Poet & Protector, Book One

by Andrea Robertson

A New Adult paranormal romance that delves deeper into the New York Times and international bestselling Nightshade series! When two Guardians in rival wolf packs, Mason Elliott, a Nightshade, and Neville (Nev) Durand, a Bane, are partnered for a class assignment, they both know it’s going to be a disaster. Their natural animosity has them constantly at each other’s throats, but spending time together forces them to confront how deeply they’re drawn to one another. Giving in to their mutual attraction could be deadly. Guardians are ruled by their masters, powerful witches known as Keepers, whose laws forbid any wolves from choosing their own mates. As Mason and Nev struggle to protect their secret, a new threat looms over them: Logan Bane, a Keeper obsessed with making Mason his own.
Poet & Protector is a companion novel that follows the events immediately prior to and within Nightshade from the dual perspectives of Mason and Nev. While Poet & Protector can be read without being familiar with the original Nightshade series, completing Nightshade first provides the full context of Mason and Nev’s story and their world. Please note: Poet & Protector contains mature themes and sensitive content and is not recommended for readers under 18. See detailed content warnings in the book’s foreword or on the author’s website.

414 pages, Unknown Binding

Expected publication September 30, 2026

About the author

Andrea Roberston (formerly Andrea Cremer) is the internationally bestselling author of the Nightshade series and of Invisibility, which she co-wrote with David Levithan. She is also the author of the Inventor's Secret trilogy. Originally from Minnesota, she now lives in California.

Reviews

[Leanna Streeter]

I went into Poet & Protector completely blind, having never read the Nightshade series. Because of that, I was a little confused at first, but I was able to catch on as the story progressed. I do think I would have gotten more out of the story and the world if I had read Nightshade first.

That said, I really enjoyed Mason and Nev’s romance. I’m a sucker for a forbidden or taboo romance, so the fact that their relationship could have serious consequences immediately worked for me. I loved watching them navigate their feelings for each other while dealing with everything standing in their way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, but I’d recommend reading Nightshade first for the best experience.

[Paris Rona]

~Paris Rona’s ARC review~

I’m shook rn because that cliffhanger was giving me everything hunni!!!

To preface, as soon as I heard shifter romance…I knew I had to read the first book immediately and it did not disappoint. Neville and Mason are characters that are super fleshed out with their own personalities and fears, and getting to witness their slow burn romance was a privilege. Even the secondary characters like Ansel and Bryn and Dax/Faye, Tom/Caleb, Cosette and Sabineeeeee <3 myshaylass…i love them all (mostly…iykyk). I really liked Ansel’s role in Mason and Neville’s relationship, as well as Calla and Shay’s (although we don’t know too much about them..for now). He’s such a sweet character and istg if anything happens to him I’m gonna riot. He had a small role but he immediately captured my heart. Ansel, Sabine and Cosette are my favsss and I would die for them no questions asked!!!.

I’ll be the first to admit that I generally don’t read MM romance books (more so fics) but the story was just so compelling and the world building was so vivid, that I had to give it a chance. The beginning is very heavy into establishing the setting and the characters, but by the middle of the book the pacing picked up quickly, and then by the end, it felt like a rollercoaster ride where you’re at the end of it, trying to make sense of wtf just happened (in the BEST way) and what that means for Neville and Mason as a couple.

Can we talk about that ending? Lord have mercy…I’m dying to know what happens next in the story!!!! Like what do u mean that Calla jilted Ren and turned Shay into a wolf?!! And that means that everyone in the pack is in danger…Neville and Mason included, and that’s not even getting to the Logan and the forbidden nature of their relationship of it all. Chile, I need a drink with all this drama (but I LIVE!!) I support women’s wrongs but most importantly I support women’s rights!! Free my sister Calla!!! She’s innocent!!! lol

In all seriousness, that cliffhanger made me so nervous for them, I was like “THAT’S IT? THATS HOW IT ENDS?!” I NEEED to know what is Logan’s end game with Mason here? What are they going to do to him. Lowk I’m glad the wedding didn’t go through bc everyone would have been miserable being stuck with partners they didn’t want, while having their true mates nearby. That would feel like torture…but it makes for excellent drama and high stakes environment. But I’m also scared that more unhinged things are going to happen between Mason and Neville before our HEA. I don’t want them to hurt too much :(

It also adds to the spiciness because it’s so forbidden, the MM nature of it, the cheating, the taboo parts of hierarchical structures and power imbalance/power dynamics. UGHHH It’s been a bit since shifter book has me feeling this excited in a long time (not since the Five Packs series), and it’s definitely one that will stick with me for a while and I LOVE that <3

The villain in Mason and Neville’s romance in this story is so well developed, he’s stereotypically evil, but then there’s times where you feel empathy for him in a weird way? (Maybe?) nah fuck him fr fr. And his daddy Efron too for what he’s putting Sabine through. Fuck this system of guardians and keepers cause ts not working at all fr fr. I hateee them and wish nothing but the worst for them!

I really appreciated that the spicy scenes were so carefully written and not too explicit, so that the romance and the world building stand out that much more. At first I was a little confused by it, but by the end I understood why the book turned in that direction. That scene with Mason and Neville in the garden was beautiful and the scene at the cabin with them made me cry because you really felt their love through the page and why they are truly mates, despite their biology. The reversal of the power dynamic in that scene was perfect because it showed that Mason could have agency over his life and that he didn’t have to tolerate Logan’s bullying and sexual harassment. And it also showed a softer side of Neville who’s kind of the stoic hard-ass, because of the nature of what he had to deal with his pack (Efron harassing Sabine and having to be her support system through that awful ordeal and just general fuckedupedness of his pack). Honestly my heart goes out to Neville bc this is the second person he loves that is being hurt and there’s not much he can do about it.

I’m interested to see the outcome of Calla/Shay/Ren and Ansel/Bryn because their relationships also have taboo elements, and whether the whole system will be destroyed/reformed. I love when books focus on like the politics of that; it makes them much more intriguing and are almost anthropological examples of the world we currently occupy.

This is the first book I’ve read by Andrea Robertson and when I read her Author’s Note, things made more sense because of course she’s a writer and professor of history! No wonder the book was as amazing as it was!!

I’m super excited to read the next installment and am definitely going to keep a look out for more of her works because this one just knocked it out of the park and I just know she has more for me to devour!

[row row]

*I received an e-book ARC of this book from the publisher.*

This is a book that a part of me has wanted for years, but I never thought it would be real. The Nightshade trilogy has always been one of my favorite werewolf stories in the YA genre- back when I first read it as a teenager, it stood out from so many other books, and I loved it. And Mason and Nev were always my favorite secondary characters, always the ones whose small scenes in the original trilogy left me wanting more of them.

For them to finally have their own story is a delightful surprise, and when I found out about it, I jumped at the chance to get an ARC of Poet & Protector. It follows the events of the first book of the Nightshade trilogy, from Mason and Nev’s perspectives. Part One shows us how their relationship was formed and how they dealt with the obstacles in their way in Nightshade, and I loved getting to know these characters in a more personal way. It was also so, so easy for me to fall back into the world of Nightshade and to remember why I loved the original trilogy. Since the series is being republished, a reread has definitely been on my mind, and I’m SO excited for Part Two of Poet & Protector. The ending of Bloodrose always felt bittersweet to me, and I can’t wait to see it from Mason and Nev’s perspectives. This was a nostalgic book for me that made me yearn for the days when I was obsessed with the Nightshade series.

I do think it’s necessary to read the original trilogy before you pick up this book, it will definitely enhance your reading experience. But even if you come into this without having read Nightshade, I think you’ll still get a good sense of the world.

I love Mason and Nev and I can’t wait for Part Two!

[Clem]

You know when you read a series and you follow the FMC throughout? But there is a side character or a relationship or even scenes here and there she is not privy to that you are dying to know about, but you never do?

Well... what if you did?!

This is what's happening with the Nightshade series which is getting a few companion books, starting with Poet & Protector, which is Mason & Nev's story. And boy, does it deliver!

So many scenes and interactions between the side characters that we do not get to see or know about in the main series because the FMC, Calla, has her own issues to sort through. I loved getting some of the missing pieces so much 😍

Mason & Nev's story is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
That first kiss between Mason & Nev? Oh my god, it was everything! I have really loved seeing the evolution of their relationship, being from rival packs hating each other to being in love and willing to do anything to protect one another.

Mason coming out to his best friend, Ansel, had me crying like a baby and gave me all the feels.
I also love Ren even more, he is so supportive of Nev and his pack and seeing this side of him was beautiful.

It's been such a joy to dive back into this world, through Mason and Nev's points of view. It's also bittersweet because I know what happens to some of these characters down the line and I've found myself reaching for the other books in the series to tandem read some parts of it and really enjoying all the layers.

If you are a Nightshade fan, you need to pick this up when it comes out September 30th!

If you have not read Nightshade yet, I really recommend this series. It's a wolf shifter story with a love triangle, a magic system and high stakes. The series is mostly YA but deals with mature themes throughout. Poet & Protector is Adult.

[Elyse]

This was a wonderful addition to the Nightshade universe. I loved the Nightshade series and thought this book did a fabulous job of expanding the story and allowing us to get to know some characters more. Nev and Mason's story is heart-wrenching and sweet. I loved it! A great fall read with wolf shifters 🐺