Review: Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Book Three of the Arcana Chronicles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Rating: 2 stars

Source: Pre-ordered copy

Summary (from Goodreads):

Can Evie convince her rival loves to work together? Their survival depends on it in this third book of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles, a nonstop action tale of rescue, redemption, and a revenge most wicked.

Heartbreaking decisions 

Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort 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, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain victory 

Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with 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. Evie doesn’t know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together.

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...?

What I Liked:

I am so disappointed, you all. With the book, but also with the fact that I really, REALLY wanted to love this one. I loved Poison Princess, and enjoyed Endless Knight, but this one fell flat (unfortunately). I mean, a ton of people are loving the book... but me (and Nereyda), not so much.

Evie has left Death and his luxurious life, in order to rescue Jack from the Lovers. She reunites with Selena and several other Arcana, in order to storm the Lovers' camp. They rescue Jack... but then Death reappears. Death, Jack, and Evie must leave the other Arcana in order to find the Lovers (who were not defeated when Evie and the other Arcana rescued Jack). All the while, Evie is seriously confused as to who she should "choose". 

The ending - I actually REALLY like one particular aspect of the ending, but I feel like that won't stick (because the author would neverrrrrrr - unfortunately for me). I so hope that one thing sticks, but I won't. But I like the ending right now.

Overall, I was never bored during this book, which is a plus. I like the progression of the ARCANA-related story, to a point. I feel like Evie is no closer to figuring out how to stop or end the game than she was in the first or second books, but otherwise, I liked the story. Minus the romance. But I'll get to that.

Actually, I'll get to that now.

What I Did Not Like:

The romance. The love triangle. The fact that this book was basically unnecessary. Ugh ugh ugh. Deep breaths. Here I go.

I. Hated. The. Romance. In. This. Book. Okay, fair, I knew that there would be a love triangle from book two. Even in book one, you could *kind of* tell that there would be a love triangle in this series. Kind of. But book one was "Jack's" book. Book two was "Aric's" book.

Aric = Death, by the way. No one be confused.

In this book, Evie is very and truly confused. She has no idea who to choose. She thinks she loves them equal. She has this endless (hehe) connection with Aric, but Jack was her first love. That's what it comes down to, in her mind - those two things. Evie will kiss one and kiss the other (in book one, two, and this one). She will let both of them touch her. What. What. What.

Honestly, let's be real. How often does this happen? You're getting it on with TWO guys at the same time (not at the same moment, but in the same period of your life), they both know that the other exists, you have equally strong feelings for both... really? Is this realistic? Someone please tell me. Love triangles to THIS DEGREE don't exist in real life, in my opinion. At the same point in time, you love two people that much? Really? I don't believe it. 

Aric and Jack fight over Evie all the time. Most of the time, she is RIGHT THERE, and DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING, until after like five minutes. Are you kidding me?! They're saying, she'll choose me, she's my wife, she's my girl, she was with me, blah blah blah, IN FRONT OF YOU, and you let it go on for like five minutes. They're discussing you like you're a camel and you're just going to let that happen!? Are you kidding me?!

And for the entire book, Evie's like, just DOESN'T KNOW what she wants to do about the romance. She keeps saying, let's focus on the issue at hand, or, I can't think about that right now, or, this is more important. Which is fair, but it sounds like a bunch of excuses and bs, in my opinion.

I HATED Evie in this book. I'm at that point where I think she doesn't deserve either boy, because that would be too much reward for her. I loveeee Aric, and I want him to get a semi-happy ending. Unfortunately, all he wants is Evie, and I want him that have what he wants... but on Evie's side, a life with Aric is too good for her. I honestly wouldn't mind one of the other Arcana offing her. LOL. She's so selfish - she has both men believing that she loves them (which she thinks she does), and she refuses to make up her mind. Instead of torturing them both, let them BOTH go, or pick one, or something! Honestly, you just seem like a cruel b**** to me.

I haaaaaaaaaaaated Jack in this book. LET ME TELL YOU. He is a MORTAL, yet he wants to go toe-to-toe with Aric. Do you know how many times Jack has threatened Aric saying, "my gun, your skull" or "I will kill you" or something along those lines. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Aric is an IMMORTAL BEING, not to mention the DEATH Arcana... he's hundreds of years old, has a ton of experience in combat and weaponry... you're this measly mortal boy, you PALE in comparison to Aric.

I liked Jack in Poison Princess, thought he was a child in Endless Knight, and I definitely think he's an immature teenage adolescent in this book. The author tries to make him seem more grown and leader-like and manly or something, but I thought that whole thing was HILARIOUS because it just proved to me how not-for-Evie Jack is, how stupid and inexperienced and petty and a**hole-ish Jack is. Because he has NO CLASS.

Didn't like the romance, Jack, Evie... let's talk about how this book is SOOO NOT NECESSARY. Like, you can skip this one pretty much. It's all about Evie's decision - Aric or Jack. She vacillates during the ENTIRE novel. The Arcana story plot does not seem as important as the love triangle. I would skip this book, honestly. Perhaps book four will blow our minds. Maybe it won't. But this one certainly didn't.

I think I'm just going to stop here. You want more "not likes"? Check out Nereyda's review at Mostly YA Book Obsessed.

Would I Recommend It:

Okay, if you're invested in the series, then sure, read the book. If you haven't read the series, definitely WAIT until the fourth (and hopefully final) book is published. I LOVED Poison Princess and Endless Knight, so two of the three published books so far are winners... and I LOVE the Arcana story. But I hatehatehate the romance, or how the author is spinning the romance. It's not cute. It's not sexy. I'm not amused. But I loveeee the Arcana story/plot thingy.

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. I'll read the fourth book. If I found out that there will be more books in the series involving Evie's story after the fourth book (so far, there are only four total), then I'm going to reconsider that decision. I'm not interested in a love triangle lasting more than two books. The decision should be made BY the third book. Ugh ugh ugh. End review.

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Swoon Thursday (#103): Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole!

Without warning, he lifted me against the wall, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" I inhaled sharply as desire flooded me. His addictive scent swept me up.

"I need to be closer to you. Why can I never get close enough to you?" He glanced down. His chest had dampened my tank top, which was now see-through. His eyes flared bright, his voice roughening as he said, "You tempt me beyond measure." He pressed harder between my legs.

When my head fell back, he nuzzled my neck, giving me only hints of kisses. Warm breaths feathered over my throat, making me shiver with need.

- Hardcover edition, page 206

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Poison Princess review | Endless Knight review


Catch my review of Dead of Winter tomorrow!

Waiting on Wednesday (#80): Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Book Three of the Arcana Chronicles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Summary (from Goodreads):

Can Evie convince her rival loves to work together? Their survival depends on it in this third book of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s Arcana Chronicles, a nonstop action tale of rescue, redemption, and a revenge most wicked.

Heartbreaking decisions 

Evie was almost seduced by the life of comfort 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, material comforts…and stolen glances from a former love.

Uncertain Victory 

Despite leaving a part of her heart behind with Death, Evie sets out into a frozen and perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on The Lovers and the vast army they command. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them once and for all may mean Evie, Jack, and Death allying. Evie doesn't know what will prove more impossible: surviving slavers, plague, Bagmen and other Arcana—or convincing Jack and Death to work together.

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?

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Ahhh, I can't wait to read this final novel! ARIC! Read my review of Poison Princess, or of Endless Knight, if you're interested!

Review: Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Book Two of the Arcana Chronicles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: Copy sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Shocking secrets.

Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.

With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.

When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

What I Liked:

THIS BOOK. GUYS. THIS BOOK. It is soooo good! I have mixed feelings about it, actually, but as I finished, I was like, WOW. One huge thing bothered me, but this thing can be fixed in book three. PLEASE, Kresley Cole. Go this certain way. You'll see what I mean below. 

In this highly anticipated sequel (Poison Princess was one of my favorite books of 2012!), Evie must strengthen and create more alliances, in order to take down the one card that everyone fears: Death, the Endless Knight. As she, Matthew, Selena, Jack, and Finn flee from other Arcana, Bagmen, and Death himself, they find themselves relying on other Arcana, attempting to trust other Arcana, and betrayed by other Arcana. Secrets are uncovered, and sacrifices must be made. In the end, the result is the same: Evie must face Death.

This book was filled with nonstop action, nonstop battles, twists, blood, death. I wanted to keep reading, wanted more from the story, wanted the next book by the time I was finished. This is rare in sequels, I find. Sequels often have weird and sometimes lagging pacing, because they often act as filler books.

Not so with this book. HUGE, critical events happen in this book, including Evie surrendering to Death in order to save her friends (not a spoiler, I promise). Evie creates alliances with other Arcana; some are successful, some are double-crossed. But Evie is captured by Death, and she must find a way to defeat him.

As always, Cole creates a wonderful cast of characters that readers can connect with and root for. I really like Finn, of all of Evie's band. I think he always gets the short end of the stick, but he has such an infectious personality. What a funny, lovable guy!

Okay. I'll be honest. I was enthralled by this book, but even more so when Death and Evie started interacting face-to-face. Death is so FASCINATING. I knew from book one that there would be more to him than Kill Evie kill everyone win the game. Death is so much more, so complex, so lonely, so sad. I felt bad for him in book one, but I REALLY felt bad for him in this book. He can't touch anyone without killing them. Except Evie - she is Life, he is Death.

I loved the cruel banter between Death and Evie. Usually, it was Death shutting her down when she had requests or questions, or threatening to make her suffer even more, or terrible things like that. But as you keep reading, you see that Death has motives, and he and the Empress have a past. It was terrifying and incredibly sad to understand Death. I want to hug him!

And yes, a huge part of why I love this book is because of Death, his complexity, his past, and his overall hotness. Dang, the evil guy is HOT. He's not a good person/immortal/Arcana, don't get me wrong. As complex and almost human as he seems, he's still Death. But... I like him. I like his character, his being... and his hotness. *fans self*

That being said, yes, there is a love triangle in this book. And it's a "bad" one, fully-blown. Evie is (supposedly) in love with Jack, and he's in love with her (again, supposedly). But Evie falls in love with Death, and vice versa. Personally, I'm on Death's side, though I feel like Cole is going the other way with this one. I'm trying not to be too sad about that, and I'm mentally bracing myself. But at the same time, there is plenty of reason for Evie to end up with Death. They're ARCANA. Jack is not. Ugh ugh ugh. I like Jack a lot. But can he go with Selena or something? Or leave Evie alone?

This sequel was AWESOME. I'm so glad I read it, but so irritated that I waited so long to read it. Then again, the third book doesn't come out for months. If I had read this book when I got it (October 2013), I would have had to wait more than a year for book three. So I guess things work out. 

What I Did Not Like:

I described it already... the love triangle. GO DEATH! I like Jack and all, but I love Death, and not just because he's one fine piece of Arcana. Death's character and being and essence is so much MORE than Jack's. Jack acts like a child, seems insignificant, compared to Death.

So, this love triangle is the real deal, because Evie seems to be in love with both of them. This is what bothers me about love triangle - when the heroine herself loves both of them. LOVES both of them. I don't care if two or three or ten people are in love with the heroine. It irritates me when the heroine reciprocates these feelings to more than one person. It's so... not monogamist. And that's why fully-blown love triangles bother me so much. This is definitely one of them. 

And I think Cole is leaning towards Jack's way - which makes me a tiny bit mad. Why build up Death's case, why have THIS book all about Death, convincing me that Death should be with Evie, when Evie will end up with Jack anyway? Of course, this is just me speculating. I have no idea if Cole will have Evie and Jack end up together. Personally, I'm hoping that doesn't happen - I'm hoping that Evie and Death happen.

Would I Recommend It:

YESSSS! Well, if you've read book one, DEFINITELY read book two. This book is even better than book one, despite the emerging love triangle (yuck). If you haven't started this series yet, be sure to do so... but perhaps wait until January, when the third book comes out. This is an amazing series, and it will probably be one of my favorites (that is heavily dependent on how the romance turns out).

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I know my rating is lower than what I gave Poison Princess, but I actually enjoyed this one MORE than I enjoyed the first book. Minus one detail. If this love triangle works in "my" favor, then this book will truly get 5 stars from me. But as I don't know, it's getting 4.5 stars!

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Waiting on Wednesday (#25): Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Book Two of the Arcana Chronicles

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the second book of the Arcana Chronicles Evie has now fully come into her powers as the tarot Empress. And Jackson was there to see it all. In the aftermath of killing Arthur, the tarot Alchemist, Evie realizes that a war is brewing between the other teens that, following the apocalypse, have been given powers and its kill or be killed. 

Things get even more complicated when Evie meets Death, the mysterious, sexy Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history - one that Evie can't remember, but Death can't forget. She is drawn to the Endless Knight, but is in love with Jack. Determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, Evie struggles to accept her place in a prophecy that will either save the world, or completely destroy it.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Check out my review of Poison Princess (book one) HERE.

Ahhh, I can't wait to read this one! I hope S&S sends an ARC my way!

Review: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Book One of the Arcana Chronicles

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

Source: Won a giveaway

(old review - original review posted HERE on October 21, 2012)

There was no doubt in my mind when I saw the cover of this book in March that I was going to buy it, without reading it or caring what the reviews said. I have never read anything by Ms. Cole, nor do I know much about the tarot, but I was willing to take a leap with this book. I must say, it paid off completely. This book was excellent, and beyond what I expected.

Summary (from Goodreads): 

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…

What I Liked: 

Well, there was not much I did not like in this book! I was very surprised by how quickly I read this book, even though I am generally a fast reader. I was completely invested in the plot of the book, and could not seem to put it down. I truly wanted to know more about the tarot and the other teenagers, about The Flash, and especially more about Jack and Evie.

I really like Jack. The guy is so rugged and cautious, yet he lets his guard down a little in order to save and protect Evie time after time. He has that dangerous, bad-boy quality, but it seems real, less flashy and hormone-driven, and more down-to-earth. Jack is not just a YA hottie. He is clever and protective, fierce and courageous.

And Evie is a wonderful character as well. I could truly see the character development that occurred. She is somewhat self-centered in the beginning of the book, only worrying about what others think she was doing during the summer (she was in an asylum). By the end of the book, she truly grows into her being, and accepts the world in which she was placed.

Speaking of the world, it was fantastically written. The post-apocalyptic setting, after The Flash, seemed real and powerful. I would never want to live there, because I completely understand the setting, and all of its barrenness and desolation. There was so much of this book that I enjoyed. You will just have to read it to see how much you like it.

The writing was very sophisticated, yet I could hear the young adult voice of Evie. I liked that it was in first person, even though I usually dislike first-person stories. This one seemed to fit the first-person narrative very well.

What I Did Not Like: 

This section will seem very scant, because there was not much that I did not like. I would have liked to know more about the Bagmen, and had more encounters with them. I understand what they are, and their appearance and whatnot, but I think another scene or two, with in-depth descriptions, would have served the readers well. Also, I really wish Evie could have admitted at some point that she speaks Cajun French as well! One tiny secret. Jack never asked for much. And that secret did not have much to do with the other world that Jack did not know about until the end. Other than those few things, I was very satisfied by this book.

Would I Recommend It: 

Yes! I truly loved this book! This is probably one of my favorites OR my favorite book of 2012 (I liked a few others very much, so it would be close). This book is very original, with the tarot, and I feel like as the series progresses, we as readers will see even more originality and creativity from Ms. Cole. This book is suitable for readers ages 15+ (Ms. Cole's older readers will definitely enjoy this book).

Rating: 

5 stars. Go read this book now!

I bought this book without reading it, or reading any reviews. I had expectations, but this book exceeded them and went beyond what I could have expected. I will eagerly and impatiently await the second book!

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