Title: Half-Blood (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Spencer Hill Press
Released: 2011
Summary: After 3 years on the run from the Covenant, Alex is out of places to go and being chased by things that want to kill her. Alex has no idea why her mom took her away from the Covenant 3 years ago and why they've been on the run ever since, but now might be the time to go back. Daimons are chasing her and they've just killed her mom. The only safe place to go is the Covenant. Luckily, she is rescued and brought back, but now Alex must play catch up with her classmates. As a half-blood, Alex's role in life is either to be a kick-butt guard or a Sentinel or a brain-washed servant, which is a fate worse than death. Aiden, a sexy Pure who is off limits, volunteers to train her. With hidden dangers on the way, Alex must train hard and become the Half-Blood she's always been destined to be.
My Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I've been hearing about the praise for JLA books for years. Friends who I trust and share the same taste in books with love JLA and her books too. So I was very excited to pick up Half-Blood and lose myself in a story so many other people have loved. Unfortunately, I didn't find that same love for it. I enjoyed the overall story, but it isn't one that I feel I can give 5 stars to. I really wanted to love it, but for reasons beyond my control, I didn't.
I did really enjoy the setting of the story. It is always kind of cool to read books set in the same place you live. I liked the coastal feel of the Covenant located on a North Carolina Island. Hearing Bald Head Island, NC mentioned was pretty cool.
I had heard about the similarities between this and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. And while reading, I did spot them. It is not an exact copy of Vampire Academy, but they contain a lot of the same elements.
I won't say the relationship world made the most sense. Why Pures and Halfs couldn't get together was kind of vague. Mixing them in the same school seems to be a way to bring them together rather than keep them separated and segregated.
I think a reason I might not have loved the book is I didn't really love Alex. There were times she annoyed me and other times when she confused me. For a girl who has been praised for her fighting skills and natural abilities, she sure has to get saved by other people a lot. Maybe she'll be able to hold her own as the series goes on, but I just expected her to be better able to take care of herself. I think her killing those two Daimons at the start was just a fluke, no real skill or battle prowess involved.
Alex tends to make incredibly stupid decisions. Main one being leaving the safety of the Covenant with no real plan and then confronting the enemy and letting herself get taken so easily. I was so annoyed with that scene and her because she was so incredibly useless. I know there were special circumstances, but she put someone else in danger who didn't deserve to be. And then she forgot she had an extra hidden weapon!?! How stupid can she be?
So yeah, I didn't really love Alex throughout this book, so that might be why I didn't love this book.
As for love interests, they were decent. Aiden seems like a good guy, I like him. And I'm interested in seeing more of Seth.
In the end, Half-Blood was just an alright book for me. I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away. I wish I had loved it as much as my friends had loved it. I plan on continuing with the series and reading more JLA books, because they sound interesting and I want to love them.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5
Enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away.
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