Frost

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This has in no way affected my review.When I first heard about Frost being published by Patchwork Press, I was 99% over the moon. But a little part of me was concerned. Frost, as it is on story platform site Wattpad, needed serious editing - by Erin's own admission. How much of it would have to be changed? My hope was that the core of what attracted 10.5 million reads would be left untouched. I shouldn't have wasted my time worrying. This is a better version, more concise and tuned, and more reflective of Erin as a writer now, that 4 years ago when the story was first written. It's not without its flaws but overall, this is a story I will continue to come back to time and time again.If I haven't mentioned it already at some point here, I love mythology. Greek, Roman, Celtic...whatever. I especially love Norse, and no, not because of the Avengers (although...come on. Also great). What I like about Frost is its spin on the old Norse legends. The mixture of classic mythology and Latimer's own take make it a fantasy YA with an interesting edge - not just fun, but smart. I would love to see her develop those threads in the stories that follow a little deeper.Character wise, Megan is a likeable heroine. She doesn't have a clue to begin with, which I find realistic and endearing, and then she works hard to adapt and better herself. She has emotive memories to help a little with the sword fighting but for the most part, I feel like it's her character that really makes her the leader that everyone looks too. She's funny too! Loki...well, I'm a sucker for curly haired guys with cheeky grins and Loki fits that bill perfectly. I love his dynamic with Megan and how - although there is an instant attraction - their relationship is not straight forward and there is always that element of ambiguity about him. All the supporting cast feel fully fleshed out, rather than bystanders, but Latimer's real strength lies in how she constructs her villains. A good villain is always more interesting to read about in my opinion and Queen Eira and her twisted control of Jotunheim is so beautifully done, that you both pity her and despise her.I did have a slight issue with the first few opening chapters, which are the weakest part of the novel in pace and tone. I think the beginning was definitely different and fleshed out from the original, but I'd liked to have seen more of a realistic time progression - it seemed to all come to a head within a very short space of time and that felt a tad unrealistic to me. That being said, although Latimer takes a little while to get the story going (after an exciting first chapter), once it's there, she doesn't give out until the very last page. Having read other work by Erin, I can say that keeping you on the edge of your seat with an action packed story, is definitely a strength of hers and Frost is no exception.Overall, I loved the feeling of nostalgia that came from reading this novel. It's a good fantasy rollick, with strong characters you can root for, romance you can get behind and suspense that will keep you reading into the early hours of the morning. It has a magic about it that (ironically) gives me warm feelings of coming home. It's a YA in terms of violence and the occasional swear, but older MG readers could definitely get into this with no issue. Aside from the slower pace at the beginning and a few inconsistencies, I believe this will please both old fans of the novel and new!

Beautifully written and totally engaging story.

Title: FrostAuthor: E LatimerFrom: NetgalleyGenre: Fantasy, LegendsRelease Date: 25th August 2015Challenges: 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, Summer COYER 2016, 2016 Blogger ShameLinks: Goodreads - AmazonSynopsis (from Goodreads): Megan Walker’s touch has turned to ice. She can’t stop the frost, and the consequences of her first kiss are horrifying. When her new powers attract attention, Megan finds herself caught up in an ancient war between Norse giants. One side fuelled by a mad queen’s obsession and an ancient prophecy about Ragnarök, the other by an age-old grudge. Both sides believe Megan to be something she’s not. Both sides will stop at nothing to have her. Fire or frost. It’s an impossible decision, but she’ll have to act soon, because the storm is coming.In the interest of complete honesty I came close to DNFing Frost, not because it was bad but because I ended up feeling a little bored. I didn't really connect with the main character, Megan, and that made the book a little slow going for me. The concept was interesting though, and I feel like a sequel would have good potential after the ending of this book.I liked that there was a central female friendship in this one, and that Megan would do anything to protect and stand up for her friend. On the one hand the bond between Megan and Charlotte did seem to spring up rather quickly, but after the incident at the hotel, I actually thought their bond worked well.There was kind of a love triangle, though I don't think there was any doubt which way Megan really went for it (though I'm surprised that Amora didn't have more influence the other way, a comment that will make no sense if you haven't read the book!) In this case though the guys are complete opposites, down to being ice and fire kind of thing.The Jotun (giants of the Frost or Fire variety) were interesting and I liked the way that their society was described. It's less than perfect finish made it an interesting part of the story, though I honestly did kind of expect there to be a little bit more mythology and legends coming into play, but again this could become more apparent in a sequel.Parts of Frost were interesting, and I kept reading hoping that something would really grab my attention. While not a bad read, it just lacked a little something for me.