Between the Bookcovers

Author: Andrea Cremer
Published: October 19, 2010
Pages: 528
Rating: 3/5 Stars


In Aspen, Colorado there are three factions of supernatural beings living among the mortal population:

1) The Keepers: a group of witches and warlocks
2) The Guardians: werewolves who are sworn to protect the Keepers, They shift from human to wolf form and can heal with their blood
3) The Searchers: another group of witches/warlocks who are have been fighting against the Keepers for centuries.

There are two packs of werewolves: the Nighshades and the Banes and they are due to merge with the marriage of the alphas on their 18th birthdays. Their union has been planned by the Keepers since their birth, it is their destiny and cannot be changed. They patrol and protect the Keepers from attack. In return for protection the Keepers provide everything the Guardians need, from housing, to clothing to education.

Calla is the alpha female of the Nightshades. While on patrol Calla encounters an injured male hiker and cannot bring herself to let him die, so she heals him with her blood, something that is forbidden by the Keepers. The next day he arrives at her school and is introduced as the nephew of one of the powerful Keepers. He recognizes her but agrees to keep the healing a secret, and their relationship begins to develop, setting up a love triangle between Calla, Shay and Ren, the alpha male of the Bain pack. As Calla tries to fight against her desires for Shay she begins to question why the Keepers control every aspect of their lives. As she researches the history of the pack and the Keepers she realizes that everything she has been told is a lie and she has to decide to continue on the path dictated by the Keepers or to break free and follow her heart.

This was a long book. I don't mind longer books, in fact I enjoy them because it usually means there will be more depth to the story. But that was not the case here. The characters were one dimensional and poorly developed. There was nothing that made them interesting and so much time was spent on the love triangle, it was well, boring. Fortunately the author redeemed herself in the last third of the book when the action picked up and the story took off at a fast pace. It made reading the whole book worthwhile. And it made me want to know what happens next. So I will pickup the sequel when it arrives in a couple of months. This is a worthwhile read if you can stick with it through the slower parts of the book.

Rating: A fun read especially when you get to the last third of the book