Tagged: krystal wade
Charming by Krystal Wade
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that’s great . . . as long as you don’t die.
Sixteen-year-old Haley Tremaine had it all: top-notch school, fantastic family, and a bright future, but all of that changed when an accident tore her family apart. Now, an alcoholic father, a bitter younger sister, and a cold headstone bearing her mother’s name are all she has left.
Chris Charming has it all: a powerful CEO for a father, a prestigious school, and a fortune at his fingertips, but none of that matters when he lands a reputation as a troublemaker. Struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps, he reaches out to the one person he believes truly sees him, the one person he wants: Haley.
Little do they know someone’s determined to bring the two together, even if it means murder.
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook in conjunction with the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.]
I’ve read all of Krystal Wade’s books since she debuted a few years ago, but I think Charming is pretty much my favourite out of them all.
Yes, it’s a Cinderella retelling, but it’s not like you’re thinking. There’s certainly a Prince Charming (named, of course, Chris Charming) but there’s far more depth to their relationship than in the original. Haley is a very put-upon Cinderella, what with her alcoholic father and her perfect sister who doesn’t see him for what he really is: an abuser who beats his own daughter because she looks like her dead mother. And there’s plenty of romance and even a ball, but it’s not so simple as that because not only is this a Cinderella retelling, it’s a mash-up of Saw as well. (So yes, it does get a little gory at the end.)
Haley was an awesome character for me. Her little sister hates her, thinking that Haley is always deliberately trying to annoy their dad and that she only thinks of herself. In truth, Haley is the one who takes her dad’s beatings and his verbal abuse so that Jocelyn herself doesn’t turn into a target. She pretends not to care at school, works late on school nights and then goes home to do several hours of chores caused by their alcoholic father’s natural messiness. It’s a pretty bad scenario but I was still pleasantly surprised that when Chris Charming turned his sights on Haley, she didn’t immediately fall head-over-heels for him. No, she didn’t even trust him to be a decent human being because that’s how bad her father’s abuse has shattered her trust. Their relationship takes a while to develop and it’s not all smooth, which is far more realistic considering both of their backgrounds.
For a book that’s largely character-driven in the beginning, Charming sure has a fast-paced plot. Just when you think things are winding down, we get a wildcard thrown into the mix and then Haley has to fight for the lives of her ungrateful family. The mysterious third man who wants to bring Haley and Chris together is around every corner watching, listening and waiting. He’s just the sort of character to bring a little zip back into the Cinderella story, so it sort of retains its original dark overtones.
To sum up, I just really loved Charming. After the sort of disappointment that was Shattered Secrets, I love to see that Krystal Wade is back to her classic style of writing (only improved!). This book is a great retelling of Cinderella and if you’re into very nontraditional retellings of your favourite fairytales, you’ll particularly enjoy it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade
(Cover picture courtesy of Functioning Insanity.)
After being kidnapped, hogtied, and stuffed in the trunk of a car, seventeen-year-old Abigail Nichols’ boy problems seem unimportant.
She couldn’t be more wrong.The boy who saves her holds her heart.
But Derick Crawford also holds secrets.
Magical beings who guide human emotions are fighting an invisible war dating back to the dawn of time, and Abigail’s one of them. The more she learns of her heritage, the less she wants to know. Armed with a very old, very massive book to teach them about their history, Abigail and Derick run away to a place where they think they can be safe and happy, only to have their troubles secretly hitch a ride.
Her history book is in a sharing mood, and it tells her to keep a secret of her own.
But has she put her trust in the wrong place?
And will the world survive if she has?
[Full disclosure: I received a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Way back I reviewed Krystal Wade’s debut trilogy Darkness Falls. I fell in love with her style of writing and have been eagerly awaiting her next work. Shattered Secrets didn’t really sound like what I’d normally pick up but since I enjoyed her previous work I requested it on NetGalley anyway. The world-building was just as good, the characters were reasonably well fleshed-out and the plot was very fast-paced but in the end I just didn’t like this one as much. It’s still good, mind you. But it’s not as good as the first series.
My only real ‘problem’ with the story was Abigail, the narrator. She’s rather naive and constantly screwing up her own life. She tends to run headfirst into danger and although she can be intelligent at times (observing her surroundings when she was kidnapped) there are times I wanted to slap her. To be fair she does get better as the book progresses but because of her early behaviour I wasn’t quite able to connect as well emotionally. I wasn’t a huge fan of either male lead or the love triangle but at least both characters were well fleshed-out. The love triangle is generally well done but I would have liked to see something different.
The plot was incredibly fast-paced, though. There were twists and turns around every corner as more and more information was revealed. What is Abigail really? And how can she stop an impending apocalypse when everyone is telling her to do something different? There are a fair amount of subplots that add tension to the main plot but it never really gets confusing. That’s good because if it was confusing you’d be totally lost by the time you got to the end of the book.
Since most of the book is about Derick and Abigail discovering who they are I can’t give a solid judgment on the world-building but so far it’s really good. Krystal Wade has actually thought up some unique ideas for her magical beings and mixed them in with existing ideas to create the type of rich fantasy world I’ve come to expect from her. You really can’t fault her world-building.
All in all, this book was pretty good. I’m definitely interested to see what happens next in the Book of Red series.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
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.
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?
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!
Books to look Forward to
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
I’m having mixed feelings about this one, mostly because I haven’t read City of Lost Souls yet. Cassandra Clare’s writing has improved with time, but it will be interesting to see how she can end a series. The tentative release date for this, according to the official site is September 2014, so I’ll have plenty of time to catch up.
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
This is one of the few Cassandra Clare series I’m actually caught up in and I can’t wait for the last book, Clockwork Princess. After the tragic discovery at the end of Clockwork Prince, it will be interesting to see who Tess chooses and where Cassandra Clare decides to end the series. This one releases March 19, 2013.
The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
Is this woman human? Well, obviously not at the rate she writes. Although it’s very tentative, The Dark Artifices is another series set in the modern day about Shadowhunters. This time it’s in Los Angeles, but Cassandra Clare dropped hints in a very spoilery interview that City of Heavenly Fire will change the world of Shadowhunting forever. So far all we know about The Dark Artifices series is that it follows Emma Carstairs, the most skilled Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and her partner Julian Blackthorn. Of course the two will have conflicted feelings, but it will be interesting to see how Cassandra Clare handles a protagonist who is very strong from the start. Clary herself went through a huge character arc to become a strong protagonist, but it sounds like Emma is already strong. Interesting, no?
Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade
Abigail Nichols must decide if she trusts the boy she loves, a book that knows more about her than she does, or her instincts, because if she doesn’t, her world just might shatter.
After such a great finish to her Darkness Falls trilogy, I can’t wait for the latest Krystal Wade book. Unfortunately, there’s not even a tentative release date, just this awesome word counter on her website. Knowing how fast she writes, I think we can look forward to another Krystal Wade book in the new year.
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory
Other than a mention on Wikipedia and a page on Goodreads, there’s not much to go on. We know it’s going to be the fifth book in The Cousin’s War series and it’s going to be about Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville. She was mother of King Henry VIII, which means she was obviously overshadowed by her son. Who was she? What were her motivations? What was her relationship with Henry VII like? I guess we’ll just have to wait!
My Interview with Krystal Wade (2)
Krystal Wade is the author of the Darkness Falls trilogy, which includes Wilde’s Fire, Wilde’s Army and the final book Wilde’s Meadow. This is my second interview with her, so read on to see her feelings about ending her first trilogy and for some hints about future projects!
1. How do you feel about your first trilogy coming to an end?
Relieved, sort of, that I can “relax” for a minute. Scared because I don’t want to lose momentum while I’m finishing the next series of books. Happy that a couple people have asked for spin-offs. So, I’d say I’ve got some mixed emotions. Continue reading