Rift by Andrea Cremer

Reading Level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 464 pages
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Philomel
Genre: Fantasy

Book One: Rift
Book Two: Rise (January 8, 2013)

Author's Website

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Amazon Summary:

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.

My Review:

First things first, that cover! The cover is freaking stunning! At first, I had no idea what the circular object in her hand was, but after about halfway through the novel, it clicked and my curiosity was sated. I first heard of this series when I was browsing through my recommendations. Since I was obsessed over Andrea's Nightshade series, I thought that I might enjoy this as well. When I first picked up this book, I expected it to be about werewolves again, but I was wrong. There were no werewolves whatsoever in this book, but even though there weren't, I still fell in love with it.

This novel takes place in the time of corsets and balls and when people, usually women, were accused of witchcraft. Women were not considered equal to men, and were only expected to marry to rich families so that the father could benefit from it. Sixteen year old Ember Morrow is anything but the submissive woman that her father wants and expects from her. In fact, she's the complete opposite. The worse thing in the world to Ember, is being married off to a rich husband and spending the rest of her days raising children. Ember wants to feel the weight of a sword in her hand and the adrenaline you get in battle. She is strong, quick, intelligent, fierce, and anything I could want from a heroine.

Overall, I loved how this book was written. Andrea Cremer has a way of luring you into the world she creates. The heroine in this novel is very similar to the protagonist in Nightshade. Both heroines have a destiny that neither of them wants, and they fight to change it. Both novels also have tons of action, which I am surprised about because I thought that since these characters aren't werewolves there wouldn't be as much. But I was wrong, because Rift has tons of action scenes, if not more then Nightshade. Rift and Nightshade are completely different series and can be read in whichever order. Anyone who enjoyed reading Nightshade, Wolfsbane, and Bloodrose are sure to love Rift as well.

Heroine- 5/5
Romance- 5/5
Action- 5/5
Comedy- 4/5
Overall- 5/5

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