Rift by Andrea Cremer

Rift

Nightshade Orgins 1

Author: Andrea Cremer
Pages: 430 pgs
Genre: YA, Fantsay
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Review Source: Purchase

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

I was so excited when I heard that there was going to be a prequel series to Andrea's Nightshade books. Getting a look into how things came to be for those in the original series sounded like so much fun, and I am so glad that I was right.

Not only was this set during the early 1400s in Scotland, but it was also showed the lives and training of the Searchers. We got to see things that were only hinted at in Wolfsbane and Bloodrose, and I absolutely loved that. The setting and background of everything was spot on and built up so beautifully.

I also enjoyed the relationships of the characters. Along with our heroine Ember we had her mentor Barrow, her long time friend Alistair, and twin leaders Eira and Cian. I can really only mention Ember and Barrow without giving too much away. They were so sweet and I loved that Barrow treated her as an equal in her training. Their romance was just right and about who they both were as people, and not how they were supposed to be to society.

There's so much about this world that is so fascinating, and I love that Andrea gave us this insight into part of it. The sequel, Rise, came out this year and I'll hopefully be able to review that soon as well. This was probably my favorite of Andrea's books so far and I can't wait to read the next book for Nightshade.