The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club: poison princess

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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2)

Kresley Cole
320 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: October 1st, 2013
Rate: Love it

"I desired you before, but I never loved you until this life."

Evie is no longer the scared and useless girl she was after her trip. She's the Tarot Empress, the Poison Princess, Lady Lotus, Mistress of Flora, Queen of Thorns. She showed that in full force in the Alchemist house, winning her first symbol, and Jack was there to see the transformation of Evie and the reality: Evie and the others are not regular teens, they have been reincarnated and they play a dangerous and epic game where only one would survive by killing the others. This is kill or be killed, and not only their life are at stake, but mankind hands in the balance. And the prize? Immortality.

The Flash destroyed Earth, but the worst is about to come. Because when rain starts, all the horrors, enemies and devil creatures out there get stronger and the good Arcana get weak.

When everything seemed possible, reaching her grandmother, having new and powerful allies, the possibility of killing Death and, most important, her relationship with Jack, Death claims Evie. He wants her and he would do anything to have her, liking offering her the opportunity to safe everyone she cares about, If she goes with him.

Now in Death's hand and asking every day If this is the day Death will kill her, Evie meets Death. She starts to remember past events that involved Death, that create a new idea about the person that keeps Evie captive. And though having dreams about Death might not be good for Jack and Evie's relationship, she cannot help herself feeling the passion the Endless Knight awakens in her.

Betrayal. Passion. Love. Evil. Good. Things Evie learns in those days and she needs to decide her fate and the others, because when the rain stops and the snow falls, that's where the Empress would be strong again.

One mission: to make Death to trust her, to fall for her again. One difficulty: Death can't forget.

"My relationship with Jackson had felt fated. Whatever I had with Aric felt . . . endless."

The Poison Princess, first book in The Arcana Chronicles, was all about Evie finding herself, knowing her role in the Tarot game that started with The Flash. However, the Endless Knight is all about passion and Death. We are madly in love with it and we couldn't help giving the Endless Knight five gorjuss dolls.

Endless Knight picks up directly where Poison Princess left off, and it's like you never stopped reading.

As you now, Evie's world is full of danger. Not only because it seems that the Apocalypse arrived and everyone's going crazy about it, but because the Apocalypse created horrific creatures that in this book seem to be stronger than before. Why? Because of the rain. Baggers seek blood and the rain's the only thing that gives them their strength back, being more murderous than before. Teethers are getting hunger, and the mountains have barely food. But what's wrong with the cannibals in the mountains? They eat the person alive thanks to the Hierophant.

Overall, everything gets more dangerous and more spooky. However, the romance keeps flowing and we get introduced to a hot passion and an undeniable sexual attraction that makes you stop breathing.

Don't worry, ladies, we have our Cajun back. Jack's back and afraid of the things he cannot explain. He's distant with Evie and even arrives to a point of even hating what Evie is, what broke our little hearts in two.

“I never stopped liking you. Even when you were warding me away with the power of Catholicism.”

"Can’t help the way I was raised—anything supernatural is supposed to be either a miracle or satanic."

I rolled my eyes. “And you’re still trying to figure out which I am?”

"Non. I’m trying to figure out if I’m still Catholic.” He grinned that heart-stopping grin."

Despite this, they find each other again and it's magical! I absolutely missed him. Although in this book we learn some things about him and Matthew that makes us want to not like them at all.

"There was French kissing, and then there was Cajun French kissing. Spicier, harder, wilder."

And we also get to read those scenes between Evie and Jack that creates an smile on the reader.

"That tape was private!"

"You'd tell this Arthur guy, a stranger, our story?"

"By that point, I was fairly sure he would never tell another soul."

Oh, Book Addicts, you are not going to believe this, but I think I'm considering being team Death. Oh, boy, you need to read his story, how he really is and the hot mess he is. I wouldn't mind meeting him, If I were Evie. Right now I have a turmoil of feelings. Too much. But one thing is clear: Evie and Death's story is bloody beautiful!

At first you don't like him. Why is this man trying to steal Evie from Jack and who the hell he think he is? Not only he has a powerful impact in everyone, he's Death, he kills with his touch! But he oozes attitude, like I-don't-give-a-damn attitude and I-can-do-whatever-I-want. He treated Evie cooly and that would give us goosebumps. However, the major creepy and scary goosebumps giver was Ogen aka The Devil. But we'll get to that.

Death brings Evie to his house, that has all the luxuries one could imagine after an apocalypse, and puts something in Evie's arm to prevent her to use her powers. Yep, trapped in Death's house with a traitor and The Devil. While Evie plans to kill Death in order to return to Jack, she gets to know him better and playing to seduce a hot man like Death can backfire your intentions. And that's the point YOU start to dream about Death, because, Book Addicts, he's hot, sexy, a gentleman, with a clear education, an accent and being an endless knight. He has some issues, like killing people with his touch and being Evie the only person he can't kill and the hatred he processes towards Evie. That's the definition of hot mess.

So Evie starts to meet Death, at first a fierce Death always ready to bolt from Evie's side and stubborn to remember what Evie was and what she did to him in another life.

"Just because you're a gutless harlot doesn't mean I won't find your... attributes attractive. I might be immortal, but I'm still a red-blooded male."

"Harlot? Who talks like that? Father Time, meet the Flinstones."

Then the sexual tension, the passion and attraction is too much. Even for us. And it was sad knowing what the Empress from the past life did to Death. Who was supposed to be evil looks like it's not and behind all that hatred is a lonely boy who wants to no longer feel empty inside and alone. And that's when the love triangle starts. Book Addicts, If I'm totally honest I think I even like Death more than Jack. However, I'll need to read the following book to decide, officially, which team I'll pick.

The idea that someone like him might be lonely made me think of him as, I don't know, more human. As if he were a normal guy in his early twenties, maybe a former college student just trying to get by.

When he was anything but. He was the Endless Knight, an immortal killer. He probably preferred being alone, lacking the need for companionship that I had.

And we cannot forget our beloved Matthew and Finn. Matthew keeps being as crazy as always, with his senseless ramblings and confusing predictions that makes us laugh and reminds us a little and helpless boy. You cannot help, but love him.

Trying to draw Matthew into our conversation, I said, "look, here's Matthew's." I pointed out his card; on it, a smiling young man with an oblivious expression walked a desolate land, carrying a rucksack and a single white rose. A yapping dog nipped at his heels.

Matthew tilted his head at the likeness. "In a place where nothing grows, I carry a flower. The memory of you."

I smiled at him. "That's so sweet."

He frowned. "That literally happened."

"Oh."

Finn keeps bringing the fun and the laugh to the story, with his jokes and his Tarot nature that makes him do things that end up being way too funny. Selena keeps being Selena, although she backed off and didn't tried to steal Jack again, we discover new interesting things about her and she changes a little bit: meaning she almost likes Evie. Then there's Lark, a new member in the Evie's group. Like Matthew says: Good. Evil. Good. Evil. There are moments when you like and totally can picture her with Finn. And then there are moments when you simply hate her for her actions, although you like her style. So emotional roller coaster mode on. And the last character, Ogen, The Devil, gives us the creeps. Is bad enough to relate him to Lucifer and listen him say things "like feast of bones", but living near him? Not cool. It's doomed: something bad has to happen.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up the Devil Card. "So, this is Ogen, a.k.a., El Diablo. He allies with Death. He's got throns and hooves like a goat man, but his body is all ogre -with superhuman strenght. His call? I'll make a feast of your bones."

"Ogen, the ogre?" Finn raised his brows. "Really?"

Like the Poison Princess, the ending of this book is epic and you can only re-read it, wanting to read more and knowing what's going to happen after this. And it was about time to go after The Lovers. I was waiting for this to happen for the very first page of the second book. They deserve it.

Pacing the room, Aric said, "You never gave your heart before. I was convinced you didn't have one."

I pulled the sheet over my chest. "I do, and right now it's breaking in two."

"Why is it that the first time I've vowed retribution agaisnt you, it's the one time you were born like this? With honor and empathy? The sole time you are perfect for me-and you you're in love with another man!"

I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"After the Flash, if I'd gone to Haven and protected you and your mother, would you have chosen me to love?"

Before being on the road with Jack? Before learning what a complicated boy he was? Before he'd saved my life? I had to answer honestly, "Yes."

Once again, Kresley Cole did an excellent job. A mind-blowing, sexy and amazing plot full of action, betrayal, passion, mystery, adventures, romance and Death scenes, that would make you have an insane amount of feelings and would captivate you from the first page. I can definitely say that I'm hooked with this story, for its romance and passion and for the same reasons I loved the first book.

Like I said to Rosa, I'm super excited to share Kresley's story with you, Book Addicts, and you need to read this book. Because of Death. Because you would want to re-read the whole story, but mostly the ending and Death and Evie's scenes. It would rock your world, Book Addicts!

We have to thank Brooke, Kresley's assistant for sending the beautiful books you can see in our site, both the Poison Princess and Endless Knight, Kresley Cole for the books and sharing this wonderful story and Simon & Schuster. Thank you for letting us read this incredible story, making them our favorite series.

We also wanted to tell Kresley that we cannot stop thinking about the ending, and that we need to read the third book. Because we believe it's going to be full of awesomeness like the other two and because we cannot keep speculating who's going to appear next, although, Book Addicts, we have the feeling we are going to meet the Emperor.

Claudia Lee as Evie

Liam Hemsworth as Jack

Ana Mulvoy as Selena

Dylan O'Brien as Matt

Robert Sheehan as Finn

Kellan Lutz as Death

Jessica Lucas as Lark

Jamie Campbell Bower

What do you think, Book Addicts?

Our Endless Knight Playlist

Seven Devils by Florence + Machine -> Evie comes out of the Alchemist's house
The House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals -> Leaving Requiem. Being Followed.

Time is Running Out by Muse -> In the mountains

Alone Together by Fall Out Boy -> Jack & Evie together (shower)

Demons by Imagine Dragons -> Death comes to take Evie

Makes Me Want To Die by The Pretty Reckless -> They are dead

The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy -> Evie fights against Death

Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance -> The Tower & Co fights Death

This Land is Your Land by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings -> Welcome to Death's house

Feel Again by OneRepublic -> They are alive

Counting Stars by OneRepublic -> Evie & Death

Evil Ways by Blues Saraceno (Remix) -> Death Training

Try by P!nk -> Evie trying to seduce Death

I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace -> Jack & Matthew's betrayal

The Scientist by ColdPlay -> Evie depressed

Calls Me Home by Shannon LaBrie -> Falling for Death

Bad Things by Jace Everett -> Knowing Aric

Bury Me Alive -> The Devil's Sabbath

Alpha Dog by Fal Out Boy -> Evil vs. Death

The Diary Of Jane by Breaking Benjamin -> I can't be with you right now

Part Of Me by Katy Perry -> Jack

Born To Die by Lana Del Rey -> End of Endless Knight

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series and the young adult Arcana Chronicles. She has also written five award-winning historical romances.

Since her first novel was released in 2003, Kresley has published nineteen books with Simon & Schuster and has seen her releases translated into more than eighteen foreign languages. She has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Queensland area of Australia.

Cole’s trademark action, sensuality, and humor are exemplified in her popular Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures--ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie--that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material.

In 2007, Kresley won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for best paranormal for her novel A Hunger Like No Other, and in January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King. In 2010, Kiss of a Demon King earned Kresley her second RITA award. 2011 brought Cole her second #1 NYT bestseller with Dreams of a Dark Warrior.

She lives in Florida with her husband and far too many animals. She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water. You can learn more about Kresley at www.kresleycole.com.

1) Team Death or Team Jack? Why?

2) Which new Tarot Card do you think will appear in the next book?

Click here to see the cards and read the description of each one:

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)

Kresley Cole

369 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: October 2nd, 2012

Rate: Love it

She could save the world -or destroy it.

Evangeline Green, Evie, has been dreaming about awful dreams, hallucinations and post-apocalyptic visions. When she was eight, her grandmother kidnap her in order to teach her part of the craziness she's experimenting now and with only sixteen years, she's been in a center for crazy people. Now the summer is over and her live is back to normal. Must be.

And that's when Evie meets Cajun, bad boy, Jackson Deveaux. The attraction is inevitable between them, but Evie's playing with fire.

Her life was beyond complicated, full of things that couldn't be possible, hearing strange voices rambling incoherent things. However, when her apocalyptic drawings become way too real, she starts to wonder If everything's also real. Who are the voices?

The Flash killed almost everyone, reducing people to dust. And then there are the Bagmen. Either way, Earth is doomed and the only person Evie doesn't want to see appears to her doorframe, saying things about a militia going out of control and that they were coming in Evie's way.

Jackson Deveaux is still the same: wicked grin and all his bad, Cajun attitude. When something makes Evie leave Haven, she finds herself on a road trip with this boy, who seems to hate her, and she cannot resist.

They need to find the source of Evie's vision and Evie's grandmother in order to understand what's going on with Evie, since the institutions where her mother sent her did a great job; making her forget what her grandmother tried to taught her.

Despite this, the Game has started and Evie needs to find her grandmother before it's too late, find allies and kill the bad cards. How do you do that when Death is claiming personal, sweet revenge?

"Come touch,...but you'll a price"

"Remember my titles? I don't get poisoned, I do the poisoning. I'm the Princess of it"

The Arcana Chronicles are definitely my favorite paranormal/post apocalyptic book. Ever. This story not only captivates you for its incredible and easy to love characters, but its descriptive and raw brutality of the apocalyptic world the main character predicts and, then, lives. And you are unable to put the book down until you finish it. Full of mystery, romance, fantasy and a perfect, dramatic, apocalyptic and brutal Game, that would captivate you from the first page.

With a slight remembrance of other post apocalyptic books such as The Hunger Games, the Poison Princess is the story of Evie. But her life is not the life of a normal teenage girl. She's the Empress in The Tarot Cards and this game has been going on since forever. Every now and then, a catastrophe strikes Earth announcing the beginning of the Game and that's where the voices start to appear. Each voice a call from a tarot card. Only one can survive, not because there are rules, because there are, but because the pull, the need, of killing each other is unavoidable. And being the winner, means being immortal until the next game. And it's a long, long time.

"The Empress doesn't get collared, or caged, or tortured. How artfully she beckons, how perfectly she punishes...."

It's true that this scene might sound familiar, but it's not. It's totally different from other books and Kresley Cole is fully faithful to the fantasy and paranormal side of the story, that we have started to recognize as her own personal signature in her stories. But what we really appreciated about this, is that Kresley did a great job with the Tarot story and you can see her hard work, and her research to write this story just by reading it.

I'm officially in love with this series, but what I truly like about them is that you don't really know what's going on at first. Why's that?

Well, the story starts with another character: Arthur, a boy who survived the Flash and does some horrible experiments on girls who have locked in his now basement. 'Cause, as you can imagine, he's not a nice person and killed the owner of that house. Now, he lures people into that house, mostly girls, to use them, but showing himself as a boy who wants to know about people's stories before and after the Flash.

And Evie is one of those girls who happened to see his sign and knocked on his door. In exchange for food and a warm place, she tells him her story, warning him, that all events might not be all believable. And this is the way we get to meet bad boy Jackson, cute and sweet Brandon, Selena, Finn and Matthew. And scary Death. And the creepy Devil.

As I said before, the characters are amazing. The main character, Evie, evolves a lot throughout the story. She starts as an innocent rich girl who might not survive the apocalypse alone and turns out to be a powerful and badass woman that can take care of herself. At first you connect with her, because she's sweet and innocent, but it's also annoying how her craziness affects Jackson and she doesn't deny anything. I mean, girl, tell the poor guy you're not laughing at him! That you're simply seeing weird things! Okay, maybe that would be difficult, but the guy is obviously attracted to you, so don't act like that. And then, you meet road-Evie. Always reminding herself she's useless and that she needs Jack to survive.

"My looks had gone from well-kempt cheerleader to apocalyptic disasterpiece."

And then you meet, finally, jealous-I'm-in-love-with-Jack Evie that leads us to powerful and badass Evie, and reading that is simply epic.

"He was staring at my lips, and before I could think better of it, I’d wetted them.

“That’s it, bébé,” he said in a coaxing rasp. “Ma bonne fille.” My good girl. He wrapped one of his arms behind my back, cupping my chin with his free hand. “Evangeline, I’m goan to kiss you until your toes curl, until we’re breathing for each other.”

That was the promise. . . ."

While Jack is a pain in the ass. Yep, I said it. He's bad guy, but a jerk, and I felt always that he had a double meaning for all his interactions with Evie. Boy, an advice: If you like a girl, you don't act like a jackass. She'll hate you, not love you. And you'll hurt ~~our~~ her feelings, too. Despite this, imagining Jack as Cajun bad boy, was something I couldn't stop doing. He is the antithesis of Evie in every single aspect and I think that's what makes their relationship an explosive and unique one. And yes, we are talking about sexual tension, because, ladies, Jackson, or Jack for his friends, oozes sex appeal and makes all the girls go wild.

“If you touch me like that again, Evangeline,” he began in a husky tone, dropping to his seat once more, “in the space of a heartbeat, I will have you off this bike and onto the closest horizontal surface. And I woan be picky, no.”

Love these two, and in this book I'm definitely team Jack.

"I was with the boy that monsters should fear."

We also need to do a quick review about the other characters in the story, because they play an important role in Evie's life. Like Selena. Although she looks like a proper and good ally, she's hitting on Jack. Oh, no you didn't. Yep, so you can imagine where jealous-Evie appears. Sorry, Selena, we don't like you for not liking Evie and hitting on Jack. Although we respect you for being in the good side.

Matt is simply the nerdy and shy boy we all imagine. He's beyond weird and he reminds us to a little boy who Evie needs to take care of. And he looks after Evie. So we definitely adore him. It's useless not to, he's beyond sweet, cute and good.

"Matthew, exactly how psychic are you?

So psychic that other psychics should be called Mattics."

And Finn is the character who brings the laugh, despite the Jack and Evie fights. Every time this character interacts in the story, I cannot stop myself from smiling. So, yes, we love him, too.

Overall this is an epic read. With an amazing story and an incredible plot full of fantasy, paranormal, romance, adventures, magic and supernatural creatures and events in a dystopian scenery, Kresley Cole created a perfect story that you will get addicted to, because it brings the best of every post-apocalyptic story and a slightly touch of Supernatural, the TV show, when they are trying to stop the apocalypse, the two of them playing a role in a God's Game.

Prepare your emotions for this explosive, mind-blowing and wonderful story, because this story is one of those you'll need to re-read because you're so in love with it that you cannot stop thinking about it. And that's why we are giving the Poison Princess a five gorjuss dolls and highly recommending it.

"When you say we...?"

He pulled back, gazing down at me, his eyes blazing. "I'm goan to lay it all out there for you. Laugh in my face--I don't care. But I'm goan to get this off my chest."

"I won't laugh. I'm listening."

"Evie, I've wanted you from the first time I saw you. Even when I hated you, I wanted you." He raked his fingers through his hair. "I got it bad, me."

My heart felt like it'd stopped--so that I could hear him better.

"For as long as you've been looking down your nose at me, I've been craving you, an envie like I've never known."

"I don't look down at you! I'm too busy looking up to you."