Review: Apollyon (Covenant, #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

 

Armentrout took no prisoners with this installment and absolutely did not hold anything back.  Alex once again has a lot going on and not a whole lot of time to work through everything and figure it all out.  She's forced to stay on her toes and doesn't really have the luxury to make any mistakes, even small ones, because even the slightest misstep on her part could cause huge ramifications.  Aiden is still working through the fact that he was forced to put Alex on the elixir, Alex must face the fact that she has connected with Seth and accept that he is her other half, for better or for worse, in her case.

 

Readers will enjoy the deeper character development Armentrout offered up, especially for those outside of Alex.  We get to see a different side of Aiden, mainly the vulnerability he isn't able to hide all the time and the struggles he deals with both outwordly and the internal conflicts he's constantly battling.  As for Seth, well lets just say that in order to avoid spoiling any of the real juicy stuff that takes place this time around, I'll only say that it's possible that despite readers feeling firm in their opinions of him after the last installment, they might in fact find themselves swaying just a bit.  I definitely went back and forth and found myself questioning my rational a time or two thanks to Armentrout's revelations.

 

Bottom line being that Armentrout shows no signs of slowing down with this series anytime soon, and I know I'm not alone in wanting the fifth installment, Sentinel to hit the shelves pronto!

Review: Elixir (Covenant, #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Aiden St. Delphi will do anything to save Alex.

Even if it means doing the one thing he will never forgive himself for.

Even if it means making war against the gods.

So this review will kept short and sweet since this is a novella for the series and not a full installment.  But there was no way I could pass up saying a few words regarding this title.  Readers finally get the chance to see things from Aiden's point of view this time around, and oh how sweet that was for a change.  Everything he had to go through, all this emotions and the feelings he has for Alex nearly had me picking up the box of tissues because it was just all too much...but in the best possible way.

Although I love our heroine Alex throughout this series, it was a nice change of pace to see things through Aiden's eyes as well as the chance to see our gang of misfits teaming together and sticking by each other through all this awfulness...it was inspiring and gave me just one more reason to love them all...even Lea kind of grew on me.

Each character grew just a little bit more throughout this novella, with the exception of Alex...but she had so much going on with her, and while the hateful things coming out of her mouth nearly pushed me over the edge, I just kept reminding myself that it wasn't the "real" Alex.  This would of course then put me in a huge melancholy over how much she was dealing with and what Aiden was forced to do to her and for her in order to stabilize everything the only way possible....heartbreaking to say the least.

This was most definitely one of the first and only novellas that I've ever read where I actually felt content after reading it, instead of feeling like it was merely a teaser to hold me over until the next installment.  It had grit and substance and in my opinion both of those traits are rare when it comes to short pieces like these.  A must read for sure!

Review: Deity (Covenant, #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

I was extremely stressed out throughout this entire book!  Armentrout left us with one heck of a cliffhanger last time around and this installment picked up right where that one left off...major anxiety for sure.  Alex is now back and training like always but she's got the HUGE cloud hanging over her head with what happened in New York and is constantly fearful that she'll be found out, along with everyone else involved.

 

With all this on her shoulders, she's still got Prime Minister Telly on her case, and his little surprise special visit for Alex had me in knots and wanting to cry for her...just awful, that is one character I couldn't stand...and still can't!  Her awakening is quickly approaching and speeding up a lot faster than she'd like and as if the girl doesn't have enough on her plate, throw in the awfulness that revolves around all things Aiden and Seth that she's always dealing with and it's enough to drive readers crazy with anxiety, stress and a roller coaster of other emotions when they find themselves on empathy overload!

 

I honestly don't know how Armentrout keeps delivering these new and amazing story lines with each installment but I'm sure not complaining and hoping that it's not going to end any time soon, because I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of these characters, this world and all the action and romance that's packed in between!

 

Each time I think I couldn't fall in love with one of her characters more, she proves me wrong...but on the flip side, just when I don't think I can take a certain character's nastiness and deceit, they one up themselves again and I'm lost in how much I want to throw the book across the room after shaking said characters.

 

There's nothing not to love in this third installment and with all the action, romance and fast paced writing, I think it's one that all readers will find themselves enjoying.

Review: Pure (Covenant, #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

I cannot imagine what it feels like to put out a sequel for any author, let alone one that's received such a wonderful and positive response to her series debut.  We're talking major pressure, don't you think?  But Armentrout had nothing to worry about because she knew exactly what she was doing with this sequel and has all her readers overly enthusiastic about yet another one of her titles.

 

While Half-Blood, the series opener was a strong start, Pure managed to keep the momentum rolling as well as the fast pace she's known for and action packed pages.  Readers got to know a little bit more about each of the characters we all fell in love with in round one, and this time around it was even harder to resist them.  I'll also add that Armentrout had me feeling it all within these pages.  I was ecstatic one moment and devastated the next.  It was a roller coaster of emotions with everything that was going on, but I wouldn't trade one second of it for a smoother scenario.  It was perfect and I instantly had to get my hands on the next installment in the series. 

 

When it came to Alex and Aiden there's no way to condense is all into a short review of how their interactions made me feel.  There was just so much tension and chemistry from start to finish that it was hard to keep up, but in the best possible sense.  The way they interact and the depth of Alex's feelings and confusion when it comes to Aiden were impossible not to empathize with her.  But then Armentrout had to go and throw Seth into the mix and I was constantly feeling like I had whiplash with all the changing dynamics.

 

This series, along with everything else I can get my hands on by Armentrout will forever cement her in my opinion as one of those authors that I will always keep on auto-buy.  She delivers masterpieces with each title she launches, and she's yet to disappoint me with anything that she writes to hit the shelves!

Review: Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

I've got to hand it to Armentrout, she's got another series on her hands that I'm now a huge fan of, and can't wait to continue.  I'm not sure that I can really pinpoint exactly what it is about her writing, but I enjoy it, plain and simple.  It might be her pace, the style, her characters and worlds she creates, who knows to be honest?  I think it's the combination of everything she pours into her novels that are just irresistible for me.

I had come across this book and series enough times that when I finally sat down to give it a try, I couldn't remember why exactly I hadn't picked it up before, but after reading and loving her Lux series, I decided I'd waited long enough.  As a long time fan of all things related to Greek and Roman mythology, I was excited to see what type of spin Armentrout would put on it, and was pleasantly surprised to say the least.

Alex was a great heroine and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she makes of herself and what types of adventures she finds herself involved with in the future installments within the series.  A novel like this wouldn't be complete without some sort of romance, whether it be unrequited love, or a case of star-crossed lovers, either way I couldn't wait to see how it all panned out.  Aiden proved to be quite the trainer as well as a temptation.  The dynamics Armentrouts weaves between the pure bloods and half-bloods was interesting and the rules and laws surrounding their involvement were interesting and frustrating all at once.

I was pleased that Armentrout started the first installment in the series off with a bang and kept the action and excitement moving throughout, mainly because once you were pulled in there was no turning back.  I didn't want to take breaks or stop to get other things done...I just wanted to know how it would end.  The new characters that were thrown in towards the middle and end played interesting roles and I'm eager to see how they'll develop in later installments.

This was a fun read and one that if you haven't had the chance to pick it up, now in the middle of Summer might be just the perfect time.  A light and fun, while also adventurous and action packed novel like this would be perfect to start and possibly continue on with throughout the rest of these hot Summer days.

In My Mailbox (97)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

For Review:

 

 A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire, #1) by Bella Forest

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Pure (Covenant, #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

 Salvation (The Captive, #4) by Erica Stevens (Thanks to Erica)

Imprisoned by Caleb and at the mercy of the king, Aria is determined not to let them break her. However, the more atrocities she witnesses, the more she realizes there are some horrors no one can withstand, and sometimes survival isn’t always the best option.
   Tormented by the loss of Aria, Braith is forced to choose between his need to rescue her, and the impending rebel war he’s been chosen to lead. Fighting against the darkness which threatens to drag him into its tempting depths, Braith struggles not to become like the one thing he hates the most, his father.

   Faced with their own separate challenges, Aria and Braith must come to terms with who they are, what they want, and the likelihood that they can never be together as the inevitable war looms on the horizon. A war that all of them will fight but not all of them will survive.




Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Marriage can be a real killer.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

Deity (Covenant, #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess (Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin)

Fantastically funny, fresh and utterly relatable, Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess is the first novel in her brand new series about five twenty-something friends—Pia, Angie, Julia, Coco and Madeleine—sharing a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and discovering the ups and downs and ins and outs of  their “semi-adult” lives. The first story belongs to sophisticated, spoiled, and stylish Pia, who finds herself completely unemployed, unemployable, and broke. So what is a recent grad with an art history degree and an unfortunate history of Facebook topless photos to do? Start a food truck business of course! Pia takes on the surprisingly cutthroat Brooklyn world of hybrid lettuce growers, artisanal yogurt makers and homemade butter producers to start SkinnyWheels—all while dealing with hipster bees, one-night-stands, heartbreak, parental fury, wild parties, revenge, jail, loan sharks, playboys, karaoke, true love, and one adorable pink food truck. And that's without counting her roommates' problems, too. Gemma Burgess has captured the confusion, hilarity and excitement of the post-graduate years against a backdrop of the pressures and chaos of New York City life, with heartfelt empathy, fast humor and sharp honesty.

A charming debut series about five twenty-something girls and the humor, heartbreak, and drama that bring them together.

Elixir (Covenant, #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Aiden St. Delphi will do anything to save Alex.

Even if it means doing the one thing he will never forgive himself for.

Even if it means making war against the gods.












Apollyon (Covenant, #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

In My Mailbox (96)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?
 

For Review:

Branded (Fall of Angels, #1) by Keary Taylor

Jessica's had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she's a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can't ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn't be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.


Renegade (The Captive, #2) by Erica Stevens

Though she is free of the palace, rescued from her position as a blood slave, Aria is haunted by the memories of her time spent within the fortress, tormented by memories of Braith, the prince that betrayed her and shattered her heart.

Every day is a struggle to get through, and the only solace she is able to find is with Max, her best friend, and fellow captive. Though Max does not understand her bond to Braith, he knows some of what she endured, and helps to ease some of the tattered pieces of her soul. Aria slowly begins to salvage the broken parts of her wounded spirit by throwing herself into the wonder of the woods she had so greatly missed, and the secure and reassuring love that Max freely gives her. Her world is thrown into a tailspin again though when a marauding group of vampires destroy the caves she had found temporary shelter in.

Scattered about the forest, seeking to stay hidden and find her family, Aria is stunned when Braith, the monster that savaged her heart, reappears. Stunned by his sudden arrival in her world, Arianna is uncertain if he has come to recapture her, or to kill her for daring to escape.

Refugee (The Captive, #3) by Erica Stevens

Whispers, rumors, and horror stories abound about The Barrens and the strange creatures that lurk within them. Determined to find the remaining vampires that stood against his father in the war, Braith knows that it’s dangerous to enter the inhospitable land, but that they must if they are to have a chance at gaining allies to help overthrow the king. Though he once knew the powerful vampires that are rumored to reside within The Barrens, he is unsure what to expect if they succeed in finding them. He will do whatever is necessary though to ensure a future for himself and Aria.

Aria is fearful of entering into the land she’s heard nothing but cautionary tales about, but she’s determined to help Braith locate the vampires that may help them with their cause. She is fascinated and amazed by the world they uncover within, one that is unlike anything she has ever seen before. However, the more immersed they become in a world that she doesn’t entirely understand, the more she realizes that it won’t be the war, or even the king that will eventually tear her and Braith apart.

It will be her.

The Spirit Keeper by Melissa Luznicky Garrett 

After her mother and grandparents die in a raging house fire, eleven-year-old Sarah Redbird ends up in the custody of her aunt and uncle. Six years later, Sarah discovers the fire may not have been an accident at all, but a deliberate act of revenge.

Sarah’s family has kept the truth of their Native American heritage secret her entire life, refusing to acknowledge where they came from. But when a family that has direct ties to their past moves to town, Sarah’s true identity is revealed.

What Sarah soon learns is that some secrets are better left unspoken.






Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

Prophecy Girl (Angel Academy, #1) by Cecily White (Thanks to Entangled Publishing)

Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up.

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right?

Wrong.

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.