Poison Princess

Arcana Chronicles, Book 1

By: Kresley Cole

Narrated by: Emma Galvin, Keith Nobbs

Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

22 Arcana cards. 22 young assassins. May the best hand live. Introducing The Arcana Chronicles from number one New York Times best-selling author Kresley Cole.

She could save the world - or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline 'Evie' Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future - and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But ii's not always clear who is on which side....

©2012 Kresley Cole (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc

I have a crush on YA books

WOW! I was a little nervous when I first heard Kresley Cole was taking a break from her IAD series to write a YA novel. But, I gave it a try and was NOT disappointed. I really LOVED this book. As always, Ms. Cole is amazing at story-telling and world building. She is brilliant at character development and her imagination is genius! Emma Galvin is a PERFECT narrator for YA books (she is one of my favorites).

It’s been a long time since I’ve been considered a “young adult” but I have to say I absolutely love this genre. (Dare I say I have a crush?)

This is definitely a credit worthy read, especially for fans of YA and/or Kresley Cole.

Great new series (for teens and adults too!)

I am a fan of Kresley Cole's work, so I did not think twice before purchasing this audio book. I was not disappointed!

Of course, this is not the usual adult fiction that you might expect from this author: this is obviously meant for teens (some romance, some 'heat' here and there, but markedly toned down in comparison with, say, the Immortals After Dark series).

I loved the story. The fantasy world woven throughout is captivating, the characters are interesting, and I could not predict most of what was going to happen in the story. The writing is excellent, and even though there are some 'teen story cliches' in a few places (some 'Twilight' flavor at the start), you forget it as the mysteries unfold. Kept me hooked from beginning to end!

Best of all with this audio book: the narrators. The novel is split into parts that are alternately narrated by the main character (Evelyne) and a vilain (Arthur). Each is read by a different narrator, and both do an AMAZING job of it! I am convinced that though reading this novel on paper would be great, the narrator performance makes this an audio must!

In short, I can't wait to read the sequel!!!!

Favourite YA Book of 2012 (and I'm a grown-up)

If you could sum up Poison Princess in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Sexy, Dark.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Poison Princess?

Jack, Evie and the motorcycle...or maybe Jack, Evie and the pool....sigh.

What about Emma Galvin and Keith Nobbs ’s performance did you like?

I found this book by searching for other titles narrated by Emma Galvin, after listening to the Divergent series. She is quickly becoming my favourite narrator and does an excellent job, once again. Keith Nobb was appropriately creepy, but I did find myself waiting for Evie's parts to resume.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

A qualified YES. I struggled to get through the first few chapters of the book. I downloaded it based solely on the good reviews and my admiration of Emma Galvin's narration skills, but I didn't know much about the author. The teen language and dialogue rings true and, as an adult, I thought I might be in for a difficult listen but boy was I wrong. After I got used to the author's style, the story was sexy and exciting, and I found myself staying up late to finish the book. A few times, I even stayed in the car to finish the next chapter!

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out. This is a great start to a promising series. I almost didn't get past the first few chapters but I am so glad that I stayed with it. This was definitely one of my favourite audiobooks of 2012, Young Adult or otherwise.

A word to parents: I like to pre-screen books that my tween daughter might be interested in, so I listen to a lot of YA. This is not a book for tweens (or maybe even younger teens). There is a fair amount of drinking, strong language and sexual content. The protagonist is 15/16, and that's about the minimum age I'd be comfortable with.

I'm OBSESSED!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Poison Princess?

The ending! It was insane!

Any additional comments?

I’m obsessed with Poison Princess. Really…no lie! I’m totally and completely obsessed. Who would have thought that someone would take the 22 trump cards from The Major Arcana Tarot deck, create characters from them, and then write a totally awesome book? There are so many things that make this book fan-friggin-tastic, and I’ll do my best to tell you why without revealing spoilers.

The whole story was very well done. It starts out in the point of view of this obviously psychotic and creepy dude who has just lured a girl into his home, and that had me terrified of what might happen next. But you don’t get to find out what happens next until quite a bit later because the next scene is in the point of view of the popular girl at school, Evie, who is returning after the normal school summer break. Except Evie’s summer break (little do her friends know) was anything but normal…she spent her summer in a mental institution and has no doubt in her mind that she’s truly insane. But is she really? It’s when the apocalypse happens that she realizes that she might not be so crazy after all.

One of the things that makes this book so phenomenal is the characters. And, even though I can’t say which character I like best because I have so many favorites, each one made me want to learn more about the characters of the tarot. So it’s pretty cool that The Arcana Chronicles website shows all the trump cards and the story character associated with each card. If you want to head on over to The Arcana Chronicles website, go to Fun Stuff and just click on a trump card to flip it over to see if Kresley Cole’s introduced that card in her series. Oh, one last thing! I do want to especially mention one character…Jack Deveaux! Boy is he drool-worthy but, at the same time, what a complete jerk!

There’s action, heartbreak, and romance in Poison Princess…and more than enough complications throughout the last half of the book to make the story move really fast. And then the end is so unbelievably well done! It ties everything up but, at the same time, it leaves you suspended with a phenomenal cliffhanger. It was awesome! This is a must read…like right now. Or, listen to the audio if you like because that’s what I did.

A new level for Kresley Cole

Fans of Kresley Cole already know she is incredibly talented at spinning a tale, and is very good at paranormal romance and "bodice ripper" fiction. I think writing for a YA audience has truly unleashed her greatest talents. It is not just he lack of endless sex scenes, which, to be fair, she works well into her adult fiction, but which occasionally trump ( or at least direct) the story, that has made this a superior work. In this story she has focused her powers of plot, or weaving an amazing story, of real character development, of creating tension, mystery, motivations for her characters and their missions beyond finding some ultimate mate, as much of her ( and most paranormal romance adult fiction) focuses on. And wow, unleashing that is has truly set free her creativity and cleverness and ability to capture her audience in an adventure that truly will captivate.

I am such a sucker for apocalyptic stories, but this is so much more than that - and the world built is one that (though obviously incredibly fictional) somehow draws the reader in as plausible... Amazing stuff. It is a bit dark at times, but overall, that element makes sense and doesn't overwhelm the story at all, and fits in perfectly... Just give it some time. The mood of this book is incredible and the reader will feel deeply attached to all the main characters and their plight.

Of course, there is a hefty dose of romance, and having read her adult fiction, I have to say this is the very best developed relationship of all her work, the characters and their relationship are the most compelling, with little "love at first site, irresistible draw to each other" stuff going on, and rather an incredibly complex set of emotions and meaningful interactions, and a strong background in place, and a very well grounded, well developed, and real basis for deep caring and attraction and love... And the obstacles thrown in their path only strengthen the bond, and never feel like conveniences which will ultimately make the inevitable bedding in the next chapter seem more meaningful... This is on a new level.

So many other have already sung the praises of this book... I will only second all of that and interject that I believe Kresley Cole, who, though she has always been a very interesting and talented writer, has really found her niche here and that this is her best work, and I hope she will continue this path.

The narrators do a great job too!

Awesome Book, Even for Adults!

I am a huge Kresley Cole fan, and I thought I'd try this book, even though it is marketed for "teens." It is awesome. It has a lot of similarities to the Hunger Games, but in my opinion, much better and more interesting. The narrators are great and really bring the story to life. I could not stop listening. I think this is appropriate for high school girls, but adults will love it as well. The ending was great and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Emma Galvin is my favorite narrator :-)

What about Emma Galvin and Keith Nobbs ’s performance did you like?

Emma is an amazing Narrator. She always makes the characters have depth as she reads. So far I have listened to 6 books she has performed by different authors and enjoyed everyone.

Completely Gobsmacked!

In a totally good way! This is a great, GREAT book/story. Loved the characters, Evie and Jackson. They both had depth and so much more going for them (not to mention going on within them) than you see on the surface. You've got to love a teenaged herione that you can really get behind...she is intelligent, compassionate, sometimes funny, and stronger than she knows. The conflicts with her own emotions and feelings (i.e. for Jackson) are realistic for the age and don't deminish her character. I liked the way she held such respect for the people formerly in her life that she had lost. The pace of the story was practically breathtaking, with no lack of twists and turns. It may have taken me just a little while to completely get into the story and get an idea where it was going, (and you may agree), but then I was totally hooked with no going back. It was much different than I expected based on the summary and the cover. At first I thought "what?" the summary did not give me any idea what this story was really like. Looking back again at the synopsis, I find that while it does lay out the basic idea of the plot, still the characters, the dialogue, and all the details are much different than what I expected and I was won over as a total fan just the same. Ms. Cole is killing me with the ending that is pretty much a heart-and gut-wrenching cliffhanger. I will be anxiously waiting for the next installment. Emma Galvin does a wonderful job with the narration, as usual. The male narrator was good for his part, but I was really creeped out by his part in the story. A least that part is explained by the end of this book. Please bring on book two soon! Highly recommend!

Enjoyable!

I have always loved kresley cole and she didn't fail to please me again. I am looking forward to more Cole on audio!!

LOVED IT!!!!!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I actually read it and then decided I wanted to hear it too. It was that good. Girl is considered nuts but is actually seeing the future, tied into tarot cards she is one of the good cards and to save the world must find the other cards (people) and destroy them. It did get a little slow and repetitive at times but it's all building to a huge tie in. Unfortunatley there are going to be sequels to wait impatiently for but if the author continues as strong as this first book it will be well worth it.

Fantastic!

This was my first venture into the world of audio books and I'm sorry that I waited so long. I was concerned that I would find it hard to concentrate on the story if I was busy doing other things, like housework etc., but I had no such problem. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and didn't feel like I was working at all. While I have no experience otherwise, I enjoyed how these narrators, Emma Galvin and Keith Nobbs, portrayed the characters. And I feel that this job being well done, added to my enjoyment of the book overall.

The basic concept of this book comes from a Tarot card deck. For every card, there is a teenager who represents it.

Evie is pretty, popular and well off, living in the second biggest house in town. Jackson, is a Cajun, from the Bayou, where their houses are little more than shacks. Evie and her friends look down at the Cajun's when they start at their school, but after the Flash, it seems Jackson may be the only one left who can protect her.

This book begins with the POV of Arthur, a creepy guy who keeps girls in his cellar. When Evie stumbles upon his house and begins to tell him her story, we move onto her POV. We learn about her life before the Flash, and after, about her mother, Jackson, and other interesting characters we meet along the way.

Evie and Jackson were both really likeable characters. Their relationship starts out really antagonistic with Evie hating the fact that she has to rely on him. As they journey across the country together, her feelings for him change. Very frustratingly though, she doesn't trust him enough to share the secrets he knows she has, and this is pushing him away. Maybe even into the arms of another girl.

The secondary characters that they pick up along the way were an interesting bunch, each one representing one of the Tarot cards. Celena is the moon card, and the bringer of doubt. Phin is the magician and Matthew, the psychic, is an autistic boy that Evie looks to for direction, but who sometimes just leaves her with more questions.

I thought the ending of this was just brilliant. Answering a question I'd been wondering about the entire book. Evie embraces her power and what she can do and as we finish, Jackson is just staring at her open mouthed. I'm really excited for the next book.

*As I listened to this one, I feel that some of the names/words may be spelt differently than what appeared in the book, so apologise for any discrepancies.

Happy surprise

I had avoided this as I was worried a YA by kresley would not hold a candle to her IAD series ... Then one day had a spare credit and decided to take a chance .... The end result ... 3 nightshifts flew by . I admit I was wrong and this story really caught me . I can't wait for the next instalment

Utter rubbish

This book was dreadful. The story is rubbish and the main character is needy, whining and weak. She lets herself be pushed around and bullies into things simply because she wants to stay popular. Plus the author really shouldn't be encouraging young girls to allow themselves to be pushed into having sex just so their boyfriends won't leave them. What a disgrace! Surely we should should be teaching girls to have a little self respect and to never allow themselves to be bullies into any sexual activity they don't want. Will never read/listen to anything by this author again.

Fabulous!

Even though I normally can't stand paranormal or fantasy elements, I loved this book. The focus stays mainly on the relationship between Evie and Jack - who is the most gorgeous hero since ever.



I thought the narrator was excellent, too. She really mastered the French and Cajun accents, and did a good job of differentiating between characters without this intruding on the story.



My only complaint? The sequel isn't out yet!

DNF for me.

This was so bad. The immortal after dark series is outstanding and one of my favourites so I was expecting more when I started this.
The main character is so weak and always thinking aboy

Another winner!

Kresley Cole is already one of my favorite authors and this new series is well up to her usual high standard - the narrators of the book (especially Emma Galvin) are brilliant and it is the first book in ages that I didn't know where it was going and didn't want it to end - well done and I eagerly await the next in the series and keep my fingers crossed that Ms Galvin will be narrating again.

Wish I hadn’t wait so long to read this series

I love the IAD series and originally I wasn’t interested in these books as they were aimed for teenagers apparently, but i was so wrong. I couldn’t stop listening and the series has me hooked. Book 1 takes a little while to get going, as i think its laying a lot of back story. But it gets better and better as the series continues, I can’t wait for the finally book !!!
Loved the narration in the audio book as well.

my favourite book series of all time

It's a fantastic book series, it's very well read, I can't wait for the final book to be released.

Love it new favourite book series. The best Listen

It was amazing I'm excited to hear next book and wonder when she will meet death

A struggle

I normally love kresley Cole books. Can't put them down. But this was a struggle to get through. Really boring. Not much happens and the narrator makes you want to fall asleep.