Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

KILLER FROST was a bittersweet read for me. It's the sixth and final story in the Mythos Academy series and while it is a suitably epic conclusion to the series, I'm sad to see the end of our time with Gwen, Logan, Daphne, Nickamedes, Metis, Vic, and the rest of the characters. And even though I'm not ready to let go of this world and its stories, I have to give credit where it's due: Jennifer Estep has delivered an extremely satisfying final book that is true to the spirit of the series. What more could we want?

Everything in the series has been building to this moment: Gwen facing Loki and her destiny to kill him. She doesn't really know how, things don't look good, and the Reapers have escalated matters by making the fight even more personal than before. The odds are definitely not in Gwen's favour but she still stands by her mission and her friends, even though the situation has become quite ominous. And this is one of the best things about Gwen: she has a lot of inner strength and it has carried her through all of her previous tough spots. The question for KILLER FROST is: How will she fare in this final battle? There's definitely a resolution to the battle between the Reapers and the Protectorate but I'm not going to say which way the story goes without ruining it for you.

There's also resolution for emotional storyline. Gwen and Logan have been rocky and we get to see them try to work through their issues. Again, no spoilers but I will say that their problems are thoroughly explored and that there's a nice degree of realism to their interactions. Everything is raw and on the table, just the way I like it.

Because this is the final chapter in this story, I won't say much more about the plot but I will say that KILLER FROST is a doozy of a story filled with emotional turmoil and incredible action sequences. And it's the emotional stuff that really got to me, in ways I didn't expect. I don't usually get so attached to characters in young adult novels but I was full of the feels in the later parts of KILLER FROST. Definitely not a book to read in public ;)

KILLER FROST is a solid book and a fantastic conclusion to the Mythos Academy series. There's definitely payoff for readers who have been with Gwen since FIRST FROST and I'm sure that you'll be glued to the pages of Gwen's final (for now) adventure.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

 

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by Tynga at Monday, February 24, 2014

 Gods, Jennifer Estep, Kensington, KTeen, Mythos Academy, Netgalley, Review, Urban Fantasy, young adult  2 People left their mark

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Pushed by Corrine Jackson

PUSHED takes place right where book one left off and let me tell you, I was so happy to be back in Remy's world. And while I enjoyed book one, this is a solid sequel that I highly encourage readers to pick up as soon as possible. Jackson is simply incapable of disappointing anyone. With that in mind, this is going to be a rather short review. It's hard to criticize something you don't have anything negative to say about unless you want to go into unnecessary word vomit. Let's not scar such a great author with that!

Remy is still on the hunt to find more information about becoming a healer. She's unique because she has the blood of both a Healer and a Protector inside of her, so she is constantly looking for answers in regards to her capabilities. She is determined to do anything to learn, including going to San Francisco, much against Asher's wishes, to find her grandfather that her mother said would always be there for her. But when is anyone ever able to hold Remy back? Of course her determination gets her to her final destination and Asher's love for her forces him to follow and all sorts of chaos immediately ensue. Seriously, though, we're talking about Remy. You can't hold her back and the chaos in her life is simply an inevitability.

In book one, I really enjoyed the progression of Remy and Asher's relationship, but I have to say that I didn't enjoy the romance in this book at all. Unfortunately, a love triangle has bloomed and it is no secret that love triangles are my poison. While the new love interest certainly adds some new dynamics to the story and has a completely different attitude that freshens things up, I can't say I enjoyed it all that much. I feel as if love triangles where both love interests are in the same family are really there more for induced drama and arguments to keep the plot going instead of anything else. I wish Jackson included a different kind of love interest since this is the route she chose to go.

However, with all of that in mind, I think this book was still a really enjoyable read and fans of Jackson and this series have to continue on to book two! No questions asked, this is a command by yours truly. The plot was fast-paced, the writing was great, and the story really engrossed you. I don't know about any of you, but I've got all of her books in my library back home and I'm diving in once the semester is over. She's that good.

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Corrine Jackson was kind enough to share an excerpt of PUSHED with us. Check it out!

            “Asher, lower your guard.”

            “No, you’re right. That was a reckless idea. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”

            “You weren’t thinking. You were feeling,” I said, moving closer to him. Trust me. Lower your guard, I repeated in my thoughts. And close your eyes.

            He did as I asked.

            “Promise me you’ll stand still,” I whispered.

            He nodded after a slight hesitation. His heartbeat spiked when I laid a palm on his chest. His skin radiated heat, and I wanted to curl into it, but I took a deep breath. One of us had to be in control, so I raised my mental walls, knowing that when I felt this much, Asher could see through them. I opened my mind and let my imagination go, as I closed my eyes, too.

            I pictured myself touching him the way I wished I could without fear of repercussions. I pushed the coat off of his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. My jacket and his T-shirt followed, leaving miles of skin and muscle for me to explore. I inhaled the scent of the woods mixed with that of Asher. In my mind, I placed one of his hands on my shoulder, bare except for the thin strap of a tank top. Then, mimicking what he’d done to me earlier, I trailed my fingers down his forearm, into the crook of his elbow, up his arm, and very lightly down his side.

            Asher’s real-life chest moved under my hand, as he sucked in a deep breath and I smiled. And then the mental version of me grazed her lips across Asher’s cheek to his mouth, sharing a breath with him. The kiss the imaginary me laid on him could have burned down the forest.

            “Remy,” Asher said.

            He sounded tortured, and I let the images fade from my mind, worried he hadn’t liked what I’d pictured. Back in the reality of the forest, we opened our eyes. My hand still rested against the thump, thump, thump of his heart.

            “You’re not the only one who’s frustrated,” I said.

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In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Jackson shared some Valentine's cards for readers to send to their loved ones! I may or may not have used all of these already!

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Giveaway!

 

Corrine Jackson was kind enough to host a giveaway for everyone! Enter below if you are 13 years or older to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out the remaining tour stops here!

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by Tynga at Thursday, February 06, 2014

 Corrine Jackson, Fantasy, giveaway, Guest Post, Kensington, KTeen, Publisher, Review, Sense Thieves, young adult  39 People left their mark

✎

Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

I'm going to preface this review by admitting that I don't read many prequel type novellas. I've read the occasional mid-series novella while waiting for the next full-length novel to come out, but this was my first experience reading a novella before beginning a series. And I kind of wish I hadn't. Don't get me wrong, the story line was alright, albeit brief and choppy feeling. I think the real shortfall in Elemental was trying to use the novella to introduce a complicated relationship set-up between dueling families rather than use the space to build a world for the forthcoming series.

Kemmerer completely skips over the entire Elemental thing and jumps headfirst into what is meant to be a very engrossing romance. But it's so difficult to get to know characters, introduce conflict, and somehow resolve that conflict all while introducing a first time reader to the novel's world all in just 50 pages.

We're told that everyone wants Michael dead - but not why. Cause he's really powerful. Well, okay? But what makes him so powerful? What level of power do others have? What happened that made him special? Is he the only one that has ever been that powerful? I found myself with lots of unanswered questions.

I'm most definitely going to continue on with the full length novels in this series, I feel like Kemmerer did a good job at baiting me to want to know what happens next. I suppose I just would have rather experienced a bit more history and explanation about the world and situation that I was walking into, rather than skipping that and trying to dive into the relational drama right away.



 

 

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by Tynga at Thursday, November 28, 2013

 Brigid Kemmerer, elemental, Kensington, KTeen, Novella November, Paranormal, Purchased, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

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