Spartan Heart (Mythos Academy: Colorado #1)

Spartan Heart by Jennifer Estep

First in the Mythos Academy spin-off series featuring Rory Forseti. The original series features Gwen Frost and should be read first if you care about spoilers. Young adult paranormal.

Its Rorys second hear at the academy and most of the class wont talk to her because of her parents. In the library, her favorite place, Rory hears a voice coming from a sword in a display case. Soon Rory is fighting chimera, and Reapers knowing her sword is cursed.

An engaging adventure from start to finish. Thrilling.

I alternated between and a paperback copy and the audio version. When I heard on the audio clash, clash, bang for the sword fighting, I had to go back to the paperback and see how it was described there. Yep, exactly the same. Kind of amusing.

I will definitely put the rest of this series on my list.

The most important thing if you want to start reading this book according to me: First read the Frost series by Jennifer Estep (about Rory’s cousin Gwen Frost), otherwise that story-arc will be spoiled if you want to return to it later.

I loved the original Frost serie by Jennifer Estep and ever since I heard that she was going to continue the story, I’ve waited for the chance to read it. I loved Rory when she was introduced in one of Gwen’s books. I find her strong, kind, honourable and vulnerable.
I found the story very engaging and since I read her other series to, it was fun to discover the Easter eggs that she hid inside the book.
I loved returning to the Mythos academy world. I found the story to be very engaging. The end battle was really well done and the outcome is quite unexpected.
I found her writing style more descriptive than I remembered from her earlier books, but it didn’t bother me.
I’d advise you to read it if you like reading Young adult, Urban Fantasy and love Mythology.

Spoilers:
There are some elements that reminded me of Gwen’s story:
– Both are orphans, Gwen is raised by her Gran, Rory by her aunt.
– They both have talking swords: Vic and Babs
– Their best friend is a Valkyrie. Daphne and Zo
– They’re both chosen by goddesses: Nike and Sigyn
– Their “boyfriends” both get betrayed by family. Ian by his brother and Logan by his stepmother
– …
And some more.
Luckily, although she’s pointing to Gwen’s story a bit too much for my taste, there are also some elements in which the story feels different and original.
– We’re at a different academy with a different setting
– Rory’s aunt lives on campus
– the griffons
– the adversary is not a God but Covington (Sisyphus) who killed Rory’s parents
– there are different artifacts
– the Midgard team
– the amount of friends is the same, but Zo, Ian and Mateo are quite different from Daphne, Carson and Logan
– Babs is cursed
-…

—
Everything seemed normal, but at Mythos Academy, that was usually when things got the most dangerous.
—

If youve been here awhile, you know Ive mentioned how Mythos Academy is one of my most favorite series ever, time and time again. So it should be no surprise that I absolutely loved Spartan Heart as well! Rory appeared in the last two books of the Mythos Academy series, so you can imagine my excitement when I found out that she was getting her own series! It was the best news ever, and now that I read the book, it did not let me down one bit!

One thing I love about Jennifer Esteps books is how great she is at recapping the events of the previous books. Yes, things can get a bit repetitive if youre reading the books back to back, but in this case, I last read Killer Frost (the last book in the Mythos Academy series) February of 2014! I wanted to re-read Mythos Academy before this one, but there are six books and I never got around to it… and also I wanted to get Spartan Heart inside my brain fast. Lol. Anyway, the recapping of the original series in this books was really helpful! And I feel like you dont have to have read Mythos Academy in order to read this (but why wouldnt you?! Its amazing!), you will still understand whats going on. BUT, be warned, there are spoilers from the original series, so if you did want to read Mythos Academy, its best to do it before this one.

Onto the actual book!

The story itself I really liked. Gwen defeated Loki and his Reapers in the previous series, but those damn Reapers may not be as gone as we initially thought. And now it is up to Rory, Gwens cousin, the stop them. Rory was awesome and I absolutely loved her! I am so glad we get to see her story now! Ever since she was introduced in Mythos Academy, I thought she was a very interesting character. I felt so awful for Rory and what her parents did and how she was treated by the other kids at the school.

—
My parents’ mistakes were their mistakes, not mine, and if the other kids couldn’t understand that and accept me for who I was, then that was their problem, not mine.
—

With an important mission on her hands, new friends, and even a new potential love interest, I legitimately hope things will change for her. For the better.

—
I wanted to do something with my life the way Gwen had. I wanted to do something important. Something that mattered. Something that would aid others.
And maybe, just maybe, something that would help make up for all my parents’ mistakes.
—

Rory is a Spartan, which basically means she has amazing fighting instincts and can literally turn anything into a weapon. Dude, she could probably kill you with a bendy straw, if she wanted! Lol. It was very interesting to see her Spartan abilities in contrast to Gwens psychometry magic, which I had gotten so used to. I really loved exploring her powers, I thought they were amazing, and Rory is just totally kickass! And she is also a very strong character! She overcame things that justthings! I dont want to give any spoilers, but she is just amazing with impressive willpower and I am so, so proud of her for being able to overcome these horrible things that were attempted to be done to her! And I also love how snarky she can be sometimes. Lol.

And Ian, I loved him… once he stopped being a jerk, lol. He was really sweet and his backstory was just awful! He and Rory have more in common than you could imagine. And Ian calling Rory cupcake was super cute! But also, it reminded me of coach Hedge from the Heroes of Olympus and initially I could not stop laughing! But no, it really is cute! And I totally live for the slow-burn romance and the palpable sexual tension between these two!

—
“So you and Ian, huh?” she asked.
I stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ri-i-ight.” She drawled out the word. “You go out and talk to him last night, and now the two of you are being totally awkward and adorable with each other.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I repeated, although I could feel the hot, guilty blush staining my cheeks.
Zoe laughed and waggled her fingers, shooting blue bursts of magic all over the table. “Oh please. You guys are giving off more sparks than I do.”
—

Rorys aunt Rachel was also pretty awesome, especially there at the end with her awesome Spartan skills. And also shes a great cook! Jennifer always includes yummy food in her booksAunt Rachel cooks amazing food, Gwens grandma (from the original Mythos Academy) makes yummy sweets, and Gin Blanco (from Elemental Assassin) owns a freaking BBQ restaurant! I honestly drool every time she describes the food! There was a certain point in this book where she mentioned lasagna, and coincidentally, I had made lasagna the day before, and you bet I had myself a plate after seeing all the yummy descriptions in this book! They always make me hungry, okay? Lol.

And the last character I want to talk about is Gwen. You know, the main character of the original Mythos Academy series. There were so many mentions of her and how she saved the world, and while that was awesome, I also wanted Rory to, I guess, detach herself from her cousin and do things for her, you know?

—
But I was so used to living in the shadow of Gwen Frost, legendary Gypsy girl and warrior supreme, even when she wasn’t around, that I wasn’t quite sure how to step out into the light. But I knew I would find my way.
—

So it was really interesting seeing her character develop from walking in the shadow of Gwen to hopefully, eventually, being her own person. Dont get me wrong, I love Gwen and was very excited to see if she would appear in this book! And she did! She shows up for a little bit and it was amazing! I cannot begin to tell you how freaking excited I was for her cameo! I really loved seeing Rory and Gwen interact and having a heart to heart moment. It was very sweet! But one thing you do have to remember is that this story is not about Gwen. Gwen has done her part and saved the world. This story is about Rory. The focus is on her this time. Which I am totally okay with because I love Rory and I am so glad to be back in this world that I love so much! Im excited to get to know these characters more and see how Rory fairs with this new threat. Because it is her turn to save the world!

[Insert superhero pose here]

So, overall, I absolutely adored Spartan Heart! The climax was amazing and the thing that happened afterward was… wow! And also yay! I love this world, I love the mythology, and the new characters are very likable! I cannot wait for the next book in the series! Also, Babs, was hilarious!

—
“Yeah! Take that, Reaper scum!” Babs called out, proud of the destruction she’d caused.
—

—
Vic and Babs glared at each other, and I got the impression that if they’d had hands, they both would have put up their fists and duked it out over who was making more noise, even though they were being equally loud.
—

P.S. Jennifer also loves to throw in Easter Eggs from her other series, and these are a couple of mentions that I caught:

-Bigtime, New York (setting of her Bigtime series)
-Pork Pit (BBQ restaurant owned by Gin Blanco from the Elemental Assassin series)
-Cloudburst Falls (setting of the Black Blade series).

Hurray for Easter Eggs!

Where do I even start with how much I loved this book? I’ve been a fan of Jennifer Estep for a long, long time. Her books always remind me of favourite, comfy jeans. As soon as I’m in them, I never want to get out. SPARTAN HEART gave me the same feelings. I was reminded of the MYTHOS ACADEMY books and how much fun they were, then got all of that and more in the first book of this spinoff series. The characters were greatI love Rory’s attitude and while it took a little while, I really found myself liking Ian and his seriously tragic backstory–and the story itself moves along at the perfect pace. Tons of action and danger, and a fantastic setup for what I hope will be plenty of future books. This is a great read, the exact kind of book you want to curl up with and read over a weekend. A definite recommend for fans of mythology, YA fantasy, strong female characters, and super fun stories.

I purchased my own copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads’ BYOB January.

The mythological warriors in the Mythos Academy stories offer a welcome reprieve from the myriad of Urban Fantasy vampire and werewolf stories. A spinoff from the original Mythos Academy books, Gwens cousin Rory begins this first Colorado book as a grieving social outcast before finding her place and growing into her potential.

I have to admit that Rory grew on me. Shes a little bit wet and a little bit maudlin at the start of the book. Self pity doesnt look good on anyone and Rory is wallowing at the beginning of her story. But as Rorys confidence grows, she quickly becomes more interesting and more likeable. I like the team around Rory and I look forward to watching the characters and relationships grow as the series progresses.

This is good YA urban fantasy writing. The genre tropes are pretty familiar and there isnt anything particularly remarkable about the story but it is well written. I love Jennifer Esteps adult writing and while this lacks the complexity of her mind blowing Kill the Queen, this is still decent quality YA storytelling with a strong female lead.

My one issue with this book is with Rorys Aunt Rachel. At the start of the story, Rachel is 27 and Rorys new caregiver. Shes described as more of a big sister than a parent. Which makes sense considering the ten year age gap. However, through the rest of the book she comes across as a maternal matron who chaperones school dances and prepares healthy balanced meals. It doesnt work for me. Aunt Rachel is supposed to be younger than Taylor Swift. Shes the same age as Selina Gomez. The domestic maternal thing really, really doesnt work.

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