Monday, July 15, 2013

Review: Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

     Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 4.5/5 stars



Release Date: April 9, 2013

Thrilling.

***Warning: If you have not read Half-Blood, Pure, and Deity, there will be spoilers.***

"Fate isn't something to mess with and now, neither is Alex. Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods and Alex herself to bring her back. The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex's power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex's connection to Seth isn't the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole an Apollyon can't be killed theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries. Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer or she might become the God Killer herself."


It took me awhile to get around to reading this (because life and stuff), but I've been a huge fan of this series since about this time last year, when Aiden made his way into my life via the YA Crush Tourney. I'm a sucker for a tension-laced love story, as well as kick-ass, take-care-of-themselves heroines. This series has both. When I finally did get around to reading it, it was a slow start for me. When last we saw Alex in Deity, she'd just become the second Apollyon and connected with Seth. In the novella Elixir, told from Aiden's point of view, we watched him struggle to find a way to bring Alex back to herself. Thankfully, it didn't take long in Apollyon for Alex to be back to her old self (more or less).

There was, however, a very different feel to Alex's attitude through a large part of the book. While it was understandable (she's playing a key part in the fate of the world, after all), it was difficult to fully get behind an Alex that, whether she admits it or not, is finally scared.She's scared of what's happening in the world, what could befall her friends, and even herself - because, mot of all, she has no idea if she'll be able to keep from reconnecting with Seth and him from draining her power, thereby sealing fate. It's a tall order, so, again, I totally understood. But I missed the real-and-true feisty Alex. While her snark was never lost, it was definitely strained.

So, I struggled a bit to maintain interest. I wanted to keep reading to see how everything would unfold, but my heart wasn't really in the progression. I may have understood her fear, but I missed the Alex that would make me grin uncontrollably and want to fist-pump in triumph (in public, mind you) over her determination and bravery.

And then, it happened. It was like a cord snapped and Alex was still scared, but suddenly, she was the Apollyon and she freaking. Owned. That. Shit. The first legitimate fight scene of this book was amazing, and then it was like the storm had hit. I'd gone from low to astronomical on the emotional-involvement-scale in the space of a few pages. I was brought to tears, I laughed, I rooted for these characters that I really love. Just when I thought I was beginning to lose some of my love for this series, it hit like a tidal wave, knocking me on my ass and not letting me come up for air until it was done.

And then the ending. A cliffhanger that has me salivating for Sentinel, the final installment of the series. When I realized that was the end, I sat gaping like a fish for longer than is probably okay. At this point, I was also waiting in an airport gate, so I'm willing to better I looked especially silly. But, regardless, now I get to probably wait almost four months to see what happens (if I were to ever get ARCs from any author, I would absolutely want it to be JLA - between Sentinel and Origin, I'm a mess with all this waiting!). Woo.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who's enjoyed the rest of the Covenant series. You may experience, like me, that it's a bit difficult to get started, but, trust me, it will all be worth it! And, for anyone who hasn't read the series, if you enjoy butt-kicking heroines, adorable romance, snark, and mythology, this is a must-read!



Follow my blog with Bloglovin

No comments:

Post a Comment

We'd love to hear what you think!