Half-Blood (Covenant #1)

As much as I loved the Lux series, this one didn't do anything for me. I'm not sure what it was but I just didn't connect with the series. The characters were good, I just wasn't thrilled with the overall story of this series despite having read all the books.

This was super awesome and I love the rest of the series too!

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!