Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #2
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 11/29/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

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...

Plot: 4.5 Stars
When I first read that this novel was going to center around the school taking a ski trip for a winter trip, I immediately thought of Frostbite by Richelle Mead. While the two novels share that one plot idea in common, the two are far from the same, and I admit that Kiss of Frost is definitely better. Although the winter trip seemed straight forward in the beginning, Gwen soon found herself mixed up in a possible Chaos plot. There were twists and turns around every corner, and I was left guessing until the very end.

Pace: 5 Stars
My favorite part of any of the author's novels is that she does a great job of reviewing key points from past novels in a way that flows with the current novel. I'm never left trying to remember what exactly happened previously, regardless of how long I go between novels. This one was no exception. There was also never a lull in the action, once the story picked up.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
I loved the character development in this novel. Not only do we learn more about Gwen and her powers, but we learn more about her friends, classmates, and teachers also. There's also the addition of students from other Mythos Academy campuses added to the mix. Some characters had ulterior motives that surprised me, and some characters showed their true feelings that also surprised me. All in all, I was very excited with the characters in this novel and their actions.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
Although the cover model on this cover doesn't seem to be the same as the first book in the series, I really enjoy her pose and the snowflakes. The act of blowing a kiss is a play on the title, and I think it's an unusual pose that will stand out against many of the paranormal young adult novel it's shelved with. The snowflakes are a nice way of alluding to the winter holiday that the novel centers around. The gargoyle in the background and the sword in the place of the letter "t" in the titles bring continuity to the covers, while still allowing them to be unique. The choice of pink for some of the text was a very interesting choice and went well with the faint purple hue of the cover.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a signed ARC of this novel for review from the author.