Rise (Nighshade Prequel #2)

Author: Andrea Cremer
Goodreads Rating: 4.37
Pages: 390
Format: ARC from NYCC12

The sequel to Rift and the prequel to the New York Times bestselling novel Nightshade.
Everything Conatus stands for is at risk. Hoping to gather enough resistance to save their order, Ember and Barrow attempt a desperate escape. But fate offers little mercy. When their mission is exposed, the  couple face relentless pursuit by the supernatural horrors that act on the commands of Eira’s ally: the mysterious Bosque Mar. A shocking revelation forces Ember out of hiding, sending her back into the heart of dark magic at Tearmunn keep, where she must convince her old friend Alistair of her love or face dire consequences. Ember’s deception offers the only chance for the resistance to succeed, but what she discovers in the shadows beneath the keep will shatter her world and bring about the Witches’ War.
Richly sensual and full of magic, action and danger, Andrea Cremer's fifth book set in the Nightshade world is an edge-of-your-seat page turner.

This book. Just wow. I'm actively not even sure what I can say about this book because it was just so action packed and amazing that words are actually failing me right now. If you know me, it is hard for words to fail me, but they seem to be doing a good job right now. Also, you probably shouldn't read this review if you haven't read the first book.

20 Minutes later...

Okay, I'm better now. I spent the last 100 pages of the book just screaming and yelling that "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" (My Dartmouth boys will understand this, not that a single one of them is going to read this.) My dad actually came down stairs asking me what was wrong, and what all the yelling was about. ("MY BOOK DAD! I JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT!" *Dad shrugs then goes back to his room and TV.)

This book picks off probably an hour after the last book left off which was great, and bad at the same time since I didn't have Rift to go back and be like "What was happening again, and who is this random dude?" But no big deal because the idea is still the same Ember and Barrow are on the run from Bosque Mar, Eira and Alastair who have gone dark side because of Mar. I felt that it was a great kicking up point because rather than have to go through what we missed, we started right in the action.

And boy, did this book have action. Right from the beginning, there is no stopping with the new creatures that Ember and the guard have to face including the Kracken, which is pretty intense. I felt that Ember could have been a little stronger, at one point she breaks down into this whimpering mess which seemed a little out of character, but she does a good enough job of holding her own when it comes to fighting for the cause.

I love that Cremer was able to drag me back into this world and keep me engaged in what was going on even thought I had been so long removed from what happened. Although the love triangle of Barrow/Ember/Alastair did come back, I think that things remained obvious as to where Embers affections remained and who it was that she belonged with. 

This book left us with plenty of un answered questions and a lead off for book three which I cannot wait to get my hands on. 

The Courts Decision: