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Wildefire #2
Embers & Echoes
Fan the flames: A teen goddess fires up her search for love and family in this sequel to Wildefire.
Ashline Wilde may have needed school to learn that she is actually a reincarnated goddess, but she’s ready to move beyond books. She leaves her California boarding school behind and makes for Miami, where she meets a new group of deities and desperately seeks her sister Rose, the goddess of war. But she’s also looking for love—because even though her romance with Cole had to be snuffed, Ash is a volcano goddess—and she doesn’t get burned.
This sequel to the edgy and action-packed Wildefire continues a fiery drama on an immortal scale.
Ashline Wilde may have needed school to learn that she is actually a reincarnated goddess, but she’s ready to move beyond books. She leaves her California boarding school behind and makes for Miami, where she meets a new group of deities and desperately seeks her sister Rose, the goddess of war. But she’s also looking for love—because even though her romance with Cole had to be snuffed, Ash is a volcano goddess—and she doesn’t get burned.
This sequel to the edgy and action-packed Wildefire continues a fiery drama on an immortal scale.
467 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2012
42 people are currently reading
4309 people want to read
About the author
Karsten Knight
16 books913 followersSome say Karsten Knight’s writing career peaked at the age of six, when he completed a picture book about a sassy, adventurous worm. In the decades since, he’s tried in futility to live up to the high literary bar he set back during the first grade by publishing other novels such as:
• the mythological fantasy THIS ETERNITY OF MASKS AND SHADOWS
• the time-traveling thriller PATCHWORK
• the historical mystery NIGHTINGALE, SING
• the volcano goddess trilogy WILDEFIRE (Simon & Schuster)
• and the spooky BONEGARDEN series for young readers.
His books have been described as “exceptional” (San Diego Union-Tribune), “action-packed” (Publishers Weekly), “riveting” (VOYA), “sizzling” (Booklist), and “compelling” (School Library Journal)—but most critics would probably agree that it’s all been downhill since that worm book in ’91.
Karsten studied creative writing at College of the Holy Cross and earned an MFA in writing for children from Simmons College. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, he lives for long walks in fall weather. For more information on Karsten and to keep up with his latest releases, please visit www.karstenknightbooks.com.
• the mythological fantasy THIS ETERNITY OF MASKS AND SHADOWS
• the time-traveling thriller PATCHWORK
• the historical mystery NIGHTINGALE, SING
• the volcano goddess trilogy WILDEFIRE (Simon & Schuster)
• and the spooky BONEGARDEN series for young readers.
His books have been described as “exceptional” (San Diego Union-Tribune), “action-packed” (Publishers Weekly), “riveting” (VOYA), “sizzling” (Booklist), and “compelling” (School Library Journal)—but most critics would probably agree that it’s all been downhill since that worm book in ’91.
Karsten studied creative writing at College of the Holy Cross and earned an MFA in writing for children from Simmons College. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, he lives for long walks in fall weather. For more information on Karsten and to keep up with his latest releases, please visit www.karstenknightbooks.com.
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September 11, 2012I've been trying to finish this one for ages. I really enjoyed the beginning but I just haven't been able to get into it. I'm putting it down for awhile.
April 30, 2013
Ember and Echoes by Karsten Knight :
Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved book one and now book two took it to a whole new level of amazing. I don't really know how to express my feelings but I will try. The book started right where it left off , and it did NOT disappoint at all. Karsten knows how to keep his readers going, man does he blow you away with the ending to book on and the start of book two.
Ashline Wilde is my second favorite female character, and she is coming to a close first. She does not take crap, and you just got to love her attitude. Seriously kind of scary and would not want to be on her bad side, but you can't help but admire all of her. Seriously there is not one thing I would change about her, she does everything she can for those she cares about and loves. She puts it all out there no matter what, and doesn't take the crap. She has baggage but she doesn't mind helping someone with theirs. In this book she is just more amazing and I didn't think that could happen, she grows much more mature, stronger and even more smartass than book one.
Karsten's characters are in one word amazing, I can't explain it but his just come to life and makes you think you are there with them, feeling what they feel, wishing you could just hug some of them in some spots and just be their friend, and it doesn't happen often enough that an author keeps people on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, and wondering what the hell is going to happen next. You cannot predict Ashline so don't try.
Then there is Colt swoon worthy jerk of the year Colt. I loved him and then I started to hate him. Wow. I did not see any of what happened to him coming. Again another amazing character who you cannot predict, you think one thing and something else happens, you start thinking he's an ass and he's not, you think he is good and nope not at all. Ahhh he was making me so frustrated I wanted to scream, which I am not going to lie I did a little. Some parts I couldn't believe what was happening but then I was like I am in love. Then there was Wes whoa baby, back up. When he got introduced I was already half in love with him. Through the book my love grew for him , he was a good guy, and Aurora wow what another amazing character who I cried hysterically for and she is not the only one but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But these new characters Wes, Aurora the four seasons, Rose Wilde and even Eve amazing, amazing, amazing.
This author gets these characters and nailed them right on, with all the information on them, their pasts and everything about them. He makes all their feelings seem real, even the horrible ones. I can't gush enough and I know I keep repeating myself but I can't get over it. All I know this is a book I recommend to everyone, it has a little bit of everything for everyone. Ahhh I am already ready for book 3 and I know I will be biting my nails waiting waiting waiting!!!
August 28, 2012
Ashline Wilde wanted nothing more than to leave Blackwood Academy behind and to escape the memories of everything that happened that May. But as she learned when she arrived at Blackwood, you can’t always run from your past.
It will follow you. And ignoring it can have devastating consequences. Consequences she’s still reeling from.
But when her end of year plans take a drastic turn, she decides to face what she’d been trying to avoid and heads to Miami to track down the sister she knows only from visions. Her six-year-old sister Rose.
With barely any information to go on, she only knows that she has to try. Because her latest visions reveal that Rose could be in even more danger than she was before. And returning to Scarsdale without her is not a future Ash is willing to accept.
Being a volcano goddess may have its perks, a fiery temper not always being one of them, but it also means that things can turn deadly. Fast.
So when the search for her sister lands her in the path of a group of gods and goddess that have a bloodthirsty agenda, Ash must decide whether saving her sister is enough or whether she will have to become a hero for all of humanity.
***
Embers & Echoes is the dynamic, riveting, wildly entertaining and action-packed follow-up to Karsten Knight’s powerhouse debut novel Wildefire. This sequel, that brings together gods and goddesses from around the globe, not only packs a punch, but has an easy flow that will make the pages fly.
The author doesn’t just continue this incredibly unique story. He broadens the setting, lengthens the timeline, enlarges the cast of characters and expands the world. And he does all this in a way that feels natural to the story, right for the characters and easy to follow for the reader.
Embers & Echoes picks up where it left off in the first book, just moments after Wildefire’s jaw-dropping conclusion. With no pause in the timeline, the story is able to continue at its break-neck pace and pull readers right back into Ash’s story.
Leaving Blackwood Academy behind her, Ashline Wilde sets off on a quest to find her younger sister. One that will introduce her to new friends and put her face-to-face with old enemies. One that holds the promise of a new love but will make her confront an old one. And one that will put her life at risk time and time again.
Author Karsten Knight has crafted a story that is inventive, exciting, shocking, heartbreaking and utterly spellbinding. With characters that don’t fit a stereotype or behave predictably and a plot that does the same, Embers & Echoes will keep readers on edge, continue to astound and leave them wondering just what happened.
With its beautiful and fluid writing that brings both crushing and heartrending losses and surprising and violent ends, this sequel allows readers to make a stronger emotional connection with the characters and story. It puts the heroine in more dangerous and challenging situations that force her to make difficult life and death decisions with consequences that she’ll have to live with. And it leaves the door open for a number of possible outcomes, many of which couldn’t possibly end happily.
Embers & Echoes is an absolute must read second book in this series for those who enjoy exquisitely crafted stories that have an incredibly strong heroine who never could be - or would allow herself to be - called a damsel in distress, stories that include a diverse mix of mythological gods and goddesses and stories that will transport them into a world that is dark, deadly and filled to the brim with action.
[On the blog I gave this book my six star off-the-menu rating]
On a personal note:
If I could give this book as many stars as it would take to fill the night sky I would. Embers & Echoes was so utterly amazing. It grabbed me from the moment I read the start of the first line, “Ashline Wilde lay battered on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway...” and it didn’t let up for one single second.
This book was intense. It was action-packed. It was everything that Wildefire was, but so much more. Where Wildefire was wicked and kick-a** awesome, Embers & Echoes took it to the next level of awesome, the “Oh my gods, oh my goddesses did that just really bleeping happen?” kind of awesome.
I could not believe how packed full of everything this book was. There was nail-biting suspense. There was a lightning fast pace. There were peeks into another time. There were peeks into another place. There were gods and goddesses aplenty. There was romance. There were heaps upon heaps of danger. There were some of the most wicked fight scenes I’ve ever read in YA.
And there were moments of tenderness and heartbreak that stopped my heart from beating, stole my breath and left me utterly devastated. Yes, this author broke my heart in not one, but two centuries.
Oh and of course there was a good boy, a bad boy and a not-so-good girl that took center stage.
And yet it didn’t feel overstuffed. It didn’t feel over the top. It didn’t feel like some kind of superpower convention.
Every single character in this story was important. Every single character was fascinating and interesting and either detestable, lovable, a little bit of both, or just plain terrifying. Every moment was one I wanted to read. Every place that Ash went was one that I wanted to go along with her.
And every heartbreaking moment was one I felt to my very core. Especially with what happened to... No, I wasn’t really going to say who. Okay, maybe I did say who, but that’s what the backspace key is for.
There is so much I want to talk about that I can’t. I want to explain why my heart broke over certain words the author put down on the page. Words that are causing me to tear up again as I think back on them. I want to talk about just what happened to those gods and goddess and what it could mean for the other characters.
I want to talk about the past. I want to know what is going to happen next. I want to know why I am rooting for a character I probably shouldn’t be rooting for. I want to know why certain characters have certain motivations. I want to know whether I should be as terrified of a certain character as I am.
And I want to talk about a certain Hopi Trickster and what I really think about them. But I can’t do that either.
What I can say is that I loved this book both times I read it. That love is not even close to a strong enough word for what I feel about it. That I will be reading this book again and again. That it’s a book that I never will forget. That it’s a book that was able to transport me instantly to this author’s world when nothing else allowed me an escape. And that while there seemed to be so very many pages, the story ended all too quickly.
In the year since I’d first read Wildefire I forgot just a little bit how amazing this author truly is. I forgot how much I loved his writing. I forgot how captivated I was by his characters. I didn’t think it was possible that he could follow up that book with one that was even more spectacular, even more surprising, even more riveting, but he did. And I never expected for him to make me cry. But he did that too.
I never like to use words like “poignant” or “compelling” in my reviews as I feel like those words are above my pay grade and best left to those who do this for a living. But Embers & Echoes was compelling and at times poignant and the way the author crafted each sentence, each paragraph, each scene, each chapter was absolutely masterful.
So...um...yeah.... To say I liked this book just a little bit would be the understatement of the century.
It will follow you. And ignoring it can have devastating consequences. Consequences she’s still reeling from.
But when her end of year plans take a drastic turn, she decides to face what she’d been trying to avoid and heads to Miami to track down the sister she knows only from visions. Her six-year-old sister Rose.
With barely any information to go on, she only knows that she has to try. Because her latest visions reveal that Rose could be in even more danger than she was before. And returning to Scarsdale without her is not a future Ash is willing to accept.
Being a volcano goddess may have its perks, a fiery temper not always being one of them, but it also means that things can turn deadly. Fast.
So when the search for her sister lands her in the path of a group of gods and goddess that have a bloodthirsty agenda, Ash must decide whether saving her sister is enough or whether she will have to become a hero for all of humanity.
***
Embers & Echoes is the dynamic, riveting, wildly entertaining and action-packed follow-up to Karsten Knight’s powerhouse debut novel Wildefire. This sequel, that brings together gods and goddesses from around the globe, not only packs a punch, but has an easy flow that will make the pages fly.
The author doesn’t just continue this incredibly unique story. He broadens the setting, lengthens the timeline, enlarges the cast of characters and expands the world. And he does all this in a way that feels natural to the story, right for the characters and easy to follow for the reader.
Embers & Echoes picks up where it left off in the first book, just moments after Wildefire’s jaw-dropping conclusion. With no pause in the timeline, the story is able to continue at its break-neck pace and pull readers right back into Ash’s story.
Leaving Blackwood Academy behind her, Ashline Wilde sets off on a quest to find her younger sister. One that will introduce her to new friends and put her face-to-face with old enemies. One that holds the promise of a new love but will make her confront an old one. And one that will put her life at risk time and time again.
Author Karsten Knight has crafted a story that is inventive, exciting, shocking, heartbreaking and utterly spellbinding. With characters that don’t fit a stereotype or behave predictably and a plot that does the same, Embers & Echoes will keep readers on edge, continue to astound and leave them wondering just what happened.
With its beautiful and fluid writing that brings both crushing and heartrending losses and surprising and violent ends, this sequel allows readers to make a stronger emotional connection with the characters and story. It puts the heroine in more dangerous and challenging situations that force her to make difficult life and death decisions with consequences that she’ll have to live with. And it leaves the door open for a number of possible outcomes, many of which couldn’t possibly end happily.
Embers & Echoes is an absolute must read second book in this series for those who enjoy exquisitely crafted stories that have an incredibly strong heroine who never could be - or would allow herself to be - called a damsel in distress, stories that include a diverse mix of mythological gods and goddesses and stories that will transport them into a world that is dark, deadly and filled to the brim with action.
[On the blog I gave this book my six star off-the-menu rating]
On a personal note:
If I could give this book as many stars as it would take to fill the night sky I would. Embers & Echoes was so utterly amazing. It grabbed me from the moment I read the start of the first line, “Ashline Wilde lay battered on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway...” and it didn’t let up for one single second.
This book was intense. It was action-packed. It was everything that Wildefire was, but so much more. Where Wildefire was wicked and kick-a** awesome, Embers & Echoes took it to the next level of awesome, the “Oh my gods, oh my goddesses did that just really bleeping happen?” kind of awesome.
I could not believe how packed full of everything this book was. There was nail-biting suspense. There was a lightning fast pace. There were peeks into another time. There were peeks into another place. There were gods and goddesses aplenty. There was romance. There were heaps upon heaps of danger. There were some of the most wicked fight scenes I’ve ever read in YA.
And there were moments of tenderness and heartbreak that stopped my heart from beating, stole my breath and left me utterly devastated. Yes, this author broke my heart in not one, but two centuries.
Oh and of course there was a good boy, a bad boy and a not-so-good girl that took center stage.
And yet it didn’t feel overstuffed. It didn’t feel over the top. It didn’t feel like some kind of superpower convention.
Every single character in this story was important. Every single character was fascinating and interesting and either detestable, lovable, a little bit of both, or just plain terrifying. Every moment was one I wanted to read. Every place that Ash went was one that I wanted to go along with her.
And every heartbreaking moment was one I felt to my very core. Especially with what happened to... No, I wasn’t really going to say who. Okay, maybe I did say who, but that’s what the backspace key is for.
There is so much I want to talk about that I can’t. I want to explain why my heart broke over certain words the author put down on the page. Words that are causing me to tear up again as I think back on them. I want to talk about just what happened to those gods and goddess and what it could mean for the other characters.
I want to talk about the past. I want to know what is going to happen next. I want to know why I am rooting for a character I probably shouldn’t be rooting for. I want to know why certain characters have certain motivations. I want to know whether I should be as terrified of a certain character as I am.
And I want to talk about a certain Hopi Trickster and what I really think about them. But I can’t do that either.
What I can say is that I loved this book both times I read it. That love is not even close to a strong enough word for what I feel about it. That I will be reading this book again and again. That it’s a book that I never will forget. That it’s a book that was able to transport me instantly to this author’s world when nothing else allowed me an escape. And that while there seemed to be so very many pages, the story ended all too quickly.
In the year since I’d first read Wildefire I forgot just a little bit how amazing this author truly is. I forgot how much I loved his writing. I forgot how captivated I was by his characters. I didn’t think it was possible that he could follow up that book with one that was even more spectacular, even more surprising, even more riveting, but he did. And I never expected for him to make me cry. But he did that too.
I never like to use words like “poignant” or “compelling” in my reviews as I feel like those words are above my pay grade and best left to those who do this for a living. But Embers & Echoes was compelling and at times poignant and the way the author crafted each sentence, each paragraph, each scene, each chapter was absolutely masterful.
So...um...yeah.... To say I liked this book just a little bit would be the understatement of the century.
May 20, 2016
You can't run someplace new and not fill up the new space with the old stuff. The things you want to leave behind are the very things you can't. - Ash
I'm indestructible, Ash. That doesn't mean I'm incapable of feeling. I still experience love, and I can still experience pain. - Colt
When we reached the ending of Wildefire, the first book in the series, we learned that Colt isn't someone we thought he was. He isn't human. He isn't the same Colt. With this horrible realization, Ash ran away from him and decided to find her sisters--Rose, the youngest of the Wilde sisters who is known to be very dangerous and whom she never met, and Eve whom she learned isn't dead but in Nether, held captured by the Cloak. In the process of finding her sisters, she met Wes, the hot and gorgeous Aztec God of Night, and Aurora, the Roman Goddess of Dawn.
Embers & Echoes started exactly where the first book ended, and with that huge cliffhanger ending in Wildefire, expect another thrill ride, lots of suspense, actions, mysteries and of course romance.
This was the second time recently she'd saved a boy from being chained and tortured.
"Let's hope I don't regret saving this one," she whispered to no one at all.
The looks that you and Wes have been exchanging the last forty-eight hours are so hot that I'm surprised you don't need sunglasses to keep from getting pregnant. - Aurora
What I loved about Karsten Knight's books is the humor and wit. This book doesn't lack of those. It balances the story especially when the book is full of suspense and heart-throbbing actions. There are old enemies, old foes, new friends--all these characters are amazing and very well-developed. You just can't help but love and care for them. So when a character died, well… of course it wasn't pretty, and it was absolutely not fun at all. I have to say that this book is even more heartbreaking for me than Wildefire 'cos once again I lost my favorite characters. The author isn't afraid to kill his characters--characters that I loved ever since Wildefire and I think it was a brave move. I just hope Karsten will continue to create beautiful Gods and Goddesses in the next books--characters that I will love as much as I love the others (may they rest in peace *wink). And please… oh dear Author, please, can you at least spare me some pain and heartache by not killing any more of my favorite characters?
Not as much as I loved Wildefire, but this one is really good. More suspenseful than the first. The mysteries and twists are even more intriguing. I am not fully satisfied with the ending because for me it's tragic. But overall, this book is amazing. The secrets and the revelations aren't what I expected either. There are more secrets from the past that are yet to unfold and I'm excited to see them revealed on the next book. Yes, sometimes I got frustrated because I didn't know who to trust anymore--the characters are unpredictable! So expect betrayal, revenge, and murders. I enjoyed it and I am eagerly anticipating the third. Full of actions, mysteries, suspense, wit and even drama, this book will put you at the edge of your seat.
You make a decision whether you want to spend your life staring at the dark horizons…Or whether you want to spend it catching every sunrise that you can. - Wes
I'm indestructible, Ash. That doesn't mean I'm incapable of feeling. I still experience love, and I can still experience pain. - Colt
When we reached the ending of Wildefire, the first book in the series, we learned that Colt isn't someone we thought he was. He isn't human. He isn't the same Colt. With this horrible realization, Ash ran away from him and decided to find her sisters--Rose, the youngest of the Wilde sisters who is known to be very dangerous and whom she never met, and Eve whom she learned isn't dead but in Nether, held captured by the Cloak. In the process of finding her sisters, she met Wes, the hot and gorgeous Aztec God of Night, and Aurora, the Roman Goddess of Dawn.
Embers & Echoes started exactly where the first book ended, and with that huge cliffhanger ending in Wildefire, expect another thrill ride, lots of suspense, actions, mysteries and of course romance.
This was the second time recently she'd saved a boy from being chained and tortured.
"Let's hope I don't regret saving this one," she whispered to no one at all.
The looks that you and Wes have been exchanging the last forty-eight hours are so hot that I'm surprised you don't need sunglasses to keep from getting pregnant. - Aurora
What I loved about Karsten Knight's books is the humor and wit. This book doesn't lack of those. It balances the story especially when the book is full of suspense and heart-throbbing actions. There are old enemies, old foes, new friends--all these characters are amazing and very well-developed. You just can't help but love and care for them. So when a character died, well… of course it wasn't pretty, and it was absolutely not fun at all. I have to say that this book is even more heartbreaking for me than Wildefire 'cos once again I lost my favorite characters. The author isn't afraid to kill his characters--characters that I loved ever since Wildefire and I think it was a brave move. I just hope Karsten will continue to create beautiful Gods and Goddesses in the next books--characters that I will love as much as I love the others (may they rest in peace *wink). And please… oh dear Author, please, can you at least spare me some pain and heartache by not killing any more of my favorite characters?
Not as much as I loved Wildefire, but this one is really good. More suspenseful than the first. The mysteries and twists are even more intriguing. I am not fully satisfied with the ending because for me it's tragic. But overall, this book is amazing. The secrets and the revelations aren't what I expected either. There are more secrets from the past that are yet to unfold and I'm excited to see them revealed on the next book. Yes, sometimes I got frustrated because I didn't know who to trust anymore--the characters are unpredictable! So expect betrayal, revenge, and murders. I enjoyed it and I am eagerly anticipating the third. Full of actions, mysteries, suspense, wit and even drama, this book will put you at the edge of your seat.
You make a decision whether you want to spend your life staring at the dark horizons…Or whether you want to spend it catching every sunrise that you can. - Wes
July 19, 2016
A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.
I was extremely glad I had Embers and Echoes after I read that Wildefire cliffhanger. Embers and Echoes picks up right after. We find Ash with the truth of having another sister named Rose. The Four Seasons Gods and Goddesses seem to be after her, as well as the billionaire Lesley Vanderbilt. She meets more gods and goddess friends this time around, and with their help manage to track down Rose. What she doesn’t know is that Colt is also after her as well. What happens when she comes face to face with the love of her life, the trickster?
Ash is such a spitfire, and I love it. She’s completely snarky and violent. Which makes sense because she’s a volcano goddess. I also love the fact that she rescues guys instead of the guys rescuing her. Lily is back and bitchier than ever. I rather liked how she took the role of villain since Eve was stuck in the Cloak Underworld. Wes is a great new addition and he seems more trustworthy than Colt ever was. And last but not least, there’s Colt. He’s the one behind the schemes and games and when he reveals the truth behind his trickery, I almost felt pity for him.
The mish-mash of all mythological tales are again combined in this trilogy. I rather like it. I would end up googling their names and reading up on all the stories. What I didn’t like was that there was no detailed history of why and how the gods are reincarnated as humans in the first place. (We need answers Karsten!) I also love that the cast is multi-cultural. It just seems so much more relatable since not everyone is a cookie cutter blonde in the novel. So much action in this one that I could not put it down. I love the action scenes. They were detailed enough to imagine in my mind’s eye. The dialogue always managed to crack me up. Especially Ash’s witty remarks towards anyone who was male. I also couldn’t fathom why everyone had to be gorgeous and wanted to hook up with every god or goddess that was around. Maybe Aphrodite is enticing them with her powers? Another confusing bit about the book was the switch from third person to second person. I thought it was wildy annoying, and felt Karsten should have stuck to third person through out the novel. Second person viewpoints should stick Choose Your Own Adventure books.
In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next novel. There’s a lot of questions i want answered.
I was extremely glad I had Embers and Echoes after I read that Wildefire cliffhanger. Embers and Echoes picks up right after. We find Ash with the truth of having another sister named Rose. The Four Seasons Gods and Goddesses seem to be after her, as well as the billionaire Lesley Vanderbilt. She meets more gods and goddess friends this time around, and with their help manage to track down Rose. What she doesn’t know is that Colt is also after her as well. What happens when she comes face to face with the love of her life, the trickster?
Ash is such a spitfire, and I love it. She’s completely snarky and violent. Which makes sense because she’s a volcano goddess. I also love the fact that she rescues guys instead of the guys rescuing her. Lily is back and bitchier than ever. I rather liked how she took the role of villain since Eve was stuck in the Cloak Underworld. Wes is a great new addition and he seems more trustworthy than Colt ever was. And last but not least, there’s Colt. He’s the one behind the schemes and games and when he reveals the truth behind his trickery, I almost felt pity for him.
The mish-mash of all mythological tales are again combined in this trilogy. I rather like it. I would end up googling their names and reading up on all the stories. What I didn’t like was that there was no detailed history of why and how the gods are reincarnated as humans in the first place. (We need answers Karsten!) I also love that the cast is multi-cultural. It just seems so much more relatable since not everyone is a cookie cutter blonde in the novel. So much action in this one that I could not put it down. I love the action scenes. They were detailed enough to imagine in my mind’s eye. The dialogue always managed to crack me up. Especially Ash’s witty remarks towards anyone who was male. I also couldn’t fathom why everyone had to be gorgeous and wanted to hook up with every god or goddess that was around. Maybe Aphrodite is enticing them with her powers? Another confusing bit about the book was the switch from third person to second person. I thought it was wildy annoying, and felt Karsten should have stuck to third person through out the novel. Second person viewpoints should stick Choose Your Own Adventure books.
In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next novel. There’s a lot of questions i want answered.
May 9, 2013
Ashline Wilde, age 16 is a reincarnated volcano goddess, Pele on a mission. Her younger sister has been kidnapped by the Cloake, a supposed Miami based cult. Ashline is nearly killed by her boyfriend and once she gets away she hopes to never see him again, but that isn’t in the cards. Ash comes in contact with the Four Seasons, who are power hungry deities and finds that they are working for a very wealthy woman who’s goal is to use Ash’s six year old sister, Rose, to open the portal to the netherworld. This is also the place that Ash has sent her evil older sister, Eve. To make matters worse, Ash rescues the Aztec god, Wes and then has more issues with Colt, the ex-boyfriend. Ash’s goal is to rescue both sisters and go back home to their parents. But she is having flashbacks to earlier lives and is finding out some disturbing information about all of the gods and goddesses in her current life. She must make some difficult decisions in order to save her current life and those she loves, but will it be too late?
This book is set in modern day which makes the gods and goddesses even more fun. This is a great sequel book and even if you didn’t read the first one, the author does a good job of making all the pieces fit together and make sense. Full of action and adventure, this is a fast moving, fun, exciting read! I highly recommend to High school and up.
This book is set in modern day which makes the gods and goddesses even more fun. This is a great sequel book and even if you didn’t read the first one, the author does a good job of making all the pieces fit together and make sense. Full of action and adventure, this is a fast moving, fun, exciting read! I highly recommend to High school and up.
August 23, 2012
As you know, I absolutely adored Ash and the gang in last year’s Wildefire, and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed Embers and Echoes as well (even if lots of my favorite characters weren’t really in this book. Sad Sasha!).
Karsten Knight took us away from the boarding school setting and brought us to the “sizzling beaches of Miami” and I enjoyed the setting change. It helped me visualize how much change has gone on in Ash’s life since she figured out that she was a reincarnated goddess. And while I enjoyed new characters – hello, Wes – I missed the old ones too! It was interesting trying to see how the overall arc was being formed in this sequel and I enjoyed this book’s arc standing alone. Also, can I just say that I think Karsten writes such high action scenes SUPERBLY. I felt myself on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to see what the next blow/punch/action was going to be. I loved it. And OH MY, the twist and turns and WHAT THE HECKs.
This book is high intensity and does not suffer from “middle book syndrome” at all. I can’t wait to see how this all ends.
Karsten Knight took us away from the boarding school setting and brought us to the “sizzling beaches of Miami” and I enjoyed the setting change. It helped me visualize how much change has gone on in Ash’s life since she figured out that she was a reincarnated goddess. And while I enjoyed new characters – hello, Wes – I missed the old ones too! It was interesting trying to see how the overall arc was being formed in this sequel and I enjoyed this book’s arc standing alone. Also, can I just say that I think Karsten writes such high action scenes SUPERBLY. I felt myself on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to see what the next blow/punch/action was going to be. I loved it. And OH MY, the twist and turns and WHAT THE HECKs.
This book is high intensity and does not suffer from “middle book syndrome” at all. I can’t wait to see how this all ends.
Want to read
July 22, 2011Eventually, I will finish Wildefire.
Until then, I will say that I like the title for this book. Perhaps the cover will be cooler too.
Until then, I will say that I like the title for this book. Perhaps the cover will be cooler too.
Currently reading
August 29, 2012Dear Karsten Knight,
I am waiting. Waiting for this book.
I am waiting. Waiting for this book.
July 17, 2016
From my blog Auntie Spinelli Reads
Oh. My. Wow! I am currently speechless, please give me 3.5 seconds......
Okay. Ahem. So, um, this book rocked my socks. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists and turns. The stakes are high and nothing is what it seems. And boy, did everything go to hell in a handbasket...
Mr. Knight really knows how to play your emotions! I felt a vast array of them - shock, horror, sadness, joy, regret. Mostly shock. This book was a rollercoaster of emotion! There are SO many things that didn't go the way I wanted them to, and so many losses. I can't believe...just...ah! And the secrets revealed about the past were crazy! Everything tied together brilliantly. And you only got bits and pieces at a time, so it was like a puzzle to figure out. (I love puzzles. ^.^)
I still adore Ash. She's fiery and strong, albeit a bit volatile at times (but that's because she's a volcano goddess). I gotta hand it to her, even after all of the shit that she went through - which would have reduced most of us into a sniveling fetal ball - she managed to keep her shit together and do what she had to do.
I hated Colt. I think I liked him in Wildefire, but I didn't know then what I know now, nor did I know everything that he was responsible for. And his agenda was shocking. I hope he gets what's coming to him in book 3!
The minor characters were fabulous. Wes, the sexy god of night; Aurora, the spunky winged goddess; and even Ixtab (esh-tawb), the lesbian-ish reaper of death. I liked them all! And even the baddies were well-done, inciting dislike and sometimes outright hatred from me: Thorne, Bleak, Rey, and Lily. The Four Seasons were terrible and their fanatical ideas were horrifying. So were the things they did.
I'm not sure about the romance, though. Things moved pretty fast between Ash and Wes, and he was kind of a rebound from Colt - and there was an almost love triangle. Thankfully it didn't fully form, because there was never a question of who Ash would pick (or who I would pick for that matter). It wasn't really instalove - they didn't get that serious - but it was a little more serious than you would expect from two people who had only known each other a few days.
The revelation about Pele - holy crap! I never saw that one coming. The whole Candelabra thing with the Spark, the Fuse, and the Flame was fabulous!
Can I please have Afterglow now? >.<
Favorite quotes:
"I'm an Aztec god of night - Tezcatlipoca."
"Texting a cat with what?"
"The looks that you and Wes have been exchanging the last forty-eight hours are so hot that I'm surprised you don't need sunglasses to keep from getting pregnant."
"My mother said that there were two kinds of people. The kind that run to their future, and the kind that run from their past. As someone who has run twice in her life, I can tell you this: They're the same damn thing. You can't run someplace new and not fill up the new space with the old stuff. The things you want to leave behind are the very things you can't."
With everything that happened, that quote was perfect for this book!
Favorite character: Probably Aurora, I really liked her. I could see her and I being friends in real life. :)
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
Oh. My. Wow! I am currently speechless, please give me 3.5 seconds......
Okay. Ahem. So, um, this book rocked my socks. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists and turns. The stakes are high and nothing is what it seems. And boy, did everything go to hell in a handbasket...
Mr. Knight really knows how to play your emotions! I felt a vast array of them - shock, horror, sadness, joy, regret. Mostly shock. This book was a rollercoaster of emotion! There are SO many things that didn't go the way I wanted them to, and so many losses. I can't believe...just...ah! And the secrets revealed about the past were crazy! Everything tied together brilliantly. And you only got bits and pieces at a time, so it was like a puzzle to figure out. (I love puzzles. ^.^)
I still adore Ash. She's fiery and strong, albeit a bit volatile at times (but that's because she's a volcano goddess). I gotta hand it to her, even after all of the shit that she went through - which would have reduced most of us into a sniveling fetal ball - she managed to keep her shit together and do what she had to do.
I hated Colt. I think I liked him in Wildefire, but I didn't know then what I know now, nor did I know everything that he was responsible for. And his agenda was shocking. I hope he gets what's coming to him in book 3!
The minor characters were fabulous. Wes, the sexy god of night; Aurora, the spunky winged goddess; and even Ixtab (esh-tawb), the lesbian-ish reaper of death. I liked them all! And even the baddies were well-done, inciting dislike and sometimes outright hatred from me: Thorne, Bleak, Rey, and Lily. The Four Seasons were terrible and their fanatical ideas were horrifying. So were the things they did.
I'm not sure about the romance, though. Things moved pretty fast between Ash and Wes, and he was kind of a rebound from Colt - and there was an almost love triangle. Thankfully it didn't fully form, because there was never a question of who Ash would pick (or who I would pick for that matter). It wasn't really instalove - they didn't get that serious - but it was a little more serious than you would expect from two people who had only known each other a few days.
The revelation about Pele - holy crap! I never saw that one coming. The whole Candelabra thing with the Spark, the Fuse, and the Flame was fabulous!
Can I please have Afterglow now? >.<
Favorite quotes:
"I'm an Aztec god of night - Tezcatlipoca."
"Texting a cat with what?"
"The looks that you and Wes have been exchanging the last forty-eight hours are so hot that I'm surprised you don't need sunglasses to keep from getting pregnant."
"My mother said that there were two kinds of people. The kind that run to their future, and the kind that run from their past. As someone who has run twice in her life, I can tell you this: They're the same damn thing. You can't run someplace new and not fill up the new space with the old stuff. The things you want to leave behind are the very things you can't."
With everything that happened, that quote was perfect for this book!
Favorite character: Probably Aurora, I really liked her. I could see her and I being friends in real life. :)
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4/5
November 18, 2012
Truly and engrossing read. Okay huge spoilers so anyone who reads and have not read the book have only themselves to blame if they read further.
Ashe is one of my favorite female leads. So after finding out her boyfriend is a deity as well he shows a bit of true insanity. Ashe uses her lava powers to glue him to ground to get away from him. She eventually goes to Miami to find the enticing the Aztec god of night Tezcatlipoca but referred to as Wes. Also their are tidbits into the long lost little sister of Ashe and Eve and boy she is even worse than Eve. She truly loves blowing things up and is spiteful and entitled. The book introduces 3 antagonists along with a re-introduction to Lily who like they will a problem but the true instigator of all the misfortune is Colt because they promptly get killed off one by one. The first one to die is Norse goddess of Winter who I felt sorry for when she asked Ashe to not leave her alone while she died despite Ashe being the one responsible for it. Then comes the death of said Norse deities boyfriend. Lily becomes a true entitled bint who despite the fact that she looked pained when trying to Kill Ashe deserved to be stabbed in the heart from a broken champagne glass. Her final moments are spent on one last rant on how the people she betrayed first ruined her life. The final one gets offed by the psychotic Rose's explosions. She is taken to Wes's home and eventually gets Ashe to the netherworld where Eve is kept. There its revealed that the reasons there are less gods is their own fault. The gods spent their eternal lives not gaining wisdom but being entitled bullies. The spooky force that gods feared is actually a friendly hivemind allergic to hatred. They only took Eve when Ashe had enough of the emotional strain she put upon her. Even after being freed Eve proves that Ashe is the only reasonable one of the family along with the only one who has a fundamental moral core while Eve would turn off any guilt relating to her adoptive parents guilt and cause chaos. Colt reveals his mater plan of making the three Wildes one as they were all once the whole Pele. Then Rose commits the act that removed any amount of sympathy I did have and could have had for her. She then throws Raja out a thirty foot window. And Eve steals Raja's baby to join Colt and his insane love fusion love plan making me wish that Ashe would break her big sisters jaw and cripple her.What a ride it was. I hope Rose dies painfully and slowly from an implosion for ironies sake. While Eve gets stuck in a cave instead all of them fusing back into one.
Ashe is one of my favorite female leads. So after finding out her boyfriend is a deity as well he shows a bit of true insanity. Ashe uses her lava powers to glue him to ground to get away from him. She eventually goes to Miami to find the enticing the Aztec god of night Tezcatlipoca but referred to as Wes. Also their are tidbits into the long lost little sister of Ashe and Eve and boy she is even worse than Eve. She truly loves blowing things up and is spiteful and entitled. The book introduces 3 antagonists along with a re-introduction to Lily who like they will a problem but the true instigator of all the misfortune is Colt because they promptly get killed off one by one. The first one to die is Norse goddess of Winter who I felt sorry for when she asked Ashe to not leave her alone while she died despite Ashe being the one responsible for it. Then comes the death of said Norse deities boyfriend. Lily becomes a true entitled bint who despite the fact that she looked pained when trying to Kill Ashe deserved to be stabbed in the heart from a broken champagne glass. Her final moments are spent on one last rant on how the people she betrayed first ruined her life. The final one gets offed by the psychotic Rose's explosions. She is taken to Wes's home and eventually gets Ashe to the netherworld where Eve is kept. There its revealed that the reasons there are less gods is their own fault. The gods spent their eternal lives not gaining wisdom but being entitled bullies. The spooky force that gods feared is actually a friendly hivemind allergic to hatred. They only took Eve when Ashe had enough of the emotional strain she put upon her. Even after being freed Eve proves that Ashe is the only reasonable one of the family along with the only one who has a fundamental moral core while Eve would turn off any guilt relating to her adoptive parents guilt and cause chaos. Colt reveals his mater plan of making the three Wildes one as they were all once the whole Pele. Then Rose commits the act that removed any amount of sympathy I did have and could have had for her. She then throws Raja out a thirty foot window. And Eve steals Raja's baby to join Colt and his insane love fusion love plan making me wish that Ashe would break her big sisters jaw and cripple her.What a ride it was. I hope Rose dies painfully and slowly from an implosion for ironies sake. While Eve gets stuck in a cave instead all of them fusing back into one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2012
Pele incarnate is back and setting Miami ablaze in Embers and Echoes a Wildefire sequel. Ashline Wilde is on a quest to find her youngest sister but is in for quite a brawl. Lesley Vanderbilt still has a score to settle and she's enlisted her own local league of gods looking to spark their own agenda and they want to count the littlest Wilde as one of their own.
Unfortunately battling bad guys and saving her sister is just the start. Ex-flame Colt Halliday has other plans and Ash maybe playing right into them.
I didn't love Wildefire. I didn't like Ash. But I did find Embers and Echoes resolved quite a few of my issues from the first book. Again I think the premise and ideas are solid. Plus in book two we find out some background and motivation for why characters like Eve and Ash are at odds with each other. Knight sets up the series story line by the end of the book so readers get an idea of where he plans on taking things. I think the pacing was good for most of the book, things were a little slower in the middle but the book was filled with a lot of action and quite a few epic battles to balance things out. There were a couple of scenes that didn't work for me. One was to be an emotional confrontation under a weeping willow that was more like an uncomfortable soap opera scene than the heart wrenching episode I thought it was meant to be.
Ashline was much more likable in this book, she's not as selfish and she's looking for her sister which helped remove her from the heroines you hate category. I also liked a lot of the newly introduced supporting characters. Yet I still found it hard to connect with the book. The world is filled with a lot of animosity which I think fuels the disconnect but the biggest challenge for me is that while Ash is more likable she's not to the flawed but lovable heroine stage. And while I give the author credit for not being afraid to off his characters, it's those characters who are likable, that I am interested in and invested in seeing make it through, that don't make it at all. And then we're left with mostly villains.
Overall I found Embers and Echoes entertaining but still unengaging. While I liked the sequel better than Wildfire, I'm still finding a disconnect. The heroine has come a long way and I really liked where the author is taking the story but I'm hoping as Ash evolves and more of the background and story is revealed, I'll find what's missing for me and along with a book I truly love.
Unfortunately battling bad guys and saving her sister is just the start. Ex-flame Colt Halliday has other plans and Ash maybe playing right into them.
I didn't love Wildefire. I didn't like Ash. But I did find Embers and Echoes resolved quite a few of my issues from the first book. Again I think the premise and ideas are solid. Plus in book two we find out some background and motivation for why characters like Eve and Ash are at odds with each other. Knight sets up the series story line by the end of the book so readers get an idea of where he plans on taking things. I think the pacing was good for most of the book, things were a little slower in the middle but the book was filled with a lot of action and quite a few epic battles to balance things out. There were a couple of scenes that didn't work for me. One was to be an emotional confrontation under a weeping willow that was more like an uncomfortable soap opera scene than the heart wrenching episode I thought it was meant to be.
Ashline was much more likable in this book, she's not as selfish and she's looking for her sister which helped remove her from the heroines you hate category. I also liked a lot of the newly introduced supporting characters. Yet I still found it hard to connect with the book. The world is filled with a lot of animosity which I think fuels the disconnect but the biggest challenge for me is that while Ash is more likable she's not to the flawed but lovable heroine stage. And while I give the author credit for not being afraid to off his characters, it's those characters who are likable, that I am interested in and invested in seeing make it through, that don't make it at all. And then we're left with mostly villains.
Overall I found Embers and Echoes entertaining but still unengaging. While I liked the sequel better than Wildfire, I'm still finding a disconnect. The heroine has come a long way and I really liked where the author is taking the story but I'm hoping as Ash evolves and more of the background and story is revealed, I'll find what's missing for me and along with a book I truly love.
September 4, 2012
Embers and Echoes, the sequel to Wildefire was an amazing-emotional rollercoaster! I read Wildefire last year and really enjoyed it. Karsten left readers with a shocking cliff hanger…so I knew I had to read the sequel ASAP. Embers and Echoes starts off exactly where the last book ended, with Ashline and Colt emerging from the motorcycle accident, and where readers learn the revelations about Colt’s true identity (don’t want to spoil the series for those who haven’t read it yet). Ashline has a dream of Rose, her younger sister, and follows the clues to Miami. Once she arrives in Miami, she saves another young man who happens to be a deity just like Ash. As Ash and her new friends search for her sister Rose, it leads them to the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons has Rose, and she’s part of their master plan to reveal themselves to the human population. Not only does Ash have to save her sister but stop the Four Season before they wreck havoc on the streets of Miami.
If you read Wildefire, you’ll definitely get everything you enjoyed in the first book and more! Like the first book, Embers and Echoes is broken up into three parts and there are chapters of Ashline dreaming of her past lives and dreams that are seen through Rose’s eyes. Readers get a new playground as they leave the academy in California, and explore Miami. Knight had no problem getting rid of characters in this book, as the list of casualties piled up. I was pretty shocked to see certain characters go and others were kind of expected LOL. This was a very quick read, regardless of it being almost 500 pages (480 pages). The book is full of action, suspense, crazy twist and shocking betrayals! A must read for everyone, and if you haven’t read the first book…what are you waiting for?! Go buy it now!
If you read Wildefire, you’ll definitely get everything you enjoyed in the first book and more! Like the first book, Embers and Echoes is broken up into three parts and there are chapters of Ashline dreaming of her past lives and dreams that are seen through Rose’s eyes. Readers get a new playground as they leave the academy in California, and explore Miami. Knight had no problem getting rid of characters in this book, as the list of casualties piled up. I was pretty shocked to see certain characters go and others were kind of expected LOL. This was a very quick read, regardless of it being almost 500 pages (480 pages). The book is full of action, suspense, crazy twist and shocking betrayals! A must read for everyone, and if you haven’t read the first book…what are you waiting for?! Go buy it now!
March 12, 2013
OMG, really Karsten Knight???
You HAD to kill EVERYONE???!!!
Even the characters I actually liked???
Wow, this book was filled with SOOOOO many twists and turns, I never saw it coming.
Well, except for the cryptic "DONT AGE THE BABY" thing....
yeah, well, overall...AMAZING book with brand new characters and action-packed scenes.
And the part with Pele being a candelabra, that was certainly interesting. But now I'm wondering...
the goddess was split into the Spark, the Fuse, and the Ember, but who is really Pele???
Ashline, Evelyn, and Roselyn are ALL different, and yes, it mentioned how that was what happened when they split Pele into three, but they seem TOTALLY different. So, which part of Pele is Ash?? Yes, she is the "volcano" part, but who was the one with Colt all this time? And Wes, what part does he have??
And How many more gods and goddesses will be introduced???
**SPOILER**
So, out of Ashline's merry crew of gods and goddesses at Blackwood, here's who passed
-ROLFE, thorn or whatever, can't remember what it was, to the heart by Lily
-RAJA, fell off a apartment building
-ADE, oh wait, he didnt die :D
-LILY, champagne flute thingy to the heart by Ash
And the Four Seasons, gosh, what an interesting name
REY, SUMMER
BLEAK, WINTER
THORNE, FALL
LILY, SPRING
Really???
The name's, gosh, worked well ><
Well, good job Karsten Knight
A book i will always remember,
And Colt Halliday.....
ASHLINE WILDE IS COMING FOR YOU!!!!!
*One more thing.*
Wait. What happened to Raja's kid?
And what?
I feel like I don't understand HOW this author can kill off this many people (Many many people) in how many pages?? A few. How could someone DO that???
You HAD to kill EVERYONE???!!!
Even the characters I actually liked???
Wow, this book was filled with SOOOOO many twists and turns, I never saw it coming.
Well, except for the cryptic "DONT AGE THE BABY" thing....
yeah, well, overall...AMAZING book with brand new characters and action-packed scenes.
And the part with Pele being a candelabra, that was certainly interesting. But now I'm wondering...
the goddess was split into the Spark, the Fuse, and the Ember, but who is really Pele???
Ashline, Evelyn, and Roselyn are ALL different, and yes, it mentioned how that was what happened when they split Pele into three, but they seem TOTALLY different. So, which part of Pele is Ash?? Yes, she is the "volcano" part, but who was the one with Colt all this time? And Wes, what part does he have??
And How many more gods and goddesses will be introduced???
**SPOILER**
So, out of Ashline's merry crew of gods and goddesses at Blackwood, here's who passed
-ROLFE, thorn or whatever, can't remember what it was, to the heart by Lily
-RAJA, fell off a apartment building
-ADE, oh wait, he didnt die :D
-LILY, champagne flute thingy to the heart by Ash
And the Four Seasons, gosh, what an interesting name
REY, SUMMER
BLEAK, WINTER
THORNE, FALL
LILY, SPRING
Really???
The name's, gosh, worked well ><
Well, good job Karsten Knight
A book i will always remember,
And Colt Halliday.....
ASHLINE WILDE IS COMING FOR YOU!!!!!
*One more thing.*
Wait. What happened to Raja's kid?
And what?
I feel like I don't understand HOW this author can kill off this many people (Many many people) in how many pages?? A few. How could someone DO that???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2013
Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...
Definitely fiery! With the amount of times Miami is burnt, frozen, overgrown, electrocuted, or blown up, it's amazing it still exists!
Ash's search for her little sister leads her to more of what she experienced in the first book in regard to her trust of others, her quest to live a normal life, and her desire to patch things up with her sisters. As her visions show her more and more of her past lives, she doesn't know whom to trust - and who should trust her. The more she finds out, the more complicated things get. And when she learns exactly what the Cloak is doing, and what Colt is doing, the stakes are raised tremendously, both for her personally and for the world at large.
I love Ash's relationship with Wes. It's so sweet to watch, and amid the crazy crazy going on all around them, it's nice to see this. It's like their lifeline for a while. Until, of course, Ash finds out why they're being together is probably not such a good idea - and then in typical Ash fashion, fights for their relationship to survive despite the clear warning signs. Colt comes back and messes things up, but not for too long, thankfully - I really hate that guy by now.
I was totally invested in the characters throughout the book, and when some of the good ones died, it hit me strongly. It heightened the feeling of being completely alone that Ash has to deal with most of the time.
And the last couple of pages are really really great! Setting things up for book 3, but nail-bitingly tense all on its own. I'm really looking forward to the final book!
Definitely fiery! With the amount of times Miami is burnt, frozen, overgrown, electrocuted, or blown up, it's amazing it still exists!
Ash's search for her little sister leads her to more of what she experienced in the first book in regard to her trust of others, her quest to live a normal life, and her desire to patch things up with her sisters. As her visions show her more and more of her past lives, she doesn't know whom to trust - and who should trust her. The more she finds out, the more complicated things get. And when she learns exactly what the Cloak is doing, and what Colt is doing, the stakes are raised tremendously, both for her personally and for the world at large.
I love Ash's relationship with Wes. It's so sweet to watch, and amid the crazy crazy going on all around them, it's nice to see this. It's like their lifeline for a while. Until, of course, Ash finds out why they're being together is probably not such a good idea - and then in typical Ash fashion, fights for their relationship to survive despite the clear warning signs. Colt comes back and messes things up, but not for too long, thankfully - I really hate that guy by now.
I was totally invested in the characters throughout the book, and when some of the good ones died, it hit me strongly. It heightened the feeling of being completely alone that Ash has to deal with most of the time.
And the last couple of pages are really really great! Setting things up for book 3, but nail-bitingly tense all on its own. I'm really looking forward to the final book!
September 17, 2012
Ah good, no middle-book-syndrom to be found here. A lot more violence and a little less crazy sister though. Eve is stuck in the netherworld and a group of gods have kidnapped Ash's sister from her previous kidnappers. And now that she knows her boyfriend Colt is a creepy liar, she's on her own, headed to Miami to get back both her sisters. There she meets Wes, god of the night and his friend Aurora, some goddess with wings, who are willing to help Ash in tracking down her youngest sister by going after Lesley, the woman determined to kill Eve and her band 4 of gods and goddesses who call themselves The Four Seasons.
This book is significantly longer than Wildefire but also has a lot more going on, this is not a case where the author forgot how to edit. This book includes many god-on-god battles in between calmer scenes where we get to know Ash's new friends, as well what happened in her most recent past life. We have some reappearances from Ash's god friends from the first book but mostly we're dealing with a new set of characters as people are not dead have gone their separate ways for the summer. So this book brings with it, more anger, and fighting, but is just as good if not better than the first. We also learn a lot more about Pele and the Cloak.
This book is significantly longer than Wildefire but also has a lot more going on, this is not a case where the author forgot how to edit. This book includes many god-on-god battles in between calmer scenes where we get to know Ash's new friends, as well what happened in her most recent past life. We have some reappearances from Ash's god friends from the first book but mostly we're dealing with a new set of characters as people are not dead have gone their separate ways for the summer. So this book brings with it, more anger, and fighting, but is just as good if not better than the first. We also learn a lot more about Pele and the Cloak.
June 4, 2013
THAT WAS AN INTENSE READ! This book is just AMAZING, thumbs UP for Karsten Knight.
First, the characters are unique, and based on the myths of god and goddess around the world, ones I've never even heard of. So that alone is pretty interesting.
And then, comes the plot. You know, I tend to always predict the plot of the books i read. And I tend to be right, A LOT. But ever since i read Wildefire and then Embers and Echoes... I just couldn't guess the plot surely. There's a lot of twists that make me think twice, and that's intriguing. I just can't put the book down, and trust me, this book's worth my whole night and day.
So yeah, I really recommend for everyone to read it. You want romance? Check! Fantasy? Check! Paranormal? Check! Adventure? Check! Hot and stark boys? Check! Some hand fist and cat fight? Check!
Just can't wait till the next installment is released. I heard it will be on December, geeeeez!
First, the characters are unique, and based on the myths of god and goddess around the world, ones I've never even heard of. So that alone is pretty interesting.
And then, comes the plot. You know, I tend to always predict the plot of the books i read. And I tend to be right, A LOT. But ever since i read Wildefire and then Embers and Echoes... I just couldn't guess the plot surely. There's a lot of twists that make me think twice, and that's intriguing. I just can't put the book down, and trust me, this book's worth my whole night and day.
So yeah, I really recommend for everyone to read it. You want romance? Check! Fantasy? Check! Paranormal? Check! Adventure? Check! Hot and stark boys? Check! Some hand fist and cat fight? Check!
Just can't wait till the next installment is released. I heard it will be on December, geeeeez!
February 3, 2015
I wish that goodreads puts a higher rating in the stars because I think this story deserves more than just five stars! It deserves ten for crying out loud! Already I enjoyed the second book more than the first book because of the intense action and the fire power that our beloved heroine Ash possesses. Talk about a heroine who is probably katnis everden and Beatrice prior combined into one, with a few added touches to make Ash a fiery goddess that I have come to love in this series! Now I need to go onto the third book so that I can see her kick her ex boyfriends sorry butt back into oblivion!
September 11, 2012
I am a bit disappointed with this book. Not really feeling the direction of this book. To me the first book had a Misfits feel to it (BBC show.) I loved how these teenagers at school got together to form this group that fought against the bad guys. Taking Ash away from the school and away from the others gods, well it didn't really work for me. And now having her go on this wild goose chase. Also, why cant writers write me one good story where the bf isn't a controlling or an asshole? I will definitely catch the next book but i am just sitting here sighing at would this story could have been.
August 6, 2014
Second round, still SO GOOD!!!
Previous Review
I had not expected this to get SO GOOD. It's wildly entertaining with original plot, twists, and actioned packed scenes. It's also emotionally drenching to see how much Ash and others had to go through. Same with the last one, there were multiples of flashbacks and a lot of characters but I had no problem retaining all of them. Each one helped move the story along and build the many layers of its world. The ending, again, I did not see it coming!!! It's a VERY good setup for the next book.
Previous Review
I had not expected this to get SO GOOD. It's wildly entertaining with original plot, twists, and actioned packed scenes. It's also emotionally drenching to see how much Ash and others had to go through. Same with the last one, there were multiples of flashbacks and a lot of characters but I had no problem retaining all of them. Each one helped move the story along and build the many layers of its world. The ending, again, I did not see it coming!!! It's a VERY good setup for the next book.
March 8, 2014
Easy read and good writing, but average to poor plot. I struggled through the first quarter and decided to keep reading. Put the book down permanently after the movie theater scene. That was just uncalled for and one of the the more terrible and awful scenes I've read in a long time. Not worth finishing the book or series after that.
December 19, 2014
Dont worry no spoiler but omg this book is awesome its about greek mythology gods and there so much going on that it leaves u on the edge of your sitn But also truly sad to.Definitely reading the third right away waited to long to read the 2nd & 3rd.
maybe-read
January 14, 2013Okay, I really like the cover of this book!
November 15, 2018
Funny quote:
I'm the Aztec God of night-Tezcatlipoca.
Texting a cat with a what?
I'm the Aztec God of night-Tezcatlipoca.
Texting a cat with a what?
August 27, 2017
This book was soooo much better than the previous book. Most of my issues with the last book were fixed in the sequel. For instance, you see a lot more supernatural action from Ash. Also, I didn't find many plot holes. However, the beginning felt weird. In the first book, the ending was awkward and I didn't like it all that much. The beginning of Embers and Echoes was a continuation of Wildefire's ending. It was like the author wrote the ending and beginning of the two books as one chapter, then literally divided them. Kind of odd. Another thing is that almost no characters from the book came back in, except Ash's family. The only other people that came in were unconscious and saved in the span of 2 pages or made a brief appearance before dying. I feel like everyone dies. At least Ash addresses this in her internal struggle over whether or not to keeping fighting because everyone dies helping her, but still. Now to the positive aspects of the book. There were so many plot twists that were brilliant. The flashbacks, age old family feud, supernatural dramas, and game-changing self discoveries were absolutely brilliant! I still can't get over the secret of Ash, Eve, and Rose's real self. However, I must say that the ending shocked me. I really thought Eve had changed her ways, and then Rose's actions... totally didn't see that coming. I was really hoping Ash would get her happily ever after, but I am excited there is another book. Overall, I absolutely loved this book! Definitely recommend that everyone reads this series! It may have some flaws, but it's easy to get past once you see how awesome the series is.
May 8, 2025
Wow! As far as 2010ish paranormal YA goes, this is really a stellar example.
Knight is formidable with a twist, and the twists come fast and furious in this book. I loved the changes in allegiance throughout the book and how Ash always has her eyes peeled to find out who the real villain is, rather than blindly accepting the first thing she heard.
The action scenes are fantastic – Knight writes with cinematic flair, and especially given the broad-ranging powers the characters have and the clever and resourceful ways the dueling deities use their powers, I found myself genuinely excited upon encountering the big action scenes. But throughout all of them, Ash never loses her humanity, and the book continuously emphasizes how awful it is to take a life even when fighting a villain.
Unlike the first installment of this trilogy, I thought the romance was pitch-perfect. The chemistry between Ash and Wes is undeniable, but they also helpfully keep in perspective that they’ve known each other a week, and a couple days of good chemistry and banter really isn’t something to upend one’s life over.
I also thought the plan of the Four Seasons, to reestablish a religion around themselves, was so wholly believable for a bunch of arrogant gods. But even more perfect was the reaction of the 21st-century crowd – “wow, some impressive effects in this advertisement for a TV show!” It’s one of the best instances I can remember of portraying the cynicism of the jaded modern-day crowds, and it delighted me to no end.
Knight is formidable with a twist, and the twists come fast and furious in this book. I loved the changes in allegiance throughout the book and how Ash always has her eyes peeled to find out who the real villain is, rather than blindly accepting the first thing she heard.
The action scenes are fantastic – Knight writes with cinematic flair, and especially given the broad-ranging powers the characters have and the clever and resourceful ways the dueling deities use their powers, I found myself genuinely excited upon encountering the big action scenes. But throughout all of them, Ash never loses her humanity, and the book continuously emphasizes how awful it is to take a life even when fighting a villain.
Unlike the first installment of this trilogy, I thought the romance was pitch-perfect. The chemistry between Ash and Wes is undeniable, but they also helpfully keep in perspective that they’ve known each other a week, and a couple days of good chemistry and banter really isn’t something to upend one’s life over.
I also thought the plan of the Four Seasons, to reestablish a religion around themselves, was so wholly believable for a bunch of arrogant gods. But even more perfect was the reaction of the 21st-century crowd – “wow, some impressive effects in this advertisement for a TV show!” It’s one of the best instances I can remember of portraying the cynicism of the jaded modern-day crowds, and it delighted me to no end.
October 22, 2024
So far, the story in Books 1 and 2 have been filled with doom and gloom. Everyone connected to Ashline either walks away from her or reunites with her only to meet a tragic end. This is certainly bleak, yet it effectively tugs at your emotions. I'm curious whether Wes and Ade will appear in book three, and if they do, will they meet a similar fate?
I appreciate the diverse array of mythological gods and goddesses from around the world that are woven into this story. It’s a refreshing rarity, and I really enjoyed the unexpected twists in the second book. The inclusion of flashbacks is a great touch, providing deeper insights into the characters’ previous lives and boosting our connection with them.
At this point in the story, it’s clear that the blue flames are not the true villains; rather, the trickster is. However, we have yet to hear the trickster's perspective. I'm curious to know whether there are still twists in the story or if it's already established that he is the deranged deity.
The one thing that's been bothering me, and that I'm eager to uncover, is the content of Lily and Ade's scrolls. Will we get to learn about them before the series concludes? I’m very intrigued and can’t wait to read the ending!
I appreciate the diverse array of mythological gods and goddesses from around the world that are woven into this story. It’s a refreshing rarity, and I really enjoyed the unexpected twists in the second book. The inclusion of flashbacks is a great touch, providing deeper insights into the characters’ previous lives and boosting our connection with them.
At this point in the story, it’s clear that the blue flames are not the true villains; rather, the trickster is. However, we have yet to hear the trickster's perspective. I'm curious to know whether there are still twists in the story or if it's already established that he is the deranged deity.
The one thing that's been bothering me, and that I'm eager to uncover, is the content of Lily and Ade's scrolls. Will we get to learn about them before the series concludes? I’m very intrigued and can’t wait to read the ending!
August 16, 2018
Wow okay. I actually like this book series. The main character, Ashline is not completely annoying or too Mary-Sue. The antagonists are also varied beautifully and developed in interesting ways. I actually look forward to seeing where the story goes. And there is a big plot twist that threw me. I just wish Ash get her anger under control. That is her main weakness, but as she starts to over come this in the book I find myself becoming more attached to her character. But there were a couple of plot holes and unexplained things that bothered me but did not get in the way too much of the plot.
Overall yes, give it a read. Continue with the series.
Overall yes, give it a read. Continue with the series.
September 23, 2017
I actually liked the second one better than the first. I thought the characters had more of a chance to devolop in this book even though an entire new set was introduced. Also, the bad characters were pretty creeptastic. I am looking forward to the next book.
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