Book Recap: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Cover Inspection:
I said this before, and I'm going to say it again -
I like the design  of the old covers better.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.
In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breathtaking trilogy.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.5
Plot	3.5
Writing	3.5
Characters	3.5
Ending	3.5
Overall Rating	3.5 Superior! (93% to 96%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The academy was based in Italy initially, but the characters travel to different parts of the world.

MAIN CHARACTER:
Calla continues her story. She's the alpha of the pack, and it's now time to lead her pack to the final battle that would finally set them free. In this book, Calla IS the alpha. The reader would definitely see her fierce side.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
Calla was able to convince Ren to come with her and join the searchers. Ren adjusted easily to his new environment, but now that both Ren and Shay are there, Calla feels confused as ever. Moreover, as Shay develops his powers as the Scion, Calla feels as if she is losing him. Moreover, her brother Ansel is broken, and is only half of himself. All this plus there's a war looming. This last book is a perfect tale of sacrifice, love, romance, leadership, family, friendship, and war.

LOVE:
I love the parts when Shay and Ren were getting all alpha over Calla. It's not progressive thinking, but it's thrilling in a very girly way. I love the love triangle in this series. I can see why Calla cannot choose between the two boys who love her. I truly think she can be happy with either one; it's just a matter of who she loves more. Nevertheless, I loved Ren in this book. In the first one, he was depicted as this man-whore alpha. And then he was hardly in the second book. In Bloodrose, he started out as broken and lost, but his character developed. He emerged as a leader - well-respected by his packmates, as well as by the searchers. He's a strategist. He's charismatic, intelligent, and brave. A warrior through and through. He was simply amazing. Shay maybe the scion and all, but Ren is my hero. On the other hand, I loved Shay's ability to transform from being very serious to very playful. He's not afraid to be silly around people. It amazes me how he started in the series as the weakest link, but ended as the one who saved everyone. I also liked it when the wolves call each other puppies when they act like kids. It's really cute. I especially liked parts when the characters are wolves and they just speak to each other with their minds. Those are most softest, most tender parts of the story. And the adventure in this book is non-stop. It's basically one quest after another. There are many surprises. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just heartbreaking. I can definitely say that Andrea Cremer knows how to tug... no, erase that... Andrea Cremer knows how to wrench the heartstrings. This last book is a very beautiful ending to one of the most amazing series I have ever read.

NO LOVE:
If there's one thing I didn't like about the book, it's how Calla treated Ren and Shay. I feel as if she was toying with them. I pity them as Calla disregarded their feelings. I understand that Calla cannot make a choice in the middle of the war as this would completely ruin everything, but still, it pained me to see both Ren and Shay get hurt when Calla sets one aside for the other.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Ren. Like I said, he's a natural leader. An alpha. But in this book, he showed so much more. That, and well.. he radiates SEXY by just... standing.

FAVORITE LINE:

One of you, two of them. Love’s a bitch.

MUSINGS:
Wow. I have waited forever for this final book to come out, and when it was available for purchase already, I immediately got it. I was giddy for this book, much more than I have been for Mockingjay. This book opened with Ren and Calla getting all hot and heavy. It continued with non stop action and adventure. The book ended with a message that war leaves people broken, but sometimes, it is necessary to put things back as they should be.

DOODLES:

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Andrea Cremer

SIMILAR READS:
Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Darkness Rising by Kelley Armstrong

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: moderate
violence: moderate - heavy
sexual content: moderate - heavy
mature themes: moderate
age recommendation: 14+