ARC Review: Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Deity

(Covenant 3)

by Jennifer Armentrout

DEITY is book three in the Covenant series and Armentrout saves all the heartbreak, all the drama, all the romance and the betrayal for this one book. As Alex’s birthday draws near, becoming the Apollyon is evitable. She continues to train with Seth and even as those sessions become hot and steamy, her heart still lies with someone else. Readers will be pleased to see that major advancements happen between Aiden and Alex. Though I wasn’t completely engrossed by those scenes, there is still no denying that Aiden and Alex do share something that is greater than Fate. I can’t wait to see how Armentrout further explores this.

However, Armentrout takes a different route in this book that completely blindsided me and I DID NOT LIKE IT ONE BIT! In previous reviews I have not so eloquently expressed my love for all things Seth and the route Armentrout takes in this book breaks my heart into tiny little pieces. Though a master at weaving scenes that will hook you right in, I found myself dragging my feet through some scenes because I couldn’t bear to find out what happens to Seth! However, this is not to say that I disliked the book. I loved it, but I think it’s always tough to read your favorite characters go through tough times. Armentrout puts her characters through the wringer and I am desperate to find out what happens on the other end.

I am keeping this review intentionally vague because I cannot bear to release a detail that may be considered to be spoilery to some. Instead, just be prepared for the wild ride that Ms. Armentrout will take you on. The events of this book will break your heart, but like Alex, you just have to keep your faith.

 I just realized that this is going to be the last Convenant book released this year. APOLLYON and SENTINEL will release in 2013. That leaves only Aiden’s novella, ELIXIR to be devoured. Oh how this series tortures me! With that ending, you can be sure I’ll be all over Seth – er, the book when it comes out!

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

Agave Kiss

by Ann Aguirre

(Corine Solomon # 5)

Available March 2013

Calculated in Death

by J.D. Robb

(In Death # 36)

On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better.

A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn't seem the type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence.

But when someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait. . .

Available February 26, 2013

Apollyon

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Covenant # 4)

Available April 9, 2013

Last Blood

by Kristen Painter

(House of Comarre # 5)

Available 2013



Thrill Ride
by Julie Ann Walker
(Black Knights Inc # 4)

HE’S GONE ROGUE

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information,
and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes
horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even
his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc.
aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all,
but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows
just how to drive him wild—refuses cut him loose.

SHE WON’T BACK DOWN

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist
very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder.
And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun
has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side
in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

Available April 2013

Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

(more like 4.5 feathers!)

Pure

(Covenant #2)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I never should have doubted Armentrout! After reading HALF-BLOOD and seeing all the uncanny resemblances to Vampire Academy, I found that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did DAIMON, the prequel novella. However, reading PURE brought back the spark that I knew Armentrout possesses in her writing. Her books are like crack and I simply devoured PURE as if it were a cake and I was a fat kid abstaining from sweets. PURE was completely satisfying and thrilling!

Alex is continuing her training at the Covenant with hottie, Aiden. As attraction continues to sizzle between them and they battle against their feelings for one another, Seth strides in with his cocky persona and shakes things up in a way that leaves all parties dizzy. Naturally, I am Team Seth because, really, who isn’t? The bad boy persona always gets me and if I were Alex, I would be taking advantage of that connection that Seth and Alex share.

Meanwhile, daimon attacks have been circulating around the Covenant and things are slowly getting out of hand. New rules are being implemented that are meant to keep both the Pures and the Half-Bloods safe, however, they are more confining and degrading than simply safety precautions.

Armentrout breaks reader’s hearts with one particular scene in this book. Even though I predicted this would happen in HALF-BLOOD, it didn’t lessen the impact of emotions that rolled through me as I read. Armentrout has a very unique voice. Her writing is very strong and she carries the Young Adult voice as if she is a teenager herself. It seems as if it’s effortless for her, yet I know a lot of work goes into her books. Because of her strong writing voice, she has the unique talent of grasping readers by the collars of their shirts and reeling them in until they are helpless but to obey. Her books are always a thrill-ride and I willing step into her world knowing that I’m in for a treat.

At first, I worried that Alex seemed a little too impulsive and irrational. She can be a little bit of drama queen sometimes and that bugged me for literally a second. But it’s as if Armentrout was reading my thoughts because I flipped the page and read this passage next:

“Rational is mundane and uninteresting. Why would you want to be that?” –Seth 

My reaction? Oh.My.God. Seth’s right! No, she’s right! How could I ever think for one second that being rational was what Alex needed to be. Part of the reason why readers enjoy her narrative is because she’s wild and impulsive and speaks her mind. It’s why Seth and Aiden love her and it’s why readers live vicariously through her.

 PURE turned out to be exactly what I was expecting from Jennifer Armentrout – a fun-filled, heartbreaking, scorching hot read! DEITY is staring me in the face, begging to be open and read and who am I to refuse? It’s next to my TBR list!

*Review Copy provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

Covers to Covet

Jennifer Estep has released the cover to book eight in her Elemental Assassin series, DEADLY STING. Again, this mass market paperback releases will have a step-back cover like WIDOW'S WEB. What do you think?

The cover is designed by artist Tony Mauro again. I really like the vault idea and all the red! DEADLY STING releases March 26, 2013.

Here's the book description. If you're worried about spoilers, please read at your own risk...

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.  

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me — Gin Blanco, aka the Spider — it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’ priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.  

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

Another one I'm very much looking forward to is Jennifer Armentrout's OPAL. This would be book 3 in the awesome alien YA series. Check out the cover! What do you think?

I love that they are still using the same couple throughout the series, but at first glance I thought that Daemon was holding on to something else. It wasn't until a second later that I realized he was holding her up. The black on black confused me there for a second.

No one is like Daemon Black.  

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. 

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. 

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. 

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

OPAL releases December 11, 2012.

 The Protected

by Shiloh Walker

No blurb yet but this book is part of Shiloh Walker's FBI Psychics series.  If you read the HOT IN HANDCUFFS anthology this year you got a taste for what that series is about.  I love this cover!

Available August 6, 2013

ARC Review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Onyx

(Lux #2)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My love for this series knows no bounds. Armentrout has completely sucked me in with Lux and I have no intention of ever escaping its grasps. ONYX, the second installment in the Lux series is just as addicting and thrilling as its predecessor! ONYX starts off a little slow. After the epic ending of OBSIDIAN, I was eager to jump back right into the action, however readers find Katy and Daemon back at school, trying to live their lives without being noticed by the Arum and the DOD. Unfortunately, Katy is still encased in this massive glow left over from the trace and Daemon is more than willing to assist her in getting rid of it since his helping hand – or should I say – happy hands worked out so well last time.

As usual, Daemon is his wicked self and we see quite a bit of him in this book. Readers will be thrilled to note that Daemon is still the teasing, sometimes domineering, always possessive and loyal alien we have come to love. However, Armentrout shows a different side of Daemon in this book. He has shed the jerk skin and has become someone that Katy can rely on. Their relationship is sometimes rocky, but it continues to bloom in a way that is undeniable.

``Kitten,` he said again, voice strained. `You don`t get to do that and then stop. That`s not how it works. I stared at him, my breath stalling in my lungs. `Not when you`re mine.`Daemon backed us up and slid down the wall, pulling me onto his lap so I was straddling him.`And you`re mine`.

 Another side of Daemon is displayed nicely when a new character is introduced in this series and makes a run for Katy. At first, I liked Blake`s presence only because Daemon saw his competition and readers get to see the possessive side of him. But I knew right off the bat that there would be something more to Blake. He really stirred things up!

I also have to mention Dee, whom I kind of missed in this book. Katy doesn`t spend too much time with her and I missed Dee`s presence and her constant chattering about candid things. She really brought some comedic relief in the last book so I definitely noticed her absence in this one. My heart was crushed for her.

There`s one last thing I have to mention and it`s the action of this series. I can`t recall a series that has been so addicting and all-consuming as this one. When I thought the book would start winding down after a particular action-packed scene, Armentrout takes you in for another round. And then another one. It was fantastic, thrilling and hands-down one of the better YA books I`ve read this year. I can`t wait to get my hands on OPAL.

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

(More like 3.5 feathers!)

Half Blood

(Convenant #1)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Alexandria has experienced so much already where HALF BLOOD begins. Her mother is dead, she is looking for a new home, and Daimons are still out there searching for blood. After a close brush with death, Alex is brought to the Covenant, her home before her mother decided to leave their protected island. Though Alex doesn’t understand why her mother chose to leave in the first place, she makes a great effort to stay there now because she doesn’t have any other place to go. Unfortunately, the Covenant is not so keen on having her there.

Alex is a hoot! Like most teenagers out there, she wants to be free and independent, yet her impulsiveness gets her into trouble from time to time. This reminds me of Rose Hathaway, whom I adored in the Vampire Academy series. There is an uncanny resemblance to this series which is why I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Armentrout’s Lux series. I felt as if it was too similar to VA for my tastes though I will say that Armentrout does hold her on as the story progresses. Unfortunately for me, the beginning held too many similarities for me to give this book a solid four stars. I would have liked to see some more deviation from the VA plot because it seemed way too similar in a lot of cases.

Armentrout weaves a spectacular world though and that it all her own. With the Half bloods and the Pures, you really get a sense that this world exists. It’s so well developed and interesting! The mythology reminds me of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series with the gods and the Daimons. It’s such great fun reading about them.

So while HALF BLOOD has its ups and downs for me, I’m still interested in reading the next book in the series, PURE. I need to know more about Seth!

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 Daimon

(Covenant #0.5)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

I am a huge fan of Armentrout’s Lux series so I decided to give this one a shot since I’ve read all the great reviews. The main reason why I wasn’t all over this series was because many people compared it to Vampire Academy. As some of you may know, I adore the VA series so this could go either very well for me, or extremely bad. I decided to make the jump anyways.

While reading DAIMON, I didn’t feel like there were too many similarities. Yeah, Alex is a fighter and she is often seen as too impulsive like Rose, but I think I will have to wait until the next books to figure out how similar this series really is to Vampire Academy.

What I did notice was that there is an uncanny resemblance to Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series which deals with gods and their archenemies, the Daimon. Please tell me someone else noticed this as well. I mean, it seemed pretty obvious to me. DAIMON turned out to be a good mix of the two series. Blending two of my favorite series isn’t really such a bad thing I guess since I ended up enjoying much of this book. However, I think Armentrout does bring a lot of her own flavor to this book.

I never expected the amount of action that Armentrout was able to fit into his novella. It was very fast-paced and thrilling with a great amount of emotional depth. To be honest, I was surprised. I didn’t expect it to be that good! I guess I shouldn’t underestimate Armentrout anymore. She always seems to kick ass and snark while doing it. DAIMON was highly entertaining. I can’t wait to read more!

 

 Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Obsidian

(Lux #1)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Although I haven’t read as many YA titles this year, I know that OBSIDIAN is a gem. First off, I want to thank Miss Vain from Miss Vain’s Paranormal Fantasy for recommending this book to me. She was livid about it, absolutely obsessed with the series and I wondered why. When she told me it was about aliens, I made a sour face because aliens just aren’t sexy. And I like sexy. But Miss Vain reassured me that Daemon and the rest of the Luxen weren’t your typical aliens and what do you know, she was right! I’m so glad I read this book because now I can ugly cry with Miss Vain until the next book in the series comes out.

When Katy moves to a new town, she immediately notices the hot guy next door. With otherworldly green eyes, dark tousled hair and a wicked grin, Daemon Black is the hottest thing to hit Katy’s retinas. But what she doesn’t know is that Daemon and his sister, Dee harbor a deadly little secret. And Daemon does everything in his power to keep that secret from being exposed to anyone.

Unfortunately, events lead to Katy and Dee becoming best friends and suddenly, Daemon is all up in Katy’s grill, warning her to back off and stay away from his sister. Now, I have to admit that I found Daemon to be a complete jerk to Katy. He says and does things to her that are humiliating and unforgivable, but Armentrout writes Daemon in such a way that you don’t want to immediately bitch slap him in the larynx for the things he does. The reason is because dangers lurk in every corner and as a being of light, a trace is left on humans if they have too much exposure to their kind. Daemon is just protecting his family, especially his sister Dee. So while a part of me wants to yell at him for being a jerkoff, another part of me can understand why he acts the way he does. In the prequel to the series, SHADOWS, you get to see the exact reason why he is protective of his kin.

Armentrout does a fantastic job with Daemon’s character. She is able to straddle the line, making him seem like a jerk one second, causing you to get red in the face with anger, but the next second, that redness turns into a blush because Daemon is a charmer. I have to give kudos to any author who is able to make me love and hate their hero in equal measures.

Speaking of loving characters, I have to mention just how much I adore Katy. As a seventeen year old, she is open-minded and smart, but just like any teen, she also wants to fit in. I loved that despite the fact that she was the victim of bullying, she didn’t stand down. She used that smart mouth on her and stood up for herself. I also love the fact that she held her ground against Daemon, who can be just a PITA. Another thing I loved about Katy is that she is a book blogger, so automatically she is in the cool club. Because, yeah, book bloggers are AWE-SOME. I’m not biased. At. All.

There’s a great amount of action and suspense that really drove the plot forward and I found myself devouring this book. And when I wasn’t reading, I was texting Miss Vain messages about how I was devouring this book.

 Some of you probably want to know how sexy this book is compared to others. Since it is YA, it’s not overly sexual, but Daemon is a stud and he oozes his sex appeal that is undeniable. There are a couple of hot and heavy scenes that would probably fog up the windows. So yeah, take that how you will.

The only thing I wished there was more of was the explanation of the Luxen and how they are able to manipulate light. The author explains it briefly, but I felt like she just said, “This is how it is and that is that.” But I guess if you’re a YA reader, you don’t care about the scientific stuff.

In the end, I loved this book. It was serious brain candy. Give me some more horny aliens!

 

 Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

(more like 4.5 feathers!)

Shadows

(Lux #0.5)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

SHADOWS is the prequel novella to the Lux series but even though it’s the prequel, I would suggest you read this AFTER OBSIDIAN. The reason being is because there are details in OBSIDIAN that will help you understand the world more. I don’t think the world is explained as thoroughly in SHADOWS as it is in OBSIDIAN.

However, I will say that SHADOWS really compliments OBSIDIAN well because in the novella, you learn of the reason why Daemon sometimes acts like a jerk. It just gives you better insight into Daemon’s character.

 In SHADOWS, readers meet Dawson, Daemon and Dee’s twin brother and Bethany, another new girl. I must say there’s something special about these Black brothers because they are just hot. While Daemon says all the wrong things, Dawson says everything right. He’s a charmer and he wormed his way right into my heart.

I loved the progression of the romance in this book. It was well-done and I was surprised to remember that it was novella. Armentrout was able to convey a believable romance in just a few short pages.

Simply put, I am thoroughly enjoying this series. I will never think of aliens as ugly green oompa loompas anymore.

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble