, and I completely understood Calla's anger with his cowardice. The Searchers all grew on me as well, and I found myself cheering for Connor and Adne and holding my breath when it looked like Adne had been fatally injured.

I'm not going to get in to details over the ending. I know there's some people who feel like Cremer took the easy way out, but when I think about it, I can't picture a more perfect ending. Yes I'm devastated over the death of one of my favourite characters and yes I'm devastated over the fate bestowed upon Calla and her pack, but in a way I can see how things have come full circle and I am left with a feeling of satisfaction. I think Bloodrose was a fantastic ending to a wonderful series and I can't wait for the prequel series to be released so I can jump back in to the world of Guardians, Keepers and Searchers!

(sigh) the last of the series... (although I do hope that Andrea will write another). It was perfect. I was on Team Shay the entire time, and I realised how difficult it must be for Calla, struggling between two boys. I was pretty much bawling my eyes out when Ren died, even though it was probably necessary, to force Calla to choose.

I think the ending was absolutely perfect, a beautiful finish to the series, although it would have been way cooler to switch forms than to just be trapped in one form. I do wish that the wolves had some way to contact the Searchers (and Sabine).

Andrea did an absolutely amazing job of writing this book, and I have to say, I did like this book better than the last one, since the last one was more about struggling between the two boys more than anything. This book though, I don't think anything would have persuaded me to get up and take a break (other than my stomach and my bus to school!).

I love the setting probably nearly as much as the characters. Andrea Cremer never lets anything in the world get boring or even the tiniest bit tiresome. Adding more and more things into her world makes it absolutely the perfect world to get captured in, and if I could, I would spend a lifetime there!

I love that Andrea never lets the characters get what they want easily, they always have to fight for it, and sometimes they need to make sacrifices.

I loved Connor, I thought he was a hilarious addition to the story, a funny side, always cracking lame jokes. I thought Silas was a huge pain in the butt, but I was quite sad when he died. i mean, that must have been a horrible way to die.

If you have not heard of the Nightshade series yet, READ IT. It is amazing and you would not want to miss it. Thank you so much Andrea, for writing an absolutely amazing series that I was sad to finish.

Andrea, I really think you should write another book.

This book is the war that ends the battle that has been raging throughout the whole trilogy. In this book Calla and her pack mates have to find the remaining pieces of the Elemental Cross. While fighting the Keepers, Calla is in a constant battle over her two lovers, Ren and Shay, she must chose one to be her alpha mate. This last book is a must read.

There are certain books that I clear my schedule for. Books that I make sure I have nothing planned the day they come out so that I can devote my time to reading. Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer was one of those books. Last Tuesday night I came straight home from work, changed into my jammies, put a do not disturb message up on Facebook and Twitter and then spent the evening reading.

It's taken me several days to be able to get to a place that I felt that I could even attempt to organize my thoughts about this book. I'm still not sure I'm going to make any sense in this review, especially since I'm going to try and keep it spoiler free.

Calla Tor declares herself a warrior in the first lines of the Nightshade. She and her pack take pride in their warrior status. The events in Nightshade and Wolfsbane leave no doubt that a final showdown between the Searchers and Keepers is going to happen. So, it is no surprise that Bloodrose is the scene of the last strategic moves building up to the battle, the actual battle, and the after effects of those events.

As with any war there are casualties on both sides and things to do not always go as planned. It's in those moments that Andrea works her magic. Andrea has assembled a cast of characters that are fierce, loyal, broken and beautiful. The things that happen to these characters are funny and heart wrenching and swoon-worthy and unfair and inspiring. These characters are strong and when they are pushed to their limits they truly shine.

This book is not easy to read. It's brutal. There was one scene in the book that just about broke me. I had to close the cover and simply just cry. But in addition to the brutality, which always comes with war, Bloodrose is also beautiful and exciting and stunning. There are several moments that moved me to tears because of their beauty and the growth of the characters involved in those moments. The end of Bloodrose threw me for a loop. I had spent a lot of time contemplating what would happen in the book but I did not see that coming. Once I recovered from my shock I knew that this was the logical and the only correct ending- all is as it should be.

The Nightshade series has become one of my all time favorite series. I love the ups and downs, the swoons, the heartbreak and the message. I've spent the last few days pondering the series as a whole and I feel a deep sense of satisfaction and peace. I'm so thankful that Andrea shared Calla and her friends with us.

I'll leave you with the two tweets I sent after I finished the book- they sum up my thoughts perfectly.

"Dear Andrea Cremer: I don't know if I want to hug you, scream at you or just cry on your shoulder. Bloodrose is beautiful. Thank you