
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Where oh where to begin with my review of this totally awesome book. So, I finally got around to starting this series. After reading Daimon, I knew I was in a for a huge adventure reading the next book. And I was not disappointed in the least. Jennifer Armentrout is just one of those writers that knows what she's doing. I have yet to read anything from her that I did not like! I can honestly say that Armentrout is one of my favorite writers. She has a way of dragging you head first into her stories and pulling you along for the bumpy, thrilling ride, ultimately craving more.
Blurb from 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.
First I'll start with the cover. I have to say that it's just "eh" for me. I think there is so much more that could be done with this story on the cover of this book. I do understand it's meaning in relation to the story, although I don't think it plays such a big part in the story that it should be the centerpiece of the cover.
Cover aside, boy does Armentrout know how to write characters. You get pulled right into them and become their friend, their confidant, their therapist, their whatever. There is not a moment that I did not connect with a character in this book, no matter how big or small their part. That is how well Jennifer can develop and sustain a character. You want to know each and every one of them backwards and forwards, and you do!
Alexandria (Alex, Lexie) is so well thought out. She's tough as nails, and I love that about her. She doesn't sit back and take anything from anyone. Does she doubt herself, absolutely, what teen doesn't. That's the beauty of her character. She's not this over confident, annoying priss who wants everyone's sympathy and is constantly whining. She's beautiful and caring and wears her heart right on her sleeve. She's not afraid to show emotion, despite trying to hold it back in so many instances. She's witty and fun, and she's fiercely loyal. She's a fighter.
Aiden, oh boy. well, he's just so great. He's bold, confident, gorgeous, witty, tender, caring, lovable, amazing, patient...I don't think I can find enough adjectives to describe him. I have to say that he completely and totally reminds me of Four (Tobias) from Divergent. He knows what's right and wrong, but he's skirts a lot of the rules because he also knows they don't necessarily make sense. And to say he's RAWR is an understatement. How Armentrout creates these male characters with such charisma and swoon factor is beyond me! And of course the chemistry between him and Alex is palpable. The tension between them undeniable. What I liked about this match is that it wasn't really insta-love. They have known each other for a long time, and the attraction started long ago. So, when they are thrown back together, it is obvious something is going to pop.
Seth, well, he's totally arrogant. Despite this, I still feel drawn to him. He's cocky and completely overconfident. He is not afraid to voice his opinion, or what he thinks is the opinion of others. He couldn't care less what people think of him, and he's not much for rules. He and Alex definitely have something between them, tho it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is. She loves to hate him and he loves to tease and taunt her. There's a lot of push pull with them. It's a nice mix watching them together and not knowing exactly what's going on. Keeps things moving and going.
The supporting characters are many. They complete the cast so well. Caleb is the guy friend every girl wants. Leah is the girl everyone envies and she's a total brat. Alex's step father is totally untrustworthy. And her uncle, I'm not sure where he stands but he seems a bit pulled in all directions. Armentrout creates characters that are unique, dynamic and real.
The storyline is unique to me. I love Greek mythology and legend. It is made to reflect our current times, not an easy task with something that's so "old". The pace is really great, fast in parts but slows down and develops the story in other parts. I have to say that I'm glad I read Daimon prior to reading this book as it helped me with the world building. Armentrout's story line is completely addictive. There's lots of action and surprises in this book. The plot is so real. It's woven so well nothing feels off or out of place. The characters don't always win. People you don't expect to die, and those you think will meet an ending worthy of their character traits don't. The transitions in the book were smooth, making it hard for me to find a stopping place when I did have to put the book down to do such things as, say, SLEEP!
Jennifer's writing is superb. The dialogue between her characters is spot on. It's real and unblemished. Armentrout makes it easy to picture her world. Her words are incredible and it's hard not to fall in love with her stories and just want to immerse yourself in them totally and completely.
In summary: I LOVED this book. It was so totally amazing. I am looking forward to growing with the characters as they move through this story. I am sure I will NOT be disappointed!
5 out of 5 flaming bright stars.
Review also posted on the following sites:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/half-...;
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Half-B...
http://www.librarything.com/work/1073...
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