boeklogboek: Jennifer Estep

The third book in the Mythos Academy series, published June 1, 2012.
Genre: YA urban fantasy

I've seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I'm supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I'm just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me--again.
Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects--and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I'm also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?
It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can't use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me--and I'm in for the fight of my life.

Yes, you are correct, I have been reading YA! Gasp! If I really enjoy the adult books written by someone, I do try out the YA books as well. And so far, I have really enjoyed those Mythos Academy books. Yes, some teen angst, but so far no real love triangle. But also cool mythology and fighting.

Gwen Frost is a Gypsy, but not in the mundane sense of the word. She has the psychic power of psychometry, when she touches things or people, she can sense memories left behind. She uses it to make some money finding stuff for her mega rich schoolmates. Most of them are the descendants of warriors, Amazons, Valkyries, Vikings, Ninja’s, Spartans and more. As their parents before them, they are at the Mythos Academy to learn how to fight the Reapers of Chaos. The Reapers are the bad guys, no one knows who they are, and they could even be family members. Their goal is to bring the god Loki back into the world and slaughter as many of the Pantheon and its warriors as they can, to put the world back into Chaos, as that is Loki’s domain. The children are kind of spoiled, as they are not unfamiliar with death and fighting, and most of them have lost family or other lost ones to the Reapers.
Gwen has recently lost her mother, and her beloved grandmother has since put her in the Mythos Academy. Here she is learning about her own inheritance, about her mother and about being the Champion of the Goddess Nike, the Greek goddess of Victory, and Loki’s biggest enemy.
In the previous book, Nike has asked Gwen to find the lost Helheim dagger, which her mother hid years ago. The Reapers are after it, as they need it to free Loki from his prison. So Gwen has used Winter Break to study up on the dagger and where it could be hidden. So far no one has found it. She still hasn’t done her homework though, and tomorrow school starts again. So with her friends Logan, Daphne and Carson, they set out for the Crius Coliseum to study the artefacts on display and write a paper about it. But just when they have entered the weapons room and are admiring some of the cool weapons inside, all hell breaks loose in the central hall. Reapers have entered! And they are busy killing the other kids and staff, and destroying everything in their path. Gwen and her friends have no choice but to fight them or die with their friends. So, warriors in training, of course they fight! But the horrible thing for Gwen is, she recognizes the Reaper in the lead as the one who killed her mother! And with that, all reason leaves her and she just wants revenge. She is too angry to channel Logan’s fighting skills again, and the Reaper girl, who is obviously a Valkyrie, totally wipes the floor with her and her sentient sword, Vic. But when her friends start winning their fights, the Reaper girl flees the scene, dropping a piece of paper she leaves behind when retrieving it would give Gwen the edge needed.

Some of the children, fellow classmates and students are dead, but most are severely wounded and will live. But the destruction is enormous, and Gwen’s grandmother comes to pick up Gwen and Daphne to stay the last night at home. Gwen can’t sleep though, and she goes to the attic to search through the last box of her mothers belongings, to find a clue as to where the dagger can be hidden. Instead of a clue she finds her mothers diary. And with that, it is just like her mother is back with her, and Gwen really feels the loss. Still, she needs to read it.

Gwen also wants to know where her relationship with Logan is going, they did share that one amazing kiss in the last book, and she is so totally in love with him. But Logan is keeping a dark secret he doesn’t want Gwen to find out about, and if they will be touching, she is bound to find out through her gift eventually. And when everything seems to go wrong for Gwen, Daphne and Logan leaving her, she finds a new/old friend, the Fenrir Wolf has come to find her. And against all the rules, she smuggles the giant wolf into her dormroom. The wolf is pregnant, but something doesn’t seem to be allright with her. But Gwen has no time to dwell on things, as a lot of bad stuff suddenly happens.

I really enjoyed this book, and just when I was ready to close it to go to bed on time, the action really started, and I just could not stop reading anymore. So, I stayed up too long, and finished the book. Of which I really cannot be sorry. Jennifer Estep has written another really good book, filled with great characters and great action. Awesome world building, lots of mythology from all cultures, and creepy statues that feel totally lifelike. But there is plenty of room for emotions in here as well: grief, joy, tears and doubt and love. I did cry a few times reading this, which makes it a good read.

I you like YA paranormal romance / urban fantasy, do try this series, you won’t regret it.

9 stars.