Rift

August 1, 2012
This prequel to the popular Nightshade trilogy takes readers to Scotland in 1404, where the Searchers and Keepers conflict begins. Readers won't find any hint of paranormal wolves here. Sixteen-year-old Ember, from a noble family, yearns to become a warrior instead of a wife. Her friend Alistair, who secretly has taught her swordplay, happily accompanies her when she joins Conatus, a successor group to the Knights Templar that protects the world from evil supernatural forces such as hobgoblins. Conatus accepts women as warriors, continuing the overall series' theme of personal freedom, and Ember eagerly chooses that role. She falls for Barrow, her mentor, but Alistair also declares his love for her. Meanwhile, serious outbreaks of wraiths occur, and the group captures a sorcerer who leads one of Conatus' leaders to Bosque Mar, a strange entity who offers the group revenge against the Abbot who has threatened Conatus. While Ember secretly yearns for Barrow and fights for Conatus, a staged wraith attack convinces some to join with Bosque Mar. Although she gets dates right, the author doesn't bother too much with historical accuracy, using the setting mainly to provide a fantasy atmosphere. However, the highly readable prose style that captured so many fans for her trilogy is very much in evidence. The resolution leaves plenty of room for more entries. Exciting stuff, yet again. (Fantasy suspense. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-In 1404, Ember, 16, should have been the wife of a rich landowner, but she has been promised to Conatus, a group of monklike warriors shrouded in mystery and housed and trained in Tearmunn, an estate in the Scottish Lowlands. Ember's birth was nearly fatal for her mother and, at his wits end, her father called upon Conatus for help. A midwife saved both the baby and her mother, but the cost was dear; Ember was promised to Conatus. When a brooding and handsome warrior named Barrow comes to collect her, Ember all too willingly joins the elite guard. The bulk of the book details her initiation, training, and gradual understanding of the magic that is at work at Tearmunn. Alternating chapters give insight into Cian and Eira, sister warriors who are part of the circle of leaders of Conatus. Readers slowly grow to understand that Eira is beckoned to the dark side and, in Cremer's world, this is evil indeed. They will need to be patient with the slow start of Rift, but those who persevere will be rewarded with a richly layered, supernatural romance both appealing and unique. Ember and Barrow's connection is steamy (but not explicit). Ember is a realistic heroine whose warrior skills make her a formidable protagonist, and Cremer deftly weaves in an antagonist in the form of the well-intentioned Eira. Ties to the "Nightshade" trilogy (Philomel) are loose, and this prequel is refreshingly able to stand alone.-Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Grades 7-11 Though billed as a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy, about shape-shifting wolf packs, Cremer's latest title is a stand-alone page-turner in the tradition of Tamora Pierce's Alanna series. Sixteen-year-old Lady Ember Morrow has been promised to Conatus, a secretive arm of the church that trains clerics, healers, and knights. Desperate to escape an arranged marriage and her overbearing father, Ember wins her desired assignment to the warrior branch and finds herself falling in love with Barrow Hess, her dashing, brooding mentor. Meanwhile, the fierce warrior and leader Eira dabbles in dark magic in an effort to oust a corrupt church official, forcing Ember and her fellow knights to choose sides. Both fight and magic scenes are richly detailed; Ember's handmade weapons are based on her vision of a double moon crying tears of blood. Although the time (1404) and location (United Kingdom and Europe) are quite different from Nightshade's world, Cremer's trademark quick pace, romantic sensuality, and strong female characters will have fans clamoring for the next title; a cliff-hanger ending ensures there's more to come. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Nightshade books are international best-sellers, and promotional events at conferences, conventions, and all other corners of the reading world will get this prequel significant attention.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Ember trains to fight supernatural entities with a secret order of warriors and magic-wielders. She resists her attraction to mentor Barrow as the order faces betrayal from within and the constant threat of heresy accusations from without. Set in 1400s Scotland, this centuries-prior prequel to Cremer's Nightshade trilogy captures a similar heady blend of fantastic action and forbidden (if unsurprising) romance.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)