Tagged: darkness falls

Spotlight: Wilde’s Fire by Krystal Wade

Spotlight is my new regular Saturday feature in which I highlight a book I really enjoyed or am eagerly waiting for.  This time around, it’s the incredible debut novel of Krystal Wade, called Wilde’s Fire.

Wilde's Fire by Krystal WadeKatriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. She’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will she discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Now here is some good fantasy!  It has an unique premise, amazing characters and is well written.  You can’t ask for more.

However, what really stood out for me in Wilde’s Fire was the narrator, Kate (Katriona).  She doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time agonizing over her situation and actually adapts quite well to the world of Encardia.  Not only that, she doesn’t want to be a helpless maiden and makes an effort to learn how to use a sword so she can survive.  Kate’s a pretty independent, well developed character, so her love for Arland doesn’t feel contrived at all.  What I mean is that when characters aren’t developed properly, reading about them falling in love is not nearly as interesting as when they are as fleshed out as Kate.

The other thing that really stood out for me in Wilde’s Fire was the world-building.  Krystal Wade developed a history for Encardia, religion and a sophisticated political system.  You would be surprised at how many authors have a fundamental misunderstanding of politics, so this was a pleasant change.

If you’re looking for a great fantasy book to read, you need to pick up Wilde’s Fire right now.  You won’t be able to put it down!

Wilde’s Meadow by Krystal Wade

(Cover picture courtesy of Krystal Wade via email.)

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.

Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Wilde’s Meadow is like an opera.  Not because it’s melodramatic or the plot is ridiculously convoluted, but because it has grand themes and memorable characters.  It’s reminiscent of Aida what with all the tragedy and sacrifice in the last part.  But, unlike most operas, the ending is not abrupt and it is quite satisfying from a fan perspective and a critical one.

As many of my Twitter fans know, Krystal Wade has taken great pleasure in tormenting me about Wilde’s Meadow.  When she told me she cried while writing the last part of the novel, I was pretty concerned.  I rarely get attached to characters in a series on this level; I think the last series that I was this emotionally involved in was Harry Potter.  Yes, the Darkness Falls series is that good.

By this point in the series there really aren’t that many new characters, but many of the old ones go through surprising changes, especially Perth.  Out of everyone, he surprised me the most.  But it was, as usual, Kate whole stole the stage (as she should).  Her love for Arland, her desire to help Encardia, her friendship with Flanna…all of these actually feel real to me.  Kate is three dimensional along with all of the other characters, something that a surprising number of authors can’t even manage.

Need I really say anything about the plot?  It’s the last book in a trilogy; of course it’s fast paced.  Krystal Wade spent a lot longer building up to the climax than I thought she would, but for whatever reason it still worked.  Just when you think the book is over, she throws another plot twist at you and the suspense ratchets up another notch.  This is one of the very few books where I could not predict the ending, which is a refreshing change in fantasy.  I won’t tell you if it ends well for the lovers, but let me say I can see why Krystal Wade cried while writing some parts.  I almost cried reading some parts and I don’t get emotional over books very often.

If you’re looking for an amazing fantasy trilogy with memorable characters and a satisfying (if not completely happy) ending, I would highly recommend the Darkness Falls trilogy.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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Wilde’s Army by Krystal Wade

(Cover picture courtesy of Krystal Wade’s blog.)

“Hello, Katriona.”

Those two words spark fear in Katriona Wilde and give way to an unlikely partnership with Perth, the man she’s been traded to marry for a favor. Saving her true love and protector Arland, her family, and their soldiers keeps her motivated, but the at-odds duo soon realizes trust is something that comes and goes with each breath of Encardia’s rotting, stagnant air. The moment when concern for her missing sister spirals out of control, all thoughts of trust are pushed aside and she finds herself trapped by the daemon tricks Perth warned her of.

However, rescuing those she loves is only half the problem.

Kate still must get to Willow Falls, unite her clashing people, and form an army prepared to fight in order to defeat Darkness. When so many she’s grown fond of die along the journey, her ability to play by the gods’ rules is tested.

How will she make allies when the world appears stacked against her? And will she still be Katriona Wilde, the girl with fire?

[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I don’t think I’ve been this excited for the next book in a series since I finished Feed.  And I don’t think I’ve ever been so anxious to get an advanced ebook off NetGalley either.  So with that said, even though Wilde’s Army will only be released tomorrow on the mass market, I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy, Wilde’s Meadow.  Moving on…

Wilde’s Army is the amazing follow up to Wilde’s Fire.  The romantic tension between Arland and Katriona (Kate) is still there and it adds another dimension to both characters.  Better yet, the relationship feels real, unlike a lot of horribly forced relationships in YA literature.  But Kate’s relationship with Arland is certainly put to the test in this book when she is forced to pretend she loves Perth in order to buy time to gather the army Griandor said she would need.  Add to this the fact that her mother and her sister Brit are now in Encardia, increasing the pressure on Kate even more.

Krystal Wade’s fantastic world-building and masterful plotting are both excellent reasons to pick up her debut series, but the thing that speaks to me the most is her characters.  Kate is memorable because she is very strong when she needs to be, but is also very vulnerable and struggles with the fact that a god (Griandor) has basically told her she will be the one to save or doom Encardia.  Her love for Arland is also very real and never really takes a back seat to anything; in fact it’s probably more prominent in this book than in the first.  One of my favourite characters, other than Kate, was Perth, the Ground Dweller Kate was promised to.  In the first book he doesn’t play a very large role, but in Wilde’s Army he really acquires a nice amount of depth and isn’t all that he seems.

The world-building is even better than ever as we learn about new types of daemons, new peoples and the regional differences in culture and magic use, even among humans.  As for the plot, it was riveting.  Krystal Wade maintains an incredible speed throughout the novel, enough to keep me up reading much later than I should have been.  And she leaves us with one heck of a cliffhanger, so I’m very anxious to see how she ends her trilogy.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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My Interview with Krystal Wade

Krystal Wade is the author of Wilde’s Fire, one of the few fantasy books that I love.  So imagine my delight when she agreed to do an interview!  For all you folks out there that might want to buy Wilde’s Fire, it’s coming out on May 13 of this year.  Go ahead and pre-order it; you won’t regret it.

The fantasy world you’ve created is definitely one of the more unique ones.  Where did you get the idea from?

Wilde’s Fire started off as an image of a girl in a dense, green forest, reaching out her finger to touch something shimmering. The image of this girl wouldn’t go away, so I decided to write. When it came time to figure out where this shimmering thing (the portal) was leading her to, I was clueless . . . in the dark, if you will. I couldn’t see anything in my head, so I made Encardia a world ravaged by Darkness! Hey, if you can’t see it, make it dark! 😉 Continue reading

Wilde’s Fire by Krystal Wade

(Cover picture and blurb courtesy of Krystal Wade’s blog.)
“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.” — Katriona Wilde

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. She’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will she discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

[Full disclosure: I received a free book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

After my rant about the lack of diversity in fantasy, I took a break from the genre for a bit, knowing that a return would prompt another rant.  Now that I’m through my cooling off period, I decided to give fantasy another chance.  And you know what?  I’m glad I did because I found Wilde’s Fire by Krystal Wade.

Romance, fascinating characters, a love triangle with a huge twist and superb world-building…what more could you ask for in fantasy?  Well, this first book in the Darkness Falls series will leave you anxious for the second book, but nothing else because it is such a satisfying read.  Wilde’s Fire is a fast-paced roller coaster that will keep you quite literally on the edge of your seat.  The book starts out slow, but I guarantee that after the second chapter, you won’t want to put it down.

Katriona “Kate” Wilde, the main character, is pretty much your typical female lead in the beginning, but as she becomes more sure of herself and falls in love, she becomes a very strong protagonist.  I would call this more of a character driven novel than a plot driven novel, which I actually don’t mind because Kate is such a good character.  She stays strong, but she has her vulnerable, more human moments and she doesn’t fall in Insta-Love.  It’s a nice change, actually.

For those of you that love good world-building, I would recommend this book.  The daemons, the magical animals, the different humanoid races…they are partly clichés, but Krystal Wade had put a spin on these old fantasy tropes.  For a first time writer, she really does have amazing world-building.  Heck, she’s better than most experienced writers when it comes to world-building.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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