Short Story Review: Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

SPARTAN FROST (#4.5)
By Jennifer Estep 
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: Kensington 
Pages: 60
Format: e-ARC 
Source: NetGalley (Thank you, Kensington!) 

 

"I'm Logan Quinn, the deadliest Spartan warrior at Mythos Academy. At least I was--until the day I almost killed Gwen Frost.

Professor Metis and Nickamedes say that I'm fine, that Loki and the Reapers don't have a hold on me anymore, but I can't risk it. I can't risk hurting Gwen again. So I'm leaving Mythos and going somewhere far, far away.

I know Gwen wonders what's happening to me, whether I'm safe. I can't tell her, but this is my story. . .

Taking place after the events of the fourth novel, Spartan Frost explores the emotions going through Logan after he realizes the full extent of what was done by his hand. Even with the assurances that he was not at fault, Logan can't escape the doubt. The doubt that he will once again be forced by Reapers to do what he'd done. 

But now, I realized that he was mortal, just like the rest of us - and that he was hurting, just like I was. 

What really stood out to me was that during the novella, Logan's only focus wasn't Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, oh and can't forget, Gwen. He did of course think about her (it would have been weird if didn't considering why he left Mythos in the first place) but he had other concerns, and I liked that. It built character and added to Logan as an individual, as well as to the fact that he's more than just the boyfriend who can kill with the simplest of things. 

So it's come down to this. I will ask myself a small series of questions and answer accordingly, and you can decide from there whether or not you're interested in Spartan Frost. Before anything else though, I would highly recommend the Mythos Academy series as a whole, with it's Norse mythology and captivating characters and story that you will fly through. 

- Is Spartan Frost a crucial read to understand the rest of the story? 

I am currently around slightly more than halfway into the fifth book in the series, Midnight Frost, and so far I see no issues that a reader who had skipped over Spartan Frost would have in terms of not understanding what's going on. The author doesn't expect you to have read Spartan Frost and have the knowledge of what went on, and therefore leaving out information. I think Spartan Frost does a great job at keeping to what a novella was meant to be - extra bonus content that is optional for the reader. 

- Is Spartan Frost only available as an e-book? 

To my knowledge, I don't think Spartan Frost will be in print - whether on it's own or attached to Midnight Frost or any future installments in the series as a bonus. However, if you want a solid confirmation, I'd recommend directly asking the author through twitter, or however method you'd prefer. On the bright side, Spartan Frost is currently less than two dollars, and you are receiving a quick, fun and easy read, as well as more Logan time (and who wouldn't want that?). 

- Is Spartan Frost worth the read? 

I think I pretty much have answered this question throughout the review, and if you couldn't tell, it's a definite yes. But what I think it does best though is hold you off until Midnight Frost releases, or before you can get your hands on a copy, especially since Crimson Frost's ending ended like...that. Though there is a slight possibility that after you finish the mere sixty pages, your want for the fifth book in the series will increase that much more. Overall, Spartan Frost is a nice addition to a fun series, but the books are not without their flaws. Such as whenever a character's name is substituted for their style of magic - this issue is more of encompassing the entire series than Spartan Frost specifically-, such as Amazon or Valkyrie, it sometimes disconnects me from the story. I don't have that bad of a memory that I need to be consistently reminded that Logan Quinn is a Spartan, and I'd like if maybe the reference to a person's magic style rather than their name be reduced. (Except maybe in the case of Logan's nickname for Gwen, because there's a reason for it.) There are cases where it does work, but when characters are just talking, it just seems a little bit...out of place. I do understand that it could very well just be Estep's style, and not everyone will find that slightly irritating, and it's probably just a personal problem. 

4 coffee cups!

**An advance copy of this book was provided  for review. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.**

~♥~

Contact Kaede: 

Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com

Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx