CATCHALL
Wolfsbane was a vast improvement on its predecessor, Nightshade. It still provokes my dear inner feminist, but I handled it better. It was a beautifully written book and seemed more original than the last.
THE HEROINE
CALLA TOR
Calla improves in this book and becomes much better at standing up for herself. She still makes bad decisions sometimes, but she deals with the consequences. I liked her very much in the first book, finding her very relatable, but in Wolfsbane I really grew to love her as a character. She is much more developed and I feel like I can relate to her a much deeper level. As much as she still irritates me at times, I understand that not everyone is perfect. She also blames herself, although sometimes she's so self-pitying it's sad.
THE LOVE INTERESTS
RENIER LAROCHE
We find out something immensely interesting about him in this book, which made me love him infinitely more. He doesn't appear very often, but when he does he makes a huge impact. Some of the things he does are questionable, and while I can't say I agree with them, I can absolutely understand why he did them. Heartache can break even the strong.
SEAMUS DORAN
I really don't like Shay. He's bossy, pushy, and is the most annoying male-dominant "hero" I've seen in a long time. He is always telling Calla what to do while he gets to do whatever the heck he wants. It's very obvious that he thinks highly of himself. I don't like the way he acts and he makes that dear inner feminist in my cry out in absolute horror.
THE OTHER SECONDARY CHARACTERS
ANSEL
Oh, what heartbreak. What devastating heartbreak. Oh, my heart absolutelyaches for him. He is beautiful and tragic. Just so beautiful and tragic. Real-life feelings wrapped in a fantastical package.
CONNOR
I love Connor. I really do. He's funny and fun, and I legitimately enjoyed reading about him. He was definitely one of my favorite characters.
ETHAN
Dear Ethan. As someone who has lost dearly loved ones, I understand his pain and deep desire to lash out. He was one of the most understandable characters in the novel and even though it surprised me, I found myself really liking with him and forming a deep connection.
ARIADNE
I didn't like her at first, but she grew on me. I found her to be a person with an interesting past and a bright future. Her Weaving ability was also fascinating and quite original!
MONROE
Oh, dear Monroe. My heart went out to him for some reason the moment he was mentioned. He just has such a heavy aura of sadness and regret that it immediately shows through. He was one of my absolute favorite characters.
SABINE
I actually liked her in this book. We find that she has been in so much pain, and I absolutely find her to be a very nice kind of girl.
BRYN
Poor Bryn. She has such a hard time of things, but she still remains loyal. She's a wonderful girl and I hope to see more of her.
MASON AND NEVILLE
They are just so fun. I love reading about them. They seems to have a wonderful relationship and they have marvelous senses of humor.
DAX AND FEY
I wasn't really very shocked. But I was saddened.
COSETTE
Oh my God, it's just so heartbreaking. Fear can do things to a person, drive them into awful choices.
THE SEARCHERS IN GENERAL
They seem like a genuinely fun-to-be-around people! They contributed largely to the immense pleasure I found in reading this book. They seem so down-to-earth and natural, not uptight and power-hungry. I really liked all of them.
THE PLOT
The plot was fascinating, watching the Searchers plot against the Keepers. Their world is so beautiful and magnificent that I was immediately drawn to it. There is a lot of action at some points, although it does start off rather slowly. Still, it was nicely executed. It was also a lovely original concept, which I enjoyed. I did, however, find it to be a bit anticlimactic. That was a shame, as my anticipation dissipated, but it was still very, very good. I really, really liked it and found there to be unexpected things as well as decent foreshadowing.
THE ROMANCE
REN AND CALLA
This was, quite sadly, very absent. There are several revelations which made me squeal with joy, but as Ren does not appear often the romance here is sadly lacking. Still, it left me with immense hope for the next book.
SHAY AND CALLA
Shay and Calla's romance is so full of lust. I really hate it. And if you ask me, they don't even love each other. Shay always treats Calla like dirt, and pushes her too hard to get over Ren. He's also overconfident and convinced he knows everything about her. There's no substance to their romance and it fell very flat to me.
THE WRITING
Cremer writes beautifully. She has a gorgeous, descriptive hand. Calla's voice has grown and well, becoming more mature and sure of itself. Cremer's writing, always lovely, has improved immensely and is one of my favorite things about this book. It seems real and genuine as opposed to the slightly forced tone it had in the previous book.
THE ENDING
Cremer sure knows how to end a book. This huge cliffhanger left me literally on the edge of my seat, clamoring for the next book. It is hopeful and beautiful and carries so much anticipation and the possibility of happiness. I thought it was very nice but didn't feel overused. It was perfect.
WRAPUP
Yes, I'm reading Bloodrose. After an ending like that, I have to. But in all seriousness, I would read it without the huge cliffhanger. I am greatly looking forward to the end, as I found this book quite enjoyable.
FINE.