Review: Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Published by: Kensington Books
Pages: 385
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: 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...

Things are starting to heat up at Mythos Academy.

I'm think I'm hooked on this series.  First off the characters are amazing.  They all have their flaws and that is what makes them real to me.  Gwen is the heroine of our tale and while she is not necessarily the hard-core, kick-butt girl seen in other YA novels, she has a strength and determination all her own.  In this novel her gypsy gift starts to manifest in different ways and brings a new power to Gwen.  I cant wait to see just how far her gift will grow and how she will use it to save others (because we all know that she is going to end up saving the day in the end...isn't that always the predictable thing in YA lit). 

Logan in this book is quite the jerk, along with Oliver.  I'd like to say they have their reasons, but that feels too much like saying "Boys will be boys" and I'm not ok with that.  They were jerks, plan and simple.  Did they have things that haunted them and affected their behavior?  Yes of course, but that doesn't excuse their actions. 

On the other-hand, our favorite stuck-up, snotty girl has turned over a new leaf.  Daphne has become one of my favorite characters.  Her and Gwen with their snark and quick tongues make great best friends.  Daphne turns out to be fiercly loyal and definitely someone I'd want on my side. 

Besides the characters, the plot is a little predictable, but still good.  It was action-packed and the intensity was cranked up a bit in Kiss of Frost compared to the last novel.  I loved the little twist and turns to the story and each page left me wanting more.

Kiss of Frost was a great second novel and I can't wait to see where Jennifer takes Gwen and her pals next. 

Have you read this series?  What are your opinions on Gwen not being the typical fierce, kick-butt heroine?
 

Review: Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Published by: Kensington Books
Pages: 385
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: 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. . .

I have always enjoyed stories with any sort of mythology involved so I was instantly intrigued by the Mythos Academy series.  I mean what could be better than Greek gods, Gypsies, Spartans  Amazons, and Native American deities all rolled into one series?

Gwen is my type of main character.  She's not popular or every guys dream.  Heck she wears hoodies everyday and reads comic books.  In fact she's kind of a nerd, but is still outspoken and quite snarky.  She is not this totally fierce, kick-butt character either...actually when it comes to fighting she is kind of horrible at it.  However, what she lacks in skills she makes up for in heart.  Even when something horrible happens to the Academy's notorious mean-girl, she is still determined to find her justice, not matter how cruel she was.    

Touch of Frost was a unique story and while there were elements of familiarity, the plot twist kept the story completely original.  I was actually surprised how fast I read this novel, because every time I tried to set it down I just wanted to know more.  All the situations Gwen finds herself in and each conflict will hook you more until you can wait to see what will happen next and to whom.  

One thing that bothered me about Touch of Frost was the rich kid aspect.  I feel this is a common theme in many YA novels and some of the students (ok most of them) who attend Mythos Academy were ridiculously rich.  Am I the only one tired of reading about what daddy's money can buy?  This led to some characters who were stuck up, snotty, and self-entitled.  Understandable that this story need these types of characters, but they got on my nerves fast and didn't really change (well except a couple) by the end of the novel.  

Even with the money thing and so not so likable characters I really enjoyed Touch of Frost.  I can't wait to see what Jennifer Estep and the rest of the series has in store.  
         

Review: First Frost by (Mythos Academy #0.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: First Frost (Mythos Academy  #0.5)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Pages: 30
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift.  It's called psychometry - that's a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people's memories off almost everything I touch, even guys.

My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy--to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don't want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school - Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren't preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos.  Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids.  The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same.

What a way to start a series.  First Frost introduces the Mythos Academy series with a bang.  It was packed full of emotion and instantly set the mood for the series.

Often times many of us want a special gift, but we fail to realize the impact and burden that gift can be.  Gwen learned that the hard way when she picks up a friends hairbrush only to experience her friend's crushing reality.  This not only impacts Gwen's emotional state, but also her life in more ways than she realizes.  Gwen is a strong girl, and yet her life drastically changes because of this one event.  

First Frost introduces us not only to the series, but also to a couple of main characters.  I love that we see bits and pieces of who Gwen is and her interaction with her Grandmother. Besides the characters, First Frost also gives us our first glimpse at Mythos Academy and the mythology behind it.  Instead of vampires and werewolves, we get Amazons, Valkyries and Spartans.  It's nice to see a different side of paranormal/fantasy than the 'typical' found in many other novels.

I think Jennifer L. Armentrout really nailed it with this introduction to the Mythos Academy series.  First Frost is the type of novella you can read before you start the series or after you've already read a couple of books.  It's powerful and insightful; definitely a novella you won't want to miss.

Review of Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Deity (Covenant, #3)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 330
Source: Library
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

It took me awhile to get into this series, but now I'm loving it like cheesecake!

Alex is my favorite type of heroine.  She's full of sass, determination and is not going to be slowed down by rules or Uncles and Stepfathers who are determined to set them.  I love her spunk and total disregard for her own safety in light of helping others.  Plus she has two guys who are after her and they are hello-sexy (though quite infuriating at times).  

I loved seeing different sides of characters in Deity along with a few new characters as well.  It is about time that some of the other characters in the series got some much needed attention.  Obviously I love the main characters, but it adds so much to a story when we get bits and pieces about other characters as well.  It feels more real to me and like I'm chilling with the whole family instead of just my besties.

Besides all the supporting character love, I cannot believe how much action and plot twists Jennifer L. Armentrout threw into one book.  I feel like I could go on forever about many of the events that took place in Deity.  Some were epic and completely shock worthy, while others made me furious and at times a bit confused.  I thought I had everything figured out, but apparently there are some things you could not have guessed.  For instances the ending...I was crushed!  I couldn't believe what happened and now I have to wait until the next book to figure what is going to happen next.  Uggh!

I'm pretty sure I'm confusing you and I probably sound pretty cryptic, but I don't want to give anything away because trust me this book is worth reading.

Audio Review of The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Title: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus, #3)
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Joshua Swanson
Published by: Listening Library
Length: ~ 15 hours
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

The Mark of Athena was an intriguing mix of Greek and Roman mythology sure to command your time and attention. 

How I love Percy Jackson!  I wasn't too sure about the first two books in this spin off series of the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians but The Mark of Athena shined and made me appreciate the Heroes of Olympus just as much. 

The seven demi-gods of the quest finally meet up and start their adventure.  Each of these characters have such distinct and unique personalities that even though there are many main characters there are is no trouble keeping them apart or seeing one as the weak link.  I love that Rick Riordan gave each of them a special talent and something completely their own.  I think people can really relate to this by each of us having our own talents and gifts that we can contribute to a whole and make it that much stronger.  And here you thought that a middle grade fantasy book would teach you nothing about life's important lessons...leave it to Mr. Riordan to prove you and I wrong. 

Not only did The Mark of Athena have great characters, there was always some sort of action to keep you on your toes.  Of course there were some epic battle scenes, but also there were puzzles and mind games that the characters had to work their way through.  Sometimes the battles they were fighting were not even external, but instead some weakness or insecurity in themselves.  The plot was very well rounded and the story definitely could stand on it's own instead of just being a place holder in a series. 

Joshua Swanson has read all of the Heroes of Olympus novles and does a wonderful job.  His different inflections for each characters voice really brings them to life and gives us more insight into who the character is.  I really love his voice for Leo.  It's a bit rough and gravelly and adds so much to his character.  I hope he continues on with the series as now I am so used to his voice it would be a shock for me to hear another. 

I definitely enjoyed The Mark of Athena best out of all the books in the Heroes of Olympus series and after the gaps-inducing ending of this book, I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Review of Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Half-Blood (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 281
Source: Library
Format: Paperback
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

I must start off by saying that I didn't really know much about this book except that a lot of people were loving it and the cover was simply stunning.  I was excited by the mythology in the story and this new form of demi-gods.  After the first couple of pages I saw a striking resemblance to another popular YA series, but that didn't bother me.  I'm sure we could find many similarities in a lot of books if we really looked for it.  Half-Blood did start off a bit slow, but I kept reading because I was eager to see where the story would lead.

Alex is a bit cocky and a little too confident for her own good.  Sure, she was top of her class before she left and she has killed two Daimons, but it won't be smooth sailing to get her back on track.  Alex is a fun character who is fierce and determined, but completely rash.  She had trouble controlling her emotions which often lead her to bad decisions.  I liked this about Alex.  Jennifer Armentrout gave Alex much more dimension than you see in your typical heroine.  Alex may have been brave and deadly, but she also was vulnerable and often her strong facade broke down.  She also had passion and it came through in almost everything she did, especially when it came to Aiden. 

Half-Blood was packed with action and the forbidden love aspect kept the tension high and the romance smokin.  There were some unexpected surprises that will keep you glued to the pages and it become obvious by the nervousness in my tummy that I was completely invested in these characters and their futures. 

Half-Blood is a strong start to what I'm sure is to be a great series. 

Audio Review of The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Title: The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2)
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Joshua Swanson
Published by: Listening Library
Length: 11 sound discs (ca. 74 min. each)
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem—when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no.

Franz is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes, but his bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Yea Percy is back!  I always get a bit sad when a series ends so the fact that Rick Riordan brought back one of my favorite characters in his spin off series makes me so happy. 

The Son of Neptune follows Percy, Hazel and Frank on their quest to free death.  These characters are fun and easy to enjoy.  They are not perfect or completely courageous which makes them real and so much more relateable.  I love the fact that even though they are demi-gods they still seem down to earth and go through some of the same doubts we do.  While I enjoyed these characters I didn't feel as connected to them as I was hoping.  I like them and wanted them to succeed, but they didn't steal my heart like Rick Riordan's characters usually do. 

Percy, Hazel and Frank have some tough legacies to live up to and at times the pressure can get to them, but by banding together they can fight through anything and fight they must.  This novel is jam-packed with action and fight scenes.  It's an exciting adventure and with twists, turns, and new discoveries on every page. 

It has been a while since I read The Lost Hero so I was super confused at the beginning of this book.  From what I remembered of the first book, The Son of Neptune didn't really seem to continue the story.  I'm not sure if this is an artifact from the time gap between reading these novels or if they are just two different stories that eventually merge into one.  After a good way through the audio it was evident that the latter was the case as more talk of the "Prophecy of the Seven" emerged. 

Overall, I enjoyed this audio version of the book and the narrator was great (as he always is), but something was lacking for me compared to Rick Riordan's other books.  Hopefully everything will come together more in the next novel in the series, The Mark of Athena. 

Review of Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Title: Hammered (Iron Druid Chronicles #3)
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Author: Kevin Hearne
Published by: Brilliance Audio
Length: 10 hours
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully — he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare. One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plane of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer - wielding Thunder Thug himself.

There is never a dull moment in an Iron Druid Chronicles novel.  They are packed with action, adventure and tons of mythology.

Atticus is back and this time it's his mission to kill Thor.  I'm not quite sure why Atticus promised Leif he would do this.  It's a dangerous mission and while Thor is a complete number one jerk, Atticus has no personal issues with him.  As we got to know each of Atticus's companions and their reasons for wanting to kill Thor, I was right along with them.  It wasn't enough that I wanted his head on a silver platter, I wanted his death to hurt.  He was a horrible man and I'm happy that this unlikely, but lovable crew came together to plot his demise. 

While this book had tons of action and fighting it was lacking some of the light-heartedness of the other novels.  No matter how dire things got, there was usually some comic relief, but not so much in Hammered.  I missed Oberon, the widow, and some of the other characters who kept things fun and lively. 

The narrator, Luke Daniels, did an exceptional job as always.  I seriously could listen to this guy read books to me all day long.  He does a wide range of voices for each character and puts so much expression into his tones that it makes it quite enjoyable to listen to.  If you are new to audio books or just looking for a great narrator try Luke Daniels.  You won't be sorry.

While this wasn't my favorite book in the series, it was still a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.