Double Review: Half-Blood and Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

After I read Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I became sort of obsessed with it (ok,ok - with Daemon really - see my review here). Since it's sequel, Onyx, isn't being released until August, I thought might as well try another one of Jennifer's books to see if I liked them as much. Half-Blood and Pure, the first two books in her Covenant series, received stellar ratings, so I thought I'd start there. Although not quite as hot as Obsidian, they were nearly as good overall. I read them back-to-back over a few days, so I'm posting my reviews together. As a side note, I just LOVE the covers...I read these two as e-books, but I wish I had them in print just so I could keep seeing the covers over and over again!

Half-Blood
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Spencer Hill Press
September 19, 2011
304 pages

Synopsis (from the Publisher): 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.

We meet Alexandria "Alex" just as she watches a daimon (which is sort of a cross between a vampire and a zombie-demon?) kill her mother and then come after her. Enter Aiden, a sentinel (warrior daimon-hunter) who rescues Alex and brings her back to safety on the island Covenant school where he becomes her personal trainer to make up for all the schooling she's missed while she was away.
 The story picks up as the daimons infiltrate the Covenant and Alex's past and future is brought into question and her actions are scrutinized at every step.
 The romance between Alex and Aiden reminded me a lot of Four and Tris in Divergent...I loved the slightly older and wiser guy training the girl and having that bit of authority over her. This romance is much more forbidden than the one in Divergent though and it becomes a little frustrating to read (it gets even more so in book two). That frustration just adds to the underlying sexual tension present in all their scenes together. You read those passages knowing if and when they do get together (no spoilers here!), the pages are just going to ignite on their own!

Pure
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Spencer Hill Press
March 12, 2012
320 pages

Synopsis (from the publisher): 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: (note: although I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers, this review alludes to events that happened in Book #1 Half-Blood. If you have not read it yet, you may not wish to proceed)

Just when I thought I couldn't get more frustrated with the unfulfilled sexual tension of Half-Blood, I started book 2, Pure, and in addition to that tension, Jennifer L. Armentrout now weaves in a love triangle! After meeting Seth in Half-Blood, I didn't think he'd ever compare to Aiden. He was just too cocky, too arrogant, too selfish...but then we see this whole new side of him in Pure. A sweet, thoughtful, caring side. A side that makes it difficult to remember just how much we want Alex and Aiden to end up together. There are all sorts of interesting things that happen with conspiracies, trials, daimons, furies, and so much else, it's difficult to put this book down once you start... But, frankly, I was so enthralled with Alex and Aiden, and now Alex and Seth, too, that I found myself reading faster just to get to their scenes together. I'm still Team Aiden (seriously, even with Seth's softer side, how could anyone not be?!), but oh how I cannot wait to see how my mind may be changed and how things will unfurl in book #3 - Deity. 

With Obsidian, and now Half-Blood and Pure - Jennifer L. Armentrout is the newest addition to my short list of favorite authors. I look forward to reading more by her - AND meeting her at BEA in a couple weeks!

Half-Blood: 4.5/5

Pure: 4.5/5 

Covers: 5/5

Because I love the covers so much, here are sneak peaks at the upcoming covers for book #3, Deity and book #3.5, the novella Elixir (aren't they GORGEOUS?!?)