Book Review: Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Title: Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles #3)
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Pages: 303
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy

           

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 perilous post-apocalyptic wasteland to meet up with her allies and launch an attack on the Lovers. Such formidable enemies require a battle plan, and the only way to kill them 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...?

I simply adore The Arcana Chronicles and Kresley Cole!

Poison Princess was amazing, Endless Knight was equally as fantastic, and this latest installment, Dead of Winter, is just as spellbinding as the first two books in the series.

Dead of Winter picks up right where Endless Knight left off. Almost no time as passed between where Endless Night ended and Dead of Winter began. I like that. A lot. Poison Princess and Endless Knight follow the same pattern, so I hope that this will continue with all of the books in the series.

I bought this book when it first came out at the beginning of the year and it has just been sitting on my self waiting to be read since then. Like I've said before, I don't know what I was thinking not picking up this baby sooner! Alas, I tend to get sidetracked with other books! The life of a book nerd! But I digress...

Dead of Winter is action packed from the start to the end. This book had so much going on, not that the first two books in the series were not as equally fast paced, because they were, but Dead of Winter takes it to a whole new level. Evie knows who she is, has come more and more into her powers, knows what she wants, has made alliances, the list goes on and on. Right from the start she is a leader and in control. Well, is as much control as she can be with two glorious alpha male specimens running around trying to claim her for their own!

Death and Jack. These two. I just love them so much. I would not choose between the two of them. I would have to take them both and they would both have to deal with it. They are just too well matched in every single freaking way! I know Evie is going to have to eventually choose, but as it stands, with the dynamic that unfolds between these three over the course of events in this book, I feel like she could tell them she wants both or neither, and they would 100% agree to those terms!

In this book, we learn what Jack and company have been doing all the months that Evie was with Death. We are introduced to more Arcana. We learn more about the past incarnations of The Empress in all her evil gloriousness. We learn that Death may possibly fear one of the remaining Arcana. We are introduced to a possible plan for the future survival of the world. And, as with the other books in the series, this book ends with an epic cliffhanger. But I mean, a ridiculous cliffhanger!

These were my thoughts about the cliffhanger. "Did they just die?" "Wait what?" "No." "She wouldn't kill them like that, would she?" "No." "Wait! Did she just help?" "Oh, lord!" "OMG, who's flying? What's flying? Did they get saved?" "Of course that was the secret. I saw that one coming." "But, wait, he was just going to leave and keep it to himself?" "Asshole." "Nah, he would have come back." "That roar he makes..." "Damnit! When is the next book coming out? I need to know what happens! FML."