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Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1)

Kresley Cole

Start date: December 22, 2012

Finish date: December 31, 2012

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What Members Thought

Apr 24, 2017 Krissy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pgs-300-399, audiobook, cover-color-brown

Started out pretty slow and I had a difficult time getting interested. But once it took off I couldn't put it down and now I can't wait to read book 2! ...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kami rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-romance, young-adult, urban-fantasy, dystopia, rrrc, couple

This book starts out with a prologue on day 246 AF or after the flash. Apparently there is an apocalypse and the prologue takes place after the apocalyptic event, then the first chapter takes place on day 6 BF, or before the flash. Evie's sixteenth birthday is the day of the apocalyptic event, the flash. Before that she was in a mental institution because she had been having hallucinations. Evie and her friends are “popular bowhead cheerleaders” which makes her seem very vapid and shallow except This book starts out with a prologue on day 246 AF or after the flash. Apparently there is an apocalypse and the prologue takes place after the apocalyptic event, then the first chapter takes place on day 6 BF, or before the flash. Evie's sixteenth birthday is the day of the apocalyptic event, the flash. Before that she was in a mental institution because she had been having hallucinations. Evie and her friends are “popular bowhead cheerleaders” which makes her seem very vapid and shallow except for the secret she is keeping from everyone about what really happened on her summer vacation, her stay in the institution and her violent hallucinations. A group of bad kids on motorcycles from the other side of the swamp show up at Evie's school. “To go from their Cajun, poor – and adamantly Catholic – parish to our rich town of Louisiana Protestants …?” Jackson Deveaux is the tall, gorgeous, drinking from a flask in high school, leader of the gang of Cajun misfits. And he seems rather obsessed with the pampered princess Evie. Plants move on their own for Evie. She is terrified that her mother will have her committed again like she did to her grandmother. “I'm a Tarasova, Evie, a chronicler of the Tarot. I know things that nobody else on earth knows. And you're the Empress. Just like the card in my deck. One day, you'll control all things that root or bloom.”

Before you can say, 'Oh My God The Apocalypse', there are zombies, militia and cannibals. Seven months later civilization has crumbled completely and Jack and Evie are reunited. Here is where I feel, Evie starts acting seriously stupid. If I was surviving an apocalypse the first thing I would do is align myself with the first strong dude who wouldn't beat me to protect me. And a guy who is actually decent and cares? Perfect. But Evie doesn't trust Jack and doesn't want to have anything to do with him. She actually thinks she has a chance of survival? She can't cook. She has no survival skills. She can't shoot a gun. She is useless or de'pouille. Except for her Arcana powers.

Jack and Evie meet some of the other cards. Matthew is The Fool: “Crazy like a fox.” Selena is The Moon, The Archer: “Behold the Bringer of Doubt.” “Joules. Master of Electricity. The Tower Card.” “Eyes to the skies, lads!” “The Temperance Card … Calanthe. She wields the Weight of Sins.” Gabriel, the Judgement Card: “I watch you like a hawk.” Finn is The Magician. “Don't look at this hand, look at that one.”

This book is so good I am still reeling. I am so upset that I have to wait an entire year to get the next book in the series. ...more

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Dec 11, 2013 Shanyn rated it liked it

This book needed a whole lot more world building a whole lot less angst and manufactured drama. The premise holds tremendous promise if those two things can develop in the next book - and I have hope that will be the direction Coles takes the story given how this book ends.

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