review by Kara E., grade 11, teen reviewer
Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole
In the third book in the Arcana Chronicles, things are a little tense. While battling her way through the wasteland that is earth, Evie also has to defeat the Lovers (twincest) and is stuck between Jack and Death.
I love these characters. Cole has created a post-apocalyptic world filled with a bunch of fascinating characters. Each of the Arcana represents a Tarot card. Each of the Arcana has abilities that correspond to their card. Every single character in this book is entrancing. Cole could write a book for each character and I would definitely read them all. Characters act in Arcana ways, so while they’re not very relatable, they are very interesting.
The plot sucks you in. I had initially only planned to read for only a few hours, but I couldn’t set the book down until I finished it, leading to me trying to wrap my head around what had just happened at 3:00 a.m. This book is thrilling. It’ll keep you hypnotized until the end of the book. The only downside to the storyline is the huge cliffhanger at the end, causing me to create a countdown for the next book.
The setting makes the book. You can’t really have a dystopian novel without an apocalyptic world. Cole depicts a world that is very believable (militias, cannibalism, slavery, etc.) for a devastated world. As Evie grows into her powers, her surroundings become less of a challenge. Where once she feared Bagmen, the Bagmen now fear her. It’s incredible to see how the harsh environment shapes people and how it forces development. Overall, I recommend this book and the rest of the series to everyone. 5 stars. –Kara E., grade 11
Find this book in our library: Dead of Winter