Midnight Frost, the fifth book in the Mythos Academy series, should feel reassuringly familiar to anyone who has been following this series.In fact, when I picked up this book (an ARC, so I could be rather certain it was a book I hadn't read before and then forgotten about), I had to think a little to make sure that I was actually reading the newest addition to the series, not an earlier volume - so familiar did it feel.
A sense of familiarity can be an excellent thing at times. It's comforting. When you've enjoyed something, getting more of the same is generally great. On the other hand, by the fifth book in a series, I'd wish for something... a bit more. Forward motion, instead of what has basically become the same story in each and every book (Gwen is attacked by Reapers, Gwen fights Reapers, Gwen thinks of Logan, Gwen fights some more Reapers, Gwen is reminded once more that it's her duty to beat Loki and his Reapers).
Fortunately there was just about enough new material to keep me going - a change of venue again as well as some more of Gwen's family background. It didn't make the plot feel fresh as such, but it was enough to keep it fun and enjoyable and to make sure I didn't get bored.
The usual style irritants, which I've complained about in every review I've written for this series, were still there - Gwen's annoying habit of using epithets for her friends ("Oh, Spartan" - seriously, this is getting bad; at least there was only a handful of "the band geek" in this) and the constant explanations what her "Gypsy gift" or her psychometry does. Of course if she suddenly stopped the overuse of epithets or certain words (yes, "froufrou" made an appearance again), at this point that would likely feel jarringly odd and out of character, so I fear I'll have to learn to put up with it.
On the other hand, in spite of being irritating, I do like Gwen and her friends; Vic provides some much-needed snarkiness; Nickamedes continues being my favourite character (do I need to mention I sort of ship him and Gwen? yes, I know how wrong it is and all, but meh, it's more fun than shipping Gwen with Logan); Nyx is cute; the gryphons were cute as well - and it's still fun, fast-food type reading, which makes me look forward to the next book in spite of all the issues I have with the series.
* ARC of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. Thanks!