Review: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Dark Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #3
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 05/29/12
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

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.

Plot: 5 Stars
The world the author has built at Mythos Academy is such an interesting and unique place. Each book shows us a little more of the world, and I really enjoyed the field trips we take with the characters in this installment. Gwen's search for the Helheim Dagger involved her digging into her mom's past and it was great to learn more about her. And it was fun trying to puzzle it out alongside Gwen. The Reapers always end up sneaking up on me, and this novel didn't disappoint.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
I don't think I've read a book by this author that hasn't had a terrific pace, and this novel didn't disappoint. There is enough backstory and recapping that I feel comfortable jumping right in, which is great because I have way too big of a TBR pile to be re-reading everything. There was never a dull moment while following Gwen and company around Mythos Academy on their latest adventure.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Gwen is such a fantastic character. She's had a lot thrown at her throughout this series, but she has stayed strong. I really liked how she learned more about her powers in this novel. A few characters from book two that I wasn't expecting came back and I really enjoyed what they brought to the story. We met a number of new characters in this novel, and many brought along some surprises that I definitely didn't see coming. All in all, this series has a fantastic cast.

Cover: 4 Stars
I like that they went back to the cover model from the first novel. It gives the covers a bit of continuity. But her hair blends into the background a little too much, leaving too much blank space and leaving me wondering if the cover model is bald. But other than that, the cover is spot on. I love the lit up building in the background. And the snowflake necklace is a nice detail. My favorite detail is the sword that is always in place of a "t" in the title. The yellow text complements the purple eyes and stand out against the dark background.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

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