Post-Apocalypse, Love it!

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles.  Set in a post-apocalyptic world, where 22 teens representing the Arcana Major of the Tarot cards compete for immortality.

Endless Knight picks up right where Poison Princess ended with Evie's killing of Arthur, the Hermit Card.  Jack, Matthew, Finn, and Selena witness her in all her Empress glory.  And much to Evie's dismay, Jack is horrified by her actions.  Although she doesn't have much time to dwell on it because the Bagman attack them, and the militia is moving in, so they have to get out of Requiem.

On there run from the Bagman, Jack is avoiding Evie, but he is slowly coming to terms with her powers.  When he finally accepts everything and he and Evie are making up, they fall right into the cannibal's trap.  The cannibals are lead by Gutherie, the Hierophant card.  As they are running from the cannibals, they meet up with Lark, the Strength card, who tries to help them escape.

All this time, Death continues to plague Evie's thoughts.  He wants vengeance on her, and yet, seems jealous of her and Jack's relationship.  Too bad Evie has no idea why he is that way with her.

Death takes Evie from her allies, and brings her back to his home.  Evie learns much about Death, and slowly learns about their past from previous games.  She must sort out her feelings for Jack and Death, and find a way to stop the games madness.

I absolutely love the concept of these books, and the way the Ms. Cole writes them.  I really like the fact that in Poison Princess, you got to see Evie's life and the world become the apocalypse.

Evie is a fantastic character.  She is loyal to her friends, and is trying so hard not to be like the past Empresses.  She wants to be a good person, and struggles with her Arcana kills, even if the two she killed were pretty horrible cards.  I can understand her struggle over her feelings for Jack and Death.

Jack, who I already loved from Poison Princess, only becomes more awesome.  His fierce protectiveness of Evie, even after he know she is very powerful, is wonderful.  Then you have Death, who as the book progress, you can't help to like him more and more.  There is a aching loneliness to him that you can't help but to feel for him.

And the ending, I can't believe I have wait like a year for another book!  Oh, and then there is the hint that there is still a Major Arcana that has not been awakened.  It leaves me with so questions many and so theories.

Since there are a lot of Arcana to keep up with I am adding a picture of their cards, and who has been revealed so far, their calls, and who has not lived.

  

The World: Tess "Trapped in the palm of my hand"
Judgement: Gabriel "I watch you like a hawk"
The Moon: Selena "Behold the Bringer of doubt"
The Star: Dead
The Tower: Joules "Eyes to the sky, lads, I strike from above"
The Devil: Ogen "I'll make a feast of your bones"-Dead
Temperance: Calanthe "Crush you with the weight of sins"-Dead
Death
Justice: Spite- Dead
Strength:Lark "Red of tooth and claw"
The Hermit: Arthur "A wise man in the guise of a boy..."- Dead
The Lovers: Vincent and Violet "We will love you. In our own way."
The Hierophant: Gutherie "We go now to our bloody business"-Dead
The Empress- Evie "Come touch...but you will pay a price."
The Magician: Finn "Don't look at this hand, look at that one."
The Fool: Matthew "Crazy like a fox"

Currently Reading:
Timepiece
by Myra McEntire