Showing posts with label Arcana Chronicles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arcana Chronicles. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 January 2017

Review: Day Zero - Kresley Cole

Arcana means secrets, and these Arcana Chronicles short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole are filled with them. Experience firsthand the beginning of the end and behold the apocalypse through the eyes of characters you only thought you knew.

Ashes to Ashes . . .
Evie Greene's story of the Flash is just one of many. All over the world, those connected in some way to the lethal Arcana game - like Death, Jack, and Fortune - must first survive a horrifying night of blood and screams.

We all fall down.
Some will have to grapple with new powers; all will be damned to a hellish new existence of plague, brutality, desolation, and cannibalism. Find out who they lost, why they endure, and what they sacrificed in order to live past Day Zero . . .

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
If you're a fan of Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles then Day Zero is a must read companion. It does contain spoilers for the first three books so I wouldn't recommend picking it up until you've read Dead of Winter but it contains lots of fun information about the major Arcana players in the series and definitely got me excited about reading the next book.

Have you ever wanted to know where each of the main characters were when the Flash occurred on Day Zero? We saw Evie's story first hand and have heard bits and pieces about what happened to the others throughout the series but this book gives us a chance to see exactly what happened. It also includes profiles on the various Arcana with information about their powers, special skills, weapons and a whole lot more. Some of the information is still blank because it hasn't been uncovered and Matthew (aka The Fool) has redacted things he's not ready to share yet but it was really nice to have everything all in one place to remind me of the details.

You'll be very happy to hear that Jack's Flash story is also included even though he's not one of the Arcana players. I still suspect that he's the inactive card but Kresley Cole states at the beginning of the book that she'll neither confirm or deny if that's the case. Either way I absolutely love Jack's character so I'm glad we got to hear from both him and Death in this book and I'm definitely ready to continue the series and find out what happens next in Arcana Rising.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

Review: Dead of Winter - Kresley Cole

Heartbreaking decisions.
Evie was almost seduced by the life that Death offered her - until Jack was threatened by two of the most horrific Arcana, the Lovers. She will do anything to save him, even escape Death's uncanny prison, full of beautiful objects and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain victory.
Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie heads to the frozen perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet her allies and launch an attack on the Lovers. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them may mean Evie, Jack and Death allying. But convincing Jack and Death to work together may be an impossible task.

Two heroes returned.
There's a thin line between love and hate, and Evie just doesn't know where she stands with either Jack or Death. Will this unlikely trio be able to defeat the Lovers without killing one another first . . . ?

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
I love Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles so I've been waiting over a year to get my hands on Dead of Winter and I couldn't wait to start reading it. One of the things I love about this series is how easy it is to dive back into the world, the author does a great job of reminding readers about important events without spending a huge amount of time recapping previous books and I never once felt lost even though it's been such a long time since I read Endless Knight.

At the end of the previous book we saw Evie escape from Death's lair because she found out that Jack was in trouble and the story picks up pretty much immediately in Dead of Winter. Evie has been travelling for days to meet up with Matthew, Selena and the others so that she can help them rescue Jack from the Lovers who are holding him captive. Things get off to a pretty explosive start as we see a daring attempt to free Jack but we also discover just how depraved the Lovers are and I don't think we even know half of what Jack went through as their prisoner.

I missed Jack in the last book so I was thrilled that Evie was back in his company here, I just love the two of them together - the banter and the scorching chemistry between them always makes me swoon. Death did grow on me during the last book but I'm still not sold on the idea of him and Evie as a couple and I'm definitely sticking on team Jack. I have to admit that I started to get a little fed up of the love triangle here and I'm really hoping that this doesn't continue to play such a major part in future books. I've never been a fan of triangles, especially when it takes time away from the rest of the story and in a world as fantastic as this one I think I would have preferred spending more time with the other characters and learning about the other Arcana.

Dead of Winter is still a fantastic read though, the series just gets darker with each book and the Lovers are a truly creepy and terrifying enemy. There are some quite gory torture scenes that turned my stomach in places but the action was fantastic and I loved seeing Evie and her allies working together against a common enemy. It gives me some hope that they'll find a way to end the game without everyone dying! One warning I have to give you is about the ending, if you thought the cliffhanger at the end of Endless Knight was bad you have no idea what you've got coming in this one, I was literally flicking back and forth on the last couple of pages trying to magic up a few extra chapters because I'm DYING to know what happens next. I don't think the next book even has a title yet but I do know that it will be jumping to the top of my to read pile the very second I can get my hands on a copy and I can't give this series much higher praise than that!

Source: Ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was also sent a print copy by Simon & Schuster.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Review: Endless Knight - Kresley Cole

When your world has disappeared, is there anything left to fight for?

Evie has now come into her powers as the Tarot Empress. And Jack was there to see it all. Evie realises that there is a war brewing, and the teens that have been reincarnated as the tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed.

Then Evie meets Death, the gorgeous and dangerous Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history. A history that Evie can't remember and Death can't forget. She is drawn to Death, but in love with Jack.

Evie is determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, but is struggling to accept her place in the prophecy that holds the future of mankind in the balance. Survival may mean betraying the ones you love . . . Will following her heart lead to her demise?

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
Poison Princess was one of my favourite books last year so Endless Knight was one of my most anticipated novels of 2013. I went into this book with HUGE expectations and found it just as impossible to put down as the first book. I love the world that Kresley Cole has created here, I love the dark post-apocalyptic setting and I love the fact that the characters are based on Tarot cards and all have different supernatural abilities. It's just so refreshing to come across something so different and I'm loving every minute of it. If I had one complaint it would be the killer cliffhanger ending, seriously if you thought the ending to Poison Princess was bad you've not seen anything yet and I literally wanted to scream with frustration when I turned the last page! I had to sit there for a few minutes with my mouth hanging open trying to compose myself and I'm still feeling the book hangover more than a week after I finished the book.

Endless Knight picks up immediately after Poison Princess ended and this is a series you definitely need to read in order. I'm assuming that anyone who is reading this review has already read the first book so if you haven't look away now. Evie has changed a lot from the girl we first met, she has grown up but she has also started to learn the full extent of her powers. She never asked to be a part of this game and the last thing she wants is to become a murderer but she won't back away when it comes to protecting herself or those she cares about. Jack is shocked by the changes he sees in her and her power scares him which causes some problems between them. I'll admit I was a little disappointed with his reaction to her at first but at the same time I could understand it. I missed the banter between them though so I was glad Jack was able to work through his issues and start building bridges. The chemistry between him and Evie is fantastic and his accent always makes me swoon.

I've loved Jack from the beginning so I'm going to be upfront and admit that I was disappointed when it became clear that there was going to be a love triangle in the series. I really didn't like Death to start with, he's cocky and arrogant and seems very cold and unfeeling but as the story progressed and we got to know him a little better I was surprised to find myself warming to him. He has a long and tortured history with the Empress and as Evie starts to recover the memories from her past lives we see just how much they were both effected by that. Deep down Death actually has a vulnerable and caring side, he keeps it well hidden but it's definitely there and anyone who loves a good tortured bad boy is going to find that hard to resist. I think overall I'm still on team Jack but you know what I don't think it would actually take too much to sway me to the other side. I went back and forth between the two of them and I can definitely see the appeal for either. We see so many triangles but rarely are they done this well and for once I'm not holding it as a negative against the story (if you've read any of my other reviews you'll know that is incredibly unusual!).

I think the plot of Endless Knight was even darker than that of Poison Princess, Kresley Cole isn't afraid to take her characters to dark places with little hope of survival and she threw in just as many plot twists in the sequel as she did in the first book. I have a huge suspicion about something I think is going to happen in the next book and I'm dying to know if I'm right or not! If it hadn't been for that pesky little thing called sleep I would easily have devoured this whole book in one sitting so I would recommend starting it when you know you have a good few hours to spare (you'll thank me for that suggestion trust me!). Considering my high expectations for this story I'm amazed that the author not only met them but she actually surpassed them and blew me away. My only disappointment is that we're going to have another year long wait for the next book - the anticipation may just kill me but if I survive the wait I'm sure it will be worth it!

Source: Ebook received from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was also sent a print copy by Simon & Schuster.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Saturday, 6 October 2012

Review: Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
Evie has been suffering with hallucinations that were bad enough to have her admitted to a mental institute. Although she has been sent home and allowed to return to school she finds that the visions are worse than ever. Afraid to let anyone know what is happening she struggles to act normal in front of her friends. Then her visions of an apocalypse become reality as the world goes through an event called "The Flash" that destroys most of the population. Evie's visions haven't stopped but they have changed and she is struggling to understand what they mean. Her only hope is to travel to her Grandmother - the only person who never thought she was crazy - and ask for help. Jackson may have been her enemy at school but he is the only person she has to turn to now and he reluctantly agrees to help her. The pair set out on a journey across the country but will they find the answers Evie so desperately needs?

As a fan of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series Poison Princess was an automatic must read for me but even if it wasn't already on my radar the fantastic cover and blurb would have put it there. A new dystopian series with characters based on the Major Arcana cards from a Tarot deck, each with different supernatural abilities and all with a role to play in the apocalypse. A spunky heroine and a hot Cajun hero. Throw in the fact that it was written by one of my favourite adult paranormal romance authors and what's not to love about it? If you're looking for a story with complex world building, characters that are so full of depth they could practically step out of the pages at any moment and a plot so full of intrigue, shocks and more twists than a labyrinth that it will have you gripped from the first page to the last then look no further. Poison Princess has all that and much, much more and has definitely allowed Kresley Cole to enter the YA market with a bang!

Evie has always been a bit of a pampered princess, born to a wealthy family she had all the right clothes and everything she needed to be counted as part of the popular crowd. Apart from her hallucinations nothing has prepared her for the apocalypse and she is completely out of her comfort zone when it comes to her own survival. She is pretty much the complete opposite of Jackson, where he is strong and self reliant she is lost and afraid, but don't take her lack of skills for weakness. She shows over and over again her determination to not only survive but also to protect others throughout the story. Jack is an irresistible, motorbike riding, Cajun bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has an accent to die for. He can come across as a complete ass at times but really he is a sweetie and he is very protective of Evie. Jack and Evie have that perfect kind of love / hate relationship - the kind where they spend half the time on the verge of tearing strips off of each other and the rest wanting to rip each others clothes off! I have one word for the chemistry between them and that's smouldering, all it's going to take is one tiny spark to ignite a fire that is going to burn everyone in their vicinity and I for one can't wait to see it happen.

Poison Princess is a fantastic start to the Arcana Chronicles, it introduces us to a fabulous collection of characters and some incredibly detailed world building. The way the story unfolds will leave you on the edge of your seat and make it impossible not to carry on reading. I don't think I've ever been so shocked by the twists a book took as I was with this one - you really never can tell what will happen next. I love Evie, I adore Jack and I can't wait to spend more time with them both in the next instalment. I would recommend this to anyone young or old, if you're already a Kresley Cole fan then don't miss this exciting new adventure. If you are new to her work then this is a great place to start and something that any fans of dystopian / post apocalyptic fiction will love - especially if you're looking for something a bit different to all those other dystopian stories that are currently flooding the market.

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:



LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails