Mar 15 2013

Book Review: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Dark Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #3

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: 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.

The Review:

I have been praising this series like there’s no tomorrow, and I am sure some of you out there are weary of my gushing… brace yourself for just a little more: I love this series and the overall idea behind it. Every time I pick one up, I know I’m in for a great story and fun characters. Interesting enough, I think this book was my least favorite so far. I genuinely hope that it doesn’t mean the series is in a decline (which I sadly felt happened to the House of Night series around book six), and that this one is just a fluke. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a 4/5 star book; it just didn’t have the same impact as the first two.

Why was this one not as good? I think it had to do with predictability. While the other two were delightfully obvious in where they were going, this one took great care to hit you over the head with dozens of hints. The first couple had me thinking, “Hey, I might have this figured out.” The next several that follow took away the fun of me feeling like I was smarter than the average bear. I kept waiting for a plot twist, because things can’t possibly be that straightforward, right? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out whether they were. :P

So aside from the fact that it wasn’t quite as good as the first two, I still devoured it and will be picking up the next one soon. I did find it to be the most heart-wrenching one yet, which is an excellent point in its favor and really bodes well for the sequel!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Wicked Lovely by Marissa Marr

Mar 14 2013

Out This Month! (Noteworthy Releases March 12th – 31st)

Here’s a look at what’s coming out between now and the end of the month! I meant to post this at the beginning of the month. In any case, there are some really good books on the horizon!

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Feb 15 2013

Book Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #2

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: 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…

The Review:

One of the woes (and perks) of working in a bookstore is that I am constantly discovering new series. Because of this, my reading habits have become incredibly scattered as I struggle to read everything that interests me. I’ve got so many series going at the moment that I don’t usually get back to each author for three to six months, sometimes more (even if I really liked him or her). This system works out great when I’m up to date with the releases, but not so good while working through my ten-year backlog of titles. My point is that it’s a true testament to how much I enjoyed the Mythos series that I’ve read three of them within the last few months.

These books, aside from being fun and light reads, just get me excited to read what happens next. I raved about the first book (Touch of Frost) and have to say I enjoyed this sequel even more. The characters were more rounded and established, the plot was thicker, and the romantic tension increased. Although the story was entirely predictable, I loved every minute despite that.

Overall, I think this is a strong paranormal series from an excellent author. The series is currently planned out for six books, and I look forward to their releases over the next couple of years. Fair warning, these are probably most appropriate for older teens.

Other books you might like:

Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast (16+)
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Thrill Ride by Rachel Hawthorne
Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead (MA)

by Niki Hawkes

Jan 9 2013

Coming Soon: Deadly Sting

Title: Deadly Sting

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassin’s #8

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: March 26, 2013

While I haven’t gotten around to reading this series yet, I can tell you that her teen books, Mythos Academy are fantastic. She’s got a fun writing style that makes her stories accessible and highly entertaining. I, for one, can’t wait to start this series and hope it gets picked during the next Your Pick for Nik! nominations (hint hint). As for all of you dedicated readers out there, there are only two more books after Deadly Sting, so enjoy it while it lasts…

Here’s some information about Estep’s teen and urban series:

Title: Spider’s Bite

Series: Elemental Assassins #1

Overview: After Gin’s family was murdered by a Fire elemental when she was thirteen, she lived on the streets and eventually became an assassin to survive. Now, Gin is given an assignment by her handler to rub out an Ashland businessman, but it turns out to be a trap. After Gin’s handler is brutally murdered, she teams up with the sexy detective investigating the case to figure out who double-crossed her and why. Only one thing is for sure —Gin has no qualms about killing her way to the top of the conspiracy.

Title: A Touch of Frost

Series: Mythos Academy #1

Overview: 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. Read full review

*Overviews taken from bn.com

Oct 31 2012

Coming Soon: books to get excited about!

Title: Crimson Frost

Series: Mythos Academy #4

Author: Jennifer Estep

Release Date: December 24, 2012

As this has quickly become one of my new favorite teen series, I am very much looking forward to the release of Crimson Frost – and it’ll be just in time for Christmas. If you haven’t read them, check out my review of book #1 – they are a fantastic mix of the House of Night novels by P.C. and Kristen Cast and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. It sounds odd, but it made for an excellent story!

Oct 11 2012

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Book Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Touch of Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #1

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: 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…

The Review:

I came across this series while doing research on Estep’s “Elemental Assasin’s” books, picking it up completely on a whim. Well, $15.00 (for all 3 books) and two hours later, I found myself glued to my chair totally immersed in the story. It took everything I loved about the “House of Night” novels and combined it with well-researched mythology much like in the “Percy Jackson” series. It was an awesome combination that really added up to a fantastic book!

Estep has a great first-person writing style that’s fun to read. While a definite master of her craft, she’s not afraid to throw in a bit of common slang to spice up the story. This also helps readers get to know the main character, making her much more relatable and endearing. While the side characters were well-done, the main character really stole the show. I appreciated her self-depreciating manner and general outlook on life, and found her downright charming.

Overall, it was a great find, and I will definitely be reading the sequel before the month is out!

Recommendations: There is a prequel to this series called “First Frost” and it adds a bit of backstory, but nothing that isn’t covered in the first book. The good news is, if you’re not sure whether or not you’ll like the series, you can download a certain sample ebook FREE from BN.com that allows you to read the entire prequel plus a few chapters of book #1. Be on the lookout for book #4 out December 24th!

By Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like: