Rift by Andrea Cremer

Title: Rift
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel; First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
Length: 464 pages
Format: ARC

Description from Goodreads:

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 Thoughts:

     Rift is the first book in the prequel series to the Nightshade trilogy by Andrea Cremer. I read the trilogy and liked id. When first reading Rift I was expecting more of the same. I could have been more wrong. Rift was infinitely better than Nightshade. Ember is tough, but has a softer side that draws the other characters to her. She has a long road ahead of her, but she can kick some serious butt and can handle it. The other character I absolutely loved was Barrow. He's fierce, strong, smart, resourceful, and protective. An all around great guy. Call me crazy, but the fact that he is slightly older than Ember is an attractive feature of his (not creepily older). The rest of the characters are great as well, but I don't want to give too much away.
     Now, onto this "new old world" of Rift. Let me tell you that I was surprised that there were no werewolves in the story. I was disappointed at first, but I quickly got over it. Rift is full of action and amazing fighting by all of the characters. Some new and old monsters and bad guys are introduced and set Rift up to be a promising continuation of the world Nightshade introduced us to. The thing that makes this world so amazing is the depth Ms. Cremer has put into creating it. The combination of old world, religion, and monsters is truly beautiful. As much as I liked Andrea Cremer's writing previously, Rift has elevated her to a whole new level. This book gets a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

* I received this ARC through trade with another blogger