Review: Seasons of Chaos

Seasons of Chaos

Written by: Elle Cosimano

HarperCollins

2022

Seasons of Chaos delves deeper into Greek mythology and delivers an explosive ending to the story of Jack and Fleur.

When I first read Seasons of the Storm, I thought it was a brilliant retelling of Jack Frost, delving into Greek mythology and the tale of Gaia and Chronos. That book had a solid ending, so I was a little surprised to discover a sequel. I loved Seasons of the Storm so much that I needed to read this book. However, while enjoyable, reading it did feel very superfluous.

Gripping Story

My biggest issue with Seasons of Chaos is that while I enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed returning to the world of these characters, and it felt superfluous and predictable.

Doug is one of our new POVs and our villain. He was a guard in the first book. He worked with Chronos in the old regime and was a fan of it. Doug hates Jack and everything he has done to undermine the old regime and help create a new one.

So when he has the chance to become the new Chronos and takes it while enhancing his own magic with another element I do not wish to spoil here, I thought that was an interesting aspect of the story.

I wanted to know a little bit more about Doug and his backstory. You see little bits and pieces here and there that explain why he is the way he is, but the author doesn’t go in-depth about it. I think that’s what’s really lacking in the story.

We have an antagonist, but you don’t really love to hate him, and you don’t really pity him or feel empathy for him. He’s just kind of there, and he’s just a tool to be the story’s antagonist. You really don’t really feel anything for him. And I wish I felt more for him than I actually did.

I understand why he hates Jack and everything that has happened; I just wanted to understand him more as a character. His characterization was a little lackluster because he seemed very two-dimensional. In contrast, Jack, Fleur, Julio, Amber, Chill, and Poppy have outstanding personalities.

These are all characters that you love, you know, seeing their journey, how they’re faring after the first book, and that they are indeed getting their happy endings, and that’s kind of heartwarming. It makes the reader smile.

Jack, especially, has to go through the most character growth, and he does because he has magic. He gave up the magic. He can no longer protect Fleur how he wants to, feeling more like a hindrance to her than a partner, which is what he wants. Jack wants to be Fleur’s partner, and I think that’s really relatable.

So Jack goes on this whole journey while trying to outmaneuver Doug and find a way to save Fleur, especially when they get separated. The story is fast-paced, high-tension, and good.

However, anyone can see that ending coming a mile away. The moment Doug takes his step and becomes the new Chronos, you already know where the story is headed, where Jack and Fleur will end up.

Final Thoughts

The author completed the story of Jack and Fleur with Seasons of Chaos. I like the Greek mythology aspect of this story, which adds many layers to this Jack Frost retelling. Nevertheless, I think this story is superfluous. I enjoyed it a lot.

I think Doug needed a little more development to come off as more than just a two-dimensional villain, but that being said, I thought this story was entertaining. I liked Jack’s development. I like to see the band of characters come together, and I liked Jack’s character growth period, but that ending, I thought, was a mile away. I’m not mad about it, but you can read Seasons of the Storm and stop there.

Cynthia Ayala

Cynthia Ayala-Bujnicki majored in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. Editor-in-chief of Cyn's Workshop, she loves to read and write while tending to her pepper plants. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, two kids Dante and Selene and two furbabies Mr. J the Kitten who Thinks He's Batman (yes, that is his full name) and Nyx.