The Five Star Spotlight - Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

*this is a review of a sequel, so there may be spoilers for the first novel. You can find my review of the first novel in The Arcana Chronicles, Poison Princess, here.*

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 Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

Endless Knight on Goodreads                 Visit the Author's Website

It's time for yet another Five Star Spotlight, and today's is on a sequel that I read in February and loved. Endless Knight is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. The first book, Poison Princess, is one I read within a day or two because it was so fast paced and interesting. I immediately picked up the sequel and this book was even better. This is a really unique series, and as I've already reviewed Poison Princess I wanted to share my thoughts on its sequel.

The last book was very interesting and fast paced, and this book continued on that trend. Evie's journey is filled with action, danger and intrigue. The story develops and this installation adds a lot of intrigue as we learn more about the characters and their histories. The histories of these players goes back further than we'd seen in Poison Princess, and there's a lot of reveals that are going to impact the rest of the series. The story went in a unique direction, and I loved how this story was different from the first book. I really liked how this book developed with more intrigue as the characters developed.

Speaking of character development, this book was fantastic in that area. Evie faced a lot of internal conflict in the last book, and while that was still present it wasn't overdone. Instead, this book reveals more about Death, and he is probably the most interesting character in the book to me. These two characters were really interesting in their interactions and story, and I'm curious as to how their characters will be in the next book. I wasn't a fan of Jack in this book, even less so than in the last book, but all of the characters grew in this story, and it was great to learn more about them in this sequel.

This is a fantastic sequel to a series that's very engaging and interesting. The plot has definitely grown even more complicated, and the ending leaves a lot of conflict to be resolved in the next book. Evie and Death particularly had some amazing character development and interactions, but overall every character grew in some way. After this book I can't wait to read the third book, Dead of Winter, and this series has books that are quick reads and well developed characters. I hope this is a series and not just a trilogy, because I love reading about this world and these characters! 

Have you read The Arcana Chronicles? Let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Poison Princess by 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.

Poison Princess on Goodreads              Visit the Author's Website

Today's review is on a book that I've been curious about and finally picked up at the beginning of February - Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. The idea behind this book is really unique, and the book was engrossing. I ended up reading it in two sittings, and it was an enjoyable read. The one area that seemed to be weaker than the others was in the characters, but aside from that this is a great start to the Arcana Chronicles.

Typically, I begin a review with my thoughts on the characters, and so I thought I'd address why I thought they were lacking. The protagonist, Evie, was a good narrator. I found her character to be interesting, undergoing a major internal conflict, and developing into a very interesting lead. However, the other characters didn't read as well to me. The male protagonist, Jack, was interesting but not my favorite lead. His and Evie's relationship seemed random to me, and as characters they lacked a good dynamic. The supporting characters were all mysterious enough, but also annoying and again lacked a good dynamic with each other. Selena's character in particular bothered me, as she didn't seem to add anything to the story in general. However, I think that the characters can improve in the sequel and I'm hoping that they will prove to be more interesting and have more interaction and development in the sequel.

The story itself was very engaging. I was engrossed in the story and with what was going on. The idea is unlike anything I've read, and I'm curious to read on in the series. There are a lot of details and obstacles in the world that kept the story fast paced. Generally, the world building was limited to the aftershock of the Flash- not much is explained in terms of the supernatural that's in the story. However, as Evie learns more about what's happening, there's more to discover in the sequel. 

I really enjoyed this book. Although some of the characters were lacking, the world and concept are interesting enough to make this book a good start to the series. After reading it, I'm definitely excited to pick up the sequel and continue on.

From the paper world,

V