Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2)

Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/review-kiss-of-frost-by-jennifer-estep/

The cover of this book is so pretty! (Sorry, I love snow–which is highly uncommon down here in Louisiana.) I like it the most out of the four covers in the series released so far. (In my opinion, Crimson Frost looks the worst. Cringe.)

Anyway. Though Kiss of Frost had much of the same cons that its prequel did, I did enjoy it more. Time to insert a list.

The cons. (Might as well get the bad stuff out the way first.)

1. Once again, I was bothered by how predictable the story was. As soon as I met the guy (or girl!), I knew he (or she) was the Reaper. Call it bibliophile’s instinct, but I knew, right off the bat. It’s a cliché move, actually. And the predictability here was even worse than in the prequel.

2. There was a lot of repeating. Gwen continually explained the things we learned in the first book–like, the statues on the campus. It would certainly have been helpful if it had been a while since I’d read the first book, but I practically read Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost back to back. So it was exhausting to read the same things over and over. I know that most authors aren’t sure if they should recap, so it isn’t a big deal, but my suggestion is that if they want to recap, they should do it in a prologue. That way, readers can choose to skip it if they’d like.

3. The character development, once again. Gwen’s being stupid again for missing who the Reaper was, but she might have gotten slightly less stupid. Or made an attempt at being slightly less stupid. However, I still think Gwen’s too absorbed in being poorer than her classmates. She’s also quite whiny about her mom’s death. And she’s quite absorbed in Logan Quinn, but who can blame her for that? Logan’s also pretty one-dimensional again, but thankfully we finally had a taste of what’s been causing him so much grief.

The pros:

1. Plot twist that I totally didn’t expect. Obviously, I can’t say much, but let’s just say that things mentioned in the first book might not necessarily have been true.

2. The romance. Sure, it’s clichéd, but I can never stop myself from smiling at the cute and swoon-worthy moments. Logan’s HOT, so it’s not like I can help it.

3. Vic. THAT SWORD. Oh, he cracks me up.

4. A certain amazing Fenrir wolf. I don’t have a pet, but I’ve been dying to get a puppy since the beginning of time. Sure, Fenrir wolves are probably twenty times as big as a little puppy, but I WANT ONE.

In other words… Did I like Kiss of Frost? Yes, but the series still hasn’t really impressed me yet. I need a big BAM–something that knocks me off my feet. However, I did like Kiss of Frost more than its prequel, so I hope the pattern continues with the next book, Dark Frost.

Source: Paperback won from giveaway

Kiss of Frost picks right up where the first book ends, and you are instantly hurtled into a steamy love triangle. Logan can’t make up his mind about what (or who) he wants and Gwen’s feelings for the Spartan have only grown stronger. Poor girl. She’s an emotional, conflicted mess. Luckily for her, there is a big winter carnival approaching that offers the promise of fresh meat in the love department, or at least that’s what her BFF promises… and Daphne always delivers on her promises.
Gwen is instantly drawn to the dreamy Preston. He is gorgeous and exactly what she needs to get her mind off Logan. Everything is going well in that area too, until someone tries to kill her. Four times! The winter carnival suddenly loses its appeal, and the fancy-schmancy ski resort becomes a death trap.
The same enticing romance factor in the first book, Touch of Frost, is found on every page in Kiss of Frost. There is no disappointment in that department. There was even a nice amount of action. Again, I sniffed out the villain early on, but it was ok. It didn’t take away from the story. I still enjoyed my reading. I was fairly satisfied with the ending of this book. There was a nice hook that left me desperate for the third book (thank you NetGalley!).
The only thing that did bother me about the book is that I found myself experiencing déjà vu a lot as I read. I understand that authors have to give a certain amount of back story in each book, just in case someone starts the series without reading the first book. However, getting the sense of reading the exact same lines and phrases over and over made me feel like I was in that movie Groundhog Day. It became tiresome. (Unfortunately, it still occurs in book 3!) That would be my one major gripe about the series. I found myself scanning pages of text because I knew exactly what they were going to say because I read it all in the first book.
I really am enjoying this series, so I recommend it. The mythology element isn’t as high in this one as the first. Or, at least it’s not as “fresh” this time around. We do meet a few more characters that become vital to the story line and see others undergo shocking changes. (Still wondering what that’s about.)