The Best Reader:
Covenant series

  • Tour Review & ARC Giveaway: Pure by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Tour Review & ARC Giveaway: Pure by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Pure by Janenifer L. Armentrout
    Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (April 3rd, 2012)
    Reading Level: Young Adult
    Paperback: 329 pages
    Source: ARC from publisher
    Series: Covenant #2
    Rating: 5 of 5 stars

    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.

    Review:


    What can I possibly say about this book that won't just make me just sound like a raving fan-girl? Hmm… not sure if it's possible to NOT sound that way. Janenifer L. Armentrout simply blows my mind, rocks my world, and makes me question my sanity. I feel like I'm transported into another world whenever I pick up one of her books. Half-Blood was more than I could have ever imagined so I was on pins and needles waiting for Pure. It did not disappoint!

    I will try to avoid spoilers. I will start by saying that Alex is one of the best, most kick-butt, amazingly genuine heroines of YA literature. Her courage, determination, and strength is beyond comprehension. She has been through so much but she remains herself through it all. She is what really makes this series shine. Although she may have a life and destiny we may not be able to imagine, there is so much about her we can relate to. In many ways, she is just a young girl trying to find her place. But, what makes it even better is that her feisty personality lets everyone know she is not to be messed with.

    Then we have Aiden. Oh poor, sweet, hunk of a man Aiden. Aiden can be intense, but Alex is always able to get to his soft side — rather he likes it or not. Seeing his reactions to Alex is always entertaining.

    Now, we have Seth. Much, much, more Seth in this book! Seth can be infuriating but he is one of those guys people may act like they hate, but they would miss him if he wasn't around. I think that's something Alex realizes as well. We get much more of a build-up in the relationship between Alex and Seth, which was super nice! I have been a Seth fan since the beginning so I was eager to see where Janenifer went with this relationship.

    I gotta say, I cracked up so many times during this book. I seemed to either be laughing, blushing, crying, or gasping during most of it. Yes, there was lots of blushing! Janenifer knows how to write steamy scenes. The connections between Alex and Aiden, and Alex and Seth, were so surprisingly different but they each felt honest and real. That can be a hard task for writers to achieve but Janenifer did this to perfection.

    Next, the plot. I won't go into too much detail but I will just say that we get a lot more action and information about the inner-workings of the council. There are a ton of twists and turns going on and unexplained daimon attacks. All of that is combined with the frictions among the Pures and half-bloods. So to summarize, we have more action, drama, suspense, and romance… could we even handle any more?!

    Jennifer L. Armentrout is the new hero of young adult novels. She is able to flawlessly create a world that is visually appealing, with compelling characters and a action-packed plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

    Recommended: EVERYONE. You don't have to be a paranormal fan to love this series. If you want something that will rock your world, pick up Half-Blood and Pure.

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    You can follow the tour by clic king here.- http://www.stuckinbooks.com/p/pure-blog-tour.html

    There are two giveaways that will be going on through the remainder of the tour. You can sign up by going to Stuck in Books and A Cupcake and a Latte. You can get extra entries for both giveaways by commenting on the tour posts. But wait, there's more!

    You guys are so lucky today because I have a highly coveted ARC of Pure for one lucky reader! If you haven't read Half-Blood yet, DO IT NOW! You won't regret it.

    • Just leave a comment WITH your email address!
    • Must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
    • US mailing addresses only.
    • Contest will close April 13th.
    Extra Bonus
    GIVEAWAY: To gain an entry in either/both of the tour giveaways for Pure, leave a comment here about why you want to get your hands on Pure and then go to StuckInBooks
    and/or A Cupcake and a Latte with this link to complete your entry.
    You must leave an email address in order for me to be able to contact you. Comment by sharing your thoughts about the series or by telling us why you can't wait to get your hands on Pure.

  • Review: Half-Blood by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Review: Half-Blood by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Half-Blood by Janenifer L. Armentrout
    Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (October 18th, 2011)
    Reading Level: Young Adult
    Paperback: 281 pages
    Source: Publisher
    Series: Covenant #1
    Rating: 5 of 5 stars
    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.
    Review: Half-Blood completely blew me away! I could not put it down and stayed up till 4am just to finish it. It's one of the rare books I've added to my"must read again" list! I've even went back to certain parts already because they were just that incredible! I already know Half-Blood will be making an appearance in my top 10 of 2011 list.

    Where do I even start?! First, this book involves mythology, which some people either love or hate. I usually tried to avoid books with mythology but I have been lovin' some of the new releases! The mythology aspects of this book created the perfect background and really made me interested to see what happens next.

    Alex is a half-blood and her and her mother escaped the Covenant (a training type school) in order to live a semi-normal life. But they learn that they can't escape for long and soon Alex ends up back at the Covenant. As a half-blood, she could easily be made into a servant but Alex wants to be a Sentinel and hunt Daimons. In order to have a shot at that, she must catch up to her peers by allowing Aiden (a Pure) to train her. Ahh, Aiden. *mind wonders* Aiden is beyond swoon-worthy. He's a tough fighter with a sensitive side that it seems only Alex gets to see. But a relationship with him would be forbidden. Pures and halfs can not be together, period.

    Even with that complication, things get even crazier when a new person comes to the Covenant and Alex learns more about her own fate. I won't spoil what happens, or who shows up, but I will say that by the middle of this book I think I could have ignored a hurricane outside. I was that into this story! This new character was so captivating and alluring… and sexy. ahhh… love it!

    What Janenifer was able to create with this story is one that you won't be able to forget. Alex is an amazingly strong heroine. Those can be rare to find in YA novels. But there is no doubt Alex could kick butt. She never lets someone take control of her life and she knows exactly what she wants. Aiden is complex. He's a little older than Alex and much more mature than other Pures his age. He has been through a lot and he doesn't see Alex as less than him just because she's a half-blood. He sees her strength and determination from the start.

    Not only did Janenifer deliver some fabulous main characters, but she has woven in multiple minor characters that help build this world. One of my favorites is Caleb. He's Alex's best friend and he was just adorable. As I read this story I felt like I was there with the characters. Janenifer flawlessly described the setting, emotions, and atmosphere in the story. I always say it's rare if a writer is able to describe a romantic moment in a few words and it makes me swoon, but that happened… often! Any time Aiden brushed up against Alex or.well, spoke… I was blushing!

    Half-Blood exceeded my expectations on every level. I'm not sure how I will make myself wait for the next book, Pure. Janenifer L. Armentrout created a world that will easily grab readers. If you are a fan of Vampire Academy, and books that will leave you breathless, pick up Half-Blood!

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  • Review: APOLLYON by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Review: APOLLYON by Janenifer L. Armentrout

    Apollyon by Janenifer L. Armentrout
    Published: Spencer Hill Press (April 4th 2013)
    Reading Level: Young Adult
    Paperback: 343 pages
    Series: Covenant, #4
    Rating: 5 of 5 stars
    Summary:
    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.

    Review:


    Ah, this series continues to amaze. Apollyon is a very intense addition to this series. When it starts Alex is in a haze of emotions. Her connection with Seth has created some tension and it is clouding her thoughts. She isn't the Alex we've come to know and love. But no matter how bad things get, Aiden never gives up on her. He is determined to help Alex get back to herself and fight the connection with Seth even though he seems to be constantly grabbing Alex's attention and focus.

    After a while there is a shift and this is where I really got back into the story. Alex was able to better piece together what was going on and her feelings for Aiden come back to the surface. Aiden continues to blow me away. He's so darn… wonderful!!! I loved seeing their relationship grow and seeing how they were able to get through so many obstacles. This book finally allows the couple to just be together for a bit without all the secrecy.

    Plus, never fear, this book is full of action. We do get some answers and pieces filled in but there's still so much to figure out.

    Apollyon is really a good set up for the final battle that's sure to come in Sentinel. I'm really curious to see what happens and see how Alex deals with this battle. I can't help but love Seth but he's put Alex through so much. I still hope he gets his happy ending.

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