Wildefire by Karsten Knight
Hardcover, 400 Pages
2011, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 1442421177
Series: Book 1 of Wildefire
Synopsis
Every flame begins with a spark.
Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.
Review
I was skeptical of Wildefire at first. I love mythology, but usually stick to what I know - Greek, Roman, Egyptian and occasionally Norse. As it was explained to me, Wildefire was chock full of Polynesian mythology and that almost scared me off. Previous to Wildefire, I don't think I even knew there was Polynesian mythology and learning an entirely new pantheon was a daunting prospect.
I had heard glorious things about Wildefire from early readers, and as is usually the case, I bowed to peer pressure when the opportunity to read it presented itself. I can firmly say that in this case, peer pressure was a good thing. I can't imagine having passed on Wildefire now having experienced it.
Wildefire does feature Polynesian mythology, but rather than focusing on it, it incorporates it with other pantheons that I was already comfortable with. This made it much easier to grasp certain aspects while leaving the story open for surprises. And surprise it did. Wildfire is one of those books that easily sucks you in. With familiar themes, it convinces the reader they know what to expect. Just when you have it all figured out, something perfectly out of left field blows your mind.
I love a good boarding school novel and Wildefire has that going for it. But even without the Blackwood Academy setting, Wildefire would have been near perfection. The characters are multi-dimensional and easily get under your skin. The writing is fast paced without being confusing or glossing over details. The premise is original, the romance sweet with a bit of an edge and the plot as a whole is as I previously mentioned, mind blowing.
Wildefire ended up being even more spectacular for me than I could have ever hoped for. As the first book in a planned trilogy, it'll leave you completely satisfied, yet craving the next book intensely. Mythology fans will adore Wildefire. Karsten Knight has proven himself to be an author to keep your eye on with this wonderful debut novel.
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