Dark Frost: A Mythos Academy Novel (Book 3) by Jennifer Estep

Dark Frost: A Mythos Academy Novel (Book 3) by Jennifer Estep

Completion Date: May 16, 2012
Reason for Reading: Carry on with the series.

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

I have had this book for a while on my 'currently reading' shelf, but other things kept happening to push it aside. I still find it very odd that I even like this series. I went in to it basically expecting to not like it at all, but this is the third book in the series. I obviously like it enough to keep reading. I guess it just goes to show that I cannot always predict what I will and won't like. I wouldn't say the books blow me away, but they are enjoyable. I think it helps is Gwen Frost, the main character, is a strong female lead. I think there should be more strong females in literature. The strength aspects often get overshadowed by things like love triangles or obsession. While there is romance in this series, it is not as bad as it could be. It is just a guy and a girl liking each other, but there is a lot of drama involved. I was determined that they work out the drama in this book or I was through with the series. That was caused by it going back and forth throughout the whole book. It has basically gone back and forth for the entire series so far.

The problem with third books in a series is it is hard to say anything without spoiling the previous two books. So, I will reiterate a few things instead. The thing I like the best about this book is the use of mythological creatures and subject matters. It is different than the other popular series out there and I enjoy reading different things. It is set at a boarding school, too, which another aspect I enjoy about books. As I said above, the series isn't amazing, but it is an enjoyable example of young adult fiction. I am glad that I got a chance to read an early copy of this book and look forward to book 4!

Mythos Series:
Touch of Frost
Kiss of Frost
Dark Frost (Released at the end of May)
Crimson Frost (2012)

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to get this through Netgalley!

Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Mythos Academy Series, Book 1)

Completion Date: December, 2011

Reason for Reading: I blame Cat from Beyond Books for introducing me to this series. (In a good way.)

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. 

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

This was one of the last books I read in 2011. I was so happy to actually read something, but I never got around to reviewing it. I have found that while young adult works its way into my reading a lot nowadays, there are very few books that wow me enough to make my best of list. I have to say that even though this one did not make it; I still really enjoyed it. You see, I really enjoy Mythology and I am getting a bit tired of vampires, witches, etc. When I learned that the main character in this series, Gwen, was a Gypsy I was intrigued. Then, I discovered that the book takes place at a boarding school. I seem to really enjoy books that have that as a setting. The thing that made me pick up the book in the end, though, was the fact that it includes Amazons, Spartans, and other historical superheroes AND the Gods and Goddesses they believed in at that time. It was just a different idea from the norm and I was in the mood for something different.

Anyway, as I was saying this book centres around Gwen Frost. She had a very normal up-bringing other than the fact that when she touched a person or their personal objects she could pick-up on their emotions, memories, etc. The Gypsy trait runs through the women in her family. Her grandmother Frost can tell the future to a degree and her mother had the ability to tell when people were telling the truth. I say 'had' because Gwen's world has been turned upside down following the horrific death of her beloved mother. It is only after that she goes to Mythos Academy and begins to learn just what people are capable of and just what amazing things have been there all along that she didn't even know about. Her mother and grandmother decided she she was going to be raised separate from that world, but situations have changed.

So, what did I think? Gwen is a kick-ass heroine. You have to give her some credit as she comes to terms with her new world, so she can still be a bit naive at times and do stupid things, but ultimately she is totally not a damsel in distress. That does not mean she doesn't need some help along the way. The people she is going to school with have been training for years and she hasn't even known about all of this for more than a few months. There is a bit of weirdness with the romance angle of the book, but I have seen much worse. Overall I was happy with the world that Jennifer Estep has created. It fits in well with the world we know about and that makes it believable. I enjoyed all of the characters and found watching everything from Gwen's perspective worked for the book. Recommended!

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (Mythos Academy Series, Book 2)

Completion Date: January 30, 2012
Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Then we fast-forward to January of 2012. I was browsing the library e-book catalogue looking for something else and stumbled across Kiss of Frost. I decided that I was engaged enough in the overall story to read on with the series right now instead of waiting forever which is my norm. I also decided that this way I could review the two books I had read in the series at the same time and that works for me. I am always a bit worried about the second book in trilogies because they can tend to drag, but this one continues on with the action. I think it is because there is an overarching story to the series, but at the same time there are separate events that are necessary in order to reach a conclusion. This gives the author different things to focus on with each book. So, once again I enjoyed visiting with Gwen Frost and Mythos Academy.

As to the book itself, Gwen learns that she has more powers that she originally thought. She uses these powers for impressive pursuits and continues to be a readable character. I am still a bit annoyed with the screwed up romance, but at least we can begin to understand it a bit more with this book. This book also gives us more insight into Gwen, the Reapers (bad guys), and the evil God Loki and what he is up to. I believe there will be a lot going on in book 3, so I am looking forward to that. I also have been thinking this is probably a series and not a trilogy because there is way too much to work on. (And, it is. I checked.) What I do know is that I say too much more I will give away book 1 to those that haven't read it, so I will just be cryptic and say that this book, and the series, are recommended.

Mythos Academy Series
Touch of Frost
Kiss of Frost
Dark Frost (June, 2012)
Crimson Frost (January, 2013)