Early Review of Dark Frost (Mythos Academy) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Dark Frost (Mythos Academy)
Classification: Young Adult (Ages 13 and up) Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Format: Paperback, 336 pages
Publisher: Kensington (May 29, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0758266960
ISBN-13: 978-0758266965
Author's Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/

Please note: If you haven't read the first book, stop now or you'll be reading spoilers. To read my review of 'Touch of Frost', the first book in the Mythos Academy series, Click Here. If you haven't read the second book, 'Kiss of Frost' Click Here

When the gods imprisoned Loki, 13 artifacts were used to seal him into his mythological prison. Now only one seal remains--that of the Helheim Dagger. The dagger had been placed into Grace Frost's care before she died, and she'd  hidden it in an undisclosed location. The Reapers have and are diligently searching for the item and will kill anyone who gets in their way. Their latest search has led them to a Crius Coliseum located on the outskirts of Ashville, North Carolina. The Coliseum is a museum dedicated to the members of the Pantheon. During the Chaos War the Pantheon's original members joined forces in an effort to defeat Loki. They'd succeeded, and artifacts and jewelry from the various battles, including the Chaos War, are on display in the museum. Many of them are on loan from Mythos Academy. Several student's and museum employee's lives were lost when the Reapers attacked the museum apparently hoping the dagger would be hidden among the artifacts. One clue was left by the Reapers as to where they think the dagger is and that's a map that had fallen from one of the Reapers grasps. It appears the Reapers believe the Library of Antiquities may hold the ancient artifact. Now the race is on to find the dagger before the Reapers do because if it ever were to fall into the Reaper's hands, Loki would be set free, and it could be the end of the world as we know it--literally.

**************

Gwen has had to learn and deal with a lot of things this past year. The worst being the death of her mom. Finding out her death had not been an accident, like she'd been told, was a shock. In a way she'd blamed herself for her mom's death because if she hadn't seen the memories of her friend's abuse and told her mom, she wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In other words, she wouldn't have been killed. Now she knows if not that day, her mother would have been killed another, for it wasn't a drunk driver that had killed her but Reapers. I think this fact pretty much makes Gwen realize you really can't just walk away for your heritage because the Reapers won't let you.

I love how in each book Gwen learns something new about her psychometry or 'touch magic'. In the last book, she learned she can not only capture a person's memories and feelings, but their fighting skills as well albeit only temporarily. In this book, she once again finds a new use for her magic, but what she can do is quite frightening. Something that shakes her to the core.

The relationship between Gwen and Logan is getting to be a tad bit redundant because I keep thinking they've resolved their issues and then the same issue or new ones seem to pop up and keep them apart. I started to feel a little like an intervention by Sebastion from 'The Little Mermaid' might be needed. Instead of singing the lyrics 'Go On and Kiss the Girl", however, he should sing, 'Go On and Date the Girl'. I mean seriously! lol The latest drama between the two stems from Gwen's confession that she's witnessed a bit of Logan's secrets when she touched him to utilize his fighting skills against the Reapers when they were attacked in the Coliseum. It creates another rift between the two that had me shaking my head and thinking, "Oh no. Here we go again." Logan is not the only friend that seems upset and is avoiding Gwen.

Daphne's Valkyrie magic has finally quickened/manifested. Unfortunately it isn't the power she was hoping for, but it does come in handy when Carson, her boyfriend, receives a fatal wound. Now she has to deal with the fact things aren't going to go the way she planned.What I find interesting about it is that just because a parent possesses a particular power it doesn't necessarily mean their child will inherit it. While we already knew Gwen's family members always tend to have a different type of power then their predecessor, it's interesting to know it can happen with other members of the Myth (my term for all the creatures and people of  mythology and folklore) as well.

Despite the star crossed lover thing going on between Logan and Gwen this is my favorite book in the series so far. I loved the drama created by the search for the Helheim Dagger. I enjoyed how Gwen slowly comes to the realization she may know Loki's Champion, although not well enough to identify her. There is just something oddly familiar about her. I also loved how this story included more of a link to mythology and how it ended in a cliffhanger. Plus, by the end it looks like things may have finally been resolved between Gwen and Logan so maybe Sebastion won't be needed. *chuckle* Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. There was plenty of action, drama, and twists to keep me wondering what would happen next. I look forward 'Crismson Frost', the next in the series, when it comes out in 2013.