Review: Rift by Andrea Cremer

Rift by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade Prequel #1

Release Date: August 7^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 448

Publisher: Philomel

Source: BEA 

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 have to start by saying that I absolutely love the Nightshade series (even though I was slightly sad over the ending of Bloodrose). When I heard there would be a prequel, I was both excited and scared. I was excited to read more of Andrea Cremer, as I think she is amazing, but I was also scared that this prequel would simply be Nightshade set in another time. Do not fear! It isn’t the same story, far from it. The book is actually about the Keepers, even though they are never really named that way.

The story was a little slower to me, and I have to say that I did have trouble getting into the story at first. The main reason I believe is the various descriptions that are needed for us to understand the world that we are taken into. It may be slightly similar to the Nightshade, but there is still so many things that we need to know, things we hadn’t been told before about the Keepers.  We have to understand how the Conatus works, how the Guard works and how the world in general works.

Once again, Andrea Cremer gives us strong characters, both in the main character Ember and other character such as Barrow (BARROW <3. We can see who is my favorite). It was quite interesting to follow Ember. Yet again, Cremer created a strong and independent female character, a young woman who isn’t scared to fight for what she think is right. Still, to me, that where the comparison ends with Calla. They are really different, mainly because they have been raised differently in different times. Ember was a noble woman, one that wanted to fight like men do, but raised to hopefully be someone’s wife by her father. It was so interesting to then see her learn to fight, learn to be a soldier when she had been raised to be the complete opposite. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I found her really interesting.

I have to talk about Barrow, one of my latest book crush. There is something so swoon worthy about him. He is strong, charming and amazingly good to Ember. I have to say that an other reason why I adore him is the way things developped between Ember and Barrow. Things starts slowly between those two, grows into friendship and more. That to me is the best way for thing to go between two characters. It helps you falls for him as she does.

I have to saythat fans of the Nightshade series will enjoy this book. It is as amazing, but it is so different at the same time The historical twit adds a little something to this series that leaves me begging for more.