Review: Killer Frost

KILLER FROST
Mythos Academy #6
Jennifer Estep
Paranormal Young Adult
384 pages
Kensington Teen
Available Now
Source: ARC from author for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
I’ve battled the Reapers of Chaos before–and survived. But this time I have a Bad, Bad Feeling it’s going to be a fight to the death … most likely mine.

Yeah, I’ve got my psychometry magic, my talking sword, Vic–and even the most dangerous Spartan on campus at my side, in Logan freaking Quinn, but I’m no match for Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos. I may be Nike’s Champion, but at heart, I’m still just Gwen Frost, that weird Gypsy girl everyone at school loves to gossip about.

Then someone I love is put in more danger than ever before, and something inside me snaps. This time, Loki and his Reapers are going down for good … or I am.

MY THOUGHTS
Killer Frost is a story we enter into with both excitement and sadness, adrenaline pumping from the beginning in expectation of the battle with Loki we know is coming, but at the same time our hearts beat heavily in our chests with the understanding that each page turned brings us one step closer to saying goodbye to these characters. Ms. Estep is someone we know isn’t afraid of death in her books–the uncomfortable possibility that not everyone will make it to the bitter end a constant companion throughout–but though we’re a swirling mass of nerves from page one to three hundred, Ms. Estep never fails to entertain and thoroughly satisfy.

Gwen has been a joy to follow through this series, growing with each installment into a young women of unwavering loyalty and determination who, along with her friends, is first into a fight in defense of those she cares about. For much of the first half of this book, Gwen is a touch more isolated than she has been previously, the weight of all that’s expected of her bearing down on her young shoulders and causing her to turn inward rather than reach out for support. Though such an action may sound like it would be frustrating, given all that’s happened to her and all she’s facing it’s a more than understandable response, and we simply can’t imagine we would do anything other than the same were we in her shoes. Before Gwen’s self-imposed emotional isolation can drag on too long and tip the scales in favor of the aforementioned frustration however, her friends rise up in the way best friends do and force their way through the shields she’d snapped into place.

While all the previous installments had a strong emotional element to them, whether it was the extremely tense romance between Gwen and Logan, Gwen’s memories of her late mother, or the sometimes rocky relationship she had with the students of Mythos, this final book eases up on the emotional connection between reader and characters in favor of focusing on the final showdown with Loki. Though not a big enough flaw to influence our overall reaction to Killer Frost, we can’t help but miss the tug on our heartstrings that’s accompanied every book before it, wishing for just the tiniest bit more from that aspect of the story.

Where Ms. Estep truly shines in this last book though is in the crafting of the battle scenes, creating heart pounding action at every turn without ever losing us as readers in the clash of swords or the swing of fists. The battle with Loki is appropriately epic and hard-fought for the amount of build-up from book one, giving us dark moments and breathless moments, but beautifully weaving threads of hope through them all to make sure we keep fighting with Gwen and company every step of the way. Overall, Killer Frost is a thrilling conclusion to the Mythos Academy series, and I can’t wait to see what new world and set of characters Ms. Estep has in store for us next.

Rating: 4/5
 

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This book was sent to me by the author  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.