Title: Endless Knight
Series: The Arcana Chronicles
Author: Kresley Cole
Published: October 1st 2013
Book 2
(Sent by Simon and Schuster Publishers)
The Review for Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) can be found here
Evie unleashes her full arsenal of abilities as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She must learn to trust new allies in an attempt to thwart Death in the epic battle between the remaining Arcana champions. Facing new threats that lurk in the shadows, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance against Bagmen, Cannibals, post-apocalyptic storms, other Arcana, and new horrors she couldn't begin to imagine. On top of all of that, she finds herself strangely drawn to the precarious Endless Knight who shares a history with the Empress; one that she cannot remember, but he can never forget.
I really enjoyed the majority of the novel, as we got to delve more into the world of the Arcana and the Tarot Cards. We also got to see more of the other Arcana champions which I thought was great. The author did a brilliant job in developing the characters and the setting of each stage in the novel. Each champion is unique with their own name, call (a melodic sound which other Arcana hear when a champion nears them), and tableaux (a symbolic image of an Arcana champion which reveals itself when another Arcana first sees them). The author weaves a brilliant world which has a fusion of love and hate, truth and deception, and loyalty and betrayal.
Cole's excellent talent of foreshadowing the events in this novel is amazing. Everything is planned so excellently that it just falls into place. I liked the cover of the novel, as I thought it revealed a lot about the events unfolding within it. The cliffhanger was so ARGH!!! It was a massive cliffhanger that left me wanting the next book NOW! I can't believe I have to wait over a year.
There were a few things that bothered me a little bit. Firstly, I find it strange that Evie is suddenly an expert in knowing how to use her powers after she was so inexperienced in the first novel. I believe that it should have progressed throughout the novel, not just there without any explanation. Apart from that, the only other thing is that the novel dragged on quite a bit towards the end. It was the same thing over and over again (I won't say it because its a spoiler).
Overall, I believe that Endless Knight was a great sequel to Poison Princess and I cannot wait until the third installment of the Arcana Chronicles. Cole develops an excellent world of the Arcana Chronicles and writes with excellent talent that leaves me inspired.
Rating: 4.5/5
Title: Venom
Series: The Secrets of the Eternal Rose
Author: Fiona Paul
Published: December 6th 2012
Book 1
(Sent by HarperCollins Publishers)
Cassandra Caravello is an upper-class teenage girl residing in Venice with her aging Aunt. She is surrounded by wealth, fortune, fabulous gowns and anything she could have hoped for. But she yearns for something more-- Freedom. Freedom from all expectations, freedom from her commanding tasks and most of all, freedom from her premature engagement. While her fiancé, Luca, is away studying in Paris, she meets the charming and audacious artist named Falco. Cassandra stumbles upon a body with a bloody X carved into its chest. She and Falco work together to uncover the truth, while in the process, Cassandra receives a death threat from the killer. She is drawn into another world of secret societies, courtesans and killers.
I really enjoyed this novel, especially the setting. The vivid descriptions of Venice and its scenery are full of depth that flows so easily, it feels like you are right there on the journey with Cassandra. The characters were likable and they were developed reasonably well. I especially loved Cassandra in the sense that she is not what you would expect a wealthy, upper-class person to be because she is kind to the maidens, gardeners and the cooks which only adds to her personality. The author writes this novel as though she has written many others but I was surprised to find out that this was her debut novel. I know now that I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more of her books.
I really loved the mystery in this book. Each body that was found seemed to be linked together. It was the same with the clues found at various stages of the novel. It got me thinking about how someone could create such an amazing story and it is obvious that Fiona Paul is extremely talented to create something like this. I absolutely LOVE the cover of this novel. It reveals the setting of Renaissance Venice in the background which I think contributes to the cover really well as it provides an insight of what is to come. The protagonist is also portrayed really well. She is clutching a mask in her hand which, apart from other obvious reasons, implies that she has something to hide, or wants to hide her identity from prying eyes. I think that it defines the novel really well and it also looks great.
The novel was a little slow paced at one stage during the start of the book, but then events started unfolding it was nothing but fast paced. I also would've liked to see a lot more of the secret societies mentioned in the blurb, rather than only being evident towards the end of the novel. I know that it was mentioned towards the end of the novel because it would lead up to the next but I still would've liked to see more of it.
Overall, this was a great read that I recommend for people who like Mystery and I will definitely be awaiting the next novel in the series. Fiona Paul has obvious talent for writing and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out.
Rating: 4.5/5
Title: Spellcaster
Series: Spellbound
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Published: April 1st 2012
Book 2
(Sent by Harlequin Publishers)
After breaking a century-old curse, Emma Connor is glad to be with Brendan, safe and back to their normal lives-- for now. An old friend of Angelique's (Emma's best friend) called Megan is trying to break apart Brendan and Emma once again but this time for their blood. Megan used to also go to Vincent Academy and she is a witch just like Angelique. Megan left Vincent Academy and started travelling on a darker path. Megan has tried to break apart Brendan and Emma and even went to the extent of harming civilians Will Emma and Brendan have trust in each other to continue? Will they beat Megan at her own game? And will Emma's newly found witch's powers prevail against Megan?
The first thing that I liked about this novel was that it was a lot more action packed compared to its prequel. In the prequel, there was a whole lot of romance and the action only began towards the end of the novel. In this novel Emma and Brendan face several obstacles that Megan has thrown into their paths to separate them forever. I also liked how we see a bit more magic in the book compared to the prequel. There are more spells performed, more characters introduced and more obstacles faced. The characters each have their opinions on everything and no two characters are alike. Randi (Angelique's cousin) is a beautiful blonde witch who helps Emma and Angelique in their path to defeating Megan, while Angelique is a character who has a darker nature (in terms of wearing black clothes and performing spells in her room with candles). Angelique also discovers a new and unique power that added extra interest in this book.
What I didn't really like about this book was how much romance it contained. Although it improved greatly from its prequel, this book still has a lot. Every couple of pages, Emma is enthralled with Brendan's beauty and Vice Versa. I also don't really like how slow-paced the book is. At times the book just drags on and nothing interesting really happens. Apart from these flaws however, the book would be a great read.
Overall, I believe that this book should be read by all who love the romance genre. Compared to the first book which I rated three stars, this book has improved in many ways and I expect that it will continue to improve.
Rating: 4/5
Title: Endless Knight
