ARC Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

I think I have struck gold when it comes to finding great mythology books. This is another book you guys wouldn't want to miss!

Title: Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep
Pages: 336
Release Date: July 26th 2011
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Source: Author (thanks, Jennifer!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

Gwen Frost is a gypsy who possesses the gift of psychometry. She can pick up emotions and memories once she touches anything or anyone. After the tragic death of her mother, Gwen enrolled in Mythos Academy, as her grandmother decided it was time for her to learn how to use her powers. In a school filled with countless descendants of Gods and Goddesses, how can a gypsy fit in? Things changed when Gwen saw a schoolmate murdered, and she was the only one who cared enough to find out who the killer was. Amidst trying to figure out what happened, her paths keep on crossing with the dangerous Logan Quinn, the hottest and deadliest Spartan descendant there is, and Gwen slowly learns that her being in Mythos Academy is just part of a bigger picture, one that involves unleashing an ancient evil, which she has to stop.

I have not read any of Jennifer Estep's books, but you can tell just how well versed she is with writing dark, urban fantasy books, and Touch of Frost is no exception. Readers are introduced to Gwen, greatly flawed but nevertheless a shy, capable character. I think Gwen is a fascinating character to read because she wasn't pretending to be all strong. She knew she was born different, and that she isn't really a warrior, but she makes use of what she has instead of complaining about it. In a sea of superficial, shallow people, Gwen shines because she is what she is, simple. Maybe too simple and too humble, but very likable.

Logan is the total opposite of Gwen. As a Spartan, fighting is in his blood, and he embraces who he is, proud of his heritage and what he can do. He comes off as a strong character, compared to Gwen who is withdrawn and a bit shy, Logan is like a force to reckon with. I love how he just seems to affect Gwen, and it's cute how they keep on bumping into each other, like they were somehow meant to be together. He is surprisingly gentle and not as persuasive, considering his "manwhore" image, when it comes to dealing with Gwen. This Spartan is still hiding a lot of secrets, and it would be a delight to read more of him in the book.

I love the secondary character in a Touch of Frost. Truthfully, Gwen would not be as interesting a main lead were it not for her interactions with Carson, and especially with Daphne. The Valkyrie became her friend and no matter how reluctant she was at first, she became a great friend to Gwen. The rest of the teens in Mythos Academy is like in any other high school, with cliques and queen bees and jocks, only this time, they have powers and they're part of a war between Good and Evil, of the impending Chaos War and of the battle between Nike and Loki.

Again, I am extremely frustrated with how the romance went in this book. I think Gwen is very brave to admit that she feels something for Logan, but I just hate it when the guy saves your life and ignores you the next minute. I thought girls were supposed to be the one with volatile emotions, but Logan beats all of them in this book. I love rooting for people to be together, and Gwen and Logan needs to be together soon!

Jennifer Estep has a knack for great world building. Mythos Academy came alive through the magic of her words, and it made the reading experience a lot more enjoyable. Readers imagination will fly freely through Jennifer's writing, and you can just imagine Mythos Academy, the Valkyries, the Spartans and the Reapers in vivid detail, thanks to Jennifer's rich and detailed writing.

You definitely wouldn't want to miss this book when it comes out! Grab a copy when you get the chance!

WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK BY ENTERING MY CONTEST HERE.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:

Gwen is so gorgeous!

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Estep Guest Post + Touch of Frost Giveaway! (Intl)

Hi everyone! Today we are hosting Jennifer Estep, author of Touch of Frost on our blog where she'll be talking about the importance of world building in a book. Her YA novel comes out in a week! Please help us welcome Jennifer on our blog, and if you have any questions for her, please feel free to leave her a comment!

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How important is world building to a story?

JE: World building is always important in a story, no matter what genre you’re writing in. You always want to transport readers to another place, whether it’s a small town, an alien planet, or a medieval castle. You want to make folks feel like they are right there in the story with your characters, having a burger and fries at the local diner; or exploring a hot, muggy, tropical rainforest; or even feeling their toes go numb as they trudge through a mountain blizzard. You want people to connect with your characters, and bringing your world to life is one way to help do that.

However, I would say that world building is a little more important when you’re writing a fantasy/sci-fi book. Readers who enjoy those genres expect to see a lot of magic, sorcery, science, technology, etc. You have to create a world where those things are possible, and then make readers feel like they are in the middle of your world, whatever and wherever it is.

While you were writing Touch of Frost, did you already have an idea in mind for a setting/location for Mythos Academy or did you have to do some research for it?

JE: The great thing about writing fantasy is that you get to create your own world. I didn’t really do any research about the setting/location. I knew that I wanted Mythos Academy to be a private/boarding type of school with a Southern, mountainous setting, so I came up with Cypress Mountain, my fictional suburb that’s supposedly near Asheville, North Carolina.

After that, it was just a matter of deciding what sort of buildings the academy needed and how I could use the buildings and their descriptions to give the whole campus a dark, creepy, mythological feel.

Is Mythos Academy patterned or inspired by any building/structure you've visited or come across?

JE: No, the academy isn’t really patterned on any specific building. But several years ago, I visited the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee, which I thought had some really cool architecture. Visiting the Parthenon reminded me how much I’ve always liked mythology and made me think that it would be fun to write a mythology-based story someday. And now, I have.

How do you decide what to include in your description of Mythos Academy (buildings, etc)? Was it difficult to write Mythos Academy at all?

JE: It wasn’t too hard for me to dream up the academy. Since it’s a school setting, I knew that there needed to be some school-type buildings, so I designed an upper quad where students spend most of their time. The quad features five buildings – the Library of Antiquities, the dining hall, the gym, the math-science building, and the English-history building.

Basically, these buildings tie in with everything that students would normally do, as well as some things that only the Mythos kids do. These buildings give students a place to eat (the dining hall); a place to go to classes (English-history and math-science); a place to train with weapons (the gym); and a place to study and socialize after classes (the library). There are also student dorms on campus, along with some other outbuildings.

I decided to use these buildings because I thought I could stage a lot of different scenes in and around the various buildings – everything from Gwen weapons training with the other students in the gym to her wandering through the library to her walking across campus late at night.

Complete this: Mythos Academy would cease to exist if _____ is missing. (Can be a person, place, an object, etc.)

JE: The Library of Antiquities. The library is a seven-story tall building with towers, parapets, and balconies. Gwen says it looks like something out of an old, Gothic horror movie. The library is also covered with statues of mythological creatures like gryphons, gargoyles, dragons, chimeras, and more, which adds to the creepiness factor. Inside, the library features hundreds of thousands of books, along with glass cases that contain artifacts that have been used by various gods, goddesses, heroes, and more – things like armor, weapons, jewelry, etc. There are also marble statues of gods and goddesses on the second floor balcony of the library.

The Library of Antiquities definitely the centerpiece of the academy and where a lot of the action in all the books in the series takes place. It’s also a place where the kids can Hang Out and Be Seen, as Gwen puts it.

Any advice for writers on how to effectively build worlds for their books?

JE: I think you just have to think about your story, your characters, and go with your instincts. What do you want your setting to be? How will it impact your characters and the overall story? Where are the places that your characters are likely to interact? What can you do to make these places special, interesting, unique, and memorable? How can you give a house or restaurant or graveyard a distinct look, feel, and personality of its own and make it almost become another character in your story?

Those are some of the things that folks might think about when it comes to world building. Also, you don’t have to go overboard on the description of a house, restaurant, etc. Small, subtle touches here and there can really add up and give your world/book a lot of atmosphere and personality.

Happy reading, everyone! ;-)

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

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