Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles #3)
Author: Kresley Cole
Published: 2015
My Rating: 
What was real? Unreal?
Nearly seduced by Death, Evie finds out that The Lovers, one of the most twisted and perverted of the Arcana, has kidnapped Jack and she will do anything to get him back, even create shaky alliances that could crumble and destroy her, literally. She doesn’t care. She can’t let him die, not with how they left things unresolved and her heart still possibly longing for him.
Tricking Death and leaving the safety of his mansion; its lavish luxuries not hiding that it’s actually more a prison, Evie finds comfort in Fort Arcana, Jack’s creation. Its protective walls hide survivors of the Flash and other Arcana who are also searching for an end to this deadly game. With battle on the horizon, Evie, Jack, and Death agree—well, not agree, but team up—to take out The Lovers once and for all and save one of their own. But, can they do it without killing one another first?
As if surviving the dry wasteland of the apocalypse wasn’t hard enough, Evie is torn in her heart as Jack and Death convey their feelings for her with no intention of giving up. A past with one of them that spans centuries, but a current present, and a possible future with another that fuels a fiery passion inside. One who manipulates and reminds her of who and what she is, and the other who breaks her trust and shows her what their future could be. The choice rips at her center while the heat of battle arises. Can she figure out where her heart lies before it’s too late?
Heartbreaking decisions. Uncertain victory. Two heroes returned.
The reviews for the first two of series are below.
The Poison Princess – here
Endless Winter – here
THIS BOOK. THIS SERIES! I’m completely and utterly under the spell of this series. It is certainly one of my favorites. The story is compelling and driven at the speed of . It’s dark and utterly dangerous, but not going to lie, this would be something I’d dive into. Headfirst. The heat of battle and all. Its adventure and danger is heart-pounding and pulsing through my blood.
Here, we have the classic plot of one person being torn between two people in this installation to the Arcana series. Kresley did not shy away from going in depth in showing how Jack and Aric (AKA Death) make Evie feel both positively and negatively. So far, this is the toughest decision Evie has to make for herself. Amid all of the deadly baggers, cannibals and slavers, not to mention the Arcana still in the game. It’s her heart that is in danger more than her actual being right now. As The Empress card she can take care of herself very well. Both Jack and Aric pose pros and cons to being the right suitor for Evie.
Now, I’ve never been torn between two people who both want to be with me, but this book with its first person POV puts you right there. It’s overwhelming. Personally, I’m with Jack. Aric, besides being Death, just rubs me wrong. He cares about Evie, that’s sweet, but still, the way he goes about trying to win her affection makes me a little disturbed, but that’s just me. I’m just not leaning towards Death. Give me the Cajun, Jack! Please? The way he’s so sure about himself and Evie is endearing. He doesn’t let the game of the Arcana stand in the way of the two of them and I admire that he’s trying whatever he can to get back to Evie.
There was a great addition of flashbacks this time around. I know that when it comes to the past it’s Hakuna Matata because, well, in this apocalyptic world you should be concerned about the future, which could possibly be quite short, but these flashbacks really allowed me to get a glimpse of Jack and Aric so that I had a deeper understanding of them. Aaaaand it made me fall even more in love with a fictional character. Curses. All in all, it was good to see more of what is going on with the other characters and good to get to know them more.
A few BIG plot twists caught me off guard majorly. My stomach lurched and I may have turned a little green while my eyes bulged out of my head. And then another twisty-turn completely shattered my heart and it was right at the end so I have no idea what happens next, which is why I immediately bought the next book. So many twists and turns left me spinning and yearning for more.
Theory? There is one growing on the horizon.
Who or what is Jack?!?!? People have guessed that he is possibly The Hanged Man, which hasn’t come into play or even been activated that I know of. I’m wondering if he is being introduced as a new card altogether? Is that even possible? Each Arcana member has a special call that alerts players of their proximity and acts as a warning of how deadly they are. So then, if Jack were Arcana wouldn’t his call be heard around all of the Arcana that he’s come in contact with? So many wonderings. All of these other Arcana were chosen, why not a new player to the deadly game? He is called The Hunter…
I really loved this book just like I’ve loved the ones previous. It is always my hope that the next one that follows is just as good so, *crosses fingers*. I highly suggest this series if you enjoy drama, non-stop action, dark and apocalyptic worlds of a magic you can’t quite put your finger on. Oh, and there’s tantalizing romance that will scorch your ever-loving heart. It’s really worth a read.
Quotables:
“I never imagined someone like you would be a leader, other than a cheerleader.” (Selena to Evie, p. 78)
Me, Jack, and Death on a mission. What could possibly go wrong?” (Evie, p. 137)
“Mortal, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my year, it’s this: lies are curses you place on yourself.” (Aric to Jack, p. 182)
“…the people of his mother’s blood fall in love once. They pray they get it right—because it can’t be changed…” (Selena to Evie, p. 283)
More to come soon…
-K.
P.S. Song today? Break My Heart by Hey Violet.
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