REVIEW: Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5)

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5), by Jennifer Estep
To Be Published July 30, 2013
Publisher:  K-Teen
Format: ARC - received from publisher
Genre:  YA, mythology, urban fantasy
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there.

The Mythos Academy series is a perfect study in character evolution. There are so many series where the main character is very static, and the only things that change from book to book are his or her interactions with the supporting characters and the situations in which they find themselves. That's all well and good for awhile, but not very fulfilling. As a reader, I get so much more enjoyment and satisfaction when I see the characters I love grow up literally before my eyes.

In Midnight Frost, Gwen is trying to get by after the horrible events in Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4). Nothing has changed with the Reapers; they are still actively trying to kill her. And, after an attempt on her life ends up critically endangering someone Gwen cares about, she and her friends (sans Logan, of course, who is still off trying to get his head together) set off on a dangerous quest to try and set things right again. 

This is the most action-packed book in the series with plenty of sword fights in lots of cool settings like the library (of course!), a train and an ancient goddess' ruins. There's also plenty of opportunities for Gwen to use her powers, and not just her touch magic. We see her use her ability to communicate with animals, which is my personal favorite part of her magic. And, Gwen uses it in a big way in Midnight Frost.

But, above all, I absolutely love seeing how much Gwen has grown over the course of the Mythos series. I almost felt like a proud parent reading about her kicking ass in Midnight Frost. I remember back in Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1), Gwen was shy, reserved, and a little angry. She didn't know a broadsword from a fencing foil. She was enemies with Daphne, wary of Logan and afraid of her own shadow.

But now? The best part of Midnight Frost is hearing Gwen's ruminations as she thinks on all her life has become over the past year. Her thoughts and actions have matured beyond measure, and that is all born out of hardship and experience and love.

Never fear all you Logan Freaking Quinn fans (of which I am one), he does make an appearance in Midnight Frost. The Spartan's conscience is still not wiped clean, but he is a man of honor, so he feels the need to help his friends in their near suicide mission. You gotta love that about him.

And, although the individual quest in this book is wrapped up, the over-arching goals that Nike has put on Gwen's shoulders remain. The set-up is good for Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6). I can't wait to see what happens next.

REVIEW: The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)

Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3), by Rick Riordan
Published October 2, 2012
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion
Format: audiobook, borrowed from the library
Genre:  middle grade, mythology
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(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.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare....

Oh my gosh - I had missed Percy Jackson and his gang so much. I read Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) right after it came out in the fall of 2011, and although I purchased The Mark of Athena as soon as it came out, it sat on my shelf for another 7 months. I'm not quite sure why. But, finally, I decided to borrow it as an audio book from the library. And, now I'm smacking myself for having waited so long to read it in the first place. 

Percy and Annabeth are reunited at long last (what a great scene that was!), and the seven demigods of the prophecy set off on another epic quest. The ultimate goal is still to stop the Earth Goddess Gia from rising and destroying the world, but before that happens, they need to travel to the most dangerous place on Earth for demigods, stop a few giants and save their friend. Easy peasy. 

The Mark of Athena is told in four POVs - Annabeth, Percy, Leo and Piper. Even though the perspective switches a bunch, the story is really Annabeth's, as you might be able to tell from them title. She's been given a separate solo mission by Athena herself. Going it alone is anathema to these demigods - they do things in groups to play on each others' strengths. So, Annabeth is understandably worried. And, of course, she doesn't want to separate from Percy again after having just got him back. 

Rick Riordan's story telling abilities are completely unmatched. His ability to marry classic mythological characters and stories with modern settings and people in such a seamless fashion is amazing to me. I know that Percy Jackson started as a bedtime story that he told his son. This series and this world has become so much more than a simple bedtime story. 

One would think that a story centering around seven main characters and told in four different POVs would be wildly confusing. And, it's not. That alone should tell you about what a great writer Riordan is. In addition to the seven main demigods, there are dozens of supporting characters, including Nemesis, Arachne, Aphrodite, Bacchus and Minerva that make appearances in The Mark of Athena. All play a necessary role - there are no non-essential characters introduced into the mix.

The ending was crazy and epic. And it makes me want the fourth book - The House of Hades - in such a bad way. I can't wait until it comes out. And I'm not waiting to read it this time. 

RELEASE DAY REVIEW: The Year of the Great Seventh (Tropic of Cancer #1)

The Year of the Great Seventh (Tropic of Cancer #1), by Teresa Orts
Published July 6, 2013
Publisher:  Drayton Press
Format: paperback - obtained from the author in exchange for an honest review
Genre:  young adult paranormal romance, mythology
To Buy:  Amazon

Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Sophie has always felt out of step — an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.

To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

Happy book birthday, Teresa! 

I read The Year of the Great Seventh in the span over the course of two days recently, and I can tell you that this book can logically be divided into a "before" and "after" section - "before" the trip to New York and "after" the trip to New York. It took me a day and a half to read "before." I finished "after" in a few hours. yes, The Year of the Great Seventh starts out a bit slow. But, when the action and intrigue picked up, so did the rest of the story, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. 

Sophie is a fish out of water in LA. She wants to be a historian instead of someone rich and famous like everyone else around her. She has a master plan - straight As and a scholarship to NYU. Then, Nate Werner bursts onto her scene - like, LITERALLY - and all of a sudden, her whole outlook on her future is thrown for a loop, along with everything she thought was real and legend. 

Sophie was pretty cool. She had all the qualities I like in my heroines. She was brave, not afraid to get her hands dirty, not one to have a man save her all the time, and best of all, she's smart. The independent smart girls are so much better to read about than the wimpy, vapid waifs who wring their hands and wait for a knight in shining armor to save them. 

Nate was also a well developed character. He was misunderstood, honorable, nice, and a bit of a bad boy. I really liked he and Sophie together - they seemed to fit pretty well. 

Mythology is one of my most favorite things to read about. I've always had a passion for it and an interest in it. In this case, we focus on Egyptian mythology. Orts did a great job researching all the history surrounding Cleopatra and Marc Antony's relationship and the time period in which they lived. There was also quite a bit about Nostradamus and his predictions. It was a complexly-weaved plot with a "National Treasure"-esque feel to it (and I loved that movie, so that's a good thing!). 
 

What brought The Year of the Great Seventh down a bit for me was the extreme case of insta-love. Nate pulls a very Twilight move by playing the I'm-no-good-for-you-so-you-need-to-stay-away-from-me card, and after having only one very brief interaction with him, Sophie is absolutely devastated. Like, starts failing her classes and lying to her friends and family devastated. 

As you might expect, there was a mythological connection between their attraction and what all else was going on, but it still reeked of teen insta-love, which is one of my biggest pet peeves in books. 

That being said, this was still a great book, especially if you love mythology like I do. If you would like to check it out for yourself, stay tuned. Later this month, Teresa Orts is hosting The Year of the Great Seventh blog tour (which I have a stop on!), and you'll have the opportunity to get your mythological treasure-hunting self on. Check out the banner to the right for more details, and check out all the tour stops when it's time. Hunt down the clues for a chance to win copies of The Year of the Great Seventh for yourself! 

NOVELLA REVIEW: Spartan Frost (Mythos Academy #4.5)

Spartan Frost (Mythos Academy #4.5), by Jennifer Estep
To Be Published June 25, 2013
Publisher:  K-Teen
Format: e-ARC - obtained from NetGalley
Genre:  YA paranormal/fantasy/romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) I’m Logan Quinn, the deadliest Spartan warrior at Mythos Academy. At least I was — until the day I almost killed Gwen Frost.

Professor Metis and Nickamedes say that I’m fine, that Loki and the Reapers don’t have a hold on me anymore, but I can’t risk it. I can’t risk hurting Gwen again. So I’m leaving Mythos and going somewhere far, far away.

I know Gwen wonders what’s happening to me, whether I’m safe. I can’t tell her, but this is my story...

I don't usually review novellas. I think maybe I should. Although I still don't consider them a "novel," novellas do still have their place in the overall story. I think they fill in the gaps and make the rest of the books so much richer. So, I'm going to start my new policy with Spartan Frost - it's a very good place to start, actually.

If you read my review of Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4), you'll note that the only fault I found with it was that there wasn't nearly enough Logan Quinn for my liking. Imagine my glee when I found that Jennifer Estep had a novella planned from - wait for it... LOGAN'S POV. I know, right?! All the full-length Mythos books are told from Gwen Frost's POV, so this novella was such a treat. 

And, it came at the perfect time, too. After the events at the end of Crimson Frost, I've never been more interested in getting inside Logan's head than I am now. And, what a sad and complex place it is, too. He's experiencing such guilt and anger over his actions, it hurts my heart. Logan is a Spartan - a natural born warrior. So, it's not in his nature to sit around and wallow. 

The events of Spartan Frost lead Logan on quite an adventure. It's exciting and super fun to see him kicking some major butt again. The end leaves a perfect opening to lead you into Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5), due out later this summer. Spartan Frost seemed like it was on the short side as far as novellas go. It's a great way to spend an hour or so in the afternoon while you wait for Midnight Frost's release and more Logan Freaking Quinn. 

REVIEW: The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3)

The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3), by Aimee Carter
Published February 26, 2013
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Format: e-book provided by Edelweiss
Genre:  YA, mythology
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

I'm not sure what it is about series enders lately, but they've just not been living up to my expectations. Perhaps it's that I've set my own bar so high that it's difficult for a book to meet such lofty goals. The Goddess Inheritance is the last in the Goddess Test series, and I wanted it to be epic. With the cliffhanger in Goddess Interrupted, I expected no less. So, yes, I did expect big things. 

There was a lot to like. Henry is the most unique version of Hades that I've ever seen, and I kind of love that about him. He's so unexpected. In the first two Goddess Test books, Henry was very reserved and hid his feelings a lot. In The Goddess Inheritance, Henry shows his hand more. We see more love toward Kate. More frustration toward Walter and his siblings. More anger toward Cronus and Calliope. 

Kate has come into herself, and although I had some problems with her reactions to some situations, I did like that she stepped up when she had to and grew a pair of brass ones when it came to Walter and the rest of the Council. It was about time!

James is still one of my favorite characters in this series. He lent some much needed comic relief. But, when he has to, James can be serious and emotional. He's not just a goof, and that rocks my socks. 

When my problems enter is in the actual story. The birth of Kate's baby was so anticlimactic. I wanted so much more from that aspect of the book. Based on the end of Goddess Interrupted, I figured that the birth would be a monumental event. It wasn't. 

There was too much popping back and forth between Olympus and Cronus' island, I thought. I sort of thought that it was supposed to have been hard to get to Cronus. Yet, James, Kate and Henry bounce back and forth several times with little to no effort. It was off-putting and confusing. 

There were also some continuity issues. In one scene, Kate snatches her baby up to protect him, and a few pages later, she's saying that she's never held him yet. We're introduced to this crazy lethal knife in the beginning, which can seriously injure and even kill Gods. Yet, when Kate is pierced with it - nearly to her heart - she's bouncing around and fighting with gusto in the very next paragraph. 

All-in-all, I liked The Goddess Inheritance. It just felt like, since it was the finale of the series, that it should've been AMAZING. 

REVIEW: Apollyon (Covenant #4)

Apollyon (Covenant #4), by Jennifer L. Armentrout
To Be Published April 9, 2013
Publisher:  Spencer Hill Press
Format:  Paperback ARC - Around The World ARC Tours
Genre:  Paranormal Romance, YA, Greek Mythology

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series has come a long way since the novella, Daimon (Covenant #0.5) was released in May of 2011. Daimon and Half-Blood (Covenant #1) were the only books in the Covenant series that didn't get 5 stars from me. And, the only reason they didn't is because they seemed so much like other series I've read. 

But, since then, the series has gotten further and further away from what I know and closer and closer to something truly completely unique. Armentrout is slowly starting to pull the loose ends together of this incredible story she's weaving, and when I look back on where the story started, it kind of amazes me. 

I look back at the character that Alex was in the beginning - abrasive, detached, childish at times. In Apollyon, Alex really has to reach deep down and find her bedazzled big girl panties and put them on. She had the best excuse of any character I've ever read about to just curl in a ball and forget about the rest of the world forever. To let her guilt and sorrow consume her. But, she doesn't. And THAT is why I love this character more than any other. 

Alex mettle is tested and proven in Apollyon. She faces some serious stuff and doesn't back down. Oh no. In fact, she takes on the biggest, baddest stuff that is thrown at her - war, death, and even an extra mopey boyfriend. I really love to see how Alex has matured over the books. I think she is at her best in Apollyon.

And, Aiden. Well, this review wouldn't be complete without talking about him.I've loved Aiden since the beginning. It's was apparent from the minute he met Alex in Daimon (Covenant #0.5) that he loved her. But, he was always very good at playing the chivalrous guy who sacrificed his own desires and feelings in order to do what he thought was the right thing. 

The awesome thing about Aiden is that he knows how to adapt to the current situation. And when the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I love that he's man enough to stand up for what he wants. Lord knows he deserves it. In Deity (Covenant #3) he finally admitted his feelings for Alex right before he lost her. In Apollyon, I think Aiden has gotten to the place where he says to hell with the rest of the world. If I can get her back, I'm never letting her go again. I LOVE (like, L-O-V-E) the new Aiden. He's romantic and attentive and protective. And, he cusses! That is awesome! 

But, this love - this BIG LOVE - between he and Alex is why I read books. It gave me the "sighs." I can't even tell you how many times I was afflicted with the sighs in Apollyon. 

The action is great in Apollyon. The bad guy is and isn't whom I expected. Meaning, I figured out who the nasty god was in Deity, but not who he was when he was wearing his "person suit." The displays of Alex's power were fun (like, how amazed she still is with herself and what she can do) and impressive. The meeting of the different new gods was really cool too (Hermes, Hades, Persephone, Ares, etc.). And, one of my favorite parts about this series is, even though a character dies, that doesn't necessarily mean that he or she will never be seen again.

Bottom line - Apollyon is the real deal. It's the most romantic book I've ever read. The wicked ass-kicking scenes are gripping and exciting. It's emotional - whoo boy is it emotional. If you haven't started the Covenant series yet, please, please do yourself a favor and read Daimon (Covenant #0.5) today. The arc is amazing - I promise you. And, we are now only one book away from what is sure to be an incredible ending.