Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 2, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Series: Covenant #2
Pages: 320
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
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.

As a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout, naturally I pre-ordered the paperback copy of Pure to go with my collection but when I found out that that it was going to be released early, I will admit to downloading a kindle copy on release day as I couldn’t contain my excitement!!!  Just to remind you about what’s happened so far, remember Alex’s mother who got turned into a daimon? Well, she might be gone but Alex is haunted by recent events, made worse by the fact that the attacks on Pure’s and Half Blood’s continue and this time, they’ve perpetrated the Covenants.  Everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.  In the midst of all of this, Alex is hauled up before the council to explain what happened and she’d better behave herself or she’ll have worse things than daimons to worry about!

 I’m going to start by saying that if Half Blood was Alex and Aiden’s book, I think that Pure is definitely Seth’s book.  If you weren’t in love with him before, you sure will be now!  He may be arrogant and cheeky but he does have a particular charm and don’t try to tell me that he just has an agenda, he DOES care about Alex otherwise he wouldn’t have held her hair for her whilst she barfed down the toilet or stayed with her for days when she was upset.  So there.  I have to say at this point that the swimming pool scene and the Orchid Brew scenes were two of my favourites from the book and it was AMAZING to read them from the guy’s point of view in other short stories released by Jennifer so go search them out!

That’s not to say that Aiden isn’t around of course but he’s backed off out of a sense of duty and responsibility towards Alex as he doesn’t want to see her hauled into servitude or worse.  Oh Aiden, what am I going to do with you?!  As Alex is training with both Aiden and Seth, spending time with them both ratchets up the tension levels a few notches and my oh my, I love a bit of angst.  Let’s not forget about the cryptic clues from the oracle about being with the one you love or the one you’re fated to be with.  Are they even the same? What’s a girl to do? 

Pure is an action packed sequel that does not disappoint and will leave you gasping for more, especially the ending with surprises you didn’t see coming and there WILL be consequences.  Overall, Pure was a very worthy sequel and I loved every minute of it. We’ll just have to wait for the next book to find out what happens! ARGH!

Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: Feb. 20, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen (UK: Entangled Select)
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Series: Lux #0.5
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository
Description: Goodreads
The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Let’s get something straight, right off the bat.  I am a HUGE Jennifer Armentrout fan and have read and loved all of her YA offerings to date.  When I heard about the release of Shadows? I jumped on it and then cleared the rest of the afternoon LOL.  If you’ve read Obsidian, you will know that Daemon once had a brother called Dawson and Shadows is essentially his story.  I should stop you here and say that if you have not read Obsidian, you should probably read that first as this review may contain unavoidable spoilers.

Shadows is a novella and a prequel of sorts as it takes place before Obsidian.  What I liked about this book is that it gives us a deeper insight into Daemon’s character and the relationship between the triplets when Dawson was still around.  Dawson is of course Daemon’s identical brother (how is there so much hotness in one town?!  Can I move there please?!) and any similarity between them ends in the looks department.  Dawson is much more laid back than Daemon and more at ease with giving his heart away to the right girl, even if she IS human.  I have to say that I really enjoyed seeing such a different dynamic between Dawson and Bethany to Daemon and Katy.  It was definitely a lot sweeter although Daemon and Katy win in the hotness charts.

Shadows has a lot of foreshadowing for both Obsidian and Onyx and I think this book helps the reader to understand parts of Obsidian better.  If you’ve read Obsidian, obviously you know that it does not bode well for Dawson and reading this book was a little bit like reading about the Titanic – the ending is inevitable and tragic but you can’t look away. 

If you’re a fan of the series then Shadows is an essential read.  I can’t wait to get my hands on Onyx and the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.  For me, Jennifer can’t churn her books out fast enough ;)

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: May 8, 2012 (UK: May 15, 2012)
Publisher: Entangled Teen (UK: Entangled Select)
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
Series: Lux #1
Pages: 400
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

I’m just going to come right out and say it.  OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK.  It totally floated my boat...and then sailed off into the sunset.   This book has everything – a great premise, an exciting plot, SIZZLING chemistry between the two main characters and the promise of more to come.  And guess what?  The main character is a book blogger LOL.  It feels weird to read about a character talking about “Waiting on Wednesday” and all the other book blogger lingo that we generally use but I like it ;)   Jennifer L. Armentrout is a very clever writer indeed; she gives the reader exactly what they want and makes no apologies for it.  And I love her for that.  

I want to start by talking about Daemon.  Let’s get something straight.  We’re supposed to pronounce it like DEMON and there is no way on this earth that I can call a guy DEMON so he became DAMON to me.  And you know what?  When I first “met” him? I thought he was the biggest dick ever.  He comes across as an arrogant, egocentric idiot.   So what if he is hot and has killer abs, his personality leaves a lot to be desired, at least in the beginning.  THEN, slowly but surely, he charmed me and lo and behold, I fell for him just as Katy did.  I didn’t enjoy it but I can relate to liking someone you hate (if that makes sense).  It’s all about the chemistry baby and boy was there tons of that!  The sexual tension and lustiness between Daemon and Katy was ah-mazing and some of the best I’ve read.  It reminded me a bit of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles but even more so as the chemistry between the two main characters was OFF THE CHARTS.

Now, it’s not a spoiler to say that we all know Daemon and his sister are aliens (hello, it’s in the synopsis?!) and I have to say that I thought the idea behind using light was ingenious (you’ll see when you read the book).  When the Luxen are in their true form, they are basically beings of light and reminded me very much of the aliens from Cocoon which if you didn’t know, is a classic eighties movie and well worth watching. 

I digress.  What I liked most about Katy was the fact that she is a strong, independent young woman.  She’s not just going to fall at the feet of her attractive neighbour just because he’s hot.  He’s annoying and rude and she doesn’t need that in her life.  The relationship between Katy and Daemon seemed to develop quite naturally and I like that she didn’t just give in, she stood her ground right to the end!  You go girl!

I couldn’t write a review and not include some words about Dee who is Daemon’s twin sister.  Not only does she look like a model, she’s the nicest girl you could hope to meet and you can’t possibly hate her if you tried.  She’s cheerful, friendly and such a contrast to her brother!

The plot is dangerously exciting and as always, there has to be a bad guy – only there’s lots of bad guys this time.  An entire race that wants to kill the last of the Luxen and steal their abilities.  NOT WHILST DAEMON IS AROUND, BIATCHES.  Or y’know, something equally as intimidating. 

I cannot even begin to express how excited I am for book two and hell yes, I’ve pre-ordered.  You may notice that the covers have changed and I have no idea why.  I thought the covers were fine just as they were but whatever, I don’t care.  I HAVE TO HAVE THIS BOOK!   I’m now at the point where I’ve read all of Jennifer’s YA offerings and have decided that I no longer care what she writes about, I just know that I need it.

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: May 6, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Kindle E-book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 86
Series: Covenant #0.5
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life." 

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals--pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.According to her mother, that's a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return-the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death... because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.

The daimons have found her.

For those that don’t know, Daimon is the short story and prequel to Half Blood by Jennifer Armentrout.  I was lucky enough to pick up a paperback copy of this at BEA last year together with Half Blood and funnily enough, at the time I was convinced that this was a book about a guy called Daimon LOL.  Having now read Half Blood, I can see that I was totally wrong.   Daimons are of course the zombie like creatures that threaten the existence of Pure Bloods and an enemy that the half blood sentinels are training to fight against. Alex being one of them.  In Daimon, we get a little taster of the natural fighting talent Alex has and the strong survival extinct already inherent within her. We get an insight into what happened when she was on the run with her mother and how and why she turned back to the Covenant.

 I’m not sure what the right answer is as to whether this should be read before or after Half Blood but I read it afterwards and it definitely enhanced the story but I don’t see what harm it could do to read this book first.   Daimon sets the scene for Half Blood and is essentially the beginning to the story.  At only 75 pages long, this is a quick but essential read for fans of the Covenant series.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: Oct. 18, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Series: Covenant #1
Pages: 304
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
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 picked up Half Blood at BEA last year and not by accident.  I made a beeline for it as I’d heard a lot about it but then I got caught up with review books and this one got pushed to the side where it sat by my bed for many months.  I knew I would love it even before I read it (sometimes you just know, right?!) and thankfully, I was not mistaken.  When I eventually picked this book up, I could not put it down and read it in one sitting.

Forbidden love stories are always going to float my boat and this is one is no different.  There’s something inherently sexy about a guy and a girl who are slaves to duty yet constantly trying to stave off their desire for the one thing they cannot have.  But, it’s not all about the romance as there is actually a plot here.  Alex is the feisty protagonist of the story – a half blood, the offspring of a mortal father and a hematoi (pure blood) mother.  She’s a tough cookie who is less than perfect but I admire her strength and her bravery.  She’s smart and witty sure but she doesn’t always think before speaking or acting and let’s not forget that she’s a teenager and can be downright irresponsible at times.   Her mother took her away from the covenant for mysterious reasons she failed to divulge and they’ve been on the run for the past three years but when tragedy strikes, Alex has nowhere else to turn but the covenant.  Alex feels a lot safer behind the covenant walls training to fight daimon’s who threaten their very existence but is she so safe after all?

Thank goodness Aiden is around then.  He is the very hot yet sensible, pure blood instructor who volunteers to train Alex.  He isn’t that much older than her and really I’m not sure he knew what he was getting into when he offered to train her but guess what – sparks fly AND THEN SET THE ROOM ON FIRE.  Ok, not literally but they might as well have!  I think Alex and Aiden complement each other nicely as he helps her to tone it down a notch and she helps him to loosen up.  Sadly though, any official relationship between them is forbidden and the stakes are high. 

Alex’s best friend is Caleb and it was refreshing to see that their relationship was purely platonic. With Seth on the other hand, it gets a little bit more complicated.   It’s not an out and out love triangle but more “what’s expected” from them and their heritage makes it a fascinating sub plot to watch.  I have no idea where this part of the story is going to go and that makes it more exciting for me as a reader. 

As for the daimon’s?  They reminded me of zombies and it was an interesting mix to see this in a story featuring Greek mythology.  I have to say that I’m massively intrigued by the idea that the Gods are voyeuristic observers in all of this and have not yet intervened even though their offspring are being killed or turned into daimons.  It leaves me wondering what it will take for them to do something or if they will do anything at all despite what happens?

Overall, I loved this book like WOAH and I am now a 100% Jennifer Armentrout fan.  I ate up the mythology and I adored the characters.  Half Blood was a fast paced adventure that had my heart racing enough to pre-order the next book entitled Pure as soon it became available and I CANNOT WAIT to read it.