Wilde's Army (Darkness Falls, #2)

Jun 11, 2012 Farrah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-series, favorites

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Absolutely brilliant! Everything I hoped it would be and more! Thrills, romance, surprises...what more could you ask for?

Katriona grew so much in this book. In Wilde's Fire, she was unsure of herself and her magic reflected that. In this one, her confidence shot up. Though she had moments of insecurity (who wouldn't when the entire world counted on you to survive), she was a strong leader who inspired people to fight....more This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

Absolutely brilliant! Everything I hoped it would be and more! Thrills, romance, surprises...what more could you ask for?

Katriona grew so much in this book. In Wilde's Fire, she was unsure of herself and her magic reflected that. In this one, her confidence shot up. Though she had moments of insecurity (who wouldn't when the entire world counted on you to survive), she was a strong leader who inspired people to fight. Obviously, in this book, Katriona is trying to build an army to help her fight Darkness. It's not as easy as it sounds. The people of Encardia are tired of fighting. Getting them motivated isn't exactly a walk in the park. How does she manage with that problem? I'll let you figure that out. And, let me tell you, it's positively awe-inspiring.

Arland...what can I say? He is perfection at its finest. He was determined to protect Katriona and whenever she got hurt, he saw it as his failure. It was both sweet-in that he was so determined to keep her safe-and sad-because he blamed himself every time Katriona got hurt. He was supportive of Katriona and basically the most perfect boyfriend ever to exist (and maybe more...;). I LOVED their relationship. It is the purest, most true love ever. I swear, whenever they were on the page together, I would undoubtedly be smiling at how adorable their relationship is.

Perth was an interesting character. He doesn't approve of his father and how his father rules, so he's decided to join with Katriona in the fight. This doesn't turn into a love triangle (how could it with the absolute devotion in Katriona and Arland's relationship). At first, he was a thorn in my side. But he kind of grew on me. By the end of the book, I was grudgingly admitting that I was actually fond of him. Don't worry, he'll grow on you to, whether you want him to or not.

The other characters were all dynamic. Katriona's mother showed a different side of her. Brit grows as she sticks with Katriona in the fight. Brad is still there, despite being taken over by Darkness. I'm hoping for the best for him in the next book. Really all of the characters were interesting.

The story was, of course, thrilling and romantic. There is a lot more action in this one, as the fight has truly started. Similarly, the romance is more intense as Katriona and Arland's relationship grows. I got to be more familiar with the whole mythology in this book. In the first one, things were a little fuzzy. In Wilde's Army, I was able to truly understand the whole issue about the magic and the gods. I also got to know the world of Encardia a lot better. And the ending to this book. It had me both smiling and having a panic attack. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book to see how the war turns out, how the love story grows, how all the the characters get along. Ms. Wade, please write fast! I'm dying to find out what happens next.

Wilde's army was perfection, a worthy sequel to Wilde's Fire. Loved every moment of it.
5/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Marielle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This and other reviews on Book Thoughts by Marielle!

This copy was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press.

I liked Wilde’s Army by Krystal Wade just as much as the first of its series, Wilde’s Fire.

Kate Wilde has just been visited by two gods- one Light, the other Dark. Upon waking from these “visions,” she discovers that everyone from her new home has been taken away by daemons; all except for Perth, the Ground Dweller that Kate was sworn to marry in return for a favor. No...more This and other reviews on Book Thoughts by Marielle!

This copy was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Curiosity Quills Press.

I liked Wilde’s Army by Krystal Wade just as much as the first of its series, Wilde’s Fire.

Kate Wilde has just been visited by two gods- one Light, the other Dark. Upon waking from these “visions,” she discovers that everyone from her new home has been taken away by daemons; all except for Perth, the Ground Dweller that Kate was sworn to marry in return for a favor. No one seems to trust Perth, but the Light god told Kate to trust those around her, so she really has no choice. Once finding her friends, she and Arland must lead their people to Willow Falls where they are thrust into court life under a complicated ruse: Kate must pretend to be in love with Perth and act as if she has every plan to marry him, while her sister, Brit, appears to be in love with Arland. Keeping up their fragile ruse proves difficult, but nothing will be more difficult than what lies ahead.

First things first: the characters. I thought that Kate was pretty strong and her magic was really cool. I mean, she has tiny sprites to do her bidding; they even dress her so she doesn’t have to do it herself! How awesome would that be? PRETTY DARN AWESOME, I TELL YOU. However, she thought about love a little too much. As a matter of fact, the word “love” was mentioned way too many times in this book, but eventually it didn’t bother me so much. I think I became immune to it. Kate also had some serious trust issues and got angry for small reasons (well, I saw them as small, but that may be because I don’t really get mad ever).

As in the last book, I still thought of Arland as a pleasant, likable guy. He was really understanding and never got mad at Kate, no matter what she did. He was also strong and he really loved Kate, but as I said before, he talked about it a little too much. I feel like he was a little too open for being a guy, but I still liked him.

Now for Perth. Oh, Perth. I absolutely LOVED Perth. I have no idea why. I just really liked him. He was really underestimated, but he pulled through in the end and ended up being a really great guy, even though everyone claimed that he was so evil and not to be trusted. I felt so bad for him because all he wanted was someone to love him, but people were constantly talking about how much they didn’t want Perth, but he was actually awesome.

PLOT! I thought that the plot was entertaining. I liked the part where Kate had to pretend to be in love with Perth the best, but at the same time I didn’t like that part because I felt really bad for Perth… Anyway, there was a lot of action and magic-wielding and such. There were also a few surprises thrown in there, but there were other things that I did see coming. Overall, this book was good.
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Jul 03, 2012 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I mentioned with book one, Wilde's Fire, I love the covers. But the more I read, the more I realized the significance of the colors in them; why Wilde's fire was blue, and why this one is yellow. It just hit me and I really appreciate the purpose of it all.

I should start off by saying this book was a big improvement on the last one. Not that the first one was bad, but if you read my review here you'd realize the other book didn't have such a great start with Katriona in the first person. It w...more As I mentioned with book one, Wilde's Fire, I love the covers. But the more I read, the more I realized the significance of the colors in them; why Wilde's fire was blue, and why this one is yellow. It just hit me and I really appreciate the purpose of it all.

I should start off by saying this book was a big improvement on the last one. Not that the first one was bad, but if you read my review here you'd realize the other book didn't have such a great start with Katriona in the first person. It was mainly due to her reaction to things and how she dealt with this new world she was thrust into. But it had looked up after the initial entrance into the world, and since this book just continues from there, it was good.

I never mentioned this with the first book, but the author did a great job in creating the world of 'Encardia' their lives, and the darkness they live in. I enjoyed reading how that was developed, and the species they were divided into - even the demons.

The book takes off from where it had ended in book one, with Katriona alone except for Perth as the rest have been abducted by demons. She needs to trust her surroundings and understand who betrayed them. So her mission to fulfill her prophecy starts, and her journey to form an army to save Encardia.

Their were a few minor quirks I still did not like, but still, the book was great. I enjoyed reading about the voyage to Willow Falls and the rescue mission. I really enjoyed how much Katriona has grown, even she admits it, her abilities, her confidence, her leadership skills, and her love for her people and Arland. I am still not fond of Brit or their mother, but I did really like Perth. I actually never thought him that bad in book one as they had portrayed him, and only grew to sympathize with him more in this book. I am sad I didn't get to see more of the dynamics between Kate and Flanna, but due to the loss and hardship of the journey I guess the book has evolved as well.

I really enjoyed reading this book and finished it in no time, which goes great with the fact that is comes out today actually. I can't wait for the third one to be out! To see the end of the story and how Katriona fulfills her prophecy in saving Encardia.

Rating: 4.5/5(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, romance, ya

Cannot wait for this to come out!! July 4th can't come quickly enough!

Review Update 6/13/2012: I got an advance copy and just finished the book. Wow.

Book Two of the Darkness Falls Trilogy picks up where Book One, Wilde's Fire, ended: Kate is alone, everyone is missing...except for Perth, the Ground Dweller whom no one trusts. In order to rescue everyone, she must learn to trust Perth, find where they are hidden, and then get everyone to the relative safety of Willow Falls. Relative because while...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Carrie Slager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

[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 r...more [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.(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wilde’s Army picks up the moment Wilde’s Fire left off. Arland, Kate’s mother and sister, and the rest of the inhabitants of the base have vanished. All except for Perth, the man Kate is supposed to marry to appease a political ally. Kate forms a tenuous partnership with him because, while she has no intentions of marrying the man, she does need him if she’s going to find the others. It’s in Kate’s nature to see the best in people, including this strange Ground Dweller, but circumstances require...more Wilde’s Army picks up the moment Wilde’s Fire left off. Arland, Kate’s mother and sister, and the rest of the inhabitants of the base have vanished. All except for Perth, the man Kate is supposed to marry to appease a political ally. Kate forms a tenuous partnership with him because, while she has no intentions of marrying the man, she does need him if she’s going to find the others. It’s in Kate’s nature to see the best in people, including this strange Ground Dweller, but circumstances require her to keep Perth at arm’s length and on a short leash. For his part, Perth is cooperative with her plans to rescue Arland and her family. He plays devil’s advocate and gives her advice, all despite her American teen snark.

The reader is reminded quickly that not only is the world around Kate a dark and dangerous place, but it is in part because of her. She is the one prophesied to destroy end the reign of darkness. The eldest daughter of High Leaders, ruling this world is her birthright. Naturally, the malevolent force who is oppressing Encardia delights in taunting and tormenting her with every tool at his disposal…vicious beasts, the lives of her friends and family, with exhaustion, hunger, and temptation. And still, the most dangerous thing in this world might Perth’s father, his ambition, his greed, and his careless flaunting of essential resources.

Opposite High Leader Dufaigh is Saraid Wilde, Kate’s mother and a woman of great power and perhaps greater secrets. She plays the Leaders’ game in Encardia with one hand in the cookie jar and the other behind her back, fingers crossed. At the risk of alienating both of her daughters, Saraid never tells the whole story, never reveals exactly what she’s thinking, and never gives a straight answer to questions. She has her reasons, but as Kate grows more and more frustrated, the reader does as well.

There were some details in the beginning that snagged my attention. I would recommend reading the final chapter of Wilde’s Fire before opening Wilde’s Army. There was also one scene where I feel the author backed herself into a corner and telling was really the only way out. Those issues aside, if Wilde’s Army has a big fault, it’s having the misfortune to follow Wilde’s Fire.

Krystal Wade’s strength is in her characters, though. The Arland / Kate / Perth triangle, as the three test the limitations of each other’s loyalty and patience, was worth the read.(less)

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Sep 17, 2012 Thea Gregory rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, ya

Wilde's Army is the sequel to Wilde's Fire, by Krystal Wade.

I was given a copy in return for my thoughts. It's a book two, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Sequels can either disappoint or astonish, but I think that Wilde's Army is enough of a departure from the first that it avoided that pitfall. Rather than offering more of the same, it instead focuses on different character interactions, and getting super powered Kate... err, Katriona, out of her element.

Rather than being about survival in t...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Laurice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, looove-the-guy-character, paranormal-romance, series, war, arcs-netgalley, all-time-beloved-books

Book-iography

Title:Wilde's Fire
Author: Krystal Wade
Published: July 4, 2012
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Format:Ebook from NetGalley
Pages: 140Type: Series, Darkness Falls #2
Bookshelves:YA Books, Paranormal
Read:August 7-8, 2012
Links:Goodreads
Amazon| Barnes & Noble
Rating:

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What can I say?

What can I say? What can I say?
I am DEFINITELY LOVING this series!

Remember my review about Wilde's Fire having substance? Yeah? Well, there's more! This book doesn't just have substance, but...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Kathleen Dixon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen-reading

I started reading this book with no pre-knowledge of it - I wasn't aware that it was the second in a series, I wasn't aware of what age-group it was aimed at. I realised very quickly that not only was it a sequel but it was written for younger people. That's fine - I enjoy reading any book, from alphabet books for pre-schoolers, through children's books, early teens, older teens, and anything from churn-them-out bestsellers with lots of action and sex through to the often-quite-difficult literar...more I started reading this book with no pre-knowledge of it - I wasn't aware that it was the second in a series, I wasn't aware of what age-group it was aimed at. I realised very quickly that not only was it a sequel but it was written for younger people. That's fine - I enjoy reading any book, from alphabet books for pre-schoolers, through children's books, early teens, older teens, and anything from churn-them-out bestsellers with lots of action and sex through to the often-quite-difficult literary novel. And that's just the fiction. And while I don't expect much from the churn-them-out novels, I do expect plenty from books written for the younger market. I expect that any book written for a younger person should also be interesting to an adult.

Some years ago, children's movies were made to appeal to the child alone. The adult would suffer in silence, knowing that their child was enjoying them. Well, there's been a revolution in movies, and children's movies are now created to be equally as enjoyable for the adults (at least, the good ones are). After all, children and teens and adults aren't separate species. So, what I'm saying is that although I'm long past the age-group this series is written for, I do have an appreciation of the genre and I do have expectations.

I found the writing style a little simplistic, especially at the beginning (and I'm comparing it with other teen fantasy I've read recently). Oh the other hand, the author brought in information from the first in the series (Wilde's Fire) really well, so I didn't feel there were huge gaps in what I needed to know for this book to make sense. I didn't warm to any of the characters - Katriona is very childish, and though the other characters show different facets to themselves they are still lacking in subtlety.

What I did like is the way the author uses magic. The idea of an Old Magic that has almost been lost, and then is 'found' by special newcomers, isn't new, but that's fine - it's a good concept. And the gathering of sprites etc to answer the magic-wielder's call/needs is well done here. Bringing in different types of magic is also good, and I look forward to more of that (if I read the 3rd in this series).(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This is book 2 of the Darkness Falls set. This book picks up right where Wilde's Fire ends. Kate meets up with Perth and together they must find the other people in order to save them. Once they do that then they all must travel to Willow Falls to meet with the High Leaders and Kate must united the people of Encardia in order to form an army to defeat the Darkness.

I enjoyed this one just as much as I did the first and I definitely think that you would need to have read the 1st book in order to f...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

GoodReads Synopsis: “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 ar...more GoodReads Synopsis: “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?

My Thoughts: I’m still loving this series!! Kat is growing and maturing. We’ve learned more about everyone’s prophecies as well as some well hidden secrets.

When this installment opens Kat is coming out of her “dream” discussion with the Gods. Perth is the only one still around and they have to rely on each other. Talk about a reluctant alliance. We get to know Perth much better…we also learn of his prophecy.

Kat’s Mom is still one I am having trouble with. By keeping so much from her girls I think she has made their lives much harder than necessary…but on the flipside, she has a great line in the book about there being no manual for raising your kids in another world to keep them safe…or something along those lines. Kat’s Mom is in an untenable position, all the way around, and we learn it will probably cost her her life.

There is a huge build-up leading into the third and final book of this trilogy and I can’t wait to see how it ends. We get possible glimpses of the outcome from Kat’s prophetic dreams. Now I just have to wait for the last book to see how it all comes together!
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Jul 11, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

We are back in the beautiful world of Encardia, where the author transforms our imaginations to a world of wonder, magic and of turmoil. Katriona is the key to saving this world, by uniting all people they will conquer darkness together.

After falling through a portal into a world she has never known, and finally finding the literal man of her dreams and dealing with the loss of her best friend Kate is now faced with conquering darkness and bringing light back to Encardia. Her homeland, where he...more We are back in the beautiful world of Encardia, where the author transforms our imaginations to a world of wonder, magic and of turmoil. Katriona is the key to saving this world, by uniting all people they will conquer darkness together.

After falling through a portal into a world she has never known, and finally finding the literal man of her dreams and dealing with the loss of her best friend Kate is now faced with conquering darkness and bringing light back to Encardia. Her homeland, where her and her family are originally from, but to do this she must be ready to lie to keep everyone alive. She is promised to be married to Perth but as per her prophecy she is in love and will marry Arland. Through their travels from Watcher’s Hill to Willow falls they encounter many demons, but prevail.

Perth, Arland and Kate work together to hide their secrets from the rest of the people at Willow Falls especially Perth’s father who seeks to gain much with the marriage of Perth and Kate. He plans on denouncing her power and Perth becoming the leader of all people. In this book you see a lot of growth from Perth, his humanity and honesty comes through. He seems to really start to care about Kate, but I think that will only hurt him more in the end, I even feel myself rooting for him to be happy and find the freedom and love he secretly desires.

Throughout her ordeal in Willow Falls, Kate is to pretend she is in love with Perth and they are courting each other. All the while all she wants is Arland and to start getting on with her prophecy, to build her army. But she is constantly being watched and the time is approaching quickly for Perth and Kate to do their binding spell. But they do not belong together, her family has disappeared, she’s all alone and doesn’t know what is going on.

Until one night her mom comes knocking at her door and that is when her life starts to change, and the prophecy starts taking place. I don’t really want to go into too much detail at this point because this is where the fun begins. This is where everything that everyone has been working so hard for, all the lies and acting can finally stop and the truth will set everyone free. The whole thing made me proud.

This is a beautiful story and I can’t wait for it to continue. I can’t wait to see how Brad comes back and how all of this comes to an end, whether it is for good or bad. Overall this series just gets better and better and I am completely attached to the characters. Well done Krystal Wade, well done! You have me captivated.
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Jun 30, 2012 Mirely rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pp-301-to-400, ya-fantasy, ya-romance, ya-paranormal-mystical, female-messiah, series-darkness-falls, 2012-publication-read, 2012-reading-challenge, 2012-reviews, arc, egalley, magic, gods, female-lead

This review might not be spoilerish for Wilde’s Army but might be for Wilde’s Fire.

There is a lot going on in Wilde’s Army. Kate finds herself alone at the end of Wilde’s Fire. The turn of events experienced in the last few pages leads her to face reality real quick. In Wilde’s Army you meet a new and refined Kate. This chick is strong, determined, confident and very much worthy of the immense responsibility of having to save a dying world and its people.

The writing once again was impressive as...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Jaime rated it 2 of 5 stars

Book two in the Darkness Falls series is just as disappointing as the first. There are no bad guys among the Draiochtans. If someone betray’s their people, it’s because they are really a Daemon shape shifter. If someone is selfish and leads their people astray it’s because they are under a spell. Its okay to have bad guys among those who should be good. It’s war, people are afraid, and greedy, they can redeem themselves later if at all.

The way Kate uses her magic is comical. She just tells the s...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Jessa Russo rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I could give WILDE'S ARMY six stars, I would. It was BETTER than WILDE'S FIRE, which I gave five stars to already, so a SIX star rating is the only thing that makes sense!!!

I cried so many times in this book because I felt SO MUCH EMOTION. Happiness, love, fear, sorrow ... to name a few.

I finished the book with tears streaming down my face, not knowing what to do with myself next. I honestly had that confused, shocked, stuck-in-an-imaginary-land feeling you occasionally see 'somecards.com' r...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Eve Langell rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I got my approval to read the ARC of this book I made a slightly embarrassing squeal in the break room of my job. First thing I did when I got home the other day was download the book to my beloved kindle. I pretty much read it last night until my eyes hurt and begged for a rest from reading and today. Yep I finished it! Yay!

Now for those of you who don’t know this amazing book is the sequel to Wilde’s Fire so there will be spoilers in this one pertaining to book 1. So be...more I was so excited when I got my approval to read the ARC of this book I made a slightly embarrassing squeal in the break room of my job. First thing I did when I got home the other day was download the book to my beloved kindle. I pretty much read it last night until my eyes hurt and begged for a rest from reading and today. Yep I finished it! Yay!

Now for those of you who don’t know this amazing book is the sequel to Wilde’s Fire so there will be spoilers in this one pertaining to book 1. So be warned. First, look at that cover. So pretty, I still prefer the blue of the first one but this one really captures the essence of what they are.

In Wilde’s Army, Kate finds her love, her family and everyone else she has grown to love gone. All but one, Perth the man she’s been traded to marry for a favor. She must listen to the god’s guiding her and form a tentative partnership with this man everyone has warned her about. Finding and rescuing the ones she love is only half the battle they still must make it to Willow Falls and face a different kind of danger. Danger of their own kind because they take seriously the promise that was made, Kate to marry Perth, and her love for another could cost many their lives. Oh and if that isn’t enough of a problem she has to unite the people who have hated one another for far too long and form an army willing to fight for her. Yep she has a lot to face, and when everything appears stacked against her she must find out if she is still the same girl, the Light, the girl with fire.

Well now there is a lot of stuff happening in this book and it just flies right by. No dragging. Full of action or conflict or just good stuff. There is the return of our romance, sigh. Arland is so dreamy. We also get to learn more about Perth which I really enjoyed. I got glimpses of him in the first book that made me think there was more to him than what the other characters said and I am pleased with that. It was very interesting how he is portrayed. Not really bad but struggling to be good in his own way.

The world of Encardia is ever growing. We learn more about the world as a whole. The daemons and Darkness that lurk around every corner. The whole world is explained a little more. I got to understand more about the history of the world and how things were ran. A look behind the curtain so to speak. In book 1 we hear about some characters and Leaders and such but you don’t really get how they work but in this you are in the thick of it and the politics of even a dying world. This plays well with Kate and her growth. She has to face horrors at pretty much every turn but she has to grow as an individual. She grew in the first book by accepting who she is and what she can do as well as love. That continues in this book, she is more confident. She understands herself better, her power, and what she must do. She struggles throughout wondering what she should do and if what she wants to do is what is right and that to me makes it great. Yes she is growing more powerful in her understanding but she also has her moments, she can’t save everyone all the time. She is powerful but she is not completely all powerful. She can be hurt.

The struggles each character goes through… is tough. Knowing your prophecy doesn’t mean you know much of anything really. Those who know things are not always willing or able to share them. Then again some don’t know their purpose and that can be even more frustrating. Her mother has kept things from her all her life and still doesn’t tell her everything. Everyone always seems to know more about her life than she does at times and that frustrates her to no end and I can relate to that. Trust is hard to give. It’s even harder to rebuild. What do you do when someone you trust tells you one thing but your gut says another?

This book is full of magic. If you liked the first book even half as much as I did then you will love this book. Again my only complaint is that I have to wait for more. Yes, I am greedy like that. Though I must admit this is the shortest time I’ve ever waited for a sequel, I just hope I that does not mean I have to wait even longer for the 3rd book. So there you have it folks, 5 starts according to me. Wilde’s Army comes out July 4th.

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Jul 12, 2012 Amy (Books, College, and Other Random Things) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I received a copy to review from the publisher via Net Galley.

Katriona believes everybody is gone until she hears the one voice she dreads, Perth’s, the Ground Dweller who was supposed to marry her. Apparently, he’s known since the day he’s met her that she was his, even though Katriona doesn’t want him… she wants Arland. Griandor told her she has to trust him, but she isn’t too keen on that idea.

She knows she needs to try, and they start to look for Arland and the others. She finally is able to...more I received a copy to review from the publisher via Net Galley.

Katriona believes everybody is gone until she hears the one voice she dreads, Perth’s, the Ground Dweller who was supposed to marry her. Apparently, he’s known since the day he’s met her that she was his, even though Katriona doesn’t want him… she wants Arland. Griandor told her she has to trust him, but she isn’t too keen on that idea.

She knows she needs to try, and they start to look for Arland and the others. She finally is able to find them and save them for now. They decide they need to get to Arland’s father in Willow Falls. Perth and Arland are often throwing barbs at each other, and Kate lets everybody know that they need to trust Perth, even though he makes it hard for them to.

Going to Willow Falls isn’t going to be easy. Leader Maher tells her before they even head to Willow Falls, Kate has to stay away from Arland. Arland and Kate decide they have to pretend they hate each other and that Kate loves Perth. She hates doing this, but she needs to unite everybody no matter what it takes.

I liked this one more than the first, and it’s not common for me to like the second book more. I definitely think it’s because Perth is in this book a lot more. I loved it when Perth and Arland butted heads. I wish that happened a lot more than it did. I know Kate and Arland are made for each other, directly by the gods, but I might like Perth more than Arland. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Arland. I hope that Perth finds who he’s meant to be with in the next installment. I was annoyed at a couple of characters in the book: Flanna and Kate’s mom. I know Flanna lost the guy she loved, but she always took it out on Kate. And Kate’s mom. Ugh!

She was pretty cryptic in the first book and continues to be like this in this book. I felt really bad for Brit, Kate’s sister. She’s not familiar with Encardia and doesn’t have a reason for being there. Kate knows what she’s there for. Anybody that enjoys young adult fantasy romance should give this series a try.
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Jul 10, 2012 Lucie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished the first volume,"Wilde's Fire"by saying:"Once the last page swallowed, you want to discover more … In short in the first volume, everything is made to interest the reader: intrigue, some betrayal, a wonderful love story and a lot of desperate battles... "
So I was particularly pleased to get my hands on the further adventures of Arland and Kate.

Again, Krystal Wade responded by offering me a rhythmic novel, emotionally turbulent and strong. As the characters and the background were alr...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Mrs. Kenyon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books

Katriona has had everything taken away from her. She is in a new world where she is destined to bring Light and vanquish Darkness. This destiny was prophesied before she was born and the ramifications are still unraveling. At the beginning of Wilde’s Army Katriona discovers that all of the residents in the compound have been taken hostage except Perth. Perth and Katriona were betrothed as payment for the building of the compounds. Unfortunately, Katriona is in love with Arland and they believed...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Vicci rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the first book and fell in love with the second book after chapter one. The story grows with strong charcters that struggle to stay true to each other and their own beliefs during the journey they find themselves on. I really liked how the love story between Kate and Arland grew. I found myself being charmed by the sweetness and tenderness of their feelings for each other.

Perth is a great added bonus to the story. I really like him and his struggle to do the right thing. Brit is just as...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Gretchen Hohmeyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, reviewed, on-amazon

This review originally appeared on My Life is a Notebook HERE . Follow the link to see the review complete with spoilers!

I don’t know how many of you saw my review of Darkness Falls #1, Wilde’s Fire, but it was … a little less than complimentary. Giving the book the benefit of the doubt, however, I realized that a lot of the reason I headdesked into next Tuesday while reading it was my own jaded opinion–and Wade certainly had potential to write some great action scenes. Crossing my fingers, I we...more This review originally appeared on My Life is a Notebook HERE . Follow the link to see the review complete with spoilers!

I don’t know how many of you saw my review of Darkness Falls #1, Wilde’s Fire, but it was … a little less than complimentary. Giving the book the benefit of the doubt, however, I realized that a lot of the reason I headdesked into next Tuesday while reading it was my own jaded opinion–and Wade certainly had potential to write some great action scenes. Crossing my fingers, I went ahead and requested the next one from NetGalley.

And instantly screeched to a halt.

Wilde’s Army begins a little bit after the events of Wilde’s Fire, which is nothing new. However, it starts after EVERYONE BUT KATE AND PERTH have been ABDUCTED BY THE BAD GUYS.

Picture me squawking ‘What? What? WHAT?’ and flapping my arms around like a demented chicken, and you have my reaction to this.

Besides it being an utterly unsubtle plot convention to get Perth and Kate to like each other, it’s also done without any forewarning or real explanation. I was not happy, at all. I almost stopped reading right there.

But I didn’t, because I am a glutton for punishment.

And that ended up being a good thing.

See, remember how I wanted more action in Wilde’s Fire? Well, I GOT THAT in Wilde’s Army. I got it by the BUCKET FULLS. Kate and Perth’s rescue attempt begins the first of MANY battle and magic-weilding scenes. I thought Wade could rock those, and I was right. The book barely stopped moving right up until the end, which made me very happy.

Kate and Arland are still over the top as ever, especially come the time when *spoiler cut*. Having just finished reading Rapture by Lauren Kate, I’d rather had my fill of overdone romance, but at least it wasn’t as much of a focus this time. I was also probably too gleeful about how Kate and Perth had to *spoiler cut* for a while and Arland was *spoiler cut*, which was a nice switch.

The ending was also nicely done, though I was confused by how easily everything worked out. It made vague sense, so I let it slide for the most part. Most confusing was how, for the whole book, Kate was demanding an Army and then gets everyone to fight for her, but is then like “Whoops, sorry, only need a few of you!” The book is titled Wilde’s Army, for goodness sake. But maybe that’s just me being nitpicky…

All in all, I found Wilde’s Army to be a marked improvement on Wilde’s Fire. The romance wasn’t as focused on, there was a ton more action and the characterization was mildly better. I’m glad I stuck with Wilde’s Fire and then requested this one. Wade didn’t disappoint!(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Samina ~ Escapism~ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, netgalley

My rating:2.5 out of 5 stars
After a great start to a brand new series, Wilde’s Army fell somewhere in between. Katriona is still in Encardia and after the nightly visit from the God, Griandor she has been instructed to gather an army for her to fight the darkness. On her quest she is supposed to defeat the darkness and all evil with her love for Arland and the power given to her by birth.

I was hoping to see so much more from this but what I got was nothing. The first book saw Kate landing in En...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Julie-anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This would get 3.5 stars but Goodreads doesn't have half hearts.

Wilde's Army takes off exactly where Wilde's Fire stops. Kate has to trust Perth to help her save all her new friends and her family then get to Willow Falls for more help to fight Darkness. Along the way, she loses friends and almost loses her own life. Then she has to play happy girlfriend with Perth to fool his dad so he doesn't try to kill Arland.

I really didn't know whether to trust Perth or not, and I'm still not sure if he's...more

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Jul 12, 2012 BookHookup rated it 4 of 5 stars

**This book was received from Net Galley but it did not influence the review in any way**

The adventure continues! Right from the first page, the reader is tossed back into the dark world of Encardia and Kate’s quest to bring light to her new home. And, of course, we follow the growing relationship between Kate and Arland…a relationship that is tested here as never before. The war has begun and Kate is in the center of it all!

This book begins immediately after the first one ends with Kate finding...more **This book was received from Net Galley but it did not influence the review in any way**

The adventure continues! Right from the first page, the reader is tossed back into the dark world of Encardia and Kate’s quest to bring light to her new home. And, of course, we follow the growing relationship between Kate and Arland…a relationship that is tested here as never before. The war has begun and Kate is in the center of it all!

This book begins immediately after the first one ends with Kate finding herself alone with Perth, someone she does not trust. Her family and friends are missing and this unlikely ally is the only person she can turn to. And from that first page, the story takes off and the adventure begins.

The characters in this book are vibrant. Kate grows a lot during this part of the story. She takes on the challenge of saving this world and it’s people head on. Her magic is growing as is her confidence. She is definitely a hero. Arland continues to protect and love Kate with a laser focus, which causes him to blame himself whenever something happens to her. He stands beside her, fights demons with her, and agrees to plans that break his heart…all in the name of ending this war and being with the woman he loves. We met Perth in the first book and, quite honestly, I disliked him. Now, however, he has me confused. This character plays a much bigger role this time around and what we thought we knew about him and his intentions gets tested several times in this book. It’s part of what makes it so enjoyable…when you don’t know if you can trust a major player in the game, the game is that much more exciting! Now, I still have issues with Kate’s mother. She’s still too secretive and it frustrates me. But, ultimately, she adds the tension that drives the reader crazy…in a good way.

The story is filled with twists and turns, the demons are scarier, the terrain is rougher and evil is everywhere. But, somehow, the hope is strong in this story. It may be because of its fast pace or the engaging characters or simply the reader’s desire to have them persevere…but even in the darkest of times, we never doubt that Kate and Arland will keep fighting to save family, friends and citizens of Encardia alike. This is the beauty of this story. It captures you and doesn’t let you go. The final chapter in this story is poised to be explosive and I can’t wait to read it.

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Jul 11, 2012 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I gave it 3.5 stars

WILDE'S FIRE ended on a huge cliffhanger and WILDE'S ARMY starts up with no time having passed. Immediately she runs into Perth, the man no body likes and the one she is expected to marry. They have to work together to free the others and get them to safety so that Kate can form her army.

WILDE'S ARMY pretty much blows every prediction or feelings you had about the series as a whole out of the water. Enemies are actually allies and some allies are actually enemies. Expectations...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Andrea Heltsley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-books-for-review

OMG!!!!!! I am not sure where to begin......

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Wilde's Fire. When I got a hold of a copy of Wilde's Army, I was super stoked.

The story started off where Wilde's Fire ended. This is where Perth enters the story in a more of a main character capacity. You want to hate Perth, but it is just too hard. Maybe it is because I picture him as hot in my head..lol..

Kate is such a strong character that I admire her strength and passion. Just when you thought s...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Jackie -Sated Faery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: other-paranormal

Wow! So much excitement!! It seems like there was trouble around corner, I never knew what to expect! And how on earth do you figure out who to trust after all this madness? Kate is left with no choice but to trust the one person who seems to be the most un-trustworthy. Plus the terror of not knowing what is happening to Arland & all of her friends & family. The action starts right at the beginning and never seems to cease! While there are some beautiful, romantic, electric moments that...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

**This book was received from Net Galley but it did not influence the review in any way**

The adventure continues! Right from the first page, the reader is tossed back into the dark world of Encardia and Kate’s quest to bring light to her new home. And, of course, we follow the growing relationship between Kate and Arland…a relationship that is tested here as never before. The war has begun and Kate is in the center of it all!

This book begins immediately after the first one ends with Kate finding...more **This book was received from Net Galley but it did not influence the review in any way**

The adventure continues! Right from the first page, the reader is tossed back into the dark world of Encardia and Kate’s quest to bring light to her new home. And, of course, we follow the growing relationship between Kate and Arland…a relationship that is tested here as never before. The war has begun and Kate is in the center of it all!

This book begins immediately after the first one ends with Kate finding herself alone with Perth, someone she does not trust. Her family and friends are missing and this unlikely ally is the only person she can turn to. And from that first page, the story takes off and the adventure begins.

The characters in this book are vibrant. Kate grows a lot during this part of the story. She takes on the challenge of saving this world and it’s people head on. Her magic is growing as is her confidence. She is definitely a hero. Arland continues to protect and love Kate with a laser focus, which causes him to blame himself whenever something happens to her. He stands beside her, fights demons with her, and agrees to plans that break his heart…all in the name of ending this war and being with the woman he loves. We met Perth in the first book and, quite honestly, I disliked him. Now, however, he has me confused. This character plays a much bigger role this time around and what we thought we knew about him and his intentions gets tested several times in this book. It’s part of what makes it so enjoyable…when you don’t know if you can trust a major player in the game, the game is that much more exciting! Now, I still have issues with Kate’s mother. She’s still too secretive and it frustrates me. But, ultimately, she adds the tension that drives the reader crazy…in a good way.

The story is filled with twists and turns, the demons are scarier, the terrain is rougher and evil is everywhere. But, somehow, the hope is strong in this story. It may be because of its fast pace or the engaging characters or simply the reader’s desire to have them persevere…but even in the darkest of times, we never doubt that Kate and Arland will keep fighting to save family, friends and citizens of Encardia alike. This is the beauty of this story. It captures you and doesn’t let you go. The final chapter in this story is poised to be explosive and I can’t wait to read it.

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Jul 11, 2012 Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fantasy, net-galley, ebook, cheap-free, reading-lark, own-it, softcover, new-adult

My review can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2012/0...

Hmmm... I have to admit that I've got mixed feelings for Wilde's Army. There were some portions of this installment that I absolutely loved, but overall, I didn't find I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first book, Wilde's Fire. While some parts of the story were well done and well written, I found other parts were bogged down a bit and were inconsistent, and brought down my overall enjoyment of the book.

H...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Fel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: top-10-of-2012

(Disclaimer: I received this book from via NetGalley for an honest review.)
Wilde’s Army picks up right where Wilde’s Fire left off, Kate is alone at the base after the daemons have kidnapped her family, friends, and love. The first words she hears within the (not so) empty base, “Hello Katriona.” It is Perth, the man to whom she has been promised by an arrangement neither of them had a say in. The man who nearly killed her when he met her. His startling confession kicks off the story, leaving Ka...more (Disclaimer: I received this book from via NetGalley for an honest review.)
Wilde’s Army picks up right where Wilde’s Fire left off, Kate is alone at the base after the daemons have kidnapped her family, friends, and love. The first words she hears within the (not so) empty base, “Hello Katriona.” It is Perth, the man to whom she has been promised by an arrangement neither of them had a say in. The man who nearly killed her when he met her. His startling confession kicks off the story, leaving Kate to choose carefully who she trusts and when. Either way, Perth is the only one to help her rescue the others.
Yet again, Krystal Wade had me from the very beginning of the novel. I couldn’t stop reading–if I picked up my computer to do some research or writing, I nearly always found myself reopening the book and loosing track of time as the chapters flew by.
Kate has developed a lot in a short period of time, adjusting to her new surroundings, her ability to use “old magic” and adopting what Arland calls a new “confidence” in her role. Arland continues to be ever cautious about their relationship and Kate’s safety, but that approach might not last long. I did, however, get a little tired of Arland’s continual obsessing over the times he has “failed to protect” Kate, but I can imagine that his being a commander and knowing that he is supposed to protect Kate is quite difficult when she’s entirely capable of taking care of herself. It’d be nice to see something go his way though.
The plot was woven wonderfully to keep the reader engrossed in every word. There’s not a detail of this novel you’ll want to miss, because it will probably be an important later. This novel was also particularly bleak, given their situation after the daemons overtook the camp, but Krystal also manages to throw in bits to keep it from getting too depressing.
My verdict–Krystal Wade is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Hopefully, you’ve read the first book before checking out this review, but if not this is a series you should consider reading.(less)

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Wilde's Army (Darkness Falls #2)

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