Welcome readers!
Today is the official release date of Arcana Rising, the fourth book in the Arcana Chronicles series by Kresley Cole! If you are unaware of this series, I'll briefly explain what the first book, Poison Princess, is about! But then afterwards, I highly advise that you do not continue reading this post because you will get spoiled for the previous books since this post includes the synopsis of this fourth book... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Thank you so much to Caroline from Sullivan and Partners, LLC for contacting me, sending an e-ARC of this beautifully, painful book, and allowing me to do this special spotlight post!
Anyway, this spotlight post includes the product details of this book, online links of where to purchase this book, my *non-spoiler* review, and an excerpt of Arcana Rising at the end!
DISCLAIMER: If you have not read the previous books (Poison Princess, Endless Knight, and Dead of Winter), I highly recommend you do not continue reading this post.
Here is the cover!
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Down below includes detail of Arcana Rising, my *non-spoiler* review, AND an excerpt from the book!
My rating: ★★★★☆
Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Book #4 (The Arcana Chronicles)
Genre: Dystopian, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Young Adult
Page Count: 280 (paperback)
Release Date: August 15th, 2016
Publisher: Valkyrie Press
Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
About Kresley:
Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers Series, and five award-winning historical romances.
A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Synopsis
Losses mount and deadly new threats converge in this next action-packed tale of the Arcana Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole.
When the battle is done . . .
The Emperor unleashed hell and annihilated an army, jeopardizing the future of mankind--but Circe struck back. The epic clash between them devastates the Arcana world and nearly kills Evie, separating her from her allies.
And all hope is lost . . .
With Aric missing and no sign that Jack and Selena escaped Richter's reach, Evie turns more and more to the darkness lurking inside her. Two Arcana emerge as game changers: one who could be her salvation, the other her worst nightmare.
Vengeance becomes everything.
To take on Richter, Evie must reunite with Death and mend their broken bond. But as she learns more about her role in the future--and her chilling past--will she become a monster like the Emperor? Or can Evie and her allies rise up from Richter's ashes, stronger than ever before?
My Review
I don't think I've ever been this torn between two guys since the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. And that's saying A LOT. Somehow, Kresley (author) does an incredible job making it impossible for me to pick between the two love interests in this book for the main protagonist, Evie Greene. But since this is a non-spoiler review, I won't say much more about the love interests, just in case. HOWEVER, I will say that both men are extremely swoon worthy... enough to melt you heart a thousand times over, and of course, making it nearly impossible to pick between the two!
Side note: if you've read the first three books (Poison Princess, Endless Knight, and Dead of Winter), I highly suggest you read the companion guide (Day Zero) before reading Arcana Rising, because this guide gives you insight on characters who are part of the Major Arcana that have already been introduced in the books prior to Arcana Rising and sneak peak information about the new characters that are introduced in Arcana Rising.
Because I can't really go into detail about the pros and cons I had with this book in case of spoilers, I've decided to make a list with bullet points!
PROS:
- Introduction to new characters
- Increased complexity and intrigue of some characters/villians
- Crazy love triangle drama (if you're not a fan of love triangles, you might get irritated with this series... fair warning)
- STEAMY *fans self*
- Hints at more plot twists to come/secrets to be revealed in the next book
- Drags on during some parts of the book
- Not as many arcs or action as I'd hoped
- It's shorter than I expected (previous books were over 300 pages while this one was only 280 pages--the first book in paperback was 400 pages according to Amazon.... so this kind of irks me)
- Fantasy/Paranormal series
- Intense love triangles
- Fast read
For those of you who have read the previous books, here is an excerpt down below just for you guys! Hope you enjoy it!!
Excerpt from Arcana Rising
1
Day 382 A.F.Death kept taking me farther from Jack. I stretched my arms out, fingers splayed toward the heat. "He can't be dead." I sobbed. "Can't. NO, NO, NOOOO!"
"You want to follow the mortal? Get your revenge first. The Emperor mocks your pain."
I could hear that fiend in my head--laughing.
The red witch exploded inside me, a force that could never be contained. I shrieked, "You will PAY!"
As the Emperor laughed, Death murmured in my ear, "I have your grandmother, SievÄ. That was the gift I spoke of. We'll teach you how to kill the Emperor. You'll avenge Deveaux."
"Don't you understand? Jack's not DEAD!" I screamed that over and over. "He's alive!"
With my mind teetering on the brink, I spied something in the skies above us. I gaped, disbelieving.
Real? Unreal? Just before oblivion took me down, a mountain of water curled over our heads, racing toward that hell of flames.
Circe's towering wave. Taller than a skyscraper.
-Quake before me!-
-Terror from the abyss!-
Richter and Circe's calls boomed in my mind, jolting me back from the blackness.
"Come!" Aric snatched me into his arms and sprinted from the clash. "When they meet, the blast and then the flood..."
I stopped fighting him; the need to turn Richter's laughter into screams clawed at me, which meant I had to survive.
Aric gave a sharp whistle, and a horse's nickering answered. Thanatos. With me secure in his arms, Aric leapt into the saddle, and spurred the warhorse into a frenzied gallop.
We all but dove down a slope, then charged up the next.
I gazed over Aric's shoulder as that tidal wave crested above Richter's lake of lava.
Heaving breaths, riding faster than humanly possible, Aric kept Thanatos at a breakneck pace. Up another mountain face. Down its slope--
Circle struck.
A hiss like a giant beast's. A detonation like a nuclear bomb.
The shock wave was so loud my ears bled. As loud as the roar preceding the Flash.
The air grew hotter and hotter. The ground rocked as a blast of scalding steam chased us.
BOOM! The force sheared the top off the mountain just behind us. Boulders crashed all around as we careened into yet another valley. Still we rode.
Aric grated, "Surge comes next."
The ground quaked from the weight of an ocean of water. I could hear the surge shooting toward us."Aric!"
He got as far as he dared, as high as he could. "Hold on." Clutching me tight, he dropped from Thanatos who kept running.
Behind the cap of another mountain, Aric braced for impact. He wedged his metal gauntlet between boulders, wrapping his other arm around me.
Gaze locked on mine, he yelled "I'll never let you go!" We each sucked in a breath.
The searing water hit. The explosive impact ripped me from his chest, but he caught my arm, clenching his fingers above my elbow.
Death's grip. The ungodly force of the flood. My watery scream...
Aric never did let me go--
My arm...gave way.
Separated.
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