Review: Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade

	TITLE: Wilde’s Fire AUTHOR: Krystal Wade PAGES: 326 FORMAT: Kindle Galley ISBN: 978-1620070574 BUY IT: Amazon RATING: 3/5 [in the genre] or 5/10 [all books I’ve ever read]. FOR: Fans of heavy romantic plots. People who loved Amanda Hocking’s Trylle series.

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. Kate's forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. Wilde's Fire is the thrilling first instalment of debut author Krystal Wade's urban fantasy Darkness Falls trilogy, already exciting critics with its intensity and immersive, unique world and concept.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover (which is absolutely gorgeous!) and the description intrigued me. Wilde’s Fire definitely wasn’t bad, but it didn’t make me super excited for the sequel either. I don’t think I was necessarily the target reader for this book. The fantasy elements were strong, but the main plot centered much more about the romance than I had expected. I’m not a romance reader. I love romantic subplots, but emphasis on the sub. I didn’t like Trylle or Twilight, if that gives you any hints. Also, I don’t really like present tense novels. So anyway, if you like any of these things, you’ll probably really enjoy this book. In the interest of a fair review, let’s (watch me) break it down. Yes. I just parenthetically quoted Lady Gaga.

What I Didn’t Like: Start with the sour, then leave ‘em with something sweet. I didn’t buy Kate as a teenager. The way she talks is too pretty. Like she could be a fair romance maiden. Brit had a ton of personality in her dialogue. Kate just seemed kind of flat self-inserty to me. I didn’t really connect with her. The plot was kind of rocky. Started great and exciting, got lost in a mush of training and such, and suddenly what I thought was the main conflict (evil daemons feasting on the populous) took backseat to the me-and-Arland-have-some-issues-with-our-romance-and-something-is-wrong-with-Brad bit. It just felt like they were worrying way too much about their lovey-dovey stuff when people were being killed all around them. The magic was mostly fine, but I thought Kate had it a little too easy towards the end. Maybe it was just a bit mushy for me. I don’t do mushy. 

What I Liked: Great world. You’ve got a pantheon, daemons of all varieties, a war with the Darkness, and hidden old magic. Some parts are a wee bit of a stretch (Ground Dwellers, aka I’m pretty sure they’re sort of dwarves and the humans are sort of elves; everything is inexplicably Irish) but those didn’t stop me from enjoying it. I loved the idea of this decimated world with people hiding out in underground bunkers, thirsting for a long-missing sun. Very neat.

As for characters, Kate wasn’t my favorite, but I loved Brit and Flanna. They were snarky, fun, and brought some pizazz to the pages. The romance was not all bad. I loved that she didn’t actually have a thing for her best friend (the part where they share a kiss at the very beginning was very well done!). I also thought Wade was clever in avoiding insta-romance with Kate-to-Arland. Kate had dreamed for years of loving Arland, so no wonder she was instantly in love with him. (It was a little less clear why he would so quickly fall for her, though.)

As for the writing, it didn’t sound like a teen, but it was clear, largely error-free, and set a very nice mystical tone. And the plot? I kind of saw the ending coming, but I thought it was a great move on Wade’s part. It showed a great error in judgment on Kate’s part and shook up her fairy tale ending, which is exactly what you need to do setting up a sequel. It also made the previous plot with Brad (I’ll spare you the spoilers) make sense, whereas before it had seemed much too neat. So kudos on the ending.

So I can’t say that I loved it, but a lot had to do with it being much more romance-y than I prefer. I may still check out the sequel, because if Wade gets more into the battles and action (which were all really exciting in Wilde's Fire), then I think I'd enjoy it a lot more.  Check it out for yourself! You can find it starting tomorrow, May 15th. [[Don't forget, Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein also comes out the 15th!]]

(Thanks to Curiosity Quills Press for providing access to the advance galley!)