Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3) by Jennifer Estep

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.


Review:


This series never seizes to surprise me. Honestly, I find myself chewing off my nails and on the edge of my seat each time I pick one of these lovely books up. I also find myself loving Gwen more and more. She's still the great heroine she surprised us all by being in Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost, but she is also continuously growing up as a character. Her awkward moments and uncoordination still make me laugh and her strength leaves a lasting impression. One of my favorite parts of reading a series is that you get to see the characters grow up and change, and Gwen is a perfect example of this. 


Gwen's friends, Daphne and Carson, are also incredibly sweet, as well as Grandma Frost and Nikamedes (in his own way). Logan is, of course, still Logan, and the romantic tension between him and Gwen just doesn't get old. There's nothing better than tangible teenage chemistry, especially when it can find away to be strange and yet also charming and impassioned. 


Estep's writing, as always, has distinguishable personality and voice suiting to Gwen, and her developing skills put other authors to shame, both in character and plot development. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!


Grade: A


Dark Frost was released today, so don't forget to make a quick trip to amazon.com or Barnes and Noble to get your copy! Also, check this out.  


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Best Reads of 2011

Another year is over and done! I hope everyone has a fantastic and fun New Year's Eve and an especially bookish new year. In honor of the new year (and my blogoversary) I thought it would be nice to go over the past year and highlight my favorite reads of 2011 plus a few other things (lets call it my Top Ten Countdown)! If you haven't had the chance to read any of these novels, I highly encourage you to do so!

1. The Cream of The Crop (in no particular order): 

Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano

It would be a crime to exclude Wither from this list. It has to be my favorite read of all this year, and my favorite cover. It's a fantastic dystopian--it seems as if we've had quite a few great dystopians in 2011, haven't we?--and carries through an overwhelmingly stunning plot. Characters, writing, development, and dialogue are superb. It grabs you on the first page, throwing you straight into the action. I thoroughly loved every single aspect of this novel. 

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Another Dessen classic, I was very surprised by how much I loved this one. An avid reader of Sarah Dessen's novels can usually dive right in, fully expecting every plot twist and not looking to be amazed. While What Happened to Goodbye isn't my favorite of Dessen's (This Lullaby and The Truth About Forever hold those reins), it's definitely one of the best.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Everything you look for in a good novel is easily found in this one: solid characters, realistic [and believable] romance, honest friendship, mystery, suspense . . . it's like the perfect burrito at Chipotle; you won't find one person who doesn't like it.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The summary of this one is misleading, and that upsets me. I know many who have turned this book down because it seems very middle-grade, which actually turns out to be very untrue. This novel is amazing, very suspenseful and mysterious and sometimes puzzling. The writing of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children has to be my favorite aspect, as well as the very unique plotline. Read it if you haven't!

2. The Disappointment

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin; it wasn't bad, per se, it just didn't hold my interest enough for me to get into it--or read more than the first three chapters. I'll try again next year.

3. Boy, Did You Give Me a Shock

The most surprising read of 2011 (for me) has to be Hooked by Catherine Greenman. I'm not a fan of teen pregnancy novels (especially after Dessen's Someone Like You and Knowles's Jumping off Swings) so I was really shocked by how much I loved this one.

4. Have You Read it Yet?

The novel I recommended to more people than I can count is definitely Wither by Lauren DeStefano. It's definitely my #1 for this year.

5. The Next One Doesn't Come Out 'til When?

The best series I discovered this year is Mythos Academy. I recieved the first two both as ARCs this year, and hosted a guest post and contest for the first of the series. I'd kill for the next one!

6. Oh, Sorry, Were You Talking To Me?

The most un-put-downable, suspenseful, nail-biting read of this year also, I must admit, is Wither by Lauren DeStefano. I read the whole novel during a drive back home from California, and I have to say I cannot remember one thing someone said to me the entire time.  

7. Beauty and [Some] Brains

The books with both beauty (BEST COVER) and brains this year have to be: Wither (Lauren DeStefano), Hourglass (Myra McEntire), and  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Michelle Hodkin). All gorgeous covers, all great books.

8. The Teacher's Pet

My favorite (and the most memorable) character from this year is . . . Well, there are two. Gwen Frost from the Mythos Academy books and Emerson from Hourglass. Both were very kick-ass and hilarious.

9. I'm Not A Kid Anymore

My favorite non-YA read this year is Water For Elephants. I know I'm cheating, since it didn't come out this year, but I read it this year. A lot of people loved the movie and didn't read the book, which I think is so lame. Read the book!

10. If Only There Was More Time in the Day

Books I really wish I'd gotten the chance to read this year but didn't:

The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Angelfire by Allison Moulton

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Blog Tour: Guest Post by Jennifer Estep (And Giveaway!)

As a stop in Jennifer Estep's Blog Tour, not only do we have a fabulous guest post from her today, but also a giveaway! To find out more, read on . . .

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to Leah for hosting me on the blog today. Thanks so much, Leah!

Kiss of Frost, the second book in my Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series, came out on Nov. 29. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psy­chom­e­try, or the abil­ity to know an object’s history just by touch­ing it. After a seri­ous freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Acad­emy, a school for the descen­dants of ancient war­riors like Spar­tans, Valkyries, Ama­zons, and more.

So today, Leah asked me to talk a little about my writing process. I have to admit that I’m a total panster when it comes to writing. I don’t do detailed character outlines, storyboards, or anything like that. I just think about my heroine, her magic, and how she can use it to defeat the bad guys. I also think about the overall plot, what the big turning points of the story are, and how those turning points will affect the characters. Then, I sit down and start writing.

I usually try to write at least 2,000 to 3,000 words a day when I’m doing a first draft until I have a draft that’s about 50,000 or 60,000 words or so. Then, I let the story sit for a few weeks before going back to it, reading through, and seeing if the plot, characters, and more hold together. Then, I start on my second draft, which is a slower process as I add in more description, dialogue, and really flesh out the story. Once that’s done, I let that draft sit for a few weeks before going back to it and seeing what else needs to be added. I repeat that same process a couple of times until I have a draft that’s about 90,000 words (for a young adult book), and the book is the best that I can make it. 

As far as writing individual scenes goes, I really like writing fight scenes and having my heroine go toe-to-toe with the bad guys. That’s one of the reasons I decided to make Gwen a warrior – because I knew I could write a lot of fight scenes for a warrior whiz kid like her and all the other students at Mythos Academy.

I also try to have my characters visit new places in each book. For example, in Kiss of Frost, Gwen and everyone else at the academy go to a ski resort for the annual Winter Carnival. Plus, I also like to introduce new characters as a series goes along, both friends and other folks who will become important to Gwen as well as the bad guys that she’ll face down. 

Somehow, it all comes together. It’s just the process that works for me. One of the things I like about writing is that there is no wrong or right way to do it – you just have to figure out what works for you and how to get the words down on the page. So far, I’m having a blast writing the Mythos Academy series, and I hope to be writing about Gwen and her friends for a long time to come.

What about you guys? What do you like about writing and reading? What are some of your favorite young adult books and characters right now?

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep writes the Mythos Acad­emy young adult urban fan­tasy series for Kens­ing­ton. Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, and First Frost, a prequel e-story, are available now. Dark Frost, the third book, will be out in June 2012, while Crimson Frost, the fourth book, is tentatively scheduled to be published in January 2013.

For more information, excerpts, and more, visit Jennifer’s website at http://www.jenniferestep.com/.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jennifer! Now for the giveaway, I have ONE copy of Touch of Frost, the first novel in the series. To find out more information about it, click here. 

To enter to win, you must fill out the following form. Don't forget to like/follow this blog or comment on this post for extra entries. Only U.S. and Canada, please. Your mailing address and email will not be shared.

The winner will be contacted by me and announced on December 18th, along with my favorite answers to Jennifer's questions above: What about you guys? What do you like about writing and reading? What are some of your favorite young adult books and characters right now? Please don't leave any boxes empty in the form. Starred questions are required for form submission.

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

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. . .

Review:

Princess Leia, Frances "Baby" Houseman, Sandy, Trinity, Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Bennett, Josephine March, and Buffy. They are our idols, our favorite characters of all time. Why? They are confident. Smart. Independent. Funny. Strong-willed. In some cases, kick-ass. They are our heroines. For many of them, their time is over. Done. Not because they failed, or were defeated, or were killed. Something worse happened to them: they were forgotten. The personalities of our original favorite heroines are now embodied by new ones. Now we have Jess Mastriani, Evie, Susannah Simon, Rhine Ellery, and Mia Thermopolis.

Now we have Gwen Frost, and she is fierce in our hearts. She is smart. Independent. Funny. Strong-willed. And very much kick-ass. Not always confident, but she tries.

Basically, Jennifer Estep is a genius. I really don't know how else to better sum up my thoughts of both this novel and it's predecessor. The overall concept of the book just rocks--Spartans and Amazons and Valkyries and more, all at Mythos Academy. My new dream school. Warriors.

And to go along with any true heroine, there must be a love interest. Johnny Castle. Rob Wilkins. Mr. Rochester. Jesse de Silva. Angel. Gwen and Logan are complicated. Troubled. In love. That's just how it goes, how they work--or try to work. The suspense of their romance is just as troubling to the reader as it is to Gwen herself; we love them for it.

The writing is, not surprisingly, fantastic, because how can you possibly have such incredible ideas and such incredible stories and not be a stunning writer? You can't. It's perfectly paced, perfectly told, and drawn together without a flaw. Estep does not try and prove us wrong.

Thank God for that.


Expect to see Kiss of Frost in December from Kensington Publishing Corp. Don't worry. Only 67 days until Christmas, so it's not that far off.

Grade: A+


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

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 . . .

Review:

Touch of Frost is another one of those great books to look out for this summer! It's an intriguing cross between Hex Hall, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and every great YA paranormal fiction novel out there. It has literally everything: mystery, romance, mythology, boarding schools . . . What could be better?


Nothing!


I had absolutely no trouble getting sucked into this novel; the moment I picked it up, I couldn't set it down. It's very suspenseful, and there's enough action to keep even the most reluctant reader interested.

I especially loved the characters. Gwen herself was a really awesome character, and I took an immediate liking to her; the emotions she goes through about the loss of her mother, and the difficulty of feeling like you don't fit in are very relateable to many teens' lives everywhere today. Everyone goes through a period of time where they don't really know who they are, or where they belong.

The love interest--because, yes, there is ALWAYS a love interest--is definitely one to talk about, and is--just in case you were having doubts--an important part of the novel. Gwen and Logan have a complicated relationship, but it just adds to the suspsense of the novel.

Touch of Frost is an outstanding start to a very promising series. Look for it in July, (possibly on the 26th) from Kensington Publishing Corp!

Grade: A+

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