Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Pure
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Series: Covenant
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Published: April 3, 2012
Pages: 329

From the Publisher: There is need. And then there is Fate…

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.

Celeste’s review: 5 flashing glittery neon stars! Someone please hold me. My heart can’t take it! This book is intense. We get right back into the story without skipping a beat. Alex is a second class citizen, which in this story is a Half-blood, not a Pure. She has 2 choices in life: train and become a guard or sentinel, or live a life of servitude to a Pure. For her the only option is to become a Sentinel, like her trainer, Aiden. Except Aiden is a Pure and could live the rest of his life in luxury with old money. But while they seem worlds apart, they do have more in common than what you would think at the first glance: their attraction to each other and their personal reasons for wanting to become a Sentinel.

Alex: Alex has definitely matured both emotionally and physically from her training. She is a little more restrained and thinks things through, and I felt like she was less likely to make impulsive decisions that could be life threatening. However, she still has her temper and I love her for that (the apple lol!!). She also has gotten more training, not only from school, but personally from Aiden and Seth and it is starting to show. All she does in her spare time is train it seems, and it has paid off.

Aiden: Oh Aiden, le sigh. Sometimes in this story he was more relaxed, but I still want him to let go. At the same time I kept blowing through the pages knowing he has a lot of pent up frustration and it has to be let out….soon. He has reached out to Alex and done things for her that make her realize what they have is beyond physical chemistry.

Seth: One of the characters that has moved to the front burner in this book is Seth, the apollyon. What’s an apollyon? He is a half blood that has more powers than the Pures. Usually only one exists at a time. What can I say? I adore him. While he is totally gorgeous I find myself laughing out loud with/at him. From his total confidence on every level to his honesty, he is full of awesome. And let’s not forget he is a manwhore and proud of it.

The stress of this book was killing me! Here’s a few reasons why:

• By halfway I was loving Seth and I wouldn’t mind if he and Alex had a quick fling. (Yes, I know!) I’m totally team Aiden but with the Breed Order law she could maybe give in for now, you know, just to tide the reader over. 😉
• Someone wants Alex sent into a drug induced life of servitude. I have my suspicions who, but honestly it could probably be anyone. More than ever I “get” why Alex and Aiden can’t love each other (even though they do). I was wringing my hands because I myself felt so frustrated. I don’t know how JLA is going to get them out of this.
• The battling is more intense, and oh, I sure did cry. I didn’t see something coming early on and I was so sad. But then there is more battling and Aiden’s actions speak volumes.
• While the book ended in a place that I could breathe for a moment, it wasn’t necesarrily a happy breath. More like a sad sigh until the next installment. I’m so glad the story isn’t over. On that note, I need the next book soon, this is just such an amazing read. Thank you, Ms. Armentrout for writing such a fabulous book.

All in all, this is a fabulous top shelf book. If you love what I love, you have got to read it. Happy reading! 🙂