Wolfsbane (Nightshade, Book 2)

The second book in the Nightshade series. When Calla was captured and she woke up with her sworn enemies, I was holding my breath and just hoping they didn't hurt her too badly. Though, when they offered for her to join them, I knew she would accept and that this choice would affect everything that came afterwards.

I must admit, I found the first book drew me in more, but this book came a pretty close second. The love triangle of Ren, Calla and Shay really got me, and I really am a Team Shay person. I hope she chooses Shay to be her mate.

In this book, Calla really grows as a person (and a wolf, for that matter) and she starts making her own decisions and becoming more stubborn, headstrong and determined than ever (not that she wasn't enough of all those before). Shay, too, becomes a stronger character, defending Calla and fighting over her with Ren as the wolf that he really is.

I was desperately reading the last bit of the book, and when Andrea left everyone with an ENORMOUS cliffhanger, I was very, very, very frustrated and desperately trying to find the third book from where I had put it in my bag. I just hope that the third book will not leave us hanging FOREVER. That is, if Andrea is planning to leave it a trilogy.

I wonder what choices Calla will make in the third book, and how much she is prepared to sacrifice in the name of love. More importantly, who will she choose? Shay? Or Ren?I'm guessing Shay.

Wolfsbane is the second book in the nightshade series. In the start of this book, Calla wakes up in the lair of her sworn enemies. They give her a choice, a chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack. In this book Calla is in control of her own destiny and she can decide what is worth fighting for and how many trials can her live survive.

If we're friends on Twitter or Facebook you know that last week I was stalking my UPS man for the delivery of several books. One of those books was Wolfsbane. It is the sequel to Nightshade and I have been counting down to its arrival for months. I finally got my copy last Friday and put everything on hold until I finished it. My read through included all of the following emotions/phrases (not necessarily in this order and often repeated):

*gasp*
Seriously?
I knew it!
What the?!?!
How did that happen?!?!
*sob*
That did not just happen!!
He did what?!!?
Are you kidding me???
*swoon*

Wolfsbane was a roller coaster from page one and the ride didn't end on the last page of the book. The cliffhanger at the end left me feeling like I was stuck upside down on one of the loops of the roller coaster. Of course, I knew going into it that it would be like it. I willingly got on this ride ;)

I can't say much because just about anything will be a spoiler. I can say that I adored this book. Andrea has created a world and characters that evoke very strong emotions from me. Andrea also tackles themes like feminism, nature vs. nurture, racism, free agency, and many more. The beauty of her books is that she brings up these topics in a way that doesn't come across as a homework assignment. (I don't have children but if I did I would love to have my older teens read these books and then discuss them. What a great way to start conversations about deep topics that's not a school lecture!)

In addition to creating deep, meaningful characters and situations Andrea is also the queen of creating swoon-worthy men. I was in love with several of the men in Nightshade and in Wolfsbane I fell in love with a few more. I'm still unsure which way I want the love triangle to go- poor Calla has quite a choice to make!

I know that Bloodrose is going to be a rough read but I'm really looking forward to it.

A wild, heart racing ride!

Okay, so I bought Nightshade on a whim when my local Borders put up their “Going out of Business” signs and all books were on sale. It was one of the best impulse buys ever! I was hooked and could not WAIT until Wolfsbane came out. I geeked it up and put the bad boy on preorder STAT!
I was not disappointed at all! Love Andrea Cremer and her world of shape shifters. Calla Tor is about as fierce a heroine as I have yet to read. She is loyal beyond everything to her pack and she will not lay down in submission to anyone. I love it!
In Nightshade you learned of her world that came crashing down when truths were spilled. In Wolfsbane Calla begins to pick up the pieces of her life and come up with a game plan to get her pack back. It is not an easy road, but she has to do it. Too many pups are counting on her. Calla finds strength where she didn’t think she had any and seriously starts to kick some backside.
On the flip side you get the pleasure of really getting to know more about Shay. I have to admit I was Team Ren for Nightshade, but Shay really steals your heart in Wolfsbane. He is fiercely protective of Calla, and she has to pull him back a hair when he gets out of line. She is Alpha after all! Ren is still worthy of some serious panting, especially now that we see him in a more fragile and broken perspective.
Wolfsbane answers some questions from Nightshade and will leave you begging for scraps for the next round from Ms. Cremer.

I have wanted to read this book since I read the last page of Nightshade about a year ago. I must say, I am NOT disappointed. Cremer created compelling characters, a juicy history, and a luscious romance with Nightshade and as I learned more about all of those things in Wolfsbane, I found myself loving the series even more. Mind-blowing secrets are unveiled and heartbreaking decisions are made.


This book really explains a lot of things that were unclear to me in Nightshade. It delves further into the history of the Keepers, the Searchers, and the Guardians and introduces great new characters.


One thing I think is important about this series is that it is NOT about werewolves. Upon reading Nightshade, I made the mistake of believing that it was a werewolf tale, But as I learned more about the characters and witnessed the challenges that they faced I realized that it was so much more than that. This series is about love, about sacrifice, about protecting those you love, about making life-altering decisions, about learning who to trust. This series is so much more than a werewolf story and it has a uniqueness all its own.

Wolfsbane is a great second book in the series... I say this because there is a huge cliff-hanger, and I am left wishing that it wasn't in fact the end of the book, but of a chapter... Because I'm itching to know what happens.
We get filled in on a lot of what left me scratching my head in Nightshade, but I forgave because of the vibrant characters and racing plot. Though this makes for a bit of a slow start. I had a hard time remembering all the details from Nightshade, and it took me a bit to get back in the world when bombarded with new characters and lots of history. That said, she did a great job incorporating it, and it answered so many questions, and left room for more with the next book.
Shay really gets his chance to shine in this book, and to me, he really seems to come out on top. Now, a complete blindsight could come in Bloodrose, and put Ren seriously back in the running in my eyes in BR, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
This book is heartbreaking, finding out what happens after Calla and Shay escape, and what those left behind are left to handle. The new characters also bring a rich texture to the story, and Connor especially kept me turning the page... For me, choosing between Ren and Shay has always mostly been for Calla, but I'll take Connor for myself :)

Wolfsbane is the highly anticipated second installment of the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer. It picks up exactly where the first novel left off. Those of you who have read Nightshade surely remember the heart stopping cliffhanger ending. Well, I don’t know about you, but for me it was almost as nerve-wrecking as the ending of Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2). Talk about frustration! Ever since I read Nightshade, I have been dying to find out what happens next! What will happen to Calla and Shay? What about Ren? Who will Calla choose? So many questions and practically no answers!

Oh, how I’ve missed the world of Nightshade! I was very excited to get an ARC of Wolfsbane and just couldn’t wait to dive into it. You know how you sometimes read a book and you love everything about it? How sometimes the story, the setting, all the characters and the amazing chemistry between them is so irresistible that you can’t put the book down? And then you get so engrossed in the world created by the author, you get attached to the characters and you want more, more and more of it, and you end up being a total book-junkie, with blood-shot eyes, reading to the late night hours? And even taking a five minute break to fix yourself a meal or comb your messy hair, or pick up the phone that’s been ringing for the past 3 hours just seems like a total waste of time? Well, Wolfsbane is THAT kind of book. Just like me, you’ll be turned into a couch-zombie, frantically turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Was it as good as Nightshade? Yes, definitely. In many ways it was even better! Because it’s the second book in the series, reading it felt like meeting a good old friend you haven’t seen in a long time. For me, it was a very sweet reunion. Calla is a great character. Actually, she’s one of my top favorite female lead characters ever. She’s strong, brave, beautiful, charismatic and sexy. She’s not afraid to follow her heart and fight for what she believes to be right. Yes, her indecisiveness sometimes annoys me, but I can’t really blame her for not being able to choose between gorgeous Ren and intriguing Shay – it’s not an easy decision! She’s tough yet very compassionate and full of passion, and this complexity of her character makes me like her even more. The same goes for all the other characters, and if you enjoyed the rich kaleidoscope of protagonists in Nightshade, you’re going to love Wolfsbane! If the first book was focused mainly on the Guardians’ world, and we got to know many Nightshades and Banes, the second book is all about introducing us to Searchers. And you know what?! They’re freakin’ awesome! Each one of them is essential to the story. Moreover, they’re unique and likeable and it’s all too easy to get emotionally attached to them.

Andrea Cremer knows exactly which strings to pull to elicit a strong emotional response from the reader. Wolfsbane is a perfectly balanced read. I’ve heard people complaining that Wolfsbane is slow-moving and yes, it’s not exactly what you’d call an action-packed read but, in my opinion, that’s a good thing. Andrea chose quality over quantity, serving us some well-thought-out and totally unpredictable twists and absolutely gut-wrenching actions. The story flows effortlessly from page one to the end. What I loved the most is that, unlike many YA novels out there, Wolfsbane actually makes sense. As we go deeper into the story, we learn more about the Guardians and their history, we discover the origins of the conflict between Searchers and Keepers, and we begin to connect all the dots. I don’t care much for writers who don’t bother explaining anything. Sure, I like action and unexpected turns, but I want it to be based on a solid plot. That’s exactly what we get here. Nightshade left us with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger and a bunch of loose ends, and I’m really glad that, instead of adding even more questions, Andrea provided us with some answers.

Another thing I really appreciate in YA books, is when the author is not afraid to kill some of his/her characters. No, I am not telling you who died, you’re going to have to read it and find out! Like I said, Cremer knows exactly which strings to pull to play on reader’s emotions!

My only complaint about Wolfsbane would be: not enough of Ren! He’s mentioned here and there, mostly as Calla’s mental chastity belt, but physically he appears only once and that’s definitely not enough for me. I hope to see plenty more of him in Bloodrose!

Overall, I really loved reading Wolfsbane. It was an engrossing, sexy read and I can’t wait to find out how this story will end. I was blown away by both Andrea Cremer’s writing style and her ability to make me care for her characters and feel what they’re feeling. This book moved me in a way that few novels have. I’m hopelessly in love with Nightshade world.