Wolfsbane Review

I’m hoping by now that you’ve already read my review of the first book in the series, Nightshade which I reviewed here and that you’ve already read it yourself. You may remember that I only picked up Nightshade 24 hours ago and immediately dived into the sequel, Wolfsbane straight after. I couldn’t WAIT to find out what happened next after such an ending! Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. Here’s the synopsis:

“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.”

I often say that sequels pick up right where they left off but in this case, it literally does. I’ve heard some bloggers say that they wished they had re-read Nightshade before reading Wolfsbane and I don’t have a lot to say on that I’m afraid as I read them back to back but I can see how that would be helpful. There appeared to be a big history lesson in the first part of Wolfsbane, an info dump if you like that whilst it was somewhat interesting, it did go on for a long time and I just wanted for the book to move on, I wanted some action! There’s no time for a history lesson when you’re in the middle of a war! In Wolfsbane, the battle really commences and we learn that everything Calla has been brought up to believe is essentially built on lies. The wolves have been betrayed by The Keepers and as always, the truth will out in the end. I like to think of Wolfsbane as a rescue mission – Calla tries to rescue what remains of her pack, rescue relationships, and rescue herself. I can’t tell you if she is successful on all counts but it makes for an interesting and entertaining read. There were a lot of revelations in this book, as in Nightshade but I know there is more to come.

Let’s talk characters. I really enjoyed a look into The Searcher’s camp and getting to know the new characters that we thought of as enemies in the past. One of my favourites was Connor who had what us Brits like to call a cheeky sense of humour. Adne was remarkable for her abilities and I thought the description of what she could do was just perfect, I saw it all in my head. It was also nice to see most of the old characters we’ve come to know and love as well but there are definitely some changes and sparks of new relationships being forged. I can’t wait to find out where they go in the next book.

I mentioned in my review of Nightshade that Ren had really captured my heart but what I failed to mention is that I only really realised that at the end of Wolfsbane and reading the first chapter of Bloodrose. THAT’S when I realised that I’d always been team Ren. I’m always rooting for the underdog (no pun intended) and if things go badly then you know what? MOVE OVER CALLA and Ren can come home with me. Of course, Ren is now firmly in my list of literary boyfriends and I think by now you’ve realised that I have a soft spot for him.

I’ve deliberately not mentioned a lot about Shay because there are a lot of revelations surrounding his character that I don’t want to give away. He remains in my eyes as an integral part of the story but also a distraction.

I thought Wolfsbane was a fantastic sequel and whilst I missed the wait between the first and second book, I’m now all caught up and caught in the wait for the third book. ARGH! You know what though? You can read the first chapter of Bloodrose here and OMG you definitely want to although be warned, it will whet your appetite even more for the third book! Bring on Bloodrose!!!

Wolfsbane was published on 26th July, 2011. Bloodrose, the final book in the series will be published on 24th January, 2012. I know what I’m spending my Christmas money on ;)
To find out more about Andrea Cremer, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.