Reviewed by: Rabid Reads 
 Typically I don't read a lot of YA; the only reason why I opted to read Rift is because I'm a huge fan of Cremer's Nightshade trilogy. Unfortunately, this prequel is nothing like the actual series. I'd expected to learn more about the Keepers but other than a few small tidbits there are very little additional details revealed. I enjoyed Ember's character and the budding romance between her and Barrow but other than that nothing else about this book appealed to me. I spent the first 315 pages waiting for something to happen and then, when the action finally kicks in, it's hugely disappointing. I was rather bored while reading this novel and as a result, will not be continuing with this series. 
 It took me a couple of chapters before I was able to fully shift gears from the Nightshade universe to this new one. This story follows the Keepers instead of the Guardians so it took some time for me to realize that the werewolves probably weren't going to make an appearance. Also, this tale unfolds in the fifteenth century which is another hurdle that I had to overcome. Women have no rights, the church reigns supreme and having sex out of wedlock is a sin. I found Rift to be somewhat lacking from a paranormal perspective; this story is about Ember and her transition from life as a lady to life as a fighter, the rest of this novel's happening's are rather weak in comparison. 
 Ember's character is well-developed and fascinating. She could have followed in her sister's footsteps, married a lord and had babies like most high born women are expected to do. Instead, she goes against her father's wishes, leaves home and becomes a member of Conatus. Ember has to fight to earn her spot among the guard and then lie to keep it. She's courageous, determined and eager to do her part in the battle against evil. 
 I found Alistair's appearances and attitude incredibly irritating. He always seems to show up at the most inconvenient moments. After a while it became annoyingly predictable. Ooh look, Barrows and Ember are having a moment and then, lo and behold, Alistair pokes his head in and ruins it all. After reading the Nightshade trilogy, I'd fully expected to encounter a lover triangle in this prequel but not like this. It felt forced to the point of being fake. That being said, I thought that Ember and Barrow's romance was adorable. The candid glances, furtive touches and awkward blushing really captured the essence of young love. 
 Other than Ember, none of the other characters in this book are very well developed. It seems as though Cremer put all of her efforts into her main heroine and forgot about the rest. The world building is weak at best and the overall story comes across as medieval rather than paranormal. This prequel pales in comparison to her action packed Nightshade trilogy. I only tackle a few Young Adult books a year and I'm sad to say that after reading this disappointing first installment, Rise will not be one of them.