Posts Tagged: andrea cremer

Wolfsbane Blog Tour and Giveaway

09 Aug, 2011 by in nightshade, penguin, wolfsbane 57 comments

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be a part of the Wolfsbane Blog Tour hosted by Mundie Moms since Andrea Cremer is one of our favorite people. Here’s a bit about Wolfsbane her latest book in the Nightshade Series…

Hardcover, 390 pages

Published July 26th 2011

by Penguin Young Readers Group

ISBN 0399254838

series Nightshade #2

4 stars

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Nightshade was at the top pf my top ten reads for 2010,so when I got an advanced copy unexpectedly in the mail of Wolfsbane I may have squealed *just a little.* What can I say other than that Andrea Cremer is one smart cookie?! First she created this amazing spin on wolf lore in her first book with the perfect love triangle. Then in the second installment, Wolfsbane, the readers are introduced to a whole new set of characters. Andrea adds layers upon layers of history, back story and twists of plot.

Wolfsbane picks up right where Nightshade left off. Many of the questions about the Keepers, Guardians and Searchers are answered from a very different point of view than Calla is used to. She and Shay are in enemy territory and are soon learning things are not as they once appeared. I would recommend readers have a concrete grasp of the difference between the three groups before plowing ahead. Wolfsbane has a whole lot of information power packed into those 400 pages. Teachers and book clubs may want to put together a vocabulary list with all the terms or a map of characters to keep things straight.

The thing I love about these book is that they are not a light fluffy read- they are deep and multi faceted as well as incredibly detailed. I fell in love with several of the pack members in book one and in book two I became attached to a couple of the Searchers. Connor kept me laughing with his snarky personality and I grew to love Adne for what we see in her during the last chapter. Be prepared for plenty of action, romance and witty sarcasm.

This is one of those reviews that is nearly impossible to write without spoilers. I will say I stand firmly as team Ren though he makes some really poor choices. Shay is just not my cup of tea with his possessive, jealous and pushy personality. If you loved Nightshade you will not be disappointed with book 2! Bloodrose, the final book, comes out in February. After reading the first chapter sneak peek I’m sure we are all on pins and needles. Click here to view content warnings.

To find out more about the series, read an excerpt, where to buy & more, visit the Nightshade book site. Follow the series on Facebook and read Andrea Cremer’s blog here. See the author giving an introduction to Wolfsbane on YouTube here. Penguin has graciously provided a set of the series for EACH blog on the tour to giveaway. So be sure to head over to Mundie Moms for a full list of all the blogs participating. Thanks so much to MM’s, Andrea Cremer and Penguin for including our blog on the tour!


Here at Fire and Ice we are giving away a paperback copy of Nightshade and a hardcover of Wolfsbane. This is for US residents only and ends August 16, 2011. Simply comment below to enter! Be sure your profile includes your email address where you’d like to be contacted if you win.

BIR2010 Nightshade Giveaway & Interview

08 Dec, 2010 by in nightshade, Philomel 10 comments

Nightshade
By Andrea Cremer
Published by Philomel/Penguin
Released on October 19th, 2010

Summary:Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (quoted from goodreads)

Nightshade was one of my very favorite reads of 2010. It is fast paced and brilliant! Read our five star review here. And a special thanks to Andrea Cremer for joining us as a part of BIR2010

Describe your series and how you were inspired to write it
Calla started it all because I wanted to write a story about a female character who wasn’t being pulled into a magical world – she was already in the middle of it, a leader and a warrior. The world of Nightshade came as I tried to figure out how someone like Calla, a girl who I knew was incredibly powerful, could be afraid and angry. What was controlling her? Why would she be fighting against her own destiny? I realized that she was facing off with something even more powerful than herself. That’s where my background as a historian came in. I teach early modern history (1500-1800) – a period of immense, violent change in human societies. This is the time of witch hunts, religious warfare, colonization, the Inquistion; all types of cataclysmic social transformation that turned the lives across the globe upside down. The more I thought about Calla I thought about the ways in which wolf warriors and witches could have intertwined lives. The mythology in Nightshade is a blend of history and lore plus new twists I imagined along the way.

Tell us about the three packs in your book and the difference between them

At the outset of Nightshade there are two wolf packs (about fifty wolves in each pack): the Nightshades and the Banes. The Nightshades are headed up by the alpha pair Stephen and Naomi Tor, Calla’s father and mother. The Bane pack is led by Emile Laroche, Ren’s father. The main difference between the two rival packs is the style of leadership of their alphas. Stephen is measured and stoic, encouraging loyalty and cooperation within his pack. Emile rules with a rough hand and brutality. He’s much more interested in dominance than collaboration. The third pack will be formed by the next generation of wolves and will be led by Calla and Ren after their union.

Nightshade has an alpha female, how does this change the dynamics of the pack and tell us more about Calla

The fact that Calla is a female alpha doesn’t affect the dynamic of her pack as much as that she models her leadership style on her father. She admires her father’s role as an alpha and she wants her pack to be based on trust and loyalty, rather than fear.

What are the Guardians, Keepers and Searchers?

The Guardians are wolf warriors who serve the Keepers, fighting on the front lines of the Witches War. The Keepers and Searchers are two factions of witches who have been at war since the 1400s.

Did any modern day myths and legends influence your writing?

I have a Ph.D. in early modern history and my research focuses on the intersection of religion, gender, and violence; thus, I spend a lot of time working on the history of witchcraft. Myths and history about witches and the occult played a large part in the world building that went into Nightshade.

What are your favorite all-time reads?

Watership Down, The Mists of Avalon, Good Omens, The Poisonwood Bible, The Handmaid’s Tale, Harry Potter

Any future projects in the works?

Nightshade is a trilogy: Wolfsbane (book 2) will be in stores July 26, 2011, Bloodrose (book 3) will be out spring 2012. Right now I’m working on a prequel to the Nightshade series that recounts the origins of the Witches War. That book will be published in fall 2012.

Team Ren or Team Shay and tell us why?

I’m Team Calla – because it’s her choice not mine 🙂

Andrea has generously donated one signed ARC of Nightshade for our US readers. To enter fill out this form.

Nightshade Mini Review

16 Jul, 2010 by in nighshade, Philomel 3 comments

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
To be published October 19th 2010 by Philomel
details Hardcover, 464 pages
isbn 039925482X
Source Mundie Moms ARC tour

While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack’s world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches’ War that surrounds them all

I just finished this book last night and have been procrastinating picking up another book because I want it to linger in my mind. Nightshade easily slides into my best summer reads list with five stars. It is an amazingly sexy and captivating story that I burned through and savored. First of all the cover is a huge hit for me. The glitter, the cala lilies the purple…love! Second, the plot is one you’ll devour. And third, not only is Andrea Cremer an outstanding writer; she is also a super fun tweeter. I tip my hat to authors who tweet their fans and she joined in on our Team Ren versus Team Shay conversations.

Once you read Nightshade you’ll be hungry for more. Happily, there is a sequel planned and Andrea informed us that shooting has begun for the next cover of “Wolfsbane” which is due out in 2011. Can I possibly wait that long? Really…this book is THAT good. Stay tuned for a longer review closer to Nighshade’s book birthday in October. In the meantime, check our Andrea’s website at http://www.andreacremer.com/ and watch for this to hit shelves, it’s a must read!