Book Review- THE DARK CALLING by Kresley Cole

Omg y'all!!!! I am so excited to be able to share this review with you today! I have been dying to read this book and was lucky enough to get a copy a few days early from Kresley to post my review before release day! Check out my review below. I have so  much to say about this book and series so be warned it's going to be a long post! 

Title:THE DARK CALLING (The Arcana Chronicles Book 6)

Author: Kresley Cole

Release Date: February 13, 2018

Publisher: Valkyrie Press

Format: Paperback, eBook

Source: eBook from the Author

Rating: Obsessed!!!!!!!!!!!

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon eBook | Barnes & Noble| iBooks 

New intrigues, adventures, and stunning revelations fill the penultimate installment of #1 New York Times best-selling author Kresley Cole’s electrifying Arcana Chronicles.

In a world teetering on the edge . . .
When Evie receives life-changing—and possibly game-changing—news, she has trouble believing it. Why doesn’t she feel any different? Is it possible someone she trusts might be lying?


With enemies at every turn . . .
Tensions seethe inside the castle of lost time as Evie starts to doubt her own sanity. Answers can be found outside their stronghold, but will Death help her find them—or prevent her from learning the truth about her future and Jack’s possible survival?


Darkness beckons. 
A mysterious, sinister power begins to affect the Arcana in its path. Forced out into the wasteland alone, Evie must depend on unexpected allies. But as a battle with Richter looms, can her new alliance defeat the Dark Calling before hell reigns on earth?

I'm going to start this by saying that Simon Teen seriously messed up when they decided to stop publishing this series, I mean book 5 made the NYT Bestseller list for Pete's sake and Kresley is an amazing author. I think this series is way better than some of the other ones that Simon Teen keeps publishing and probably should've cancelled years ago (not mentioning names but I think y'all know who I'm talking about).

It's been TWO LONG YEARS between Arcana Rising and this one and I thought I would've forgotten so much about this series but, surprisingly I didn't and reading THE DARK CALLING was like sitting down to catch up with an old friend who I had missed dearly. It's super funny too because when I read book 1, Poison Princess back in 2012 I absolutely hated the first 13 chapters of the book lol but, after chapter 13, I fell in love with the characters and the world and my love story with this series has only grown stronger with each book!


Ok on to the actual review!

Wow! Just wow! I swear each book in this series gets better and better! I really can't say much seeing as the book just released and not many people have read it. But just know that most of your questions will be answered (no I will not answer them for you). We do find out who the inactive card is and that card plays a HUGE part in this book. There will be more death but I'm not saying who and yes there's more romance and Evie will be tested like never before. I'm so glad this one didn't end on a bad cliffhanger like Arcana Rising did. And I really hope we don't have to wait two more years before the next installment comes out because I don't think my heart would be able to take that! Also I've decided I'm Team #WhyChoose lol



Haven't started the series yet? Now's a great time!

Dying to Read (65)- THE DEAD OF WINTER by Kresley Cole

Hey y’all thanks for stopping by to see my Dying to Read post and of course as always I have to give credit to the lovely Jill over at Breaking the Spine for the Waiting on Wednesday Meme!

I love Kresley Cole's THE DEAD OF WINTER series and although it's going to suck reading the finale for this series I am seriously dying to get my hands on it!And even though I absolutely hate the new covers for the series (why oh why do a redesign mid series??) I shall overlook the ugly to get to the goodness inside I need more Death!!

THE DEAD OF WINTER
Kresley Cole

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 978-1481423458

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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?

So what do you think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this week?

Review- ENDLESS KNIGHT by Kresley Cole

ENDLESS KNIGHT (The Arcana Chronicles Book 2)

Kresley Cole

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN:  978-1442436671

Source: Hardcover from the publisher

Rating: Obsessed!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

From Goodreads.

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.

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.

So it took me a bit longer to get out of my reading slump than I thought but ENDLESS KNIGHT was the perfect book to do such that!

I loved POISON PRINCESS with a fiery passion and I didn’t think that ENDLESS KNIGHT could come close but peeps let me tell you IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!! 

We finally get to meet Death and of course I fell head over heels in love with the guy. We also get to meet a couple new cards... I won’t spoil here but they’re both very intriguing characters. Oh and there were some scenes in this one that were so hot I felt like my book was going to light on fire from all of the sexiness! I mean I can’t believe Kresley got away with it in a YA book! I just love Kresley’s writing and I can’t wait for book 3 since she left us with a killer ending that actually had Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads and I in a debate over what happened lol

I chose a passage from the beginning of the book because I loved it. It was sexy and I didn’t want to be too spoilery and Jack makes me laugh. I’d do a death one but it’d be too spoilery ;)

He was right; I was gone for him. Stupid to fight it. I gazed up at

him, whispering, “Just, just don’t hurt me again. If I kiss you, and then

you get disgusted . . .”

He gave a low laugh, moving his hips against mine. “Does it feel like

I’m disgusted?”

I gasped. “Jackson!”

“You smell like honeysuckle. You likin’ ole Jack now?”

“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.

Gorgeous lips. I wanted them on mine.

Just before he kissed me, he said, “You might be different from what

I thought, but I’m goan to protect you anyway. I’m goan to try to accept

all this. But you got to accept me.”

“Accept you? What are you talking about?”

“I’m a nineteen-year-old bayou boy. I got a fondness for liquor. I’m

goan to say stupid shit. Doan you go getting your feelings hurt at the

drop of a hat.”

I laid my palm against his face. “You’re going to get more than your

feelings hurt if you stay with us. And it will be my fault because I don’t

want to separate from you. You wanted me to let you go.”

“That was before I realized something this week. I wasn’t goan to

live a long life even before the apocalypse. Before there were Baggers,

cannibals, and plague. Now I figure I’ll spend my limited time left

doing what I want.”

“And what do you want?”

His grin deepened. “You’re what I want, and I’d like to be doing

you.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine.

At that contact, the rain began to pour down at last, pelting the cabin’s

tin roof. I hadn’t heard that sound since the night I’d gone to Jack’s

home in the bayou.

He drew back. “Christ, your lips are sweet. Douces comme du miel.”

Sweet like honey. He yanked off his shirt, revealing his damp chest, the

rosary around his neck. I’d missed seeing him like this.

My fingers skimmed over the raised scar on his arm. How I loved

that mark. If he hadn’t been getting that wound tended to the night of

the Flash, he would’ve died like most everyone else.

His hands landed on my ass, giving it a possessive squeeze. “T ’es

pour moi, Evie. You’re mine. Every part of you.” He leaned down, took

my lips once more. Between kisses, he said, “I told you once and I’ll

tell you again: there is nothing that can happen to you that we can’t get

past. Just give me a chance to get to you. Promise me.”

“Jack . . .”

“Promise me. You doan leave me again.”

“I promise.” Staring at his lips, I said, “Would you always come for

me?”

He drunkenly murmured, “Chase you like a junkyard dog.”

Dying to Read (31)- Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Hey y’all thanks for stopping by to see my Dying to Read post and of course as always I have to give credit to the lovely Jill over at Breaking the Spine for the Waiting on Wednesday Meme!

This week the book I’m dying to read is ENDLESS KNIGHT by Kresley Cole!!!!! OKNJGFHGDFDDSXJHKJJLKJ!!!! That’s how bad I want this book! I’ll admit I really didn’t like chapters 2-12 of POISON PRINCESS but after the apocalypse things between Jack and Evie heated up and I fell for the other characters! Now Death is coming and he’s a hawt knight and I know I’m going to fall for him! And the cover AHHHHHHH LOVE IT!!!

Endless Knight (Arcana Chronicles)

Kresley Cole

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 978-1442436671

Goodreads

Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

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.

So what do you think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this week?

Top 10 of 2012 day 3- Best Readers Choice and a Giveaway!!!

Today’s topic is Best ________ Of 2012 (Readers/Bloggers choice. Please fill in the blank with ONE of these topics - Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POV's, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys or Debuts. REMEMBER - this list MUST be from books you've READ in 2012)

And make sure to stop by my co-hosts sites Fiktshun, Confessions of a Bookaholic, A Life Bound By Books, and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads for their lists! Oh and make sure to sign up with the linky to share your lists! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Details at the bottom of the post.

So I love me some Villains here’s my Top 10 Villains of 2012!

1. Commander Chase from CJ Redwine’s Defiance. Easily one of the skeeviest bad guys I’ve ever read about. Just thinking about him gives me the heebie jeebies!

2. Mother from JA Souder’s Renegade. This woman is pure insanity! She is willing to brainwash and kill to get what she wants. Even if the brainwashing is done to her own daughter.

3. Vaughn from Lauren DeStefano’s Fever.  This man tortures and kills in the name of science. I sure hope he meets his maker in book 3.

4. Darkling from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. Darkling, oh my beautiful, evil, damaged Darkling you were so close to making the boyfriends list but, I just read Siege and Storm and after that you will forever be on my villain list!

5. Prophet from Jennifer Bosworth’s Struck another dude who gave me the heebie jeebies. Religious cult leaders seem to do that to me.

6. Warner’s Dad from Destroy Me. Y’all think Warner is bad (I don’t) this dude takes the cake!

7. Queen Levana from Marissa Meyer’s Cinder. One evil alien bitch right here!

8. Orion from Beth Revis’s  A Million Suns. Damn I like this dude so much he really only does what he thinks is best for his people but he is a killer so…..

9. The Alchemist from Kresley Cole’s Poison Princess. Yeah dude thinks he can become immortal by torturing girls.

10. Lilith from Courtney Allison Moulton’s Wings of the Wicked.  I hate this chick so much and she’s not even the worst from the books!

Did any of my favorites make your list? Fill out the linky and let me know! And good luck with the giveaway! Go to today’s giveaway hosted by Rachel from Fiksthun!

Review-The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press

ISBN: 0545424925

Source: ARC from the publisher at ALA

Rating: Loved

Goodreads/ Amazon/Barnes & Noble/ The Book Depository

From Goodreads.

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”        It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

I love Maggie’s books! I love her writing style and how she can draw you into a story with such force you feel as if you’re actually living it! This is how it was for me with The Raven Boys! I fell in love with the story from page one. Oh and peeps this is not a love triangle story! Hell there’s actually not much of a love story either! I mean the MC Blue? She’s not supposed to fall in love she’s been told all her life that she’ll kill the boy she loves with a kiss. No we don’t know if it’s the actual kiss that will kill him but she doesn’t even want to risk that. This story is one of action and adventure. It’s a quest to find a long lost king and the ley lines where he has been hidden. It’s also a story about folklore and psychics and magic. I loved every minute of it!

So onto the characters Blue rocked she was probably one of my favorites of Maggie’s! She was smart and she didn’t take crap from anyone. I loved her name too. Oh the boys I know many of us will disagree whom is our favorite there’s three (I know it says 4 but when you read the book you’ll understand why I only say 3) to choose from. Gansey, the very rich, good-looking scholarly boy is definitely a love of mine but he didn’t steal my heart. Ronan did! Even though he’s a serious badass with a huge chip on his shoulder I fell hard for him with his dark hair, tattoo, secrets, and overall bad boy feel. Yep what can I say I’m a sucker for a bad boy! Oh but there’s this part with a baby bird where he melted my heart I was a goner after that. Then there’s Adam who I know a lot of people liked but I couldn’t stand! His pride and stubbornness made me want to smack the crap out of him! I don’t care how good looking he is he just rubbed me the wrong way.

Ok enough about my love or lack of love for the characters time to share an excerpt. This one is from the beginning of the book and I felt it really started the story in a great way!

He was so real. When it finally happened, when she finally saw him, it didn’t feel like magic at all. It felt like looking into the grave and seeing it look back at her.

“Is that all?” she whispered.

Gansey closed his eyes. “That’s all there is.”

He fell to his knees—a soundless gesture for a boy with no real body. One hand splayed in the dirt, fingers pressed to the ground. Blue saw the blackness of the church more clearly than the curved shape of his shoulder.

“Neeve,” Blue said “Neeve, he’s—dying.”

Neeve had come to stand just behind her. She replied, “Not yet.”

Gansey was nearly gone now, fading into the church, or the church fading into him.

Blue’s voice was breathier than she would have liked. “Why—why can I see him?”

Neeve glanced over her shoulder; either because there were more spirits coming or because there weren’t—Blue couldn’t tell. By the time she looked back, Gansey had vanished entirely. Already Blue felt warmth returning to her skin, but something behind her lungs felt icy. A dangerous, sucking sadness seemed to opening up inside her: grief or regret.

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue. Either you’re his true love,” Neeve said, “or you killed him.”

Ok peeps so The Raven Boys is out now go get this one you won’t be disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh and check out the trailer! It’s pretty cool Maggie likes her animated trailers J

Review- Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess

Kresley Cole

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

ISBN: 1442436646

Source: ARC from Fiktshun

Rating: Loved

Goodreads/ Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ The Book Depository

From Goodreads.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.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….

I have a serious love/hate relationship with this book. You can definitely say more love but the hate is still there. I’ll be honest I hated chapters 1 through 13. I hated Evie I thought she was a rich stuck up little bitch and didn’t really care about her backstory. I also thought Jack was an ass and had no idea why anyone would like him. But I loved the prologue and every chapter after 13! Oh and the cover love the bike and the background but I’m not a fan of the Jack on this cover he is soooooo much hotter in my head!

After chapter 13, Evie started to grow on me and I found myself liking her and pulling for her to survive, and figure out her gifts. I also ended up falling, hard, for Jack, with his Cajun accent and broken French which thankfully I understood without translation since I speak passable French. I also loved the idea behind this story that the major Arcana from tarot decks were people. I’ve studied the tarot and to see them as people it was really fascinating! And their gifts were wicked cool! This story really made me scream at times I was so frustrated with both Evie and Jack but not only them; I was frustrated with the secrets that everyone was keeping from everyone else. At the end of the story I understood why but, while I was reading it I wanted to scream at the book and say “Why????? If you you’d have just told them……” ugh it was so frustratingly good! Oh and the sexual tension between Jack and Evie OMG you could cut it with a knife it was so thick! I found myself saying “just do it already!” a few times but I know it’s a YA book so probably not gonna happen. But one can hope.

So yeah as you can see the love definitely outweighed the hate in this book. Oh and the ending broke my heart! I loved it so much I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2!!!!

I’ve chosen a scene between Evie and Jack. And yes it’s one of those sexual tension scenes with a pool lol ;)

“You’re not going in!”

In answer, he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing rigid planes of muscles. Yes, I’d caught glimpses of him shirtless before—but this was the first time I’d utterly lost my breath looking at him.

His face and his broad chest were still tanned, his eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight. That onyx rosary around his neck glinted with his movements.

He was stripping before my eyes, yet I couldn’t look away. I bit my bottom lip. 

Any minute I would turn my back. Any minute…

As he began to unbuckle his belt, his stomach muscles rippled.

I grew weak in the knees. Any minute—

When he reached his zipper, he cocked his head and met my gaze.

I was frozen, could do nothing but stare. He raised his eyebrows at me in challenge, his fingers inching his zipper down.

A second after I’d finally found the presence of mind to turn my back, I heard his belt buckle ping on the tile floor, the rustle of his dropped pants. Eyes wide, I snapped, “This is foolish, Jackson—“

In the space of a heartbeat, he’d snagged my pack off my back, looped an arm around my waist—and hauled us both into the pool.

*Fans self* Woo smoking hot right?!?!? I can’t wait for more of Jack in book 2!!!!

 I wish I could have found a trailer for this book but check out Kresley’s description of the book and the characters!