Poison Princess: The Arcana Chronicles, Book 1

Gr 9 Up—Apocalypse meets tarot card-inspired fantasy in Cole's occasionally bloody, sometimes romantic novel (S & S, 2012). The first title in the series is centered on Evie Greene, a wealthy 16-year-old from Louisiana who had just returned from a summer stay in a mental health clinic before the Flash, an earth-scorching cataclysm. One of the few females to survive, she joins forces with tough boy classmate Jackson Deveaux to find her grandmother in North Carolina, believing that she can interpret the meaning of Evie's visions. Along the way they meet other teens discovering their own tarot card character powers and together they fight off the desperate remnants of society left in lawless America. Following an argument with Jackson, Evie sets out on her own. She ends up recounting her journey to Arthur, a despotic, would-be alchemist, who lures Evie into his lair where he enslaves teen girls to test his often-fatal potions. Finally, recognizing her own destiny, in a brutal climax Evie brings her powers as Poison Princess. Narrators Emma Galvin and Keith Hobbs enhance this first-person story with an intense mix of the sinister, conflicted, and sensual internal feelings expressed by Evie and Arthur. Add this to collections for listeners who like action, multilayered narrative, and fantasy's somber side.—Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT