Review: Poison Princess ( The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole

Apocalypse, survival and a prophesy

Title: Poison Princess
Series: The Arcana Chronicles
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 2nd October, 2012
Like many others before me, I gave in to the temptation of getting on the band wagon of a popular new YA series. Let me start by a disclaimer that I love Kresley Cole. She writes the only PNR, I bother reading, The Immortals After Dark series. I am not going to start singing odes for the lady now but when I first saw Poison Princess floating about, I had my doubts? Will a writer who excels in writing steamy romances be able to capture the YA spirit? Will she be able to do justice to the themes YA stands for or will be become a giant snooze ball?

I shouldn’t have had doubts because she excels in writing this genre too. Evie is a rich, pampered Southern girl who has going back to her High School. Nobody knows but she has spent the last summer at a mental institution but now that she thinks she is better, she can begin her life again. Part of the popular group in her school, with the cheer leader squad and dating the school jock, Evie is the type of girl that YA readers tend to either hate or cringe at their mention as they are usually the bully, bullying the plain as a mouse protagonist. But Evie is different. She may the all the above but as she has her own secrets she was never mean and I felt a connection towards her. She was struggling with her own demons while battling her attraction to one of new kids at her school, Jack. He is everything your Mother warns you to avoid but he keeps staring at Evie and she can’t help but stare back. I think this is what put people off a little bit as it starts in a typical high school based drama.

But stick to it as it gets better. Way better. The apocalypse hits leaving Evie stranded, her best friend dead, her world destroyed and she is still being plagued by nightmares.

I have already given you such a long blurb but this is where the real story begins. I was riveted by this book. I admit, it took a little getting used to at first but once it took off, it felt that my feet would barely be able to touch solid ground again.

At the beginning we see Evie at her weakest but at the end, she comes out of her own and when she does, boy it was beautiful. The world building and the setting is realistic and the characters, each so unique that I can visualise them. The chemistry between Evie and Jack was exploding of the pages and I was afraid by poor Kindle would catch fire. Yes, you don’t have to chide me. I know I’m still talking about a YA book. Ahem. In the world of the supernatural, Jack held his own and he is exquisitely written. Never in my life had I thought Cajun could sound so sexy that he only has to say the words and I’ll be drawn in like a moth.

“If you touch me like that again, Evangeline,” he began in a husky tone, dropping to his seat once more, “in the space of a heartbeat, I will have you off this bike and onto the closest horizontal surface. And I woan be picky, no.” .

Moving on, I loved the back story and the folklore of the Arcana cards coming to life and discovering who and what the different cards are and what their powers are. There are still monster lurking around and I could not wait for the next book. So I promptly went online and got the next book, The Endless Knight. Modern technology was my salvation yet again.

I’d recommend this book to every YA Fantasy fan, wanting something more but cannot seem to find the right book which will provide that extra hum to the readings. A must read for fans of Kresley Cole, southern belles and Cajun boys with dark eyes which see everything.