Review: Frost (Mist, #2)

Author: Kathryn James
Series: Mist, #2
Release date: January 1st 2013
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Paperback, 323 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository


I honestly never thought I’d say this, but Frost is even better than Mist. The stakes are higher, the romance is more intense (although still appropriate for MG readers), and the action is far more exciting.

After spending two months far north, trying to open the iron camps and release their elders, Evan had to return to help the other Elven children, but he is not the lighthearted boy he once was. Watching his parents and hundreds of other Elven waste away in the iron camps changed him, made him mistrustful of all humans, including Nell. During those two months, Nell tried to go back to her usual, everyday life, but a part of her remained with the Elven and especially with Evan. When Star comes to her for help, terrified and panicky, Nell is ready to do anything to save Evan’s world.

She saw shadows start to move on his face, like last time when he’d told her about his family in the iron camp. This time, as he’d told her how cold they’d become, and how they’d walked for days, hardly sleeping, snow formed on his eyelashes and frost on his face.

The harps that are keeping the Elven world alive are slowly going quiet. Without them, there will be no more forest behind the mist, no place the Elven kids can call their own. They would be forced to come to the human world, where they would surely be hunted down by the Watchers and forced into iron camps. There are no adults they can turn to, only Nell and Evan.

This time, the sweetest almost-couple had more than just prejudice and fear to fight – they had to join forces against the cold-hearted ice Elven. A brother and a sister, Loki and Laki, showed up in Nell’s little town and turned Nell’s older sister and her friends into mindless servants. While immune to their powers, Nell was still desperate to protect her sister Gwen.

In Frost, the world around Evan and Nell expanded even more and Kathryn James was really able to let her imagination run wild. When she combined that with her beautiful writing, what resulted was a book that was rich and magical, gentle and more satisfying than any fairy tale.

Nell was even more fierce and daring in this book, and rightfully so. She did achieve the impossible last time after all. Evan, while wounded and traumatized, still kept showing his sweet side, especially around Nell.

All the loose ends were tied in Frost so I don’t think there’ll be another book, but I can hope, right? For someone who doesn’t even read Middle Grade, I’m enjoying this series more than I can put into words.