Half-Blood: A Covenant Novel

Written by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Narrated by Justine Eyre

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452689777

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Jennifer L. Armentrout (also known as J. LYNN) is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Wait for You and the Young Adult Lux and Covenant series, among other books. She writes steamy and fun New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. She is published with Entangled Teen and Brazen, SHP, Disney/Hyperion, and Harlequin Teen.

Reviews for Half-Blood

[Colette Leah Bowlby · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slow building but worth every page , loved it !

[Millsy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyable book, really likeable characters and a very different story along with a great narrator to add life and individuality to each character.

[CRYSTAL-LEIGH BARNES · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay but the main character is an absolute brat. So immature for a 17 year old. Down right annoying and self centered.

[ebbith0115 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! -I have heard so many good and bad things about this book, one of them was that this books have somethings in common with another book (Vampire Academy). I was mad with myself because I usually read the reviews after I read the book, not before and I read one about all the things this book have in common with another book, and when I was reading Half-Blood I was looking for the things that I read in the review, that it suppose to be the same as the other book (Vampire Academy). That is why I had to read this book twice. The second time I read it, I didn't think about the review I just wanted to enjoy the book because overall it is a awesome book. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved Greek mythology, so that its a plus. I'm glad that even though I read that review, I read the book because now I can't wait to read Pure and see what its going to happen between Aiden and Alex. I this amazing book recommended to everyone!!

[Christine Perkins · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Complete rip off of Vampire Academy. I’m surprised its even still around. ?

[Brent Helton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m in love with this narrator!! This is a great audio!!

[Linda Kay Bostwick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book itself is fantastic. The reader however…not so much. I was hoping she would have gotten a better style by this book, but she didn’t. She’s trying way to hard to have a scratchy mysterious voice that it’s just annoying. But love the book

[spiritedstardust · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

DNF - there was just too much bratty juvenile teenageness for me

[faith_murri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Need covers itself with love, but need… need is never love. Always beware of the one who needs you. There is always a want behind a need, you see."
This is an amalgamation of every YA book I've ever read before. It's tropey, cliche, predictable, and trashy. But I liked it.

So, essentially, Rose Clary Hathaway, after running away with her mom to the human world (and her mom's subsequent "death"), is discovered and goes back to Camp Half-Blood Academy, the school where pure-blood wizards and their mud blood siblings train to protect the world from vampire demons. There she meets Chaol Dimitri Westfall who trains her back from flabby mortalness to god-killing awesomeness - but is a pure she can never be with. She also meets the Apollyon, Rowan Whitethorn, who is a stalker with anger issues, an accent of uncertain origin, and magical tattoos, but is against all odds her unwitting Mate™, destined to either be with her or destroy her.

There's middle school drama parading as high school drama, severely unrealistic dialogue, and angry personality-less love interests. It reads like a Choices: Stories You Play game. The main character is an unlikable jerk. The world feels like a Disney Channel Original Movie set.

And I liked it.

Read this review and more on my blog here!

[roses7184_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I finished Half-Blood about fifteen minutes ago and my heart is still beating like mad. This book, wow this book, is a roller coaster ride in it's own right. Twists, turns, smoldering attraction, it's all there in vivid black and white! When the very beginning of a story automatically takes my breath away, I know I'm in for a treat. Expect rambling beyond this sentence.

First off let me profess my love for Alex, the main character. She is strong, she is fiery, she knows what she wants and she'll be damned if she's going to let you keep her from getting it. Not afraid to break the rules, Alex is a rebel and driven by her need for revenge. Despite everything else in her life, including what she could become, she keeps fighting forward towards her ultimate goal. However she's not all big and bad. There are parts of her that come through that are sensitive and struggling. It is this very real personality that brought her to life and made me one hundred percent behind her the entire time.

Then there's Aiden. I'll admit that he stole my heart. This boy is stubborn and strong, but also sensitive in the best way possible. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes as well. There are moments between Aiden and Alex that just ooze tension, and then others that are so sweet that they will melt your heart. Add in an expressly forbidden romance, and you have a recipe for a fantastic story. What I really really enjoyed about Half-Blood though is that the romance doesn't steal the story line. It's there, it's charged, and there is even another smoldering hot boy who comes into the picture. Still, not once does a heart-wrenching love triangle fully develop. At least not yet. Perhaps it will come in the next installment, but for now I'm very happy with the fact that Alex gets to be her butt-kicking self, without falling into the love triangle trap.

As I mentioned above, the plot itself drives forward like a performance car! (Terrible similie I know.) I'm completely serious though. Interspersed between calm, loving, moments of reflection and growth are intense fight scenes and twists that will make your head spin. There was more than one time while reading that I literally yelled out "What are you DOING?" to the dismay of my napping boyfriend. Half-Blood is a book that drew me so far in, made me feel so much for the characters, that I felt I would be doing them a disservice if I didn't read ravenously to the end.

I'll stop rambling now. This book is fantastic. If you are in the market for a story with a butt-kicking heroine and a strong (gorgeous) male character, this is for you. Half-Blood took my breath away. I wait eagerly for more of Alex's story!

[samanthamholt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first half of the book was often annoying and difficult to get through as I found myself rolling my eyes every time Alex spoke. Every time she described a guy I rolled my eyes even more! She was often hard-headed and "lusty" but then again, what teenager isn't? About 60% into the book it started to get interesting to me and I couldn't put it down. Not quite sure how I got sucked in but I'm onto the next now and I'm actually excited about reading it!

[emma_manolis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hi, my name is Emma and I am a HUGE cover snob. It's a serious problem that I cannot seem to control. Half-Blood was published years ago and despite all the positive reviews I refused to read it mainly because I hated the cover. How stupid is that?

Luckily the fates intervened and I won a prize pack full of Armentrout books, two of which came from the Covenant series. The first book wasn't included though so of course I had to find it. I don't just not read books that come my way. That would be crazy.
Half-Blood is about this girl named Alex who is something called a Half-Blood. Did you really not see that coming? You see way back in the day the Gods produced children. . .lots and lots of children, who had traits similar to their own. These children are known as Pue-Bloods. Pure-Bloods who get down and dirty with mortals produce Half-Bloods and Half-Blood are basically mudbloods in the HP world. They have very limited options in life. Basically Alex can either become a Sentinel and kill daimons or she can be drugged for the rest of her life and scrub toliets. She would prefer to be coherent so her choice is obvious.
In order to become a Sentinel you have to train at this school called the Covenant. It's located on this island off of North Carolina and it is one of the only safe places, because here's the thing about daimons, they can't cross water. Weird, right? I never could quite understand why that is the case. Anyway, Alex has been away from the Covenant for quite some time so she is behind everyone else and has to prove her worth. Everything is on the line.

Luckily Alex is being trained by an awesome Sentinel named Aiden. All you need to know about Aiden is that if he weren't a fictional character my husband would be in trouble. Here is another monkey wrench for you. Pure-Bloods like Aiden are not allowed to be with Half-Bloods like Alex. Ah forbidden love. I really like the relationship between Aiden and Alex. The progression seems to be just right and there is just enough romance leaving you wanting more. . .much more. Aiden also happens to say just the right things at the right moments.

As you can probably tell there is A LOT going on. I didn't even fill you in on some of the other things happening. That's really is just the tip, my friends. This book will keep you entertained because so much is happening in such a short amount of time. It's incredibly hard to put down.

My one complaint is this: there seem to be way too many characters. There are a ton of minor characters that are really hard to keep straight simply because they aren't all that developed. Now this is the first book in a series, so that could all change.

Overall:
If you enjoyed Harry Potter or if you even kind of liked the premise of The Mortal Instruments series then I think you will LOVE this! The writing is witty. The plot is exciting. The romance is forbidden. What more could you want?!

[ishanella · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found Half-Blood to be extremely predictable yet unexpectedly addictive. I’d definitely classify it as fluff, but it still has the ability to hold your attention.

Jennifer Armentrout tells a tale of a Half-Blood girl who is special, the Pure she is in love with and the Apollon she can’t escape from. Pures are off-springs of demi-gods and Half-Bloods are offspring of pure bloods and humans, the caste doesn’t make much sense to me since demi-gods are off-springs of gods and humans - so Pures have human blood in them, but the politics behind it is Pures are higher ranking and to avoid mixing blood it is forbidden for a Half-Blood and a pure to have romantic relationships.

Alex (our protagonist) was on the run with her mother, unaware of why her mother took her from the protection of the Covenant – their home – when they were attacked and her mother lost. As the story continues we learn why her mother ran way and the meaning of the strange connection between Alex and Seth – the Apollon – who was my favourite character in the book.

My biggest complaint about this story is the characters. With the exception of Seth, I couldn’t love the main characters. Alex was just forever feisty and she didn’t seem to grow as a character. Aiden – the forbidden love interest – was completely flat; I couldn’t really picture him in my head and found his character a little monotonous. Seth, even though he was the typical bad-boy character, was a refreshing change to the others. I’m not unusually a fan of the cocky bad-boy character because they all seem to be the same, but Seth works.

I wouldn’t say the story was fast paced but it kept me engaged enough to want to know what would happen next and this was the main reason for me liking the story. I think Jennifer Armentrout did a neat job with the way she intertwined mythology into her story and I’d love to find out what happens in the end. I’d say Half-Blood is a quick read for a long trip.

[ericanneri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I began to read this book after hearing about a spin off serious called The Return so I had to read the original series first. This book is great for anyone who wants a quick fun read. Its a take on Greek mythology but with demons but the world isn't described to a very large extent. The characters and plot are pretty predictable but the characters are lovable and sometimes you just need a bit of YA cheesy romance. It's a pretty enjoyable, light read, but if you need something with deep character/plot development this is probably not for you.

[anaesteves-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is so involving and addictive that I read it in two days! I love the characters! Alex is such a bad ass of a girl and Aiden is just like her but in the end they're just two sensible people fighting against their feelings!
I want to thank this amazing writer for writing all these awesome books!!!!

[thereadingrebel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Alex is a half-blood which means she is the daughter of a Hematoi(a descendant of the greek gods)and a mortal. There is only two ways of life for half-bloods be a mindless servant for the Pure bloods(off spring of two Hematoi)or guard them and hunt down the Daimons[pure bloods who have went all dark side after getting a taste of Aether(life force running throw the blood of pure and half bloods)and will do anything for a fix].Alex is one of the lucky ones. Training to be Sentinel(the half bloods who hunt down daimons)in the Covenant. I loved this book. I am late to the Jennifer L Armentrout fan club but I have become a card carrying member. The opening had my heart racing and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This book sucks you in and doesn't let you go even after you have reached the end. It has it all action,romance,special powers,forbidden love,and great main characters.Alex is a feisty,strong,and sarcastic heroine who has you rooting for her from page one. Aiden and Seth are two very hot swoon worthy heroes. I love how Aiden understands Alex and treats her as an equal. Aiden's caring and understanding nature would sweep any girl off her feet. And here is were the forbidden love comes in.Alex is a half blood and Aiden is a pure and one of the rules is halfs and pures can't date.Seth's wit and bluntness where my favorite things about his character. I saw some things coming but just as many things I didn't see coming. I loved the heat between the main characters Alex and Aiden. I swear the pages were hot to the touch. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. This book is not to be missed for all young adult paranormal fantasy fans.

[lauravga98 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

ReviewHalf blood by Jennifer armentrout is the first books that belong to covenant series, and..... In not what I expected, it was thousand times better!Okay I don't know what to say first but I have to told you that I love every character in this books, and I have a crush with aiden who is soooooooo sexy and yeah...... He is kinda perfect The story starts with Alex being in some kind of problems relationated with the daimons, which are the enemies of the purse and half-bloods, which are the sons of a deity and a human, or a pure with a pure, or a pure with a human........etc, so the story started really great: action, exitiness, and all about that Blues, the she was rescued by aiden and you know..... Love. Madness, and all about that kind of thing that make my tummy twisted.....( lovely) Anyway Alex stated to discover that she is not a normal half blood (yeah she isn't at all) and also she met Seth (yummi) who is going to be very important in the book and I'm not going to say more okay?So she is not only having problems with love and and friend like a normal teenager, noooooop, she is also trying find the true about her death mother ( was "killed" by a daimon)What more can I say....... I don't know, I just love the history, and I love the fist book of the covenant series because it was amazing, I'm not the kind of girl who read about gods and that kind of Olympus stuff but this book is WONDERFULLYPERFECT!should I recommend this book?ONE MILLION TIMES YES YES YES 4,5/5

[kanic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a total rehash of Vampire Academy, but I loved VA so I liked this! I am hoping that we deviate from the almost identical plot of VA in the next installment and I think we will. The characters stand out as real people and the plot moves along at a good pace so I was never bored.

[cynditefft · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've read so many glowing reviews about this book that I could not wait to read it. Perhaps it was those inflated expectations, but I didn't love the book the way I'd hoped to.

The parallels between Half-Blood and the Vampire Academy series were so pervasive that it really interfered with my enjoyment of the book.

Alex is a rebellious girl who has been away from the security of her secret society high school for a few years, and when she returns, the badass guy of her dreams (whom she cannot have) decides to train her on the self-defense lessons she missed while away. Insert "Rose" for "Alex" and you have the plot of the first VA book. There are other similarities that I won't list so that I don't give away spoilers from either book.

A blogger friend recommend that I read Daimon first (the mini prequel) and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed that lead-in since it flows so naturally and provides the reader with a good sense of Alex's relationship with her mom that they wouldn't have if they just began reading from the start of Half-Blood. I would have preferred to just have Daimon be the beginning of the book.

Armentrout has a great voice and Alex is a likeable character. I didn't fall in love with Aiden like I wanted to, as he didn't seem to have much personality and his dialogue seemed stilted. Still, when he and Alex would touch, Armentrout did a masterful job of freezing those moments so they were as clear as snapshots in my head. In fact, I had an easy time visualizing everything that happens in the book, which was wonderful.

She had a couple of writing tics. In Daimon, there were multiple references to kicking someone (or herself) in the face or head. In Half-Blood, she often would have Alex start to leave, but Aiden would call her name, so she'd turn around and he'd say something profound (or vice versa).

The second half of the book was much better than the first and I definitely wanted to know how it ended. So all in all, an enjoyable read, but not one that lived up to my expectations.

[vanyadrum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Here's a book I'd wanted to read for a while, but never got the chance to get to. Now that my friend Kay gave me a copy for my birthday, I'd made sure to go ahead and plunge in the Covenant Series adventure.

And boy, I don't regret it at all!

I loved the story, the narrative, the romance, and the characters. I can say that there wasn't even one thing lacking.

The concept of the Greek gods and their plethora of offspring was interesting. The forbidden connection/relationship between pure bloods and half bloods was something that made me read on, just so I could see if the characters would find a way to overcome it. Naturally, it wasn't done in this installment, so I'll be definitely going on to the next one!

The story telling was nice and flowing. There weren't any irritating repetitions or comments that didn't make sense. Except for the words of the Oracle, but I believe no one could figure those out the first time around. At least Kay has led me to believe so.

And the characters were all pretty realistic.
*Alexandria(Alex) started out as someone who sounded like she had a huge attitudinal problem. But as the story developed, all her snarky comments and her behavior in general started to make sense. After all, she had been pulled out of the world where she belonged, was given no reason for it, and was expected to behave like a mortal when she was nothing like one. The confidence she had in herself was admirable, though in some moments it bordered on stupidity. But hey, who am I to blame her! In her circumstances, she did what she could to cope with the reality. I can only give her a high five for it!

*Aiden, a pure blood who'd decided to become a Sentinel (almost entirely a half-blood position) was the sweet good guy, who got all the ovations. I did like him, though hit was a bit unclear to me when or how his feelings for Alex developed. At any rate, he was protective and caring, and very brave. He defended and protected Alex in those moments when she needed him the most. I just wish he wasn't a pure blood, so they could be together.

*Seth was someone I'd love to read more about. And I totally mean that! I can't say he's better or cooler than Aiden, but I can say that I liked his character. He was honest and good-natured and I really really liked how he developed. Perhaps there will be a love triangle in the following installment? Dunno, but I'd love to see some more of his pretty blond hair, and that unnaturally good-looking face :)

*Caleb was the friend every girl would kill to have. He was always there for Alex, sharing her anger and sorrow; her pain and happiness. I know he'd give his life for her if necessary. I hope it never is necessary though.

*Marcus, Alex's uncle, tried to appear pretty hard core. But I know that inside that heart of his, he's not so bad. I believe Alex could make that coldness disappear, should she wish to do so.

*Lucian, Alex's step father was pretty irritating. He's got to be hiding something important, like his grand scheme to overthrow the gods or something.

Umm, I think I should shut up now. I can only say that I loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal YA stories. It's totally worth the time!

[newskepticx · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like this book a lot. It has a 3.5 which could have easily been a 4 if there wasn't the whole Lea is slutty bitch part which in general makes me upset. It's unnecessary and while I read YA it doesn't mean I enjoy childishness and misogyny. Lovely characters, fascinating world, fairly unnecessary romantic subplot, all the same very touching.

[thebookhammock · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is going to be one freakishly awesome YA series. I can smell it.
And I need an Aiden. Desperately.

[.riley. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I'm one of the five people in the world who hasn't read the VA series, so the apparent similarities did not bother me. I enjoyed this and will continue the series.

[kctlagman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Two people see each across a room or their skin brushes. Their souls recognize the person as their own. It doesn’t need time to figure it. The soul always knows… whether it’s right or wrong.”

I've been looking forward to starting this series for almost a year now, so I'm glad that with exams finally ending, I've gotten the opportunity to start. Safe to say, the wait was definitely worth it. I really enjoyed the first book of JLA's Covenant series.

Alexandria Andros always thought she was pretty well off in her life at the Covenant, a school for descendants of the Gods, with special powers and enemies to match. She was a half-blood, on route to becoming a Sentinel, to destroy the daimons. But three years prior, an earth shattering revelation results in Alex and her mother leaving the world and safety of the Covenant, instead living among the mortals. An attack by a group of daimons, seemingly heartless shells of past pure-bloods, results in the loss of Alex's mother and her return to Deity Island, where the Covenant lies.

Her problematic reputation leads her to the training of Aiden St. Delphi, a pure-blood with whom she finds hope and belonging. The most significant rule of the Hematoi is that relations between pure-bloods and half-bloods are forbidden... Although that may not be the greatest of Alex's problems. The arrival of the Apollyon, the one who can control all elements, brings the discovery of Alex's true being, and the reason for her mother's escaping of the Hematoi three years prior. And just when she senses that she has approached closure from her loss, everything that the Hematoi have known is shattered, and Alex must find it in herself to separate the past and present, and what she thought she knew and the truth that is being shoved into her world.

JLA's writing is great as usual; Alex is such a strong female character. She is independent and determined, and I look forward to even more character growth in the later books of the series. Aiden was just... Perfect. I adored him. He was disciplinary when he needed to be, yet knew when Alex needed wisdom or support, or just company. He is so strong and sweet at the same time, I only want for him to be happy as so much responsibility has been shoved in his direction at such a young age. For Seth, it took a while. Okay, it took nearly the whole book for him to grow on me. But he did. He is powerful yet confused, untrusting yet supportive. I look forward to how this love triangle will play out.

I will definitely be checking out the next book of the Covenant series. I loved the world that JLA has created, and the characters are so realistic yet likeable at the same time. Alex has a great road to travel, and I can't help but be glad that she has the people that she has to support her. At seventeen, she still has much to learn. Not only about the Hematoi and the Sentinels, but with love and trust. With the decision of responsibility and happiness. Of duty and honour. Her story, in the term's greatest sense, truly is just beginning.

“Sometimes you will mistake need for love. Be careful. The road with need is never a fair one, never a good one. Much like the road you must walk down. Beware of the one who needs."

[celeste.harrington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

oh my oh my oh my oh my. SO good!!

Merged review:

Yep, totally what I expected and that is oh so good!

Merged review:

I also reviewed it on The Book Hookup

4.5 stars! Mind blown. I’m addicted to all things JLA these days, then throw in some mythology and I’m totally sold. This book jumps right into action with Alexandria “Alex” fighting off daimons straight away. Then a few pages later we meet smexy Aidan. I just love how Ms. Armentrout doesn’t mess around so we get to the good part starting with page 1.

The Setting: I loved the Covenant setting, it is essentially a college with dorms and training facilities. It’s the usual YA setting with no parental supervision…I laugh but at the same time I really love it.

The Story: Once I got the gist of what was going on I devoured the story. I found myself going back to read passages because I was so obsessed with the romance that I read too quickly. This is a bad habit of mine, but the writing is so good I couldn’t help it and found myself flying through the pages. However, the story is layered and built up just the right amount. The “good team” was descended from the gods and was made up of: Pures, Half Bloods (second class citizens), and the Apollyon. But while they all had different goals and powers they lived within the same rules. It was a society that definitely had a class system. I loved it! Or should I say loved to hate it. ;) One goal they did have in common was to destroy daimons on the “bad team”.

This novel told the story of the many smaller power struggles as everyone wanted to be in control (or just treated equally), but at the same time everyone had the daimons as the common enemy. In order to defeat the daimons you needed to be trained. Half-Blood is about Alexandria, the Half Blood in training, and her teacher, Aiden, the Pure.

The Heroine: I really liked Alex, but I have to admit that she definitely annoyed me in the beginning. I just wanted to say zip it! I loved her spunk even though she had a lot of growing up to do. However, that wasn’t a bad thing because I got to witness her changing as I read. Alex learned not to be so reactive and reckless, and towards the end she began to mature into someone that didn’t always act so impulsively.

The Hero: Aiden is one sexy mofo. He is noble and controlled. We got glimpses into his softer side every now and again…barely. He is very serious, totally driven by events from his own life. As a Pure he doesn’t have to be a Sentinel, but he believes that is what he has to do. Let’s also not forget he is nearly 21 and gorgeous and in perfect shape. RAWR.

The Romance: Holy mother of unf. What a build up. I started out knowing there was a physical attraction between Alex and Aiden, and then ommmmmgaaaaaaaaah. why, oh why, Aiden must you have such great morals?! hmph. Well, it does make for sexual tension that is off the charts by the end. If you like that kind of thing (I do, I do!) this romance has all that and a great story right along side of it. Win!

Other Characters:

Her mother: I knew it! I could see why Alex was so conflicted, but in the end (finally) she could see through her emotions.
Seth: Oooh, interesting. I can’t wait to see more of him in the next book. I have to admit, his name amused me. For someome who is so powerful his name was that of just a regular guy.
Caleb: A great best friend. JLA knows how to write them. He is loyal and deep and not annoying.
Lea: Quite bitchy, but I bet they become friends eventually. I liked her.
Jackson: I liked him and loved lol’ing at him and his manwhore partying ways.
Marcus (Alex’s uncle): I might even end up trusting him…..hmmm.
Lucian (Alex’s stepfather): I think he is evil! I think he has many secret agendas.

Rec it?: Yes, yes, yes!

[capnrandm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had a bad feeling for the first few chapters of HALF-BLOOD, but never have I been so glad that I kept reading. The opening of this story felt like a recipe for drama and disaster: forbidden love, bad attitude, mean-girl nemesis, and evil step-father. Alex looked like she was in for a bumpy ride, and the deck really was stacked against her, but by book's end I had tears in my eyes and couldn't wait to get my hands on Covenant book two, PURE.

My change of heart is definitely due to Alex. In the beginning, she was is a painfully mouthy girl, with no self-control and and catty dialog. After she ignores the advice of her sexy teacher for the second time, I resigned myself to an entire book filled of bad decisions and eye-rolling behavior. I can't express how surprised I was when Alex started growing. The world of the Hematoi never gets any kinder (the treatment of half-bloods is beyond "second class citizenship"), and destiny definitely has it in for Alex, but as she begins to mature I found myself rooting for her. From the outset it seemed inevitable that Alex would be the instrument that could win justice for half-bloods, but her initial behavior had expecting nothing more than a pawn of destiny that is moved by powers beyond her comprehension (which would fit with the "lack of self-control" issue quite nicely). Alex quickly turned my head, however, as she takes the reigns of her own destiny. Armentrout gives Alex many obstacles to overcome, but it is apparent that she's also willing to give Alex the personal resources to succeed under her own agency.

The first trials that Alex faces and overcomes were both emotional and significant, but there's definitely storms ahead for her in book two. Both her magical legacy and the ruling class will complicate her love life, and battlefield between Hematoi and daimons has become more dangerous than ever. The romantic elements of HALF-BLOOD are pretty advanced for YA, and it's apparent that things are only bound to get more steamy in book two. Even knowing the difficulties Alex will face, I can't wait to pick up book two and see what more she can accomplish, and how much more she will grow.

Full review to follow.

Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex and oral sex. Scenes that allude to sexual activity.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Awesome YA Paranormal packed with action, intriguing characters, and hot forbidden romance.Opening Sentence: My eyes snapped open as the freakish sixth sense kicked my fight or flight response into overdrive.The Review:Alex is a half-blood, she is part human and part Hematoi. Three years ago she attended a school to become a Sentinel called The Covenant. A Sentinel is a guard that helps protect full blooded Hematoi from the Daimons. Daimons are creatures that suck the aether out of pure and half blood Hematoi. They can also turn pure bloods into Daimons as well but so far they have never turned a half blood.But three years ago Alex’s pure blooded mother decided it was no longer safe for Alex to become a Sentinel and they run away into the human world, and she never told Alex why. Recently the Damions found Alex and her mother and her mother didn’t make it out alive. Lucky for Alex she was saved by some Sentinels sent by the Covenant. Now Alex has returned to Deity Island where many Pure’s and Half-bloods live. She wants to restart school but unfortunately she is really behind on training and most people feel that there is no way to catch up. For half-bloods there are only two types of professions that you can have — a guard/sentinel or a servant. If you become a servant you are given an elixir that makes you a vacant person. It pretty much puts you on a high that you never come down from, but it makes you a very compliant servant. Alex has had nightmares about being put into servitude and now it looks as if she has no other choice. Fortunately for Alex some people believe that she has too much natural talent and putting her in servitude would be a waste. One person in particular is Aiden St. Delphi, he is a pure Sentinel. He offers to help train Alex so she will be ready when the school starts in the fall. Alex needs to train hard and learn to deal with what happened to her mother. Also some people have a different agenda for Alex’s life and she might not have much to say in her future as she would like.Alex is a great character. She is very independent and has lots of attitude. I will admit that at times she has a very immature streak that can be a little frustrating. She is very impulsive and tends to act before she thinks at times. Despite her flaws she is an awesome character that I really connected with. She is a very determined person and she goes after what she wants. She develops a huge crush on her very hot instructor Aiden, but he is a Pure Blood. Relationships between Pures and Halves is strictly forbidden, but Alex can’t help the connection she feels with Aiden.Aiden St. Delphi is one of those dream boys. He has a rocking body; he’s gorgeous, kind, caring and all around pretty much perfect. Unfortunately, he is also very off limits. When he was a young man his parents were killed by Daimons, and it forced him to grow up faster than most. He raised his younger brother and became a Sentinel. Most Pures leave Sentinel work up to the Halves, but Aiden needed revenge for what happened to his parents and he wanted nothing more than to kill Daimons the rest of his life. When he meets Alex he feels that she has so much potential and he offers to help train her. It is pretty obvious that he is attracted to Alex. Aiden is a decent guy and he tries to rein in his feelings because if he doesn’t Alex will pay the consequences.So WOW — I have to fangirl a little bit. Jennifer Armentrout is probably my favorite author right now. I have read pretty much every book she has written and all of them have been amazing. Half-Blood is no exception, it is a great read. I love how Jennifer writes her stories — they always have lots of action, romance, and great characters. She does tend to end her books with a cliffhanger which can be frustrating, but the wait for the next book is always worth it. I love Alex’s story and I am excited to see what happens next. So if you haven’t read anything by Jennifer yet, I highly recommend you start like right now. As for the Covenant series, I would recommend it to anyone that likes YA Paranormal. I don’t think it will disappoint you.Notable Scene:His brows rose. “Now you’re starting to upset me. That’s two of us you’ve killed.”“You keeping a tally or something?” My heart stopped when the floor behind me creaked. I whirled around, spotting a female daimon. She inched closer, forcing me toward the other daimon.They were caging me in, giving me no opportunity to escape. Another one shrieked somewhere is the pile of crap. Panic and fear choked me. My stomach rolled violently as my fingers trembled around the garden spade. Gods, I wanted to puke.The ringleader advanced on my. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”I swallowed and fixed a smirk on my face. “Blah. Blah. You’re gonna kill me. Blah. I know.”The female’s ravenous shriek cut off his response. Obviously, she was very hungry. She circled me like a vulture, ready to rip into me. My eyes narrowed on her. The hungry ones were always the stupidest-the weakest of the bunch. Legend said it was the first taste of aether-the very life force running through our blood-that possessed a pure-blood. A single taste turned one into a daimon and resulted in a lifetime of addiction. There was a good chance I could get past her. The other one… well, he was a different story.FTC Advisory: Spencer Hill Press provided me with a copy of Half-Blood. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[themadhatters_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Alexandria and her mother ran away from the Covenant 3 years ago. A demon attacks them and kills her mother and the Covenant finds Alexandria and brings her back. Alexandria is given a second chance to resume studying at the Covenant in order to become a Sentinel even though her Uncle who is now head of the Covenant is against it. Very fast moving, exciting.

[tinkerbell4726 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure what I love most about this book. The characters or the fusion of Greek mythology. The chemistry between Alex and Aidan is insane. I cannot wait to read the rest!

[bhwrn1_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Where oh where to begin with my review of this totally awesome book. So, I finally got around to starting this series. After reading Daimon, I knew I was in a for a huge adventure reading the next book. And I was not disappointed in the least. Jennifer Armentrout is just one of those writers that knows what she's doing. I have yet to read anything from her that I did not like! I can honestly say that Armentrout is one of my favorite writers. She has a way of dragging you head first into her stories and pulling you along for the bumpy, thrilling ride, ultimately craving more.Blurb from Goodreads: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.First I'll start with the cover. I have to say that it's just "eh" for me. I think there is so much more that could be done with this story on the cover of this book. I do understand it's meaning in relation to the story, although I don't think it plays such a big part in the story that it should be the centerpiece of the cover.Cover aside, boy does Armentrout know how to write characters. You get pulled right into them and become their friend, their confidant, their therapist, their whatever. There is not a moment that I did not connect with a character in this book, no matter how big or small their part. That is how well Jennifer can develop and sustain a character. You want to know each and every one of them backwards and forwards, and you do!Alexandria (Alex, Lexie) is so well thought out. She's tough as nails, and I love that about her. She doesn't sit back and take anything from anyone. Does she doubt herself, absolutely, what teen doesn't. That's the beauty of her character. She's not this over confident, annoying priss who wants everyone's sympathy and is constantly whining. She's beautiful and caring and wears her heart right on her sleeve. She's not afraid to show emotion, despite trying to hold it back in so many instances. She's witty and fun, and she's fiercely loyal. She's a fighter.Aiden, oh boy. well, he's just so great. He's bold, confident, gorgeous, witty, tender, caring, lovable, amazing, patient...I don't think I can find enough adjectives to describe him. I have to say that he completely and totally reminds me of Four (Tobias) from Divergent. He knows what's right and wrong, but he's skirts a lot of the rules because he also knows they don't necessarily make sense. And to say he's RAWR is an understatement. How Armentrout creates these male characters with such charisma and swoon factor is beyond me! And of course the chemistry between him and Alex is palpable. The tension between them undeniable. What I liked about this match is that it wasn't really insta-love. They have known each other for a long time, and the attraction started long ago. So, when they are thrown back together, it is obvious something is going to pop.Seth, well, he's totally arrogant. Despite this, I still feel drawn to him. He's cocky and completely overconfident. He is not afraid to voice his opinion, or what he thinks is the opinion of others. He couldn't care less what people think of him, and he's not much for rules. He and Alex definitely have something between them, tho it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is. She loves to hate him and he loves to tease and taunt her. There's a lot of push pull with them. It's a nice mix watching them together and not knowing exactly what's going on. Keeps things moving and going.The supporting characters are many. They complete the cast so well. Caleb is the guy friend every girl wants. Leah is the girl everyone envies and she's a total brat. Alex's step father is totally untrustworthy. And her uncle, I'm not sure where he stands but he seems a bit pulled in all directions. Armentrout creates characters that are unique, dynamic and real.The storyline is unique to me. I love Greek mythology and legend. It is made to reflect our current times, not an easy task with something that's so "old". The pace is really great, fast in parts but slows down and develops the story in other parts. I have to say that I'm glad I read Daimon prior to reading this book as it helped me with the world building. Armentrout's story line is completely addictive. There's lots of action and surprises in this book. The plot is so real. It's woven so well nothing feels off or out of place. The characters don't always win. People you don't expect to die, and those you think will meet an ending worthy of their character traits don't. The transitions in the book were smooth, making it hard for me to find a stopping place when I did have to put the book down to do such things as, say, SLEEP!Jennifer's writing is superb. The dialogue between her characters is spot on. It's real and unblemished. Armentrout makes it easy to picture her world. Her words are incredible and it's hard not to fall in love with her stories and just want to immerse yourself in them totally and completely.In summary: I LOVED this book. It was so totally amazing. I am looking forward to growing with the characters as they move through this story. I am sure I will NOT be disappointed!5 out of 5 flaming bright stars.