Crimson Frost: Mythos Academy, Book 4

WARNING! This review contains spoilers for earlier books in the Mythos Academy series. I highly recommend reading the first three books before reading this review.Once again Jennifer Estep takes readers on a harrowing and dramatic journey with Gwen Frost and the rest of the Mythos gang. The last time we spent time with these characters Mr. Big Bad himself, Loki, was freed from his mythological prison and is now a threat to all of the Pantheon. In addition, Gwen and Logan have finally stopped their little dance around each other and admitted their feelings. So things are obviously set to get complicated at Mythos Academy.Like most of the other books in this series, Crimson Frost starts off with a bang. Gwen and Logan are having their first official date and things are going fairly smoothly until she is arrested by the Protectorate (Pantheon's police force) and charged with helping Loki go free. For the rest of the book, Gwen must try to prove her innocence while dealing with new threats from the Reapers and the ire of her fellow students.One of the best things about this series is the growth of our heroine, Gwen. She started off as an immature and damaged girl who was feeling like an outcast in her new environment. Over the course of the books, Gwen has grown more confident in her powers (even if they still scare her at times) and learned how to trust others to help her when she is in trouble. She does still have a tendency to run off into dangerous situations without thinking things through, but not nearly as much as in the earlier installments. Also, it is great to continue reading Gwen's unique voice with all the sarcasm and humor that Ms. Estep is fabulous at writing.Crimson Frost really shows the strength of Gwen's friendships at Mythos Academy. Despite the dire straits she find herself in, Gwen is immediately supported by all her friends and they do everything they can to help her clear her name. I have really enjoyed getting to know all these kids and adults throughout the series especially the sexy Logan, the pink-loving Valkyrie Daphne, and the grouchy librarian Nickamedes. This book also introduces us to some intriguing newcomers like Logan's father Linus, his stepmother Agrona, and, my personal favorite, Alexei, the enigmatic Bogatyr warrior assigned to watch over Gwen for the Protectorate.As the fourth installment, this book delves even deeper into the mythology of Pantheon with a special emphasis on the artifacts being housed in the Library of Antiquities. I loved this part of the plot due to my background in history and archives! Like all the other Mythos books, Crimson Frost is full of suspense and potential danger. The series is definitely getting darker and, as a reader, I found myself flipping pages quickly to see if the characters got through everything unscathed. Always the sign of a good book for me!Once again, this was a great installment in a series that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I have really become invested in these characters and their world. Can't wait to read Midnight Frost and see what Estep gives us next!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: A wonderful fourth book that introduces new elements to make the story even more thrilling than it set out to be.Opening Sentence: "I have a confession to make."The Review:When I was asked to read Jennifer Estep's fourth book in the Mythos Academy, Crimson Frost, I was excited. I have heard great things about the series. So what did I do? I went back from book one and started at the beginning. I wanted to know the whole world that Estep created. She promised mythology and wonder, and let me tell you, boy did she.Life has taken a shape of normalcy for Gwen, as normal as things can be. As Nike's champion, Gwen is a primary target for the Reapers and Loki's champion, Vivian. But while she somewhat felt safe within the protection of Mythos Academy, a new threat is revealed, the Protectorate. The judge and jury of their world, the Protectorate has accused Gwen of helping Loki escape as well as the fact that she's a Reaper. And the person who is leading the charges and accusations is Linus Quinn, Logan's father.Gwen has grown so much since the beginning. She's more certain of herself, her powers, and of her own ability to stand up on her own. Gwen still has her own insecurities, but with the amount of pressure she has (defeat the Reapers and Loki), I think it's justified. She tries her best, which is what anyone can ask for, and I love how Estep has kept her flaws. Gwen has a realistic voice of a teenager trying to stay afloat in a world she was thrown in, and that is the best part about her character.Estep's supporting characters aren't just in the background. Throughout the Mythos Academy stories, each character has grown in a way that is unique on their own. Their voices are strong, and each has a connection that is different from the others. Whether it's Daphne's feminine strength or Logan's gallant behaviors, Gwen is lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful cast.I was lucky enough to read the books back-to-back. I was able to appreciate how well the story and character progressed within each story. Crimson Frost is a little more established with its own world and setting, so I think Estep took risks. And these risks were well worth taking. There was a darker theme throughout the story, mostly inevitable since the end of the story is looming over our heads. There is more danger and doom, but rightfully so. The story of good versus evil is gaining in momentum, and I love the force that Estep brings it. Each moment was riveting and had me at the edge of my seat.Specifically, in Crimson Frost, Estep has taken us around the familiar surroundings of Mythos Academy. But what differs in this book than the others is the tone of the school itself. It's a lot darker, a lot stricter, and I'm sure Gwen is feeling it. With the accusations, she is watched more carefully. It's an interesting double take on the school, and I really enjoyed it.Estep is a talented author, telling us her version of mythology. Her world is filled with fantasy, but set in a realistic setting that often seems like it is a part of the reader's world. I highly recommend that you read Crimson Frost.FTC Advisory: Jennifer Estep provided me with a copy of Crimson Frost. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

AHHHH!! Was the first words to leave my lips once I discovered what the stupid Spartan did. I love the series nd recommend this to anyone of my age or older (15) I love the characters and everything about it, my favourite character is OBVIOUSLY Daphnie (Can't spell) because she's a vikyear (Again can't spell) and she always sticks up for her friends. Dying from atitipation isn't the words to describe how I'm feeling... it's more like: AHHHHH NEXT BOOK AHHHHH.

Note: this is the 4th book of the “Mythos Academy” YA series and all books rely heavily on each other content-wise. So I don't recommend to start here, but with “Touch of Frost”.ReviewAfter the last book, I admittedly thought about quitting the “Mythos Academy”. I was furious about Gwen's stupid actions and didn't know if the series could redeem itself for me. Good thing I hung onto it, because yeah, Gwen and friends are back at their best. I loved “Crimson Frost”.There are just a few pages deceptively going slow at the very beginning, actually Gwen and Logan are having a date at some coffee shop and just when I let myself sink back in my couch preparing for kisses and sweet-talking of the young couple, Gwen's world gets turned upside down. Technically speaking, Gwen gets arrested by the “Protectorate”, the police and judicial body of the Pantheon and a truly Kafka-like episode starts, a veritable nightmare, in which Gwen is accused of being a Reaper and having helped Loki get free. Well, she did, but she was tricked into it. But these Protectorate representatives seem to already have rendered judgment and Gwen even has to fear for her life, since found guilty, she could be executed.But although the threat is immense, the worst is the Protectorate's public announcement of said charges – if Gwen was an outsider before, she is now the hated Reaper-b**ch and I suffered alongside her. But I also admired her for the dignity she shows and her perseverance. She puts people around her to shame. In this book, Gwen finally is the heroine I hoped her to be. She has a spine made of steel, acts levelheaded and yet knows when it's time for defiance and action. Awesome.But thanks to her past actions, she is by no means alone in this situation and I always appreciate it, if a protagonist finds friends and allies in unlikely people and it is one of the strengths of this series that people change and are able to develop a new attitude. So it's all of Gwen's friends on her side, new ones and the known guys, but it's nearly too late when they are finally able to get behind what's going on. There is severe treachery and a showdown between people I never ever would have suspected to ever be on opposite sides.They're hard decisions Gwen has to take, but she does and – as is stated so often – out of her own free will, no less. The final showdown is close to epic and shows everyone's qualities. So why four instead of five stars? The book nearly had it all for me and then some. It even robbed me of a night's sleep because I so had to know what would happen. But there is Logan. Yeah, he is a good guy throughout the book, fighting beside Gwen, standing up for her – and then something admittedly really really bad happens and the love interest shows that he prefers the coward's way out. I don't want to spoil it, but you'll know exactly if you get to that part. That and the aggravating repetitions of some phrases. Maybe it's worse, if you read the whole series in one sitting, as I'm doing right now, but there are sentences and descriptions I just am fed up with and wished I didn't have to read them any more. It's the fourth book, if I haven't gotten it by now, I'm a lost case anyway.But all rather minor complaints aside, this is a really suspenseful and well constructed book and a good addition to the “Mythos Academy” series.

Inhalt:Gwen hätte wissen müssen, dass ihr erstes richtiges Date mit Logan ein in einem Desaster enden würde. Auf Angriffe der Schnitter war sie vorbereitet, doch mitten beim Kaffeetrinken festgenommen zu werden, damit hätte sie niemals gerechnet. Ihr wird vorgeworfen, absichtlich den Schnittern des Chaos geholfen zu haben Loki zu befreien. Und die Anklage gegen sie führt kein anderer als Linus Quinn - Logan's Vater. Das Schlimmste jedoch ist, dass die ganze Schule Gwen für schuldig hält. Gwen weiß, wenn sie lebendig aus dieser Sache raus kommen will muss sie sich selbst da raus holen.Meine Meinung:Wow. Düster war dieser Band im Vergleich zu den vorherigen auf jeden Fall! Und spannend von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite... Ich konnte es einfach nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Man muss schon sagen, hier hat die Autorin sich wirklich einiges einfallen lassen. Doch eine kleine Enttäuschung gab es am Ende doch wieder - wie auch im letzten Band sind hier wieder deutliche Parallelen zu Harry Potter erkennbar, was ich sehr schade finde, da es doch im Grunde bedeutet das ihr nichts Besseres eingefallen ist.

Ok, bisher fand ich den dritten am besten, aber der tritt nun in Konkurenz mit dem vierten Teil.Wahnsinnig spannend, die Einfuehrung der neuen Charaktere gelingt super (ich mag Alexei) und auch die neuen Handlungen der bereits eingefuehrten Charaktere ist genial (Morgan McDougall). Wir erfahren mehr ueber die Plaene der Reaper und Loki und Gwen muss sich erstmal selbst verteidigen bevor die Action richtig losgeht. Warum nur war das Buch so schnell zu Ende und warum muss ich jetzt auf Spartan Frost und Midnight Frost warten? Und hier lohnt sich das Warten definitiv. Die Geschichte fesselt ungemein...Zum Glueck ist es ja nicht zu lange...Beim Buch wieder das uebliche, das Englisch gut verstaendlich, hinten auch wieder nochmal die Erklaerungen wer wer ist und wer was kann...PS: Nyx ist ein echt niedliches Fellknaeuel und Vic ein echter Charakter... Ich bin mal gespannt, ob Nyx noch eine Rolle bekommt...

Book 4 of the Mythos academy. I really enjoy reading all the books from this serie. Jennifer Estep is just a great author.