Afterglow

October 1, 2013
In the apocalyptic conclusion to this fantasy trilogy, a teenage goddess gets mad, rocks fall, and (almost) everyone dies. Ashline Wilde has left her new boyfriend, the Aztec god of night, to chase after her evil ex, Colt Halliday, the reincarnation of the trickster Kokopelli. Colt is plotting to meld Ash, her bad-seed older sister and her newly discovered younger sister back into the volcano goddess Pele. In order to do this, he still needs to find the means to defeat the Cloak, the other-dimensional entities who split Pele apart and stripped the deities of their memories. The whole bloated narrative is essentially one long chase, with Ash and her allies perpetually one step behind the villains and plenty of fireballs, explosions, lightning bolts and inevitable casualties piling up along the way. Ash has three basic modes--sarcastic, angry and really angry--but that still gives her more personality than any other character, so the frequent deaths and dropped plotlines aren't particularly upsetting. The mythological cast is commendably diverse; unfortunately, they are all so divorced from their cultural context that they might as well be mutants or aliens or wizards. While the main storyline does come to a satisfying conclusion, the nightmare-fueled epilogue tosses in an infuriating metafictional twist. Overstuffed, derivative and annoying. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Readers will not be able to keep up with the events in this finale if they haven't read Wildefire (2011) and Embers & Echoes (2012, both S & S). Ashline, 16, is attempting to finally put an end to the plans of Colt, a trickster god who ultimately wants to destroy the world. He also wants to bring back Pele, who was split into three separate souls as punishment for her ill deeds, and Ashline and her sisters are his target. If he kills them in just the right way, he can save his lady love. Ashline and several other gods of various pantheons are fighting to stay alive and to stop Colt from restoring all of the evil gods who have been banished to the netherworld. The basic idea of the book seems awesome, especially bringing in Polynesian gods and other non-Western pantheons. Unfortunately, the execution is a bit shaky and the characters are not fully realized. Keeping track of all the plot twists, and ignoring the gaping holes, makes it difficult to suspend disbelief and fully dive into the tale. The ending makes everything even more difficult to swallow, as the story is written from Ashline's point of view but the final chapter is set in the future with her ancestor using her "published novels" (this trilogy) in order to best Colt for the last time. All in all, a great idea but disappointing in execution. Buy this one for fans of the first two books.-Saleena L. Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2013
Grades 8-10 Ashline Wilde, contemporary teen and reincarnated Polynesian volcano goddess, calls on her considerable powers as she attempts to save her sisters, her parents, and the world from the evil machinations of Colt, the manipulative trickster god. A sequel to Wildefire (2011) and Embers & Echoes (2012), the book offers potent magic and plenty of action. In addition to moving the three-volume narrative forward to a conclusion, Knight fills in the backstory of Ash's intense, centuries-old connection with Colt, her former lover. Though quite readable, the book is long on action and short on convincing relationships. Recommended for fans of the Wildefire series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)