Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade

I was a little nervous starting Wilde’s Fire because it is not the usual kind of book I read. I’m glad that I decided to take the plunge.

            When Kate, her sister, Brit, and her best friend, Brad, go on their annual camping trip, they expect a relaxing hike, some swimming, and big bugs (at the worst). They never thought that they would end up in another world, surrounded by demons, but they do. They land in Encardia, another world, and the world that Kate was born in. For years, she had dreams that took place in a beautiful land and that featured Arland: the man of her dreams (literally hehehe). However, when she arrives in Encardia, it is not the land from her dreams. It is covered in Darkness so thick that not even the sun can shine and the land is crawling in demons, one of which wounds Brad, who had just confessed his love to Kate; too bad it’s unrequited. As Kate finds out what she must do to save the land, she falls deeply in love with Arland, who is prophesized to be the Keeper of Light. Kate is the Light that will save the land from the Darkness with the help of old magic; she is the only one that can use it anymore because it was forgotten long ago. She must battle for those she loves and find out how to save the entire population of Encardia.

            There was only one main problem with this book, and it is a problem that I have witnessed in many YA books recently: insta-love. Kate and Arland fall in love in the first day they know each other. I know that Kate had been having dreams about him, but you can’t fall in love with someone you’ve only met in your dreams. Arland never had any dreams about her and he met her one time when he was like 5. That is no reason to be in love with each other. On the first night of them knowing each other, they take a bath together. That’s kind of fast, don’t you think? I’m not saying that their love wasn’t totally precious; it was. It was just too much, too fast. Other than the insta-love, there was nothing really wrong with this book.

            The heroine, Kate, was pretty good. She was strong, smart, and she had common sense. I thought she was likable, but at points she was a little ridiculous. For example, she would apologize for being sad because something horrible happened to her. You’re allowed to be sad when you’re best friend is dying, okay? Other than that, I liked her a lot.

            Arland, the hero of the book, was also a nice character. He was pleasant, strong, and likable. Overall, he was a good guy. My favorite character, though, was Flanna. She was hilarious and bubbly. She made every scene she was in enjoyable to read and she just cracked me up.

            I loved the story line. It kept me guessing until the very end. Actually, it’s still keeping me guessing and it’s over. I can’t wait for the next book! I can’t say that this book was the most original thing in the world, but it had a lot of aspects that I thought were very original. You should read this book because it was really good!

If you can handle insta-love, read this book! 4 Smileys!