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disconightwing's review against another edition
5.0
Jack: The Tale of Frost is the sequel to last year’s Claus: Legend of the Fat Man and is honestly probably even better. Maybe that’s because this one focuses on my favorite character from the first, Jack. Jack is… Jack reminds me of Loki, really. And I honestly mean that as a compliment.
Mr. Frost is a mysterious elven living in South Carolina. He employs a small group of people and a whole mess of helpers, and the novel begins when his newest recruit, Sura, shows up at the plantation for her first day of work. She meets Joe, to whom she feels an unexplainable attraction. Meanwhile, simultaneously, we hear of Jack, who’s living in a homeless shelter.
This is really more Sura’s story than any other characters, though that doesn’t mean that the other characters didn’t have a lot of personality. The director of the homeless shelter, for instance, even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, had a lot of personality for the time he had on the page.
I couldn’t read this as a mystery. It was kind of funny, because I didn’t keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s pretty easy to figure out. I kept turning pages because I got sucked in. I wanted to see how it would all play out, and what exactly would happen with Sura and company. It was a really well-written book.
I don’t necessarily know that you’d have to read Claus to enjoy this one, but I feel like knowing what happened in Claus really enhanced this story. This isn’t really a feel-good type of Christmas story where Scrooge finally learns to love by watching Tiny Tim or whatever. There are traditional Christmas elements, sure. But this is a Christmas story in the same way that Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it happens to be my favorite. It has a Christmas tree, it counts).
The ending of this book was kind of horrifying and very well done. It made me think. And it made me wonder. The plot element aside, I was impressed with the author’s ability to take all of the loose threads (and it seemed like there were many!) and tie them all up in the end. I read this quickly, but it wasn’t a book I could have skimmed through and still understood.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion and that didn’t influence my review in any way. There were some typos in my copy, but I was warned about that in advance, and for that reason was able to look past them and still enjoy the story.
Mr. Frost is a mysterious elven living in South Carolina. He employs a small group of people and a whole mess of helpers, and the novel begins when his newest recruit, Sura, shows up at the plantation for her first day of work. She meets Joe, to whom she feels an unexplainable attraction. Meanwhile, simultaneously, we hear of Jack, who’s living in a homeless shelter.
This is really more Sura’s story than any other characters, though that doesn’t mean that the other characters didn’t have a lot of personality. The director of the homeless shelter, for instance, even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, had a lot of personality for the time he had on the page.
I couldn’t read this as a mystery. It was kind of funny, because I didn’t keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s pretty easy to figure out. I kept turning pages because I got sucked in. I wanted to see how it would all play out, and what exactly would happen with Sura and company. It was a really well-written book.
I don’t necessarily know that you’d have to read Claus to enjoy this one, but I feel like knowing what happened in Claus really enhanced this story. This isn’t really a feel-good type of Christmas story where Scrooge finally learns to love by watching Tiny Tim or whatever. There are traditional Christmas elements, sure. But this is a Christmas story in the same way that Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it happens to be my favorite. It has a Christmas tree, it counts).
The ending of this book was kind of horrifying and very well done. It made me think. And it made me wonder. The plot element aside, I was impressed with the author’s ability to take all of the loose threads (and it seemed like there were many!) and tie them all up in the end. I read this quickly, but it wasn’t a book I could have skimmed through and still understood.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion and that didn’t influence my review in any way. There were some typos in my copy, but I was warned about that in advance, and for that reason was able to look past them and still enjoy the story.
vixenchick's review against another edition
5.0
I can't figure out if I liked this one or Claus better. These are amazing books with a darker side to them. The story line kept me guessing and I even skipped my TV shows to read these. One minute, you hate Jack, then the next, you feel bad for him. Little by little the story came out about the characters. I love Mr. Bertauski's style and can't wait to read more of his books.
vixenchick's review
5.0
I can't figure out if I liked this one or Claus better. These are amazing books with a darker side to them. The story line kept me guessing and I even skipped my TV shows to read these. One minute, you hate Jack, then the next, you feel bad for him. Little by little the story came out about the characters. I love Mr. Bertauski's style and can't wait to read more of his books.
4gdad's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
booknallnight's review
4.0
This has been on my list for a long time. I loved the first one and this was just as fun to read. A darker Christmas tale but with all the goodness, love and happy endings expected.
dodau's review
3.0
Second in the series and better than the first. Has Jack survived or is someone using his name.
melaniebopp's review
4.0
I received a copy of this ebook for review from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Last year I read Claus: Legend of the Fat Man about this time of year, and found it an interesting take on the Santa Claus mythos. The author has done even more with the idea in Jack: The tale of Frost. Instead of focusing on the elven culture of the North Pole, we take a look at the elven Pawn, now going by Mr. Frost, in South Carolina. He has built an estate, underneath which is a toy factory, churning out toys and presents for Christmas, building a fortune on the commercialization of the holiday. But with the profits, he's working on a secret project, a project that has, quite surprisingly, escaped.
Then we have Sura, a 16-year-old girl at a local high school who recently lost her mother. She gets a job working a few hours after school at Mr. Frost's estate, specifically helping in the house and grounds. But on those grounds, she meets a guy about her age who seems just as interested in her as she is in him. But her resemblance to her mother and his to his father is beyond normal, and there is something more than just your average genetics going on.
There are a lot of characters to this story, and each of them have a personality - it's definitely interesting to see all the interactions. Everything felt real, which was great. It is such a strange story, and I found it fascinating. The story moves quickly, and is definitely a fast read.
I would definitely recommend this story, especially as a holiday read.
Last year I read Claus: Legend of the Fat Man about this time of year, and found it an interesting take on the Santa Claus mythos. The author has done even more with the idea in Jack: The tale of Frost. Instead of focusing on the elven culture of the North Pole, we take a look at the elven Pawn, now going by Mr. Frost, in South Carolina. He has built an estate, underneath which is a toy factory, churning out toys and presents for Christmas, building a fortune on the commercialization of the holiday. But with the profits, he's working on a secret project, a project that has, quite surprisingly, escaped.
Then we have Sura, a 16-year-old girl at a local high school who recently lost her mother. She gets a job working a few hours after school at Mr. Frost's estate, specifically helping in the house and grounds. But on those grounds, she meets a guy about her age who seems just as interested in her as she is in him. But her resemblance to her mother and his to his father is beyond normal, and there is something more than just your average genetics going on.
There are a lot of characters to this story, and each of them have a personality - it's definitely interesting to see all the interactions. Everything felt real, which was great. It is such a strange story, and I found it fascinating. The story moves quickly, and is definitely a fast read.
I would definitely recommend this story, especially as a holiday read.
tracisbooks's review
5.0
Jack: The Tale of Frost is the sequel to last year’s Claus: Legend of the Fat Man and is honestly probably even better. Maybe that’s because this one focuses on my favorite character from the first, Jack. Jack is… Jack reminds me of Loki, really. And I honestly mean that as a compliment.
Mr. Frost is a mysterious elven living in South Carolina. He employs a small group of people and a whole mess of helpers, and the novel begins when his newest recruit, Sura, shows up at the plantation for her first day of work. She meets Joe, to whom she feels an unexplainable attraction. Meanwhile, simultaneously, we hear of Jack, who’s living in a homeless shelter.
This is really more Sura’s story than any other characters, though that doesn’t mean that the other characters didn’t have a lot of personality. The director of the homeless shelter, for instance, even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, had a lot of personality for the time he had on the page.
I couldn’t read this as a mystery. It was kind of funny, because I didn’t keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s pretty easy to figure out. I kept turning pages because I got sucked in. I wanted to see how it would all play out, and what exactly would happen with Sura and company. It was a really well-written book.
I don’t necessarily know that you’d have to read Claus to enjoy this one, but I feel like knowing what happened in Claus really enhanced this story. This isn’t really a feel-good type of Christmas story where Scrooge finally learns to love by watching Tiny Tim or whatever. There are traditional Christmas elements, sure. But this is a Christmas story in the same way that Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it happens to be my favorite. It has a Christmas tree, it counts).
The ending of this book was kind of horrifying and very well done. It made me think. And it made me wonder. The plot element aside, I was impressed with the author’s ability to take all of the loose threads (and it seemed like there were many!) and tie them all up in the end. I read this quickly, but it wasn’t a book I could have skimmed through and still understood.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion and that didn’t influence my review in any way. There were some typos in my copy, but I was warned about that in advance, and for that reason was able to look past them and still enjoy the story.
Mr. Frost is a mysterious elven living in South Carolina. He employs a small group of people and a whole mess of helpers, and the novel begins when his newest recruit, Sura, shows up at the plantation for her first day of work. She meets Joe, to whom she feels an unexplainable attraction. Meanwhile, simultaneously, we hear of Jack, who’s living in a homeless shelter.
This is really more Sura’s story than any other characters, though that doesn’t mean that the other characters didn’t have a lot of personality. The director of the homeless shelter, for instance, even though he wasn’t one of the main characters, had a lot of personality for the time he had on the page.
I couldn’t read this as a mystery. It was kind of funny, because I didn’t keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s pretty easy to figure out. I kept turning pages because I got sucked in. I wanted to see how it would all play out, and what exactly would happen with Sura and company. It was a really well-written book.
I don’t necessarily know that you’d have to read Claus to enjoy this one, but I feel like knowing what happened in Claus really enhanced this story. This isn’t really a feel-good type of Christmas story where Scrooge finally learns to love by watching Tiny Tim or whatever. There are traditional Christmas elements, sure. But this is a Christmas story in the same way that Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it happens to be my favorite. It has a Christmas tree, it counts).
The ending of this book was kind of horrifying and very well done. It made me think. And it made me wonder. The plot element aside, I was impressed with the author’s ability to take all of the loose threads (and it seemed like there were many!) and tie them all up in the end. I read this quickly, but it wasn’t a book I could have skimmed through and still understood.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion and that didn’t influence my review in any way. There were some typos in my copy, but I was warned about that in advance, and for that reason was able to look past them and still enjoy the story.
suzrobinson1's review
4.0
Jack: The Tale of Frost is a sequel to Claus: Legend of a Fat Man. It picks up the story after the first one ended but with a different set of main characters. The story was easy to follow along with and melded quite well with the first one. Who would think that by the end you want to root for the bad guy? I heard that there was going to be a third story to the series and it is one I will definitely keep my eyes out for.
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