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The first adult novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series, Captive delivers a steamy, forbidden romance between sworn enemies drawn together by an irrepressible desire.
Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.
But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.
Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.
Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.
But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.
Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2013
23 people are currently reading
1662 people want to read
About the author
A.D. Robertson
6 books65 followersA.D. Robertson is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author. Prior to becoming a full-time novelist, Robertson was a professor of early modern history at Macalester College, giving her a background that informs her books' compelling blend of mythology, history, and lore. She grew up in northern Wisconsin and now lives in New York City.
A.D. Robertson is a pen name for Andrea Cremer, author of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series.
A.D. Robertson is a pen name for Andrea Cremer, author of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series.
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November 22, 2015
Witches and wolf-shifters, wars and prophecies, of such is the Nightshade world!
This first book in A.D. Robertson’s The Forbidden Side of Nightshade trilogy is set in her popular Young Adult Nightshade world, which she writes as Andrea Cremer. But, as the title suggests, Captive is a much more adult story - sensual, intriguing, and a bit on the dark side!
Cover Blurb
Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.My Review
But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.
Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.
When I was asked by the publisher to review this book I was a bit apprehensive. Truthfully, neither the Young Adult nor the Fantasy genre appeals to me much, and I wasn’t convinced that an adult spin-off of a series evolving from both would either. But this world Ms. Robertson has created is just so imaginative, just so exciting, that once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! Tristan and Sarah's forbidden love is so sensual, and the unfolding prophecy so compelling that Captive kept me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning and has me anxiously awaiting more.
Many thanks to Liza Cassity at Dutton Adult for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you're interested...
Purchase at Amazon: Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade
Purchase at Barnes and Noble: Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade
November 28, 2013
Initial reaction:
Non-existent worldbuilding.
Characters I couldn't give two cents about.
No plot. No real story.
Complete mismatch on genre labeling.
Juvenile conflicts.
Poor writing.
Why the everloving heck was this even published?
Full review:
I have 99 ways to write this review, but a ten page rant won't be one of them. However, I do bring snark (and some images), so fair warning.
I'll open the floor for discussion of this book with a openly-admitted bias: I've never read the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer. I've been interested in the series for ages, just never came around to it. Some of my friends and fellow readers really like this series, others did not - I was always on the fence about it. The series crossed my radar again when I heard a news story saying that the author planned to write an adult spinoff of her YA paranormal series. At first I didn't have the whole story, and I thought "Interesting idea, that could go well considering the fanbase could grow with the series."
But then I realized it would be an adult erotic spinoff.
Oh. Uhh. Hmm.
"Is that really such a good idea?"
"I hear it's not!"
"Do you really know?"
"I don't know!"
"Do you know?"
"Do you know...?"***
***shameless Revolutionary Girl Utena reference
On a serious note, it made me more curious as to how the author would build upon the world she'd established in the Nightshade series, apart from the controversy surrounding the announcement. Maybe have the story cross appeal in adult urban fantasy successfully with erotic touches.
Sadly, this was not what happened and NOT a good idea. Not even under a penname. This is actually the first time that reading a sequel series has actually turned me off ever reading the initial series it was based upon. If the poor, convoluted writing in this book is any indication, count me out.
"Captive" felt like a YA story - with thin development of conflict, juvenile presentations and depictions of character, and little to no worldbuilding - alongside graphic depictions of sexy times just thrown in willy nilly. The two leading characters, who are supposed to be 20 somethings, feel little more like characters who act like teenagers in some fated prophecy plot that makes no sense. You're kind of thrown into this story from the get go without any explanations as to what the terms mean, such as Guardians or Keepers, or what have you - and I'll admit I was very confused. Not to mention put off.
But that's far from the only offense this book had. Confusion can usually lead to clarity later on, so I followed it despite being completely lost.
I almost wonder if this was the plotline to some A.U. "Beauty in the Beast" fanfic where the heroine ends up getting captured after breaking into the Beast's castle to find out clues as to what's there. The Beast (who really isn't a beast, he's actually quite handsome and sexually able, supposedly) is a prisoner in his own castle for his own protection against "the Enemy". The Beast finds the heroine tied naked to his bed, offered up from her capture by a succubus and incubus, so that the Beast might proceed to rape her.
But the Beast - being the gentleman he is - does not rape her. He unties her, is attracted to her, tries to get to know her, but she's not having it.
But then the Beast's like "So, as long as you're my prisoner and I can't let you go or negotiate your release with the demons who actually work for me, I'll have you do some challenges to pass the time. Like find my favorite book out of a whole library stack that I give you no clues as to what they might be." (She ends up finding the favorite book in a place where she isn't supposed to be and he catches her in the act.)
Or "Partake in some swordfighting with me as another challenge and make an odd Princess Bride reference that I don't understand to pass the time."
Er...what?
As if that isn't confusing and odd enough, said heroine falls in love with her captor and they engage in sexy times! But the problem? She's a virgin. She knows she's a virgin, she even tried to lose her virginity near the beginning of the novel to some dude who's in her infiltrating party because, lo and behold, her infiltration of the castle of their sworn enemies might lead her to DIE and the heroine does not want to "die a virgin" (but she doesn't engage because she'd rather die "honest" than lose her virginity to someone she wasn't ready to give it too. I can respect her decision to keep her virginity, but I did not like the way this was portrayed at all.)
But the issue rears its head again when heroine reveals her virginity in the middle of said sexy times to the Beast, who storms out of the room.
Awkward times.
But they end up making up, but the succubus isn't happy about the Beast frolicking with the heroine, so she confronts heroine while heroine is self-pleasuring while thinking about the Beast. And that leads into some really awkward homoerotic subtext between the evil female succubus and the heroine.
And by awkward, I mean really awkward. Multiple occasions of awkward, where I think it's actually supposed to be evil clashes and moments of peril for the heroine.
Anyway, heroine realizes that the reason she's been called to infiltrate the castle in the first place (because this reason wasn't given from the get go - you have no idea why this group happens upon the castle - or chateau in the actual book - except to investigate it).
She's supposed to *free* the Beast. So she enlists the help of a servant girl and they proceed to jailbreak. They escape, and the heroine finds her group again, but the group realizes that the Beast is *the enemy* and capture him and servant girl, to detain them for suspicion.
But the heroine's like "Oh no, they might be a part of our sworn enemies but the servant girl's nice, and OMG - the prince is not evil at all - I LOVE him."
The beast gets confronted and confesses his love for the heroine too, and everything is magically okay, because it seems that according to some age old prophecy, their love child is supposed to be their group's saving grace, so the Beast gets freed. For now, they live happily ever after.
What do I think of this particular turn (and collection) of events?
Please spare yourselves.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Dutton Adult.
Non-existent worldbuilding.
Characters I couldn't give two cents about.
No plot. No real story.
Complete mismatch on genre labeling.
Juvenile conflicts.
Poor writing.
Why the everloving heck was this even published?
Full review:
I have 99 ways to write this review, but a ten page rant won't be one of them. However, I do bring snark (and some images), so fair warning.
I'll open the floor for discussion of this book with a openly-admitted bias: I've never read the Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer. I've been interested in the series for ages, just never came around to it. Some of my friends and fellow readers really like this series, others did not - I was always on the fence about it. The series crossed my radar again when I heard a news story saying that the author planned to write an adult spinoff of her YA paranormal series. At first I didn't have the whole story, and I thought "Interesting idea, that could go well considering the fanbase could grow with the series."
But then I realized it would be an adult erotic spinoff.
Oh. Uhh. Hmm.
"Is that really such a good idea?"
"I hear it's not!"
"Do you really know?"
"I don't know!"
"Do you know?"
"Do you know...?"***
***shameless Revolutionary Girl Utena reference
On a serious note, it made me more curious as to how the author would build upon the world she'd established in the Nightshade series, apart from the controversy surrounding the announcement. Maybe have the story cross appeal in adult urban fantasy successfully with erotic touches.
Sadly, this was not what happened and NOT a good idea. Not even under a penname. This is actually the first time that reading a sequel series has actually turned me off ever reading the initial series it was based upon. If the poor, convoluted writing in this book is any indication, count me out.
"Captive" felt like a YA story - with thin development of conflict, juvenile presentations and depictions of character, and little to no worldbuilding - alongside graphic depictions of sexy times just thrown in willy nilly. The two leading characters, who are supposed to be 20 somethings, feel little more like characters who act like teenagers in some fated prophecy plot that makes no sense. You're kind of thrown into this story from the get go without any explanations as to what the terms mean, such as Guardians or Keepers, or what have you - and I'll admit I was very confused. Not to mention put off.
But that's far from the only offense this book had. Confusion can usually lead to clarity later on, so I followed it despite being completely lost.
I almost wonder if this was the plotline to some A.U. "Beauty in the Beast" fanfic where the heroine ends up getting captured after breaking into the Beast's castle to find out clues as to what's there. The Beast (who really isn't a beast, he's actually quite handsome and sexually able, supposedly) is a prisoner in his own castle for his own protection against "the Enemy". The Beast finds the heroine tied naked to his bed, offered up from her capture by a succubus and incubus, so that the Beast might proceed to rape her.
But the Beast - being the gentleman he is - does not rape her. He unties her, is attracted to her, tries to get to know her, but she's not having it.
But then the Beast's like "So, as long as you're my prisoner and I can't let you go or negotiate your release with the demons who actually work for me, I'll have you do some challenges to pass the time. Like find my favorite book out of a whole library stack that I give you no clues as to what they might be." (She ends up finding the favorite book in a place where she isn't supposed to be and he catches her in the act.)
Or "Partake in some swordfighting with me as another challenge and make an odd Princess Bride reference that I don't understand to pass the time."
Er...what?
As if that isn't confusing and odd enough, said heroine falls in love with her captor and they engage in sexy times! But the problem? She's a virgin. She knows she's a virgin, she even tried to lose her virginity near the beginning of the novel to some dude who's in her infiltrating party because, lo and behold, her infiltration of the castle of their sworn enemies might lead her to DIE and the heroine does not want to "die a virgin" (but she doesn't engage because she'd rather die "honest" than lose her virginity to someone she wasn't ready to give it too. I can respect her decision to keep her virginity, but I did not like the way this was portrayed at all.)
But the issue rears its head again when heroine reveals her virginity in the middle of said sexy times to the Beast, who storms out of the room.
Awkward times.
But they end up making up, but the succubus isn't happy about the Beast frolicking with the heroine, so she confronts heroine while heroine is self-pleasuring while thinking about the Beast. And that leads into some really awkward homoerotic subtext between the evil female succubus and the heroine.
And by awkward, I mean really awkward. Multiple occasions of awkward, where I think it's actually supposed to be evil clashes and moments of peril for the heroine.
Anyway, heroine realizes that the reason she's been called to infiltrate the castle in the first place (because this reason wasn't given from the get go - you have no idea why this group happens upon the castle - or chateau in the actual book - except to investigate it).
She's supposed to *free* the Beast. So she enlists the help of a servant girl and they proceed to jailbreak. They escape, and the heroine finds her group again, but the group realizes that the Beast is *the enemy* and capture him and servant girl, to detain them for suspicion.
But the heroine's like "Oh no, they might be a part of our sworn enemies but the servant girl's nice, and OMG - the prince is not evil at all - I LOVE him."
The beast gets confronted and confesses his love for the heroine too, and everything is magically okay, because it seems that according to some age old prophecy, their love child is supposed to be their group's saving grace, so the Beast gets freed. For now, they live happily ever after.
What do I think of this particular turn (and collection) of events?
Please spare yourselves.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Dutton Adult.
October 6, 2013
Review featured on www.books-n-kisses.com
2.5 Stars Ok so here is the deal. I have no idea what Nightshade is and what it is all about. I’ve never heard of it so even though it has Nightshade in it’s title I didn’t realize it was referring to a series by someone else. So when I started this book I was lost. Totally completely lost. I have no idea who the characters are or what they do. There are a bunch of titles like Guardian, Arrow, Keepers, etc and it was just too much to try and comprehend.
I also could not get excited about Tristan. Honestly he seems like a wuss. Sarah is the one who wears the pants in this relationship and that just doesn’t work for me. And while I can see where the sex scenes are plenty I really am not sure I would say this is erotica. Based on the information that Nightshade is a YA series I can understand it being classified as Adult and not for YA readers but erotica? Nope.
Based on all that I tried to enjoy it. I just couldn’t.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 Stars Ok so here is the deal. I have no idea what Nightshade is and what it is all about. I’ve never heard of it so even though it has Nightshade in it’s title I didn’t realize it was referring to a series by someone else. So when I started this book I was lost. Totally completely lost. I have no idea who the characters are or what they do. There are a bunch of titles like Guardian, Arrow, Keepers, etc and it was just too much to try and comprehend.
I also could not get excited about Tristan. Honestly he seems like a wuss. Sarah is the one who wears the pants in this relationship and that just doesn’t work for me. And while I can see where the sex scenes are plenty I really am not sure I would say this is erotica. Based on the information that Nightshade is a YA series I can understand it being classified as Adult and not for YA readers but erotica? Nope.
Based on all that I tried to enjoy it. I just couldn’t.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2013
When I first heard about Captive I just knew I had to get my hands on it. Never mind that I don't usually read erotica, or even romance novels, but guys - this is a book set in our beloved Nightshade world! A book that explores what Andrea Cremer could not explore in her YA novels - the forbidden side of Nightshade! It's hot, steamy and gorgeously written - how could I possibly say no to that?!
Not to mention that I just love Andrea Cremer and her captivating writing style. Even if I'm not always entirely happy with the plot developments and/or the choices she makes for her characters (like the convoluted love triangles or the ending of Bloodrose). That being said, I am happy to report that I was not disappointed with Captive. In fact, this book exceeded all my expectations! From start to finish, this book is exceptionally well-written and intensely mesmerizing. Even though the main focus of the story is the romance between Sarah (the Searcher who finds herself imprisoned and at the mercy of her sworn enemies) and Tristan (the privileged and powerful Keeper), the thorough worldbuilding itself is enough to leave you breathless. We also learn more about the history of Searchers and Keepers, and the conflict between them, and we get to explore a darker, more passionate side of their natures.
Sarah and Tristan's love story was intense, swoon-worthy and sexy. The passages describing their passionate relationship had me blushing and in need of a cold shower. At the same time, Robertson was very tasteful and subtle in her descriptions, which I appreciated a lot. Their encounters were steamy and loaded with amazing chemistry, but the line between tasteful and cheap was never crossed, not even blurred.
Forbidden love, an old prophecy, shapeshifters, magic, betrayal and sacrifice - Captive has all that and more. The imagery is intricate and amazing, the chemistry between the characters - deliciously spine-tingling, and the plot line itself - well thought-out, exciting and emotionally engaging. Honestly, there isn't a thing I didn't love about this book. From the great characters to their complicated and tangled up fates, Captive is a fantastic novel full of passion, surprising twists and dramatic developments. I recommend this one to fans of the Nightshade series who would like to explore the more "adult" side of this gorgeous and magical world, and to fans of paranormal romance in general. And no, you don't have to be familiar with Cremer's Nightshade series to fully enjoy this one, Robertson does a great job introducing you to the Nightshade universe, and you learn new interesting things as you go deeper into the story. No matter how you slice it, it's just an awesome book to curl up with on a cold Fall/Winter evening - it'll definitely keep you warm.
Not to mention that I just love Andrea Cremer and her captivating writing style. Even if I'm not always entirely happy with the plot developments and/or the choices she makes for her characters (like the convoluted love triangles or the ending of Bloodrose). That being said, I am happy to report that I was not disappointed with Captive. In fact, this book exceeded all my expectations! From start to finish, this book is exceptionally well-written and intensely mesmerizing. Even though the main focus of the story is the romance between Sarah (the Searcher who finds herself imprisoned and at the mercy of her sworn enemies) and Tristan (the privileged and powerful Keeper), the thorough worldbuilding itself is enough to leave you breathless. We also learn more about the history of Searchers and Keepers, and the conflict between them, and we get to explore a darker, more passionate side of their natures.
Sarah and Tristan's love story was intense, swoon-worthy and sexy. The passages describing their passionate relationship had me blushing and in need of a cold shower. At the same time, Robertson was very tasteful and subtle in her descriptions, which I appreciated a lot. Their encounters were steamy and loaded with amazing chemistry, but the line between tasteful and cheap was never crossed, not even blurred.
Forbidden love, an old prophecy, shapeshifters, magic, betrayal and sacrifice - Captive has all that and more. The imagery is intricate and amazing, the chemistry between the characters - deliciously spine-tingling, and the plot line itself - well thought-out, exciting and emotionally engaging. Honestly, there isn't a thing I didn't love about this book. From the great characters to their complicated and tangled up fates, Captive is a fantastic novel full of passion, surprising twists and dramatic developments. I recommend this one to fans of the Nightshade series who would like to explore the more "adult" side of this gorgeous and magical world, and to fans of paranormal romance in general. And no, you don't have to be familiar with Cremer's Nightshade series to fully enjoy this one, Robertson does a great job introducing you to the Nightshade universe, and you learn new interesting things as you go deeper into the story. No matter how you slice it, it's just an awesome book to curl up with on a cold Fall/Winter evening - it'll definitely keep you warm.
December 30, 2015
Captive is the first installment in the Forbidden Side of Nightshade series written by author A.D. Robertson (pen name for Andrea Cremer). This is an adult spin-off of the young adult Nightshade series, but the timeframe is before Nightshade begins and before the Scion is born.
A searcher, Sarah, is captured while on a mission at the castle of a keeper, Tristan. In a nutshell: "Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign"...
As an adult reader of the young-adult Nightshade series, I enjoyed seeing the history of these two groups that I am quite familiar with. Also, witnessing the prophecy begin to take shape is a treat. I question whether or not readers who have not read the Nightshade series would appreciate this story enough to enjoy it. I would recommend Captive to adult readers, as the story really does focus more on the romance element with a large amount of sexual content. This book is not for young-adult fans.
Note: Although Captive is described as a captive/captor romance, this story does not fall in the dark genre. Tristan actually appears to be a captive himself in his own castle and the sexual interactions between Tristan and Sarah are consensual.
A searcher, Sarah, is captured while on a mission at the castle of a keeper, Tristan. In a nutshell: "Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign"...
As an adult reader of the young-adult Nightshade series, I enjoyed seeing the history of these two groups that I am quite familiar with. Also, witnessing the prophecy begin to take shape is a treat. I question whether or not readers who have not read the Nightshade series would appreciate this story enough to enjoy it. I would recommend Captive to adult readers, as the story really does focus more on the romance element with a large amount of sexual content. This book is not for young-adult fans.
Note: Although Captive is described as a captive/captor romance, this story does not fall in the dark genre. Tristan actually appears to be a captive himself in his own castle and the sexual interactions between Tristan and Sarah are consensual.
July 14, 2013
Personally I would classify this as New Adult versus erotica. While there are some very explicit sexy times - it was just some dirty talk. Nothing I haven't read a hundred times before in non erotica labeled books.
I was prepared not to like it, thinking it was going to just be a dirty version of the Nightshade world but the characters and story were very engaging.
I haven't read the Nightshade series, so even though there was a prologue and some recap, I was lost for awhile. The writing & pacing was a bit awkward at first but really hit it's stride when the two protagonists met. Alternating POV's gave added perspective.
Ironically, for an erotic book, it's the sexy times that are the weakest. They felt awkward at times at first (agin...Robertson/Cremer hit her stride with these scenes as well). Throwing out crass language that felt forced but once Tristan and Sarah's relationship beings to grow - it really is about more than sex and I enjoyed how it developed. They make a great team and the sex became more about a bond than how dirty can we make this scene.
The world building surrounding the Keepers, Searchers and Guardians was fascinating and my favorite part. I can't wait to see how this all develops as the series continues.
I was prepared not to like it, thinking it was going to just be a dirty version of the Nightshade world but the characters and story were very engaging.
I haven't read the Nightshade series, so even though there was a prologue and some recap, I was lost for awhile. The writing & pacing was a bit awkward at first but really hit it's stride when the two protagonists met. Alternating POV's gave added perspective.
Ironically, for an erotic book, it's the sexy times that are the weakest. They felt awkward at times at first (agin...Robertson/Cremer hit her stride with these scenes as well). Throwing out crass language that felt forced but once Tristan and Sarah's relationship beings to grow - it really is about more than sex and I enjoyed how it developed. They make a great team and the sex became more about a bond than how dirty can we make this scene.
The world building surrounding the Keepers, Searchers and Guardians was fascinating and my favorite part. I can't wait to see how this all develops as the series continues.
November 6, 2013
3.5 stars
GENRE: Romance
THEME: Paranormal, Mature
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
This was my first time stepping into the world of Nightshade as I haven’t had the chance to read the young adult series by Andrea Cremer aka A.D. Robertson. Luckily for readers like me I didn’t have any problem understand this world and Robertson did a great job with the history behind the Keepers and the Searchers without being overwhelming. However after reading this series I definitely want to read the young adult books now to get more background into this world.
Captive follows Sarah a searcher and descendant of Cian, who is sent on a dangerous mission to an enemy island to get some answers to a prophecy. Sarah knew this could cost her and when Guardians of the island capture her she is taken prisoner to their Master. To her surprise she comes face to face with the Keeper, Tristan, who is nothing like what the stories have said about his kind. The two discover that they are connected and yearning for something more, a way to stop the war that’s been go on for far too long.
Sarah is a tough but innocent young woman who goes after what she wants and mostly to prove herself to the Searchers. The readers don’t get much background about Sarah, but that she has a very protective best friend Anika and a crush on her fellow team member Jeremy. The readers do discover she has a good heart towards the many servants on the island she becomes prisoner on. She also discovers that not all stories about the Keepers are true and Tristan is extremely important to their enemy’s leader Bosque.
Tristan has his life already planned out for him, as a direct descendant of Eira he must keep the lineage going. Sadly for him the Keepers leader Bosque Mar has kept him alone with only servants and people he chooses for him. But once he meets Sarah he becomes fascinated with her, her life, and the freedom she has had. He learns from her and realizes that he wants a life that he chooses and not chosen for him. Sarah and Tristan have so much chemistry and their spark is shown right in their first meeting. I enjoyed their banter, innocents and compassion that they share together.
Overall this was a great beginning, I liked the back-story and how the Searchers prophecy connected all the pieces together for both protagonists. The romance was the key focus of the whole plot, highlighting that the two of them meeting is only the beginning, which I assume connects to the young adult series. The villain Bosque is someone who is seriously dangerous, creepy and I can’t wait to see what he does next. This is most defiantly an adult novel with sexual content and steamy scenes. I did enjoy Sarah and Tristan’s chemistry, but I felt it was fairly quick and I wish there were a few more challenges before they got together. The ending was also a bit rushed as well, there is a lot of pieces still left to cover that could have been added to the end. I’m hoping for some answers in the next book. In the end I look forward to continuing this series and can’t wait to see how Sarah and Tristan handle their new paths.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel that contains sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of Boone Bruxs' Bringer and the Bane series and Claire Ashgroves The Curse of the Templars series will enjoy Captive by A.D. Robertson.
GENRE: Romance
THEME: Paranormal, Mature
RECEIVED: Publisher
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
This was my first time stepping into the world of Nightshade as I haven’t had the chance to read the young adult series by Andrea Cremer aka A.D. Robertson. Luckily for readers like me I didn’t have any problem understand this world and Robertson did a great job with the history behind the Keepers and the Searchers without being overwhelming. However after reading this series I definitely want to read the young adult books now to get more background into this world.
Captive follows Sarah a searcher and descendant of Cian, who is sent on a dangerous mission to an enemy island to get some answers to a prophecy. Sarah knew this could cost her and when Guardians of the island capture her she is taken prisoner to their Master. To her surprise she comes face to face with the Keeper, Tristan, who is nothing like what the stories have said about his kind. The two discover that they are connected and yearning for something more, a way to stop the war that’s been go on for far too long.
Sarah is a tough but innocent young woman who goes after what she wants and mostly to prove herself to the Searchers. The readers don’t get much background about Sarah, but that she has a very protective best friend Anika and a crush on her fellow team member Jeremy. The readers do discover she has a good heart towards the many servants on the island she becomes prisoner on. She also discovers that not all stories about the Keepers are true and Tristan is extremely important to their enemy’s leader Bosque.
Tristan has his life already planned out for him, as a direct descendant of Eira he must keep the lineage going. Sadly for him the Keepers leader Bosque Mar has kept him alone with only servants and people he chooses for him. But once he meets Sarah he becomes fascinated with her, her life, and the freedom she has had. He learns from her and realizes that he wants a life that he chooses and not chosen for him. Sarah and Tristan have so much chemistry and their spark is shown right in their first meeting. I enjoyed their banter, innocents and compassion that they share together.
Overall this was a great beginning, I liked the back-story and how the Searchers prophecy connected all the pieces together for both protagonists. The romance was the key focus of the whole plot, highlighting that the two of them meeting is only the beginning, which I assume connects to the young adult series. The villain Bosque is someone who is seriously dangerous, creepy and I can’t wait to see what he does next. This is most defiantly an adult novel with sexual content and steamy scenes. I did enjoy Sarah and Tristan’s chemistry, but I felt it was fairly quick and I wish there were a few more challenges before they got together. The ending was also a bit rushed as well, there is a lot of pieces still left to cover that could have been added to the end. I’m hoping for some answers in the next book. In the end I look forward to continuing this series and can’t wait to see how Sarah and Tristan handle their new paths.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel that contains sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of Boone Bruxs' Bringer and the Bane series and Claire Ashgroves The Curse of the Templars series will enjoy Captive by A.D. Robertson.
February 9, 2015
Read more reviews like this at http://lovelybooksblog.blogspot.com!
Having read quite a few novels by Andrea Cremer, and really enjoying them, I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked to review Captive. Presented as a more erotic side of the Nightshade series (so scandalous that Cremer had to go by another name!) I was expecting a romance heavy plot with a little bit of action thrown in here and there. While I definitely wouldn’t classify this novel as erotica the romance scenes had just the right amount of steam and I was pleased to find that Captive had a much stronger plot than just the romance between Sarah and Tristan.
My favorite part of the novel was the development of the conflict between the Searchers and Keepers. Robertson included a great prologue to the novel that refreshed my memory to the origins of the war and also gave new readers a strong sense of what started the war and what each side was fighting for. Bosuqe Mar played an interesting role in the novel and it was fascinating to see his character from another perspective, however the true villains of the novel were Lana and Owen. A succubus and incubus respectively Robertson created characters that were so evil that it was impossible not to hate them, especially after the dungeon scene. In a way I loved Lana, with her snarky attitude and cruel personality she was an amazing villain; Robertson did a fantastic job writing her character, she was easy to hate and that’s what made her such a wonderful addition to the novel.
Sarah was a great main character to read about. I loved her interactions with the other characters in the novel and I absolutely loved watching her fall in love with Tristan. Their romance moved quickly once it started, however I could truly feel the connection between them and though their first interactions seem to be based more off lust than affection watching them fall in love was half the fun of the story. Tristan’s role as a Keeper was fascinating and I would have loved to know more about his back story and what kind of powers her really possesses underneath his naive and sheltered nature. The end of the novel only gives us a little peek into what Tristan is capable of and I can’t wait to find out more about him and his abilities.
The only complaint I had with the novel was the lack of significant plot developments. The novel is extremely fun to read and does have a stronger plot than I expected, but throughout the novel I was waiting for a turning point or major conflict in the war between Searchers and Keepers. Though the ending presents the possibility of a sequel building off the events of this novel, and then eventually turning into a huge conflict between the two sides I still wish there had been some stronger strides toward the conflict. Nonetheless Captive is firstly a romance novel, and a great one at that, so the lack of plot development didn’t turn me off to the novel, I just wished there was a little more of it.
Captive absolutely blew me away, with a romance that will make you tingle down to your toes and a cast of beautifully developed characters this novel is a keeper. I can’t wait to read more novels set in the Nightshade world and see where Robertson goes next!
Having read quite a few novels by Andrea Cremer, and really enjoying them, I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked to review Captive. Presented as a more erotic side of the Nightshade series (so scandalous that Cremer had to go by another name!) I was expecting a romance heavy plot with a little bit of action thrown in here and there. While I definitely wouldn’t classify this novel as erotica the romance scenes had just the right amount of steam and I was pleased to find that Captive had a much stronger plot than just the romance between Sarah and Tristan.
My favorite part of the novel was the development of the conflict between the Searchers and Keepers. Robertson included a great prologue to the novel that refreshed my memory to the origins of the war and also gave new readers a strong sense of what started the war and what each side was fighting for. Bosuqe Mar played an interesting role in the novel and it was fascinating to see his character from another perspective, however the true villains of the novel were Lana and Owen. A succubus and incubus respectively Robertson created characters that were so evil that it was impossible not to hate them, especially after the dungeon scene. In a way I loved Lana, with her snarky attitude and cruel personality she was an amazing villain; Robertson did a fantastic job writing her character, she was easy to hate and that’s what made her such a wonderful addition to the novel.
Sarah was a great main character to read about. I loved her interactions with the other characters in the novel and I absolutely loved watching her fall in love with Tristan. Their romance moved quickly once it started, however I could truly feel the connection between them and though their first interactions seem to be based more off lust than affection watching them fall in love was half the fun of the story. Tristan’s role as a Keeper was fascinating and I would have loved to know more about his back story and what kind of powers her really possesses underneath his naive and sheltered nature. The end of the novel only gives us a little peek into what Tristan is capable of and I can’t wait to find out more about him and his abilities.
The only complaint I had with the novel was the lack of significant plot developments. The novel is extremely fun to read and does have a stronger plot than I expected, but throughout the novel I was waiting for a turning point or major conflict in the war between Searchers and Keepers. Though the ending presents the possibility of a sequel building off the events of this novel, and then eventually turning into a huge conflict between the two sides I still wish there had been some stronger strides toward the conflict. Nonetheless Captive is firstly a romance novel, and a great one at that, so the lack of plot development didn’t turn me off to the novel, I just wished there was a little more of it.
Captive absolutely blew me away, with a romance that will make you tingle down to your toes and a cast of beautifully developed characters this novel is a keeper. I can’t wait to read more novels set in the Nightshade world and see where Robertson goes next!
January 13, 2014
Check out this review on my blog! --> Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade by A.D. Robertson
Ok, so I definitely think this is my favorite Nightshade book! Not just because of the VERY smexy times, but because the characters, who happened to be Shay’s parents, were so great.
Captive is a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy, but it takes place after Rift and Rise. You DO NOT need to have read any of the books in those series to enjoy Captive as it stands very well on its own, but it does include characters that are in those books too, which is kind of cool.
Like I mentioned, the main characters in Captive are Shay’s parents. It’s the story of how they met and fell in love and let me tell you, it is not a conventional love story. I probably had forgotten this, but Shay’s parents were technically enemies. Sarah is a Searcher and Tristan is a Keeper. I loved both of them from the start, but Tristan seriously stole my heart. And, oh MAN, was he sexy!!
I’ll remind you that this is technically a love story, but it’s an erotic one! So be prepared! I think Andrea did a great job in writing these erotic scenes. They were steamy and sexy, but not overly graphic in a gross way. You know what I’m talking about…
So I like that the title of this book not only refers to Sarah’s current situation, but also Tristan’s life. They’re both trapped on this island in their own respective ways. I loved the pacing of this story and the way Andrea made sure not to rush their relationship. Most of the action does happen in the second half of this book, but I was never bored, which is a good thing.
Whether you’re an existing fan of her writing or new to it, I can guarantee you’ll find Captive plenty enjoyable.
Ok, so I definitely think this is my favorite Nightshade book! Not just because of the VERY smexy times, but because the characters, who happened to be Shay’s parents, were so great.
Captive is a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy, but it takes place after Rift and Rise. You DO NOT need to have read any of the books in those series to enjoy Captive as it stands very well on its own, but it does include characters that are in those books too, which is kind of cool.
Like I mentioned, the main characters in Captive are Shay’s parents. It’s the story of how they met and fell in love and let me tell you, it is not a conventional love story. I probably had forgotten this, but Shay’s parents were technically enemies. Sarah is a Searcher and Tristan is a Keeper. I loved both of them from the start, but Tristan seriously stole my heart. And, oh MAN, was he sexy!!
I’ll remind you that this is technically a love story, but it’s an erotic one! So be prepared! I think Andrea did a great job in writing these erotic scenes. They were steamy and sexy, but not overly graphic in a gross way. You know what I’m talking about…
So I like that the title of this book not only refers to Sarah’s current situation, but also Tristan’s life. They’re both trapped on this island in their own respective ways. I loved the pacing of this story and the way Andrea made sure not to rush their relationship. Most of the action does happen in the second half of this book, but I was never bored, which is a good thing.
Whether you’re an existing fan of her writing or new to it, I can guarantee you’ll find Captive plenty enjoyable.
October 22, 2013
3 to 3.5 stars
This is the first book in A.D. Robertson's "adult" series set in the Nightshade world — hint, hint: A.D. Robertson is the pen name for Andrea Cremer — and thus deals with some more adult situations in the bedroom (or bath chambers). Since this is almost a transition book from YA to NA, there are elements of both in Captive. On one hand we have the sweet but stunning Tristan, who is a Keeper, and he falls head over heels for Sarah. But on the other hand, many of the situations are still approached in a YA way rather than a true adult PR. Fans of the Nightshade world will enjoy seeing this side (if they're old enough), and for readers who have never read the Nightshade books, there's enough back story in the prologue to get you up to speed so you can enjoy it as a stand-alone.
Sarah is a member of the Seekers, who want to topple the Keepers and, more important, the evil man who started it all, the Bosque Mar. Tristan is one of the Bosque Mar's Keepers, who are able to bring down dark magic. There's a ton of plot at first, to get the star-crossed lovers to meet, and then it all settles down about a third of the way into the book into a pure romance between two young people. I think I'll definitely be interested in reading the next two adult books in the Forbidden Side of Nightshade, and hope that the next will have more action. Romance readers who like the spice of danger, shifters and a bit of Stockholm Syndrome will love the slow trust building between the two.
To see more recs check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
This is the first book in A.D. Robertson's "adult" series set in the Nightshade world — hint, hint: A.D. Robertson is the pen name for Andrea Cremer — and thus deals with some more adult situations in the bedroom (or bath chambers). Since this is almost a transition book from YA to NA, there are elements of both in Captive. On one hand we have the sweet but stunning Tristan, who is a Keeper, and he falls head over heels for Sarah. But on the other hand, many of the situations are still approached in a YA way rather than a true adult PR. Fans of the Nightshade world will enjoy seeing this side (if they're old enough), and for readers who have never read the Nightshade books, there's enough back story in the prologue to get you up to speed so you can enjoy it as a stand-alone.
Sarah is a member of the Seekers, who want to topple the Keepers and, more important, the evil man who started it all, the Bosque Mar. Tristan is one of the Bosque Mar's Keepers, who are able to bring down dark magic. There's a ton of plot at first, to get the star-crossed lovers to meet, and then it all settles down about a third of the way into the book into a pure romance between two young people. I think I'll definitely be interested in reading the next two adult books in the Forbidden Side of Nightshade, and hope that the next will have more action. Romance readers who like the spice of danger, shifters and a bit of Stockholm Syndrome will love the slow trust building between the two.
To see more recs check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
November 7, 2013
The first novel in the Forbidden Side of Nightshade is an intriguing and steamy tale of magic and an unlikely romance between two sworn enemies in the centuries old witches’ war.
Sarah accepts an assignment to investigate a remote castle on a small island to see what the Keepers are hiding there. Tristan is a powerful Keeper that has been protected because of his bloodline on the island for most of his life. When Sarah is captured, the two find themselves drawn to each other and embark on a romance that invites their doom.
The author has created a very hot and steamy world with dark witches and shapeshifting guardians. The romance builds at a slow and even pace throughout the story that creates lots of tension and suspense between Sarah and Tristan. The sex scenes are well written and hot enough to set the pages on fire and with the added tension of them being enemies, the romance alone is enough to keep the reader engaged.
The author uses vivid details and lots of intensity to draw the reader into the story and keeps them entertained from beginning to end. All the characters are compelling with strong personalities and the plot flows smoothly with lots of intrigue.
I love the youth adult Nightshade series and I was a little worried about how good this book would be, but I was very impressed with the way the author brought this version together while staying true to the original story. I also liked that the author gives us more insight into the beginnings of the Nightshade world and brings new characters to life. I can’t wait to read the next two books in this trilogy.
Sarah accepts an assignment to investigate a remote castle on a small island to see what the Keepers are hiding there. Tristan is a powerful Keeper that has been protected because of his bloodline on the island for most of his life. When Sarah is captured, the two find themselves drawn to each other and embark on a romance that invites their doom.
The author has created a very hot and steamy world with dark witches and shapeshifting guardians. The romance builds at a slow and even pace throughout the story that creates lots of tension and suspense between Sarah and Tristan. The sex scenes are well written and hot enough to set the pages on fire and with the added tension of them being enemies, the romance alone is enough to keep the reader engaged.
The author uses vivid details and lots of intensity to draw the reader into the story and keeps them entertained from beginning to end. All the characters are compelling with strong personalities and the plot flows smoothly with lots of intrigue.
I love the youth adult Nightshade series and I was a little worried about how good this book would be, but I was very impressed with the way the author brought this version together while staying true to the original story. I also liked that the author gives us more insight into the beginnings of the Nightshade world and brings new characters to life. I can’t wait to read the next two books in this trilogy.
February 24, 2015
If I rated this on my reading experience alone, it would get 1 star. If I rated this, however, based on how it fares and compares to other novels in the romance genre, it would get 2 stars. Therefore, I'm going with 1.5 stars overall.
Nothing too original here - typical paranormal romance
As an adult reader of Andrea Cremer's young adult Nightshade series, I was curious to pick up this adult novel set in the same world and written under a pen name. Unfortunately, other than the background of her supernatural world, I didn't find anything more original or entertaining than a typical romance or light erotica novel: our characters fall into lust and love over the course of a mere few days, despite all of the reasons not to do so, and the the supposedly strong heroine starts falling to pieces once trials with her new lover arise. Compared to what I've read in the rest of the paranormal romance genre, it's not bad, but there's nothing here to make it stand out above the rest. Also, for those who have not read the author's other novels, much of the world building and setting may not make sense.
Note: This reviews refers to an advance review copy.
November 29, 2013
‘Captive’ is the first book in the “Forbidden Side of Nightshade” series. I’d only ever read ‘Nightshade’ in the YA series, which was very good. In ‘Captive’ I enjoyed exploring the steamier and darker side to the war between Keepers and Searchers. Sarah, a Searcher, is on a mission to find out what the Keepers are hiding on an Irish Isle. She’s captured and becomes the prisoner of Tristan, a very special Keeper – a direct descendant of the first Keeper. Yet Tristan and Sarah have a lot more in common and a lot of fiery passion between them than they first want to admit. As they grow closer, it grows ever more dangerous for them both, but they can’t fight the attraction. The world they inhabit is so richly detailed it’s sometimes hard to remember this is set in modern times, which can be jolting. The intense heat, the intriguing fantasy, and the great characters combine in ‘Captive’ to make for a captivating read!
August 20, 2013
Reviewed for RT Book Reviews October 2013 issue: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/captive-7
This was probably the most difficult review I've ever written for RT. If the publisher weren't marketing this as erotic romance and was instead categorized it as paranormal? My review might have been different. This is just NOT an erotic romance. At all.
This was probably the most difficult review I've ever written for RT. If the publisher weren't marketing this as erotic romance and was instead categorized it as paranormal? My review might have been different. This is just NOT an erotic romance. At all.
August 30, 2023
This was fine, I guess. I strongly dislike insta-love, so that kind of ruined the whole experience for me. I also really disliked some of the more "risqué" words that the author chose to use. They totally took me out of the moment and usually caused me to laugh in disbelief. Some of my favorites were seed, sheath, and folds. For those of you who love that, I'm happy for you, but it was very much not my thing. This was my first foray into smut (and I won't let it be my last), but I have to say that I was disappointed. If all smut is like this, then I'm not sure I get the hype! But I may have just had a bad experience, so I'm open to more trial and error. The only really "sexy" scene to me involved two women, so 😅 maybe that says more about me than the book. Anyway, aside from the fiasco that was the smutty scenes, I felt that the plot of this book was contrived, and I did not need another story of Stockholm Syndrome. I didn't really like the characters, and I found myself bored most of the time. I probably wouldn't recommend this book, and the only reason that the rating is this high is that I appreciated the mythological aspects of the story (wraiths, incubi, succubi, etc.).
3/5 stars
3/5 stars
July 30, 2021
Method: hardcover
Rating: 2/5 stars
H rating: 3/5 - Tristan
h rating: 3/5 - Sarah
Drama: 4/5
Thoughts: Too hectic, I was lost 90% of the time, read more YA than adult.
November 18, 2020
Nothing happened till 80% in. A weird mix between modern and medieval world. I don’t mind instalove, but the characters fell in love within two days which was annoying. The full prophecy was never said, not sure if that’s to leave us curious for the next book.
November 13, 2017
It's a sexy prequel to a YA series i read years ago.
July 22, 2019
I couldn't get past about 10 pages.
January 6, 2021
This was a fun story! I enjoyed seeing how Tristan and Sarah fell in love. I look forward to more Nightshade
Read
February 2, 2023I very much enjoyed this novel it was a good pace and good relationship between plot descriptions and romance. It was good as a connection to the series or a stand alone novel would be ok too.
September 24, 2014
I was excited to read this book when I found out Robertson had written it. I loved the Nightshade series and really wanted to see what the sexier side of this life would bring. I was not disappointed.
Blurb from Goodreads:
The first adult novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series, Captive delivers a steamy, forbidden romance between sworn enemies drawn together by an irrepressible desire.
Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.
But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.
Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.
I have to say that this story was quite captivating. I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had recently read Snakeroot and wasn't as impressed by it as I was by the Nightshade trilogy. But this book turned out to be surprisingly good. I love how the story ties in to the Nightshade trilogy. I have to say it might be a bit hard to write this review without giving things away, so I will be brief.
I have to say that I loved how the book dove right into the story of Tristan and Sarah. You get just a bit of background in the first few chapters, but then Sarah is off on a mission where she suddenly, and unexpectedly, finds herself a prisoner. You can only imagine how things unfold from there.
Sarah is a kick butt character. That girl can hold her own. She's snarky, sexy, smart, capable, and so independent. She doesn't scare easily, an important part of being a searcher, I would think. I wish I had a bit more of a history of Sarah, which will perhaps get in future books that tie in to this part of the series. I'd love to know where she came from and how she became a searcher.
Tristan: smart, sexy, devilishly handsome, strong, powerful and in control. That is until he meets Sarah and she pretty much turns his world up-side-down. A keeper, sent to an island where he is basically alone, except for his guardians for which he has keep, a few servants, and an Incubus and Succubus. He definitely won me over to the keeper side. While most of the time I would get angry with them in the Nightshade series, I was strangely attracted to his life and his power. And I felt sad for him that he was so alone. I love his character development in this book. We see him go from captive Keeper to someone who wants more than just to rule over a bunch of wolves.
Of course Bosque Mar makes his appearance in this book. He is just as evil as he appears in the other books in this series. Just the thought of him brings me shivers.
This book is definitely mature. There is a lot of sex and innuendos that happen. I think it all leant a great deal to the book. But there is that insta-love that I don't necessarily enjoy for the most part. I think with books such as this, that often happens, though. And what's even more interesting is how enemies seem to bond in this book, making it for an interesting mix of suspense. I went into the book thinking it would be all about the sex, but the story is rather engaging and interesting (especially if you are a fan of the series).
Cremer has a great writing style. There's nothing boring about her descriptions. I do think that if you have not read the other books in this series (at least the original Nightshade series) you will not understand the world. You definitely need hat background to help you to understand the relationships between the Keepers and the Searchers.
There is a definite connection to the Scion that is introduced in the Nightshade series. Again, you need this background or you will be confused. I didn't initially connect the dots to figure it all out, but about half way through the book I realized where it was going. It didn't deter me from finishing at all. And I ended up truly enjoying Sarah and Tristan's story.
Readers who enjoyed Cremer's Nightshade series will enjoy this book, but it is definitely intended for a more mature audience and I would not recommend it for anyone under 18.
Blurb from Goodreads:
The first adult novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series, Captive delivers a steamy, forbidden romance between sworn enemies drawn together by an irrepressible desire.
Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.
But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.
Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.
I have to say that this story was quite captivating. I wasn't sure if I would like it. I had recently read Snakeroot and wasn't as impressed by it as I was by the Nightshade trilogy. But this book turned out to be surprisingly good. I love how the story ties in to the Nightshade trilogy. I have to say it might be a bit hard to write this review without giving things away, so I will be brief.
I have to say that I loved how the book dove right into the story of Tristan and Sarah. You get just a bit of background in the first few chapters, but then Sarah is off on a mission where she suddenly, and unexpectedly, finds herself a prisoner. You can only imagine how things unfold from there.
Sarah is a kick butt character. That girl can hold her own. She's snarky, sexy, smart, capable, and so independent. She doesn't scare easily, an important part of being a searcher, I would think. I wish I had a bit more of a history of Sarah, which will perhaps get in future books that tie in to this part of the series. I'd love to know where she came from and how she became a searcher.
Tristan: smart, sexy, devilishly handsome, strong, powerful and in control. That is until he meets Sarah and she pretty much turns his world up-side-down. A keeper, sent to an island where he is basically alone, except for his guardians for which he has keep, a few servants, and an Incubus and Succubus. He definitely won me over to the keeper side. While most of the time I would get angry with them in the Nightshade series, I was strangely attracted to his life and his power. And I felt sad for him that he was so alone. I love his character development in this book. We see him go from captive Keeper to someone who wants more than just to rule over a bunch of wolves.
Of course Bosque Mar makes his appearance in this book. He is just as evil as he appears in the other books in this series. Just the thought of him brings me shivers.
This book is definitely mature. There is a lot of sex and innuendos that happen. I think it all leant a great deal to the book. But there is that insta-love that I don't necessarily enjoy for the most part. I think with books such as this, that often happens, though. And what's even more interesting is how enemies seem to bond in this book, making it for an interesting mix of suspense. I went into the book thinking it would be all about the sex, but the story is rather engaging and interesting (especially if you are a fan of the series).
Cremer has a great writing style. There's nothing boring about her descriptions. I do think that if you have not read the other books in this series (at least the original Nightshade series) you will not understand the world. You definitely need hat background to help you to understand the relationships between the Keepers and the Searchers.
There is a definite connection to the Scion that is introduced in the Nightshade series. Again, you need this background or you will be confused. I didn't initially connect the dots to figure it all out, but about half way through the book I realized where it was going. It didn't deter me from finishing at all. And I ended up truly enjoying Sarah and Tristan's story.
Readers who enjoyed Cremer's Nightshade series will enjoy this book, but it is definitely intended for a more mature audience and I would not recommend it for anyone under 18.
October 22, 2013
A.D. Robertson is the pen-name for highly acclaimed author Andrea Cremer. The Forbidden Side of Nightshade is a spin-off series that will feature three adult themed books from the Nightshade world, made famous in Cremer's young adult Nightshade series. This is a novel that adult fans of the series will love. It features the world they have grown to love in the YA series, while adding to the back story and bringing to the forefront new and amazing characters. Robertson instills this novel with dark sensuality and takes the reader on a journey into the lives of two very different captives.
I have to admit, when I found out this book was coming out, I was extremely excited. I don't read a lot of YA fiction but once in awhile something intriguing comes along and that's how I felt about the Nightshade series. Andrea Cremer created a world of dark magic witches and wolf guardians, as well as, a human element in the Searches that was captivating and gripping. That world is still evolving and is richly developed in this spin-off series. Captive is a book that will resonate with adult fans of the Nightshade series, while also creating a whole new audience for this expressive and sensual world.
Tristan has lived in the Irish castle of Tierney for his entire life. Sheltered, secluded and protected. It is a life of privilege and wealth, but it is essentially a prison. Bosque Mar keeps a tight reign on Tristan and anyone he comes in contact with. His blood line is too precious to risk in the age old war between the Searchers and the Keepers, but more importantly an ancient prophecy has foretold that the world of Keepers will one day be destroyed. Tristan's destiny lies in the prophecy and with a young human Searcher named Sarah. The premise of the book alone is pretty amazing. Robertson takes the tales and prophecies from Nightshade and gives them a more detailed explanation. We find out how the prophecy will affect Tristan and Sarah as well as the characters in the YA novels and that was really exciting.
I liked the fact that Robertson does not shy away from the adult nature of this romance. Tristan and Sarah meet in a very unusual way, if you call finding a naked woman chained to your bed out of the ordinary. From the first time they meet each other there is something palpable between them. A tension or a spark that given time becomes a smoldering longing that neither can deny. I loved the romance between them. It was based on respect and trust and the things that make this kind of love amazing. Tristan is just as much a captive as Sarah is and it takes the both of them to set each other free in more ways than one.
The characterizations were deep and full of surprises. I did't expect to like Tristan because I thought it would be arrogant and self-centered but that's not how Robertson wrote him at all. Sarah is strong and determined and very skillful with weapons and warfare. While Tristan is refined and educated. Opposites certainly attract and the romance has that forbidden quality because Tristan and Sarah are basically mortal enemies. Robertson made them come alive through poignant dialogue and sizzling scenes that fit the story and were not thrown in for show.
I really enjoyed this novel and I'm looking forward to seeing what else readers will get to discover about the Nightshade world. This book can be read as a stand alone easy enough, but I think reading the YA series will help the reader understand why certain things are important. Both are excellent series' written by a very talented author. Captive is strong in premise and in characterization. It is definitely an adult novel and not suitable for young readers. But let's face it. It's nice to read a good book, that isn't meant for a teen audience once in a while. Adults tend to crave adult themes and situations and I thought having this companion series was a wonderful idea. It gives satisfaction to those desires, while still being set in a very seductive and creative world. An excellent start to what looks to be an exciting and vibrant spin off series.
I have to admit, when I found out this book was coming out, I was extremely excited. I don't read a lot of YA fiction but once in awhile something intriguing comes along and that's how I felt about the Nightshade series. Andrea Cremer created a world of dark magic witches and wolf guardians, as well as, a human element in the Searches that was captivating and gripping. That world is still evolving and is richly developed in this spin-off series. Captive is a book that will resonate with adult fans of the Nightshade series, while also creating a whole new audience for this expressive and sensual world.
Tristan has lived in the Irish castle of Tierney for his entire life. Sheltered, secluded and protected. It is a life of privilege and wealth, but it is essentially a prison. Bosque Mar keeps a tight reign on Tristan and anyone he comes in contact with. His blood line is too precious to risk in the age old war between the Searchers and the Keepers, but more importantly an ancient prophecy has foretold that the world of Keepers will one day be destroyed. Tristan's destiny lies in the prophecy and with a young human Searcher named Sarah. The premise of the book alone is pretty amazing. Robertson takes the tales and prophecies from Nightshade and gives them a more detailed explanation. We find out how the prophecy will affect Tristan and Sarah as well as the characters in the YA novels and that was really exciting.
I liked the fact that Robertson does not shy away from the adult nature of this romance. Tristan and Sarah meet in a very unusual way, if you call finding a naked woman chained to your bed out of the ordinary. From the first time they meet each other there is something palpable between them. A tension or a spark that given time becomes a smoldering longing that neither can deny. I loved the romance between them. It was based on respect and trust and the things that make this kind of love amazing. Tristan is just as much a captive as Sarah is and it takes the both of them to set each other free in more ways than one.
The characterizations were deep and full of surprises. I did't expect to like Tristan because I thought it would be arrogant and self-centered but that's not how Robertson wrote him at all. Sarah is strong and determined and very skillful with weapons and warfare. While Tristan is refined and educated. Opposites certainly attract and the romance has that forbidden quality because Tristan and Sarah are basically mortal enemies. Robertson made them come alive through poignant dialogue and sizzling scenes that fit the story and were not thrown in for show.
I really enjoyed this novel and I'm looking forward to seeing what else readers will get to discover about the Nightshade world. This book can be read as a stand alone easy enough, but I think reading the YA series will help the reader understand why certain things are important. Both are excellent series' written by a very talented author. Captive is strong in premise and in characterization. It is definitely an adult novel and not suitable for young readers. But let's face it. It's nice to read a good book, that isn't meant for a teen audience once in a while. Adults tend to crave adult themes and situations and I thought having this companion series was a wonderful idea. It gives satisfaction to those desires, while still being set in a very seductive and creative world. An excellent start to what looks to be an exciting and vibrant spin off series.
June 11, 2015
3.5 stars - review to comeSarah, a Searcher, is on a mission to learn more about a secret castle in Ireland where the enemy is. It's a reconnaissance mission and she knows she might not get out alive. The Searchers have been fighting against the Keepers, witches who use dark magic, for years and they need more information about the what secrets the castle holds. Tristan, a noble born Keeper, lives there with along with his servants and guards. Once she scales the fortress walls, she is caught by an incubus who imprisons her for Tristan to interrogate. Tristan who is so tragically lonely on the island (he isn't allowed to leave) is intrigued by his prisoner and decides to treat her more as a guest. He hopes to learn more about her and her mission this way, plus he can't deny the fact that he is interested in her. Sparks ignite between Sarah and Tristan even though they are supposed to be enemies; their relationship ends up leaving them questioning how much are they willing to risk for each other and for love. A.D. Robertson's (Andrea Cremer) Captive is a captivating, racy adult tale set in the world of Nightshade, Cremer's bestselling young adult paranormal series.
Sarah is such a fun heroine in Captive. She's gutsy, strong, and the kind of girl I love to read about. She is initially freaked out by the fact that Tristan has made her prisoner and as they get to know each other better, she realizes that he is more than just a wealthy Keeper. Tristan is the opposite of Sarah, but opposites definitely attract in this story. Their relationship was hot; sparks definitely fly between the two of them. Their relationship was one of the best parts of Captive. I mean who doesn't love a forbidden romance?
I have never read a romance novel before, unless you count steamy parts in "New Adult" books, so this was uncharted territory for me. I've been trying to branch out and I absolutely love the Nightshade series, so I thought I would give Captive a try. It went much better than I thought. At first I was completely turned off by a few of the clichés that sometimes show up when you read a romance novel, but much like Nightshade, Robertson's writing and her characters sucked me in. Robertson (Cremer) is such an awesome writer. She really pulls a reader in and even though there were a lot of steamy parts to Captive, some of which were very good and some that made me roll my eyes due to the cheesy factor, nothing trumped the fact that I cared about Tristan and Sarah. I wanted them to be together despite their backgrounds and the fact that they are supposed to be enemies.
I loved the setting of the Gothic castle in Ireland. It felt very old-world and very much like a fairy tale, but at the same time the characters and situations felt modern in Captive. I love the paranormal world of Nightshade, so I was completely enthralled with the whole setting, the magical war, the forbidden love, and the secrets which slowly unfold.
You don't have to have read Nightshade to read Captive, but fans of the series can appreciate things a bit more if you have read it and are familiar with the world. So, with that said, adult fans of the Nightshade series that like the romance genre, should definitely check out this new sexy series. Being a newbie to the romance genre, I think I am still blushing from certain scenes in this book! Cremer really knows how to bring the sexytimes...that is for sure!
Sarah is such a fun heroine in Captive. She's gutsy, strong, and the kind of girl I love to read about. She is initially freaked out by the fact that Tristan has made her prisoner and as they get to know each other better, she realizes that he is more than just a wealthy Keeper. Tristan is the opposite of Sarah, but opposites definitely attract in this story. Their relationship was hot; sparks definitely fly between the two of them. Their relationship was one of the best parts of Captive. I mean who doesn't love a forbidden romance?
I have never read a romance novel before, unless you count steamy parts in "New Adult" books, so this was uncharted territory for me. I've been trying to branch out and I absolutely love the Nightshade series, so I thought I would give Captive a try. It went much better than I thought. At first I was completely turned off by a few of the clichés that sometimes show up when you read a romance novel, but much like Nightshade, Robertson's writing and her characters sucked me in. Robertson (Cremer) is such an awesome writer. She really pulls a reader in and even though there were a lot of steamy parts to Captive, some of which were very good and some that made me roll my eyes due to the cheesy factor, nothing trumped the fact that I cared about Tristan and Sarah. I wanted them to be together despite their backgrounds and the fact that they are supposed to be enemies.
I loved the setting of the Gothic castle in Ireland. It felt very old-world and very much like a fairy tale, but at the same time the characters and situations felt modern in Captive. I love the paranormal world of Nightshade, so I was completely enthralled with the whole setting, the magical war, the forbidden love, and the secrets which slowly unfold.
You don't have to have read Nightshade to read Captive, but fans of the series can appreciate things a bit more if you have read it and are familiar with the world. So, with that said, adult fans of the Nightshade series that like the romance genre, should definitely check out this new sexy series. Being a newbie to the romance genre, I think I am still blushing from certain scenes in this book! Cremer really knows how to bring the sexytimes...that is for sure!
January 4, 2016
3.5 - 4 stars
Captive was a definite departure from the YA world of Nightshade. It is labeled as “The forbidden side of nightshade” and I have to say, it’s not wrong. Captive delivers a great mix of the Nightshade world and provides a bit of background on the Keepers, Searchers and Bosque Mar but throws in a bit of the steamy stuff that pulls it out of the YA genre.
Sarah is a Searcher (descendant of Cian) and the book dives right into her story. There isn't a lot of background provided on her but we quickly find out she is well respected in her world as a Striker. Because of this, she is asked to go on a mission to find out what is hidden behind the walls of a castle in Ireland. I liked Sarah – she is smart and goes after what she wants. At the same time, I found her initial wishy washiness (yes..this is now a word) toward Jeremy a bit annoying. I do wish we had gotten a bit more background on Sarah. She didn't seem as developed as Tristan’s character was and I kind of wanted to know more about her.
Tristan…let’s just say he definitely won me over. He has been put on this island and kept separate from other Keepers by Bosque Mar because of who he is. As a direct descendant of Eira, Bosque Mar has him set to play a very important role in continuing the Keeper line as well as avoid his impact on a potential prophecy. Tristan is resigned to do what is expected of him when we first meet him but as he continues to learn more about Sarah and who she is, he realizes he wants more than what he has been given. I loved the mix of strength and vulnerability he had when interacting with Sarah in the beginning.
Now – there is a definite departure from the YA genre that the other novels stand in. There is sex…lots of it. As a matter of fact, I believe Sarah and Tristan pretty much hook up within 2 days of her being at the castle and are in love within 3 days….yes, in love. To be honest, I didn't really mind it – Everything else in this book went fairly quickly so it wasn't unexpected.
I don’t know that I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read the Nightshade series and prequels. The reason being you only get a brief glimpse of who these characters are and their roles in the war. Also, with the mix of the guardians and Bosque Mar, it could be very confusing without the previous knowledge. If you don’t already know the backstory and history of the Eira/Cian story there will be some definite gaps while reading this book. If you have read the series and are comfortable with the steamy stuff, you will enjoy this one.
One last note - There is a bit of a reveal around the scion story as well – I hadn't connected the dots initially as it has been a little while since I read the last book but it makes sense that these stories come full circle and I am curious to see where this goes if it ends up being a series.
Captive was a definite departure from the YA world of Nightshade. It is labeled as “The forbidden side of nightshade” and I have to say, it’s not wrong. Captive delivers a great mix of the Nightshade world and provides a bit of background on the Keepers, Searchers and Bosque Mar but throws in a bit of the steamy stuff that pulls it out of the YA genre.
Sarah is a Searcher (descendant of Cian) and the book dives right into her story. There isn't a lot of background provided on her but we quickly find out she is well respected in her world as a Striker. Because of this, she is asked to go on a mission to find out what is hidden behind the walls of a castle in Ireland. I liked Sarah – she is smart and goes after what she wants. At the same time, I found her initial wishy washiness (yes..this is now a word) toward Jeremy a bit annoying. I do wish we had gotten a bit more background on Sarah. She didn't seem as developed as Tristan’s character was and I kind of wanted to know more about her.
Tristan…let’s just say he definitely won me over. He has been put on this island and kept separate from other Keepers by Bosque Mar because of who he is. As a direct descendant of Eira, Bosque Mar has him set to play a very important role in continuing the Keeper line as well as avoid his impact on a potential prophecy. Tristan is resigned to do what is expected of him when we first meet him but as he continues to learn more about Sarah and who she is, he realizes he wants more than what he has been given. I loved the mix of strength and vulnerability he had when interacting with Sarah in the beginning.
Now – there is a definite departure from the YA genre that the other novels stand in. There is sex…lots of it. As a matter of fact, I believe Sarah and Tristan pretty much hook up within 2 days of her being at the castle and are in love within 3 days….yes, in love. To be honest, I didn't really mind it – Everything else in this book went fairly quickly so it wasn't unexpected.
I don’t know that I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read the Nightshade series and prequels. The reason being you only get a brief glimpse of who these characters are and their roles in the war. Also, with the mix of the guardians and Bosque Mar, it could be very confusing without the previous knowledge. If you don’t already know the backstory and history of the Eira/Cian story there will be some definite gaps while reading this book. If you have read the series and are comfortable with the steamy stuff, you will enjoy this one.
One last note - There is a bit of a reveal around the scion story as well – I hadn't connected the dots initially as it has been a little while since I read the last book but it makes sense that these stories come full circle and I am curious to see where this goes if it ends up being a series.
October 22, 2013
Captive. The Forbidden Side of Nightshade. A. D. Robertson.
I have a well known love of paranormal romance so this seemed a perfect read. Its different from the usual run of paranormals, no vampires, some shape-shifters called Guardians, creatures from Mythology, Succubus and Incubus, and Searchers and Keepers. There are two opposing sides of which the main characters are searchers and keepers.
Sarah volunteers for a risky, no retrieval mission. She knows she may die or be killed executing it, and that the Searchers won't attempt a rescue. Of course she gets caught, and the Keeper of the Castle and Island Tristan decides on an alternative way of getting information, rather than the usual dungeons and torture...he's lonely although he doesn't realise it, and Sarah appeals to him. Slowly they begin to trust each other, and wonder if the information they've each been given about the other group is correct. Passions rise and they become lovers but Tristan knows Lord Bosque Mar will not allow them to be together, so they need to plan carefully what they can do.
Its a captivating story with some gruesome moments, and lots of heated passion. I love the way both Tristan and Sarah slowly give in to the first attractions they felt. The Wolves too were interesting, and bitch succubus Lana a perfect evil lady to make a foil for Sarah, and provide some needed jealousy and back talk. Too much good in a romance without some bad to balance just makes it a bit sickly to me. Here we've a great mix, along with a vivid story, fabulous characters and scene setting adventure. I want now to know what's in the next book now :) That always happens, I get hooked and then hate the wait for more from the people involved.
It took me a little while to get sucked into the story and TBH I’m still a little puzzled over the whole Witches War thing, and how it evolved but that didn’t matter once I got hooked into the characters and what was happening. I like the prophecy part too – added to the the fantasy feel of the story, and leads neatly into what may happen next. Having done a bit of searching I found its a move on from a YA series called Nightshade written under a different author name Andrea Cremer. Had I read that series I’d have understood the world building, and its inhabitants better and gone for a higher star rating I think.
I don't have pricing info but its quite a long novel which I always enjoy, and I'd love to read more about them and what happens next.
Stars: Three and a half. If I’d been able to understand the whole war and the roles each side played I think I’d have liked this more. It took me quite a lot of searching to come up with the connection, though Nightshade is mentioned its not disclosed that the author name is different, and of course Nightshade is a popular book title – 694 currently under that search term on Amazon!
ARC received via Netgalley
I have a well known love of paranormal romance so this seemed a perfect read. Its different from the usual run of paranormals, no vampires, some shape-shifters called Guardians, creatures from Mythology, Succubus and Incubus, and Searchers and Keepers. There are two opposing sides of which the main characters are searchers and keepers.
Sarah volunteers for a risky, no retrieval mission. She knows she may die or be killed executing it, and that the Searchers won't attempt a rescue. Of course she gets caught, and the Keeper of the Castle and Island Tristan decides on an alternative way of getting information, rather than the usual dungeons and torture...he's lonely although he doesn't realise it, and Sarah appeals to him. Slowly they begin to trust each other, and wonder if the information they've each been given about the other group is correct. Passions rise and they become lovers but Tristan knows Lord Bosque Mar will not allow them to be together, so they need to plan carefully what they can do.
Its a captivating story with some gruesome moments, and lots of heated passion. I love the way both Tristan and Sarah slowly give in to the first attractions they felt. The Wolves too were interesting, and bitch succubus Lana a perfect evil lady to make a foil for Sarah, and provide some needed jealousy and back talk. Too much good in a romance without some bad to balance just makes it a bit sickly to me. Here we've a great mix, along with a vivid story, fabulous characters and scene setting adventure. I want now to know what's in the next book now :) That always happens, I get hooked and then hate the wait for more from the people involved.
It took me a little while to get sucked into the story and TBH I’m still a little puzzled over the whole Witches War thing, and how it evolved but that didn’t matter once I got hooked into the characters and what was happening. I like the prophecy part too – added to the the fantasy feel of the story, and leads neatly into what may happen next. Having done a bit of searching I found its a move on from a YA series called Nightshade written under a different author name Andrea Cremer. Had I read that series I’d have understood the world building, and its inhabitants better and gone for a higher star rating I think.
I don't have pricing info but its quite a long novel which I always enjoy, and I'd love to read more about them and what happens next.
Stars: Three and a half. If I’d been able to understand the whole war and the roles each side played I think I’d have liked this more. It took me quite a lot of searching to come up with the connection, though Nightshade is mentioned its not disclosed that the author name is different, and of course Nightshade is a popular book title – 694 currently under that search term on Amazon!
ARC received via Netgalley
October 1, 2013
Enter the giveaway attached tot his review: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2013...
Call me surprised when I found out Andrea wrote this book. For some reason I had no idea and found out at BEA in NY this summer when I was walking around checking to see what author line to get in. Well needless to say I was late and was cut off before I could get my signed copy from Andrea but as soon as that happen I ran walked to Penguin's booth and viola! They had copies of Captive sitting there waiting for me. I was thrilled to be going back home to TX with a copy of this steamy book based in the Nightshade world that I love.
Captive in one word will captivated you. Its definitely a mature novel and not for the younger crowd. Yes it's in the Nightshade world but it's not at the young adult level. Andrea focused on older characters from that world to write about and write she did. There is one scene in particular that stands out just for the dramatic effect it had on me, I seriously was afraid to continue reading because I feared what would happen next and it would have scared me. That right there is powerful writing when the author can engage the reader like that. And just like that scene their were many more that had to you holding your breath or fanning yourself. Andrea really did a fantastic job delivering this older take in the Nightshade world.
In Captive the focus begins on a Searcher named Sarah. She has been given the permission to go find out what the Keepers are guarding on an island. So she knows it's a risky job but she has to do it. So when she is captured by a succubus and incubus from hell, you can say her day just got bad. Sarah knows if she wasn't at her rendezvous point on time, there would be no rescue mission to get her back. She would be considered dead.
Cue in Tristan, a very important descendant of the Keepers. Tristan lives in the castle on that island that Sarah wanted to enter. Well Tristan and Sarah finally meet in a very uncomfortable manner to Sarah but intriguing to Tristan. Thank goodness he has morals and respect if not it could have been horrific their first meet up. Sarah ends up becoming a prisoner of sorts at the castle. The Searcher and Keeper start to become chummy with each other and begin to get to know more about one another and their histories. When trust is finally reached between the two that ignites a passion and secretive relationship they know if they get caught might just be the death of both of them. Now they must figure out how to escape and gain both their freedoms. Are they doomed or blessed to have come into each other lives?
This book will please any fan of romance. Now begins the wait for the next book in the series. Can't wait to find out what next.
Call me surprised when I found out Andrea wrote this book. For some reason I had no idea and found out at BEA in NY this summer when I was walking around checking to see what author line to get in. Well needless to say I was late and was cut off before I could get my signed copy from Andrea but as soon as that happen I ran walked to Penguin's booth and viola! They had copies of Captive sitting there waiting for me. I was thrilled to be going back home to TX with a copy of this steamy book based in the Nightshade world that I love.
Captive in one word will captivated you. Its definitely a mature novel and not for the younger crowd. Yes it's in the Nightshade world but it's not at the young adult level. Andrea focused on older characters from that world to write about and write she did. There is one scene in particular that stands out just for the dramatic effect it had on me, I seriously was afraid to continue reading because I feared what would happen next and it would have scared me. That right there is powerful writing when the author can engage the reader like that. And just like that scene their were many more that had to you holding your breath or fanning yourself. Andrea really did a fantastic job delivering this older take in the Nightshade world.
In Captive the focus begins on a Searcher named Sarah. She has been given the permission to go find out what the Keepers are guarding on an island. So she knows it's a risky job but she has to do it. So when she is captured by a succubus and incubus from hell, you can say her day just got bad. Sarah knows if she wasn't at her rendezvous point on time, there would be no rescue mission to get her back. She would be considered dead.
Cue in Tristan, a very important descendant of the Keepers. Tristan lives in the castle on that island that Sarah wanted to enter. Well Tristan and Sarah finally meet in a very uncomfortable manner to Sarah but intriguing to Tristan. Thank goodness he has morals and respect if not it could have been horrific their first meet up. Sarah ends up becoming a prisoner of sorts at the castle. The Searcher and Keeper start to become chummy with each other and begin to get to know more about one another and their histories. When trust is finally reached between the two that ignites a passion and secretive relationship they know if they get caught might just be the death of both of them. Now they must figure out how to escape and gain both their freedoms. Are they doomed or blessed to have come into each other lives?
This book will please any fan of romance. Now begins the wait for the next book in the series. Can't wait to find out what next.
November 27, 2013
So far you've mostly seen reviews of YA titles published here on the blog and today's review of CAPTIVE is an exception. I was so curious about this new NIGHTSHADE book by Andrea Cremer, written under the pen name A.D. Robertson that I couldn't pass up the kind offering of an e-copy by Dutton Adult.
Despite its rather uninspired cover, CAPTIVE surely introduces us to a higher seductive sphere of the NIGHTSHADE world. It's called 'the forbidden side of Nightshade', and rightfully so. For once this book is more erotic and explicit than the NIGHTSHADE trilogy before it. The R-rated scenes are what makes Sarah and Tristan's story so steamy and overly intriguing, the attraction between them is palpable.
When I first heard of Andrea Cremer's new book I couldn't help myself to compare it to one very popular series by E.L. James you might know, but CAPTIVE isn't nearly as taboo as I imagined it to be. It was written in a style that could've fit the original NIGHTSHADE trilogy, too, and easily added some steam to Calla's romantic scenes.
But there's more to the forbidden side than the sex scenes. Tristan is a Keeper and Sarah a Searcher, both sworn enemies and not at all allowed to engage with each other in an intimate relationship.
Their story begins when Sarah volunteers to go on a suicide mission, travelling to a tiny private island with the task to explore its lonely castle, that is soon functioning as Sarah's prison. The setting creates a glum atmosphere that worked well in order to constitute a darker erotic love story between Sarah and Tristan.
There could've been more to the story than its only setting or Andrea Cremer could've dedicated selected chapters to the story from the Searchers' perspective and the things that were happening while Sarah was kept as a prisoner.
CAPTIVE doesn't have as many battles as the NIGHTSHADE trilogy to offer, its focus is on Sarah and Tristan getting to know each other. It's mostly just the two of them with very few other characters having appearances from time to time. Bosque Mar, the evil Keeper you know from the NIGHTSHADE series, will be playing a role, too.
Significant is that Andrea Cremer kept the spirit of her NIGHTSHADE series and told us some more about the ancient war between Keepers and Searchers. Fans won't be disappointed!
3,5/5 ***/* CAPTIVE - Not as bellicose as the NIGHTSHADE trilogy nor as refined plot-wise , but with high aphrodisiac paranormal appeal.
The NIGHTSHADE series had many characters I set my heart on and there was so much more at stake than in CAPTIVE. So now the novel about the forbidden side of Nightshade appeared a bit imbalanced if you compare it to the NIGHTSHADE trilogy before it, but it got into the required details where the NIGHTSHADE series always put an end to explicit sexual interactions, since it was a YA series.
November 4, 2013
I've never read the YA Nightshade series, but after reading the summary for this book, I knew I had to read it. A forbidden romance between sworn enemies in a steamy adult novel? How could I resist? And I'm happy to report that having no prior experience with the YA series took nothing away from my reading of this spin-off "forbidden side" novel.
As the direct descendent of the Keepers, Tristan has led a life of extreme power, only answering to one person, his overlord Bosque Mar. Being the descendent of such an important bloodline means that Tristan's life is too valuable to lose, so he's spent the last 7 years of his life living on an Irish island in a castle with servants for his every need. When a human Searcher named Sarah is found scaling the walls of his castle and held prisoner, Tristan is struck from the moment he sees her. While Sarah should detest the very person she's grown up hating, Sarah can't deny the desire and longing she also has when first seeing Tristan. How is Sarah going to escape the clutches a man she's finding she doesn't hate at all?
Wow. When the summary says this story is a "forbidden, steamy romance," it sure is serious! The romance between Sarah and Tristan was so steamy and the fact that it was forbidden made it even better. What I loved most about their relationship, though, was how it built and there was so much longing that when their relationship actually did go somewhere, it was definitely with much anticipation and build up.
While this book is a spin-off of the Nightshade series, it was so easy to get into the world without having read that previous series. There is enough background information on the Keepers and the Searchers to understand the basics of who Tristan and Sarah are, as well as what world they come from. Most of this book takes place in Tristan's castle anyways, so any more information on the war between the two enemies isn't really necessary.
Since most of this took place in Tristan's castle, almost the entire storyline had to do with their longing desire for each other and the progress of their relationship. I loved this part about the book because romance is my favorite, so what more could I want from a novel except for focusing on the two people in a forbidden romance?
Overall, this book was great and the romance was even better. Now that I've read this one, I definitely want to pick up the Nightshade series and see more about what their world really is about. I know it won't be as steamy and passionate as this one, but the paranormal element of this novel hinted at a world that sounded really intriguing. And I really hope there's a second book after this one because that ending definitely left me wanting more of Tristan and Sarah. Any fan of romance, especially of the passionate forbidden variety, should definitely pick up a copy of this book!
As the direct descendent of the Keepers, Tristan has led a life of extreme power, only answering to one person, his overlord Bosque Mar. Being the descendent of such an important bloodline means that Tristan's life is too valuable to lose, so he's spent the last 7 years of his life living on an Irish island in a castle with servants for his every need. When a human Searcher named Sarah is found scaling the walls of his castle and held prisoner, Tristan is struck from the moment he sees her. While Sarah should detest the very person she's grown up hating, Sarah can't deny the desire and longing she also has when first seeing Tristan. How is Sarah going to escape the clutches a man she's finding she doesn't hate at all?
Wow. When the summary says this story is a "forbidden, steamy romance," it sure is serious! The romance between Sarah and Tristan was so steamy and the fact that it was forbidden made it even better. What I loved most about their relationship, though, was how it built and there was so much longing that when their relationship actually did go somewhere, it was definitely with much anticipation and build up.
While this book is a spin-off of the Nightshade series, it was so easy to get into the world without having read that previous series. There is enough background information on the Keepers and the Searchers to understand the basics of who Tristan and Sarah are, as well as what world they come from. Most of this book takes place in Tristan's castle anyways, so any more information on the war between the two enemies isn't really necessary.
Since most of this took place in Tristan's castle, almost the entire storyline had to do with their longing desire for each other and the progress of their relationship. I loved this part about the book because romance is my favorite, so what more could I want from a novel except for focusing on the two people in a forbidden romance?
Overall, this book was great and the romance was even better. Now that I've read this one, I definitely want to pick up the Nightshade series and see more about what their world really is about. I know it won't be as steamy and passionate as this one, but the paranormal element of this novel hinted at a world that sounded really intriguing. And I really hope there's a second book after this one because that ending definitely left me wanting more of Tristan and Sarah. Any fan of romance, especially of the passionate forbidden variety, should definitely pick up a copy of this book!
August 9, 2016
Reason to why I read the book:
I've actually read ALL the YA books of this series. Now, before you go on telling me YA readers shouldn't be reading erotica, you're wrong. I read EVERYTHING, and I just happen to have read her entire series.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
Where to begin?
First off, if you're going to write a romance novel, it doesn't need to be of the same universe of your other series. What were you planning to achieve, CREMER? Hopes that your YOUNG ADULT readers would read an adult erotic novel? Or hopes that your ADULT readers would read a YOUNG ADULT NOVEL?
Not only does reusing a universe mess up your target audience, but it also effs up the plot. You could have written the entire series without the fantasy shenanigans; I think you could have pulled off this novel without making it a fantasy. Why couldn't it have been some medieval prince guy-Rapunzel story? I think that'd be more interesting.
In all honesty,
There were multiple reasons why this book was f**ked up.
I actually won't recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read her other works of the same universe; BUT, if you're a YA reader and not used to erotica, then please don't read this for the sake of completing the series.
I mean, Sarah and Tristan were rarely mentioned in the other series, so it's not like you'll have a strong connection to the characters of this book.
I've actually read ALL the YA books of this series. Now, before you go on telling me YA readers shouldn't be reading erotica, you're wrong. I read EVERYTHING, and I just happen to have read her entire series.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
Where to begin?
First off, if you're going to write a romance novel, it doesn't need to be of the same universe of your other series. What were you planning to achieve, CREMER? Hopes that your YOUNG ADULT readers would read an adult erotic novel? Or hopes that your ADULT readers would read a YOUNG ADULT NOVEL?
Not only does reusing a universe mess up your target audience, but it also effs up the plot. You could have written the entire series without the fantasy shenanigans; I think you could have pulled off this novel without making it a fantasy. Why couldn't it have been some medieval prince guy-Rapunzel story? I think that'd be more interesting.
In all honesty,
There were multiple reasons why this book was f**ked up.
I actually won't recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read her other works of the same universe; BUT, if you're a YA reader and not used to erotica, then please don't read this for the sake of completing the series.
I mean, Sarah and Tristan were rarely mentioned in the other series, so it's not like you'll have a strong connection to the characters of this book.
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