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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Cancer, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping
I utterly loved reading this book, it was such a great read, so much happened, and I loved how it ended, though of course I would've loved more of the ending once things were resolved!
I finished this book at 1:00 a.m. and immediately grabbed my phone to start writing this review. I could barely see the screen through my tears but I had so much to say lol. Since I am trying to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, I’m not going to post the majority of what I wrote. I may post the full review later but I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone!
From the Grave picks up right where The Dark Calling leaves off. The remaining players are scrambling to find a way to stop the Emperor and Fortune. Evie is still determined to end the game, but, as the game progresses, the other players are less convinced it’s possible.
This was an excellent conclusion to the series. Evie has been torn between Jack and Death throughout the books and I was anxious to see how Kresley would wrap everything up. I’ve been rooting for Jack from the beginning but I slowly fell in love with Death, too.
Now that I’ve finished From the Grave, I don’t know why I was anxious; of course Kresley knows what she’s doing. I went into this book knowing not everyone would make it and was prepared for the worst but I think the ending fit the series perfect! I was bawling through most of the second half of the book (I’m still tearing up as I finish this review the next day lol) but the bittersweet ending has moved this series up to one of my favorites. I don’t think I’ve cried that hard since watching the series finale of Supernatural lol.
Kresley Cole did an excellent job on the world building and character development. It’s been quite the adventure and I have enjoyed witnessing how the characters have transformed since Poison Princess. They started out teens forced to play a game against their will and, along the way, they discovered what truly mattered.
I haven't read YA in years but this is one series I recommend if you're looking for post-apocalyptic fantasy!
From the Grave picks up right where The Dark Calling leaves off. The remaining players are scrambling to find a way to stop the Emperor and Fortune. Evie is still determined to end the game, but, as the game progresses, the other players are less convinced it’s possible.
This was an excellent conclusion to the series. Evie has been torn between Jack and Death throughout the books and I was anxious to see how Kresley would wrap everything up. I’ve been rooting for Jack from the beginning but I slowly fell in love with Death, too.
Now that I’ve finished From the Grave, I don’t know why I was anxious; of course Kresley knows what she’s doing. I went into this book knowing not everyone would make it and was prepared for the worst but I think the ending fit the series perfect! I was bawling through most of the second half of the book (I’m still tearing up as I finish this review the next day lol) but the bittersweet ending has moved this series up to one of my favorites. I don’t think I’ve cried that hard since watching the series finale of Supernatural lol.
Kresley Cole did an excellent job on the world building and character development. It’s been quite the adventure and I have enjoyed witnessing how the characters have transformed since Poison Princess. They started out teens forced to play a game against their will and, along the way, they discovered what truly mattered.
I haven't read YA in years but this is one series I recommend if you're looking for post-apocalyptic fantasy!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
i already didn’t remember a single thing about this series bc i last read them 2 years ago but i just read spoilers for the end of this one and i’m not putting myself through this holy fuck
Check out this review and more at Disorderly Daydreams blog!
The 7th and final book of The Arcana Chronicles.
The end of the game draws near. Arcana Majors are being pushed closer together and shaky alliances are formed, while the Minors make plays to push the game towards it's final days. Jack has left Castle Lethe, Evie is dealing with her pregnancy, and Aric is trying to make amends with his wife. They're surrounded by other Majors, planning to bring down the Emperor and Fortune. Secrets come to light, mysteries are answered, and we find out whether or not love can transcend time.
This is the last book in a series that began a decade ago. It finishes one of the most interesting takes on Arcana that I've ever read. Making the Arcana cards fight to the death in a post-apocalyptic-style game orchestrated by the Gods? Yes, please!
I enjoyed Kresley Cole's many characters. They had a wide range of appropriate abilities and personalities that closely matched their tarot cards, and even the ones who were non-arcana were interesting and brought a lot to the story. The only character I don't care for is Evie, who I have not liked since the beginning. I appreciate her style and her fierceness, but she's abrasive, immature, and stubborn beyond belief. I know, she's technically the main character of this whole series, but the story is good enough, and the surrounding characters are full enough to make up for it.
The first half of this book was a set up for the climactic "end". The final battle where they plan to take down Richter and Zara as a group. After the final battle though, things don't go as planned, in fact, everything actually changes. The last half of the book captures what happens in the aftermath. There's also what seems to be several epilogues... this story just takes forever to end, spanning decades of time.
We do get an answer to the ultimate questions though:
1. Who will Evie end up with? Aric or Jack?
2. To what extent was Matthew, The Fool, controlling the game?
Overall, I will admit that I enjoyed this book immensely. It had all the things I loved about a good apocalypse story and it was full of heartbreak, heartache, tragedy, and yet, still some happiness. While I was annoyed with the ending (the last ending... at the very end of the book), I think that Cole wrapped things up really well and it all did make sense. I'm glad we got closure and I'm glad it all sort of worked out *wink*. Even though I don't care for Evie, I loved what I experienced and I wish I could read it all over again from the very beginning for the very first time. It's worth the 10 years it took to get to the end. Great job, Kresley.
Overall, I give it a 5 out of 5.
The 7th and final book of The Arcana Chronicles.
The end of the game draws near. Arcana Majors are being pushed closer together and shaky alliances are formed, while the Minors make plays to push the game towards it's final days. Jack has left Castle Lethe, Evie is dealing with her pregnancy, and Aric is trying to make amends with his wife. They're surrounded by other Majors, planning to bring down the Emperor and Fortune. Secrets come to light, mysteries are answered, and we find out whether or not love can transcend time.
This is the last book in a series that began a decade ago. It finishes one of the most interesting takes on Arcana that I've ever read. Making the Arcana cards fight to the death in a post-apocalyptic-style game orchestrated by the Gods? Yes, please!
I enjoyed Kresley Cole's many characters. They had a wide range of appropriate abilities and personalities that closely matched their tarot cards, and even the ones who were non-arcana were interesting and brought a lot to the story. The only character I don't care for is Evie, who I have not liked since the beginning. I appreciate her style and her fierceness, but she's abrasive, immature, and stubborn beyond belief. I know, she's technically the main character of this whole series, but the story is good enough, and the surrounding characters are full enough to make up for it.
The first half of this book was a set up for the climactic "end". The final battle where they plan to take down Richter and Zara as a group. After the final battle though, things don't go as planned, in fact, everything actually changes. The last half of the book captures what happens in the aftermath. There's also what seems to be several epilogues... this story just takes forever to end, spanning decades of time.
We do get an answer to the ultimate questions though:
1. Who will Evie end up with? Aric or Jack?
2. To what extent was Matthew, The Fool, controlling the game?
Overall, I will admit that I enjoyed this book immensely. It had all the things I loved about a good apocalypse story and it was full of heartbreak, heartache, tragedy, and yet, still some happiness. While I was annoyed with the ending (the last ending... at the very end of the book), I think that Cole wrapped things up really well and it all did make sense. I'm glad we got closure and I'm glad it all sort of worked out *wink*. Even though I don't care for Evie, I loved what I experienced and I wish I could read it all over again from the very beginning for the very first time. It's worth the 10 years it took to get to the end. Great job, Kresley.
Overall, I give it a 5 out of 5.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes