Rise

December 1, 2012
This second prequel to the popular Nightshade werewolf series keeps the action moving. Picking up right where the last book left off, this installment alternately follows heroine Ember and her lover, Barrow, and her longtime friend turned enemy, Alistair. Bosque Mar, the demon that will plague the Nightshade trilogy, has gained control of the society of Conatus, originally formed to fight demons of his ilk. Ember, Barrow and friends manage to escape to France and a sympathetic Conatus member who aids them, but Ember decides to return to Scotland to spy on Conatus from the inside. Alistair, fully under the influence of Bosque Mar, remains in unrequited love with Ember, but now he finds his own purpose: making the first werewolves. The main Nightshade trilogy emphasized individual freedom as a recurrent theme; that theme seems less explicit here, except in the defiance of the rebels and in Ember's desire to be a warrior who eschews feminine clothing. Popular paranormal motifs abound: the medieval setting, the looming demonic threat, the portal to the netherworld, battles and dark, secret catacombs, not to mention the beginnings of the werewolves. Interesting characters populate the pages, all designed to keep fans glued to the book. One wonders if a third prequel can be made to fit. If not, this one sets up the popular trilogy quite well. Still exciting. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 15, 2012
Grades 7-11 Cremer returns to Nightshade's prequel world with this fast-paced sequel to Rift (2012). Her trademarksromantic sensuality, swift pace, and powerful magic accessible to humansare here in full force. Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow, who was training to be a Knight of Conatus, now juggles her attraction to handsome trainer Barrow with her need to gently dissuade ardent Alistair, a childhood friend who has long lusted after Ember. Lady Eira, who gained control of the Conatus compound Tearmunn by her pursuit of dark magic, now allows the nether world's Lord Bosque Mar to seduce her. Readers who enjoyed the feisty warrior maidens of Rift may be dismayed that these women now rely primarily on their ability to manipulate men by conceding to seduction or pretending to be in love. Werewolf fans, however, will rejoice at Alistair's grisly experiments, which result in Nightshade's wolf shapeshifters. As the two series begin to bind together, they create a backstory for the Nightshade books that will please series fans. There's at least one more title coming, judging from the cliff-hanger ending. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Plans for this fifth title in the New York Times best-selling Nightshade series include an impressive national consumer advertising campaign, and a presence at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and Comic-Con International.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)