Pure

Title: Pure

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publish Date: 3 April 2012

Pages: 329

ISBN: 978-0-983-15722-9

Source: bought

Genre: Young Adult, romance, mythology

Series: Covenant

Other books in series: Daimon, Half-Blood, Deity (November 2012)

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.

What happens with Seth, Alex and Aiden in this second installment of the Covenant series? Alex is still training at the Covenant with Aiden and Seth.  The Covenant is supposed to be a place where you feel safe from the Daimons. When they attack the Covenant, everything changes.  That feeling of safety is gone. After the attacks, Alex goes along with Aiden and Seth to the Council to tell them what had happened with her mother.  

Things aren’t going well for the three.  Aiden is torn because pures and half-bloods aren't supposed to have relationships and she has growing feelings for Aiden that if she or he acted upon them, she could end up a slave or die.  Alex and Seth aren't really getting along.  Alex feels like she has lost everyone.

When Alex gets to the council, there are strange things that happen.  Alex, is well, Alex and doesn't let things slide when they upset her.  Someone is out to sabotage her there and is intent on making her into a slave instead of a sentinel and the 2nd Apollyon.  Everything that Alex does there is under speculation.   Even the room that she is placed in is meant for a half-blood slave.   Aiden and Seth see that someone is trying to ruin Alex and doesn’t want to leave her alone.  Who is it that doesn’t want her to become the second Apollyon and why?  Which boy will Alex choose – the one who holds her heart, or the one she can have?

I really liked Half-Blood and Daimon in this series and was anxious about reading Pure.  It didn’t disappoint me.  I loved it.  It was full of suspense, romance and action.  You never knew what was going to happen.  Sure, I had my suspicions about certain people, but it was never given away in the plot of the book.  Normally, the love triangle angle bothers or bores me because it has been written so much.  This one is sorta different and I like that about it.

Seth and I weren't getting along at the moment.  In our last training session, he'd "accidentally" hit me with a blast of energy and I'd "accidentally" thrown a rock at his head.

The cover of this book is blue, which happens to be my favorite color, so I am a little biased here. It has a rose on it.  It goes along with the cover of Half-Blood and Daimon.  Again, I’m not sure what this has to do with the story, but it is pretty to look at.

"I've already explained it," I said.  "It's pretty easy to understand. Even for you. Or did you wake up on the wrong side of stupid this morning?"

 

•Alex.  I like her spirit.  In this book, she shows that she cares about the people as a whole and although she chooses the wrong ways, she shows this.

•Aiden.  It is evident that he cares for Alex.  He just cannot.  It is against the law for a pure and a half-blood to be together.  The Gods have prohibited it.  Aiden is caring and over-protective.

•Seth.  What can you say about Seth?  He isn’t as much of a whiner in this book.  I think I like him a little more and you really get to see who he is and what he cares about.  He cares about Alex.  I’m not sure if it is more than self-preservation or if it just started that way.

•The Council.  People and their silly laws really get to me.  The council has so many rules…

•Daimons.  Naturally, they are the enemy.

 

The big question is whether I’m on Team Seth or Team Aiden.  That question is a little difficult to answer.  I like and dislike them both for various reasons.

• Pro:  He seems to really care about Alex, although he has a funny way of showing it sometimes.

• Pro: Alex is able to be with him without breaking the law.

• Pro: He teaches Alex a lot about being the Apollyon.

• Con: He is sometimes manipulative and throws things up in Alex’s face.

• Con: He sometimes acts selfish and wants things because he wants them and doesn’t always think of how his choices affect other people.

• Con: He likes to be in control of everything.

• Con: He doesn’t like Aiden.

"Cut me?" Seth laughed.  "What are you - a street thug Apollyon about to shank me?"

• Pro: He has been there for Alex when she needed him.

• Pro: He is very responsible and thinks about how his actions will affect other people.

• Pro: He cares for Alex and doesn’t want to take her future away by being with her.

• Pro: He takes responsibility of teaching Alex so she can catch up at the Covenant and not have to become a slave.

• Con: He is a Pure and because of this, he and Alex could not be together without breaking the law.

• Con: He is always serious.

• Con: He doesn’t like Seth.