Half-Blood (Covenant #1)

This book is like so amazing. I couldn't stop reading this brilliant novel. This book is sorta like an older version of Percy Jackson, as both have greek gods in them. The differences are that there are creatures called daimons in half-blood, and that the half-bloods aren't half god and mortal but half mortal and pure blood. Pure bloods are descendants of the original demigods that haven't mixed with mortals. Half-bloods are offspring of pure bloods and mortals mixing. The pures are snobs that think that half-bloods can be slaves, that they have no right and that if anything happens between a pure and a half-blood, it is always the half-blood's fault. I thought that was pretty harsh.

The plot and the characters were superb. I fell in love with Aiden and Alex. I also knew that they were perfect for each other. I loved it how the story was told in Alex's perspective, you got to fell a lot more of what Alex was feeling than if it was told not like that. Alex had a tough nature with a lot of humour. She always had a rude comment and was hardly ever speechless. Aiden was a great character as well. He was caring and tough and awesome. I wish I knew him.

I really can't wait till I read the book, which I just bought. It is such an amazing book, everyone should read it.

Can I just say I am so very glad I finally read this freakin' book??!! Again thanks to the ladies over YA-Sisterhood blog and the Heroine Tourney I simply HAD to read Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout. The teasers ALONE had me drooling all over myself like a third rate invalid on crack. It was ridiculous! I was voting for Alex just to read POV snippets from a book I never read, it was that awesome!!

Miss Jennifer caresses us with an intriguing world of Greek mythology, but not the kind that induces snores from the back of History class. This is much hotter!

Our girl Alex was torn from her training three years ago by her mother for mysterious reasons. Alex never felt right to ask so they lived in the mortal world until the badies come for her and her mom. She finds herself quickly fighting to stay alive, and thanking the gods she still retained some of her Sentinel training. When all seems to be lost the Sentinels find her, and with them the hotter than hot Pure Blood, Aiden.

Once back on campus at the Covenant (to-do school for the children of the gods; Hematoi (Pures) and their lesser halves, half bloods) Alex is faced with her past. She needs to prove herself to her uncle, who is now running the show, so she can stay in school/training in order to become a Sentinel. This is problematic as Alex not only has a bit of a problem with authority but her mouth does not like to stay shut when it really should. Luckily she has the lovely Aiden, a Pure who has embraced the life of a Sentinel, who steps up to the plate and offers to get her into shape before school starts.

Not really sure what to think of this set up as Pures and Halfbloods did not stick up for each other…like ever..Alex is left with a million questions, but she trains anyway. Life gets complicated, however, as Alex learns soul crushing news about her mom, finds herself impossibly attracted to the ever patient Aiden, discovers more impossible news about the world she thought she knew, her own secrets her mother thought she could hide her from, and what her ‘family’ actually wants her around for.

The nearly incestuous world of the Pures and Halfbloods I found amusing, but this was a great read. I was totally sucked into Alex’s world. It was incredibly fast paced and by the time I was halfway through I could not put it down.

Alex is my hero. Her snarky attitude had me cracking up. She comes off as this super bad ass sort of chick with nothing to hide, but she is actually got this super soft middle she fights hard as nails to hide. She is very ‘dude-like’ in this way. Very much like male characters in other YA reads. She is spunky and fearless in a way you want to smack her silly, but I adore her.

The chemistry between her and Aiden is totally smokin’ and I cannot wait for more. He is way too patient for his own good, but it is so very attractive. He honestly believes in Alex and that is another great trait. Aiden would literally walk through fire for Alex, even if it were not his element and would actually cause him harm.

The politics of the Pure world were well thought out and I liked that Halfbloods either trained to become Sentinels or they led a zombie-like life of servitude. The Pures are top of the food chain and everything else is secondary fish guts. The Greek gods are not in the picture, but I have a feeling they will be making a long overdue appearance in the future. You cannot leave your spoiled children (Pures) to make messes of the world and not expect to have to intervene at some point… Sooooo very looking forward to Pure this spring!!!

This was another one of those books I had to mull over before I could decide what to say about it.

I know some people have complained about the similarities between this book and Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. But do you want me to be honest?

I haven't read Vampire Academy. And I never plan to. (I promise it's not because it's about vampires. But I've read parts of it and I was not a fan.) So I can't say much about the similarities -- but if you ask me, I don't think the similarities are as bad as some people are making them out to be.

Alex was a great narrator. She was sarcastic and tough without appearing rude or obnoxious. Sometimes I wished her emotions came through a little more clearly, but otherwise, I thought she was a very well-done character.


I don't really have much to say about the rest of the characters, other than Caleb was such a girly gossip that it was just hilarious, and I will forever like Seth more than Aiden. Aiden might be very patient with Alex, which is something she obviously needs, but Seth is more interesting to me. Amusing. He could be sarcastic, too, and I loved him. (Also, wow, the blurb for Pure, the second book, talks about a love triangle, basically. How did I not notice that? *sadface*) I have a feeling she'll end up with Aiden, and then I'll be all sad, and THAT'S ALL THAT EVER HAPPENS IN LOVE TRIANGLES.


Anyway.


And the plot wasn't just about romance, either. The thing with her mother was a total surprise to me. I loved how Alex had to ignore her feelings and do what she needed to do - kill. I know that sounds like a really weird thing to like, but it proved that Alex was dedicated and strong - and that she wanted to save lives. And I liked the whole mythology behind all of it. The idea of the Apolloyon and how there were once two of them? I thought that was really cool.


Overall: Honestly, I think the only thing this book was missing was a few more descriptions. I can't wait to see where this series is going to go. (Specifically Seth and Alex, but we won't get into that >_>) Half-Blood was a surprising novel that I couldn't put down, and I can't wait for the next book. (Which is another awesome thing - it comes out in April. Which is not only my birthday month, but it means there's not a year-long wait between books like a lot of series.) 4 stars.

First Impressions: When I read the book synopsis, I knew I just HAD to get this book into my hands. Not only is the cover art gorgeous, but the book itself sounded amazing. I love anything to do with mythology and have always found that sort of stuff so interesting. The synopsis also reminded me of The Vampire Academy series, which was a huge plus!

First 50 Pages: Wow! Just wow! I’m not even sure where to start with this one! It was just THAT good. It was above and beyond my expectations!

Characters & Plot: I knew that I wouldn’t be able to put this book back down. And I didn’t. I gobbled the whole book up in less than a few hours. Right from the beginning, the action was there and it hooked me right into the story.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away since the book synopsis already gives so much. What Jennifer was able to create with this story is one that you won't be able to forget. My favorite character was definitely Alex, who is an incredibly strong and kick-ass heroine. I LOVE those kinds of characters in YA books, and unfortunately not many authors are creating them. Aiden was also a pretty cool character and I really enjoyed the interactions between those two characters. Oh, and he sounds like a total babe! Caleb is another totally sweet character and I thought he was a nice addition to the story. This book was incredibly well written in every way, shape and form. There is plenty of suspense and drama, action, and a bit of romance. Basically, this book has a little something for everyone. Even if you’re not a fan of mythology like I am, the way that the author weaves it in, you won’t even be bothered by it. She made mythology as exciting as it can be.

Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book and I have no idea how I’m going to survive waiting a few months until the next book in this series comes out. I really do not have one negative thing to say about this book. It was definitely worth the time it took me to read it. This book surprised the heck out of me with how good it is. One thing I do want to note though: For fans of the Vampire Academy series, you are going to notice some striking similarities. Half-Blood is extremely similar. I have no idea if this was intentional or not. I know that the similarities are high and some people have complained about this. It isn’t up to me to say if it was intentional or not. Regardless, I don’t care. I loved this book!