Pure: The Second Covenant Novel (Covenant Series Book 2)

Finally we get to see more of this amazing series!! I flew through this in less than a day, and I went through such a roller coaster of emotions. I now know what it would feel like if I flicked my blender on 'puree', ripped my heart out, and tossed it in. I bow the the sheer awesomeness that is Jennifer Armentrout, because she is the reigning queen of heartbreak, torment, and completely unexpected stomach-twisting!! Lord, I could NOT WAIT to get my hands on this book!!! I absolutely fell in love with Armentrout's writing with Onyx, and I had a complete replay of those feelings when I read Half-Blood. Alex instantly became one of my all-time favorite heroines, easily making her way into my heart with her sassy attitude, pure emotions, and downright bad-assness! And I don't think it needs to be mentioned that I was head-over heals for Aiden from the moment I met him in this awesome story!!! So Pure was one of my most-anticipated sequel releases for 2012, and it did NOT disappoint!!!! Pure begins with Alex back at the Covenant, trying to get back to normalcy after her ordeal at Lake Lure. Unfortunately, normal for her means dealing with a multitude of extra training sessions, putting up with Seth's torment, conflicting emotions, daimon attacks, avoiding trouble so she can stay on campus, still having to listen to Lea's ridicule, and a crushing heartbreak. Sounds easy, right?! LOL But Alex toughs it out (because she's awesome), despite being exhausted and under more stress than she knows what to do with. Pure has so many twists and turns and suspense-filled scenes that I found it very hard to find a slow place in the story to take breaks from reading (my kids weren't happy, I blame Jennifer). Between the half-blood daimons and the threat of Seth and her harnessing their full powers when she awakens, Alex is gaining a mass of enemies (daimons, the Council, pures, and possibly someone she doesn't suspect...) that mean to do her harm. Alex went through so much in a short period of time in this book, there were honestly points where I wished I could just grab her out of the scene so she wouldn't have to face it! Lord, it was hard to see a character I love so much going through so much pain! ACK! I am so hopeful that Armentrout posts some of these scenes from Aiden and Seth's POV, because they will be EPIC!!!! One thing I was not at all expecting from this book was Seth. He didn't do much for me in Half-Blood, I was so in love with Aiden that it didn't even phase me! Then Armentrout goes and turns Seth into this AMAZING character that melds so well with Alex, and makes Aiden (view spoiler) We see a LOT more of Seth in Pure, and we see so many more sides of him in the process. When Alex loses someone close to her, Seth is there for her in a way that I never would have expected, and it just melted my heart. He was so protective and loving with her that you couldn't help but fall for him. There are several really beautiful moments between him and Alex; some are sweet and tender, and some are just plain sexy!! And so now, I'm absolutely torn. WHY?! NO!!!! It doesn't help matters that Aiden is hurting along with Alex, though he hides it better than I wished he could. Oh, it was so easy with Half-Blood, and now no matter what happens I'm going to have my heart ripped in to pieces when this series ends. Just thinking about either of them losing Alex for good makes my chest ache, because Armentrout made both of them such captivating, beautiful, loving, sexy guys that deserve to get the girl. I may need therapy once all is said and done!! Armentrout doesn't hold back when it comes to the creepy/disturbing factor with this series, and there were moments that were pretty gory. Thankfully, I didn't have to stomach my way through another scene like the one in Half Blood when (view spoiler). But Pure has plenty of action with Armentrout's brilliant detail, all leading up to a massive daimon attack where Alex is just phenomena!l!! Love the scenes where she gets to be truly bad-ass! Pure ends with a bang, too, and it leaves your heart cracking, racing, and sputtering into numbness along with Alex. It's been a full day and I still can't get these characters out of my head long enough to stop dwelling on the ache in my chest! Even so, I am so glad the wait is finally over for this book; diving back into the Covenant series was everything I had hoped it would be and then some, and now we have the torturous wait for Deity. In the mean time, fans of the series will be eating up Pure, it's unforgettable!

Full Review Can Be Found Here: [...] I want to start off by saying that this book was a great improvement in terms of plot and character development. Jennifer L. Armentrout clearly improved on this story line and made it more fast-paced and engaging. What I liked most about this book in the series was being able to see the new rules implemented since half-bloods can be turned into demons. Watching these stringent rules be put into place illustrates the different ways in which half-bloods and pures are treated differently. It's clear that pures are valued more in their society than their half-blood counterparts which is awful considering the fact that they are both descendants of the gods. Another aspect of the novel that I readily enjoyed was the development of the relationship between Seth and Alex. If you didn't know I have been completely rooting for Seth simply because he is raw around the edges and he's not scared to tell it like it is. He doesn't baby Alex, but he still manages to show that he has her best interest at hand. The only thing that bothers me about Seth is that he's secretive and never gives a straight answer. When Alex has questions about becoming the next Apollyon he refuses to give her any exact answers. Part of this frustrates me, but then I think all the answers will come with the next couple of books. One aspect of the book that I definitely did not enjoy was Alex's obsession with Aiden. It's completely dangerous and reckless and can ruin everything that she has worked for. It is simply outrageous to know that Alex is willing to ruin her life for Aiden. Meanwhile I commend Aiden (who probably really loves Alex) on putting their safety first. It takes true strength and confidence to look past romance and think more about safety. With that being said I think that Alex has a lot of growing up to do before she takes on the role of becoming the Apollyon; however, I'm really loving where this series is going and I can't wait to see where the future books take me. If you are interested in fast paced, high action books that contain mythology I would definitely recommend this series.

Pure was an extremely enjoyable read. I found myself nearly unable to put it down. It started off right where Half-Blood ended, but this time, it developed the relationship between Seth and Alex a little bit more. I'm not one for love triangles, but this is one I can handle because it's subtle. You can kind of guess who she will end up with. In this novel, Aiden was the sweetest thing. The zoo? Too cute! I grinned the entire time because it was just too sweet! Seth was still annoying, but the banter between him and Alex was pretty funny. The author has an amazing ability to write fantastic fight/battle scenes, and to end a book/chapter in the perfect spot. Her novels are always the perfect mixture between violence, romance, humor, and sexual tension. A 5/5 stars for this instalment of the Covenant series!

Here is my dilemma. Book one in the Covenant series, Half-Blood, was amazing and I so enjoyed reading it that I was able to easily give it five stars. Then I read book two, Pure, and I was blown away! So where is the dilemma you ask? I now must find a way to get across in this review how completely awesome Pure is with still only being able to give it five stars... or can we add a sixth, a seventh... As with all reviews I try my hardest to not give away major plot twists or spoilers in that particular book but I do always give the warning that it will be impossible to not give some things away from earlier books in the series. So if you have not read Half-Blood, proceed with caution. My emotions were all over the place while reading Pure! There is so much intense action, drama and then there are so many beautiful and sweet moments. Honestly I was up and down and all around by the end of it. Remember in my review of Half-Blood when I mentioned the possibility of that special little three pointed geometric shape? Well my prediction has come to pass and it's not so little anymore. In fact it would rival the one over in Bermuda for size! Now normally when somebody mentions the phrase 'Love Triangle' it would be followed with a sigh or a groan, including from myself. But I am going to be completely honest with you and say that I think this may be the most well written triangle I have ever read. I say this because even I would not be able to choose at this point in time. I love them both, Aiden and Seth. However, in saying that I think Seth may have just won out a bit in this book. I found myself really excited when he would come into a scene because I knew that 'something' was going to happen. And I'm not just talking about the inevitable swooning that takes place in these types of situations. When he is around you know there are going to be sparks, literally and figuratively. He is just pure awesomeness! However, I still love Aiden. I love how he is when he is around Alex and I understand why he continues to pull away from her. The feelings he has for her will not get him into trouble as he is a pure, he will be saved from any of the fall out if their relationship was discovered. Everything that would happen would be happening to Alex and he is trying to avoid that fate for her. Their interactions are both sweet and frustrating but oh so great. So yes, there is a triangle but it really is one I understand. Alex is drawn to Aiden because she has liked him for a very long time, he is caring and sweet with her. Alex is also drawn to Seth because of their connection through them both being Apollyon. The question that begs to be answered... is it just the connection that is drawing Seth and Alex together or is it more? Alex continued to be the strong willed force of nature that she was in Half-Blood. In fact I think there are even a few more 'What do you think you doing?' moments! Sadly there is a tragic event in this book, I am not ashamed to say that I teared up when it happened. I will not ruin it for you but I can honestly say I did not see it coming and was truly shocked when it did. This is part of the reason why Armentrout is such an amazing author. The scenes are seamlessly blended between intense action and intense emotion. I am never bored while reading and it keeps me turning the pages to the very end. I was extremely happy to get to the end and find that there is a scene from Seth's POV. It is in fact 'THE' scene between him and Alex... I was swooning even more after being in his head for the chapter. I really do love him... but I have a feeling I may be a bit broken hearted in the end. I would continue to strongly suggest this series to anybody! If the synopsis sounds even a little interesting to you then I promise you will not be disappointed. I only discovered Armentrout's books this year and she has already become one of my favorite authors. "I guess there were two types of people in the world, those who sat around a fire, staring into the flames, and those who started the fire. Seth and I started the fire, and then we danced around it." Christine Rainy Day Reads

Secondo capitolo della saga Covenant. Lo sto ancora leggendo ma sembra coinvolgente

Je n’irai pas par quatre chemins, j’ai adoré ce tome. Déjà conquise par le premier, celui est un cran encore au-dessus. C’est vous dire à quel point cette saga est une perle. Les Daimons sont aux portes des Covenants et pourtant le danger semble ailleurs. Alexandria doit faire face aux conséquences de ses actes. Envoyée à New York, elle fait la connaissance du Conseil, haute institution chez les Pures, qui semble particulièrement s’intéresser à elle. Ce tome démarre très fort avec des événements qui vont profondément marquer notre jeune héroïne…et le lecteur, par la même occasion. A un moment particulièrement, je n’ai pas pu poser le roman, bien qu’il soit tard, car j’avais besoin de savoir ce qui allait se passer. Je n’arrivais pas à croire que JLA ait osé faire ça. Et pourtant si. J’ai trouvé ça très dur pour Alexandria. J’ai eu énormément de peine pour la jeune femme. Mais quel coup de génie !! Je ne veux pas trop en dire donc je n’insisterai pas mais allez-y les yeux fermés. Par la suite, pas le temps de s’en remettre. L’auteure nous emmène à New York, rencontrer le Conseil. Et là aussi, pas de répit. Alexandria a fort à faire. On plonge au cœur du monde des Pures et croyez-moi, ce n’est pas joli-joli. C’est un monde lourd de contraintes que nous dépeint JLA, un monde profondément injuste avec des règles à n’en plus finir. On comprend mieux les nombreux obstacles qui vont se dresser sur le chemin d’Alex. Elle se découvre des alliés mais aussi des ennemis, dont certains très puissants. Ce qui n'aurait dû être qu'une simple audience va prendre un tournant complètement inattendu. Et se conclure de manière dramatique. JLA frappe encore un grand coup. Autant vous dire qu’après ça, plus rien ne sera comme avant. Cette construction en deux temps m’a beaucoup plu. Le début laisse penser que l’on va aller dans telle direction et finalement JLA nous entraine ailleurs. Cela donne une dimension plus complexe à tout cet imaginaire, où rien n’est simple. L’ennemi prend de multiples visages. Je me suis totalement laissée prendre au jeu et j’ai vraiment hâte de connaître les prochains mouvements des protagonistes. On savait la situation d’Alexandria précaire, mais là…on réalise à quel point et je n’aimerais vraiment pas être à sa place. Je ne peux évidemment pas vous parler de ce livre sans évoquer la romance, et surtout tous les moments Alex/Aiden. Aïe, aïe, aïe !! Je fonds littéralement pour ces deux-là. JLA a imaginé une romance compliquée, torturée dont je suis fan à 100%. On ressent chaque émotion des personnages. Les sentiments sont là et pourtant ils ne peuvent pas s’empêcher de se faire du mal, et par conséquent à nous avec. On a le cœur qui bat vite, qui se brise et se recolle en un ballet incessant. J’en veux plus !! Quant à un éventuel triangle amoureux, pour moi il n’est absolument pas dangereux. Je ne doute pas qu’Alex fera le bon choix. ^^ Si j’ai autant aimé ma lecture, c’est aussi parce que les personnages sont exceptionnels. J’adore Alexandria. Elle a ses défauts, certes, et je lui ficherai bien quelques claques mais son courage et sa dévotion à ses amis compensent bien ses petits travers. Je passe toujours un très bon moment en sa compagnie. Elle apprend beaucoup de ses erreurs et mûrit énormément dans ce tome. C’est quelqu’un de profondément humain et de très attachant. Mais celui qui me plait par-dessus tout, c’est Aiden. Il est le book boyfriend parfait, où en tout cas il s’en rapproche beaucoup. Je regrette qu’il soit si effacé dans ce tome mais cela rend chacune de ses apparitions encore plus exquise. Je n’attendais que ça. Je m’en voudrais d’oublier Seth. Je sais qu’il en énerve plus d’une mais pas moi. Dans ce tome, j’ai même été reconnaissante de tout ce qu’il fait pour Alex. Disons que je reste prudente vis-à-vis de lui. Je sens qu’il cache des choses et que tout ne va pas me plaire. Cette longue chronique parle d’elle-même, Pure est un bijou. Une intrigue bien ficelée, avec tout ce qu’il faut d’action et de révélations, sans oublier les émotions…le combo parfait. Je vous invite fortement à lire The Covenant. Et si l’anglais vous effraie, vous êtes chanceux. J’ai Lu prévoit une publication de la série en fin d’année. C’est pas super ça ? ;)

Loved this so much! Rereading it again! Just noticed with horror that I did not review this series when I've read them the first time!