Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
The Arcana Chronicles #2
Release Date: October 1, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Star Rating: 2
Rating: Hodgepodge

Shocking Secrets

Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected Allies

With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-Wrenching Treachery

When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she's drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can't remember—but Death can't forget.

This is what I truly am...

---

I adored Poison Princess when I read it last year, and I have been waiting months to get my hands on Endless Knight. I needed to know what happened after Evie discovered how to use her powers, and what Jackson would think! I had also heard that we'd be meeting Death properly in this one, so of course that was exciting stuff. But, Endless Knight falls flat. I am so disappointed in this instalment that I almost want to cry.

I loved Evie. Of course I did. She's intent on keeping the peace, and having nothing to do with this stupid Game that has been recurring for centuries. She just wants out, and she's willing to do some pretty hardcore things in order to end it all. I admire her for that, even though some of the other characters both mocked and questioned her because of it. To end a war, you have to take some risks. Live will be lost, there is no avoiding it.

The only flaw I found with Evie's character, not including the romances which I will talk about in a second, is how quick she was to forgive. It's a nice trait to have, I guess. Evie understands that some people only do what they have to in a time like this, but damn it, I would be holding a grudge for decades if I had some of this stuff happen to me. 

Evie and the writing style are probably the only two things that I did like about this book. My experience was entirely shat upon by the romance that was going on. Let me tell you why. 

Firstly, a love triangle springs up. I don't think that's a spoiler, since the blurb mentions how Evie is drawn to Death. Like most bloggers, I am not a fan of love triangles, unless they are there to enhance the protagonist's character development in some way. And 99% of the time, they are not. They're only there to cause conflict, to get people to split into Teams, to get on my bloody nerves.

I despise both of the guys in this book, which may surprise you since I adored Jackson in Poison Princess. In the first book, Jackson is broken, protective, loving, and has trouble communicating properly due to his upbringing. His stepfather(s) abused him, and his own father completely rejected him, so of course that caused some deep issues. I understood that, and I was looking forward to seeing more character development with him, because he's such an interesting character. But in Endless Knight, Jackson loses all his charm from the first book, and becomes an angry, possessive crazy person. He's angry at Evie about keeping her powers a secret, and he has trouble telling her exactly what is wrong. That's all well and good, but then Evie and Jackson have sex, and that scene is what totally put me off his character. It's one of the worst sex scenes I have ever read, and Jackson starts getting all possessive, telling Evie that everything about her belongs to him, and all that nonsense that I despise. 

So that's Jackson out of the window. I was actually rather happy when Evie met Death, and feelings started sprouting up between the two of them. Hate-to-love relationships give me life. To begin with, their relationship was going pretty well, but then - and this is where I start to divulge spoilers - Death forces Evie to sleep with him in order to help her with something. And that's how the book ends. With Death leading Evie into his chambers. Because she wanted his help.

I am so fucking angry about this, I don't think I should say any more because I might go into a rage. Basically, I hate both of these guys, and if these are Evie's only choices then I would rather have her end up either dead or alone, because I cannot tolerate either Jackson or Death. Evie deserves so much better, and I am hoping that she'll end up finding someone she can truly be herself with, rather than someone who tries to control her. Isn't this meant to be a series about a strong, independent woman? It had better end the way I want it to, or I will... I don't even know what I will do, but it won't be pretty.

Overall, I did enjoy reading Endless Knight. Mostly. Until the love interest stuff started happening. Kresley Cole has a captivating writing style, and I am totally intrigued by the whole Arcana thing. So that's why I will be reading the next book in this series. I want to see Evie come out on top, and I want to see her get her wish and end this war.