Karsten Knight

This book friggin ROCKED! I was amazed throughout the whole book by the craziness and creativity that Karsten conceived in Wildefire. Karsten’s imagination is truly unique in a way I have trouble explaining, and it’s completely different than what I’m used to. I loved the entire book, but it was the very last page that set this book over the edge of how I feel about it. I’m still sitting here in shock and thinking, “WHAT THE… ***???” I was trying to describe to a co-worker my show more thoughts about the ending, and I was stuttering trying to put my thoughts into words! And I mean that literally…I truly WAS stuttering. I CANNOT put into words what the heck I think about the ending.

While I was reading Wildefire, learning and experiencing in my mind the craziness that goes on because of these gods, I was thinking, “Wow, these gods and goddesses are not something that we would want walking around on our planet with that kind of power!” The evil characters in this book are truly psychotic (uh hum...Eve!) But even the gods and goddesses that are “good” can still cause serious damage, even when they don’t want to. That is, until they can learn how to control their power.

The main character, Ash, is HARDCORE! In the very beginning of the book, Ash is beating the living crap out of this girl Lizzie because Ash's boyfriend cheated on her with Lizzie. When I say that she was beating the living crap out of Lizzie, I REALLY mean it! She actually knocked teeth out of this chick’s mouth, and the whole time Lizzie was still talking smack! This little scene I just described is just a very small piece in so much craziness that happens in this book…and that’s only one example. Ash is one hardcore Goddess! If I am going to start picking teams for every book, I would have to say, "TEAM ASH" for this one.

This is the first time in a really long time that I really liked a book that a male author wrote. I don’t want to be all sexist, but a very high percentage of the books that I really love are written by female authors. So I am extremely happy that Fikshun recommended Wildefire to me! This is for sure a book that I would recommend to someone else. show less

It took me a few chapters to get into it, but I LOVED it once I did. Renata is not a typical girl, and her life is far from perfect. I love that it explores both the realistic and philosophical dangers and benefits of being able to change the past. If you could go back 1 month, 2 months, 1 year... would you? Keep in mind that while some of the future events may mirror the ones you knew, nothing ever happens the same way twice. I also enjoyed the tie-ins to mythology. As a mythos fan, I love show more seeing characters resurrected with a twist on the story. show less

Oh, how do I describe this book without giving anything away? The first thing that pops into my mind is the word epic. That's truly what this book is. As soon as I opened Wildefire and started to read, I remembered why I love books so much. Karsten Knight has written a gem. It will draw you in, and dig its claws into you until the very end. Best part? You'll love every minute of it.

Ashline and her sister Eve are the best example of sisters at odds that I have ever seen. There is so much show more depth to their characters. The reader is treated to seeing the delicate balance that lies between these two. Ashline's love for her sister is truly apparent, as is Eve's, however they also ooze tension in their interactions. The inner battle between these two feelings is palpable and delicious. Can feelings be delicious? I think so. When you can drink them off the page because they are so strong, yes, I'd say so. Mixed in with all of this are the petty, and violent moods of goddesses. This I appreciated so much! Ah, to be a god.

Lest you think that this whole book revolves around these two (which I would completely be okay with) I'll assure you that you will also be treated to other reincarnated gods as well! From the typical surfer boy character, down to the tall, dark and handsome character, each one of Ashline's entourage has a vivid and unique personality! I fell in love with every single one of them. Each of these characters brings something unique to the table, and Ashline flourishes with their friendship. I'm going to have to admit that she kind of stole the show for me though. Ashline is amazing!

Story wise, Wildefire is executed perfectly. The book is written in third-person, which I usually tend to shy away from. However being in Ashline's head was never once uncomfortable or awkward. Quite the opposite actually! I enjoyed seeing her inner thoughts and memories so much that I honestly didn't notice the third-person aspect for most of the book. It was as though once I was in her head, nothing else mattered. All that my own mind was concentrated on was what Ashline would do next. This girl is damaged to be sure, but her ability to take that and turn it into perseverance and fantastically witty sarcasm made me bond with her.

The ending is a killer cliffhanger. I'll warn you now. Most of the overall story is wrapped up and I honestly didn't see the very end coming at all. When I got to the last page, my jaw dropped open and I seriously momentarily debated on throwing the book against the wall. Not because I didn't love it! Rather I am now completely frustrated that I will now have to wait to see what happens next. Knight has my heart as a reader. It's true!

I'll end here because if I gush anymore you might all drown in my love for this book. Fresh, fun and unique, Wildefire is an epic ride! If you haven't yet added this to your reading list you need to do it now. Seriously. Once again I'll state that this book reminded me why I love reading in the first place. A great storyline, vivid characters, and so many twists that your draw will drop. That's what you'll find in Wildefire. I want more. show less

A) Technically a 4.5...yes I removed half a star because I nearly launched myself out of my reading nook to strangle the author over the last chapter. Seriously. Don't mess with my HEA.

B) Technically this falls into the thriller category with a dash of medical science fiction and some mystical woo-woo. And history, since I definitely learned more American history here then I generally expect from my fictional books.

C) Pretty chapter header photos.

What does this all add up to you ask? Well show more enjoyment of a book outside my normal reading purview. Long time followers/readers of my reviews know that I'm steadfastly loyal to the author--his trilogy about Ashline Wilde, Polynesian Volcano Goddess reincarnate, had me waxing poetic. I've been waiting for further works by him and was taken by surprise at this release.

Sabra Tides is a resourceful, smart ass streetwise girl who doesn't really play by the rules at all and probably created as many issues for herself as she got away from. Her one driving motivation was to save Echo, her 8 year old younger sister dying of cancer. She broke every law, left a trail of bodies behind her and got mixed up in some shitty things to achieve that goal.

Damned if I wouldn't have done the same for my baby sister if I'd been put into that position.

Knight's wordplay here--riddles make up a big part of what moves the hunt along--likely will make sense to Boston residents more so then me. Without Atlas and Sabra talking it out I would have just blinked at the pages stupidly. The depth of knowledge is awe inspiring--both in its use and in the way he weaves the dual tales around it.

I will caution a little...violence abounds and no one in the book is playing for the silver halls. Sabra has to make tough decisions that don't end in hugs and the folk after her don't shoot tranqs. The collateral damage is kind of high actually.

While your milage may vary in how well you believe in what happens (over like a month or so), the ending is satisfying. Folk win, folk die, folk are lucky they're fictional because otherwise I'd wring their necks for putting me through heartache. show less