Tagged: krystal wade
Wilde’s Meadow Releases Tomorrow!
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?
As you guys can probably tell, I’m pretty excited about the release of Wilde’s Meadow, even though I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC again. This is the last book in the Darkness Falls trilogy and if you haven’t already read the first book, Wilde’s Fire, you should. You will not be able to put it down.
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.
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
YA News and Upcoming Releases
Secrets of the Time Society by Alexandra Monir is yet another tie-in ebook. This time, it’s all about answering the questions from Timeless, like how the main character travels through time and such. It’s available from many different ebook sellers for $1.99, if you’re interested. I won’t buy it, mainly because I don’t actually own an e-reader, but looking at the synopsis, I wish I did.
Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer is the last book in the Artemis Fowl series. Personally, I can’t wait for it to come out! Thankfully, it is going to be released July 10, 2012. From the blurb on Amazon, you can tell that this is going to be a thrilling conclusion.
As many of you know, I have Carolyn Meyer to thank for getting my little sister interested in history. So, as a sort of thank you, I would like everyone to know that Ms. Meyer is publishing yet another book in her series of diaries of famous women. This one, The Wild Queen, is about Mary, Queen of Scots. It will be published in June 2012, according to her website.
You can probably tell from my review that I’m pretty excited about the release of this book. Through NetGalley, I was able to read an ARC of this in e-book format (on my computer, not an e-reader). And you know what? This is actually a really good book that I would recommend to any lover of fantasy! So if you’re interested, the release date is set for May 13, 2012. Go on, check it out. You know you want to.
I’m a Michael Scott fan, so I’m also pretty excited about this book’s release. I’ve pre-ordered it from my local bookstore, but like everyone else, I’m going to have to wait for May 22 until I can get my hands on this book. Sigh. I’m not a patient person.
Wilde’s Fire by Krystal Wade
“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.” — Katriona WildeKatriona 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.