Book: Pure, Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Covenant series #2

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: April 3^rd, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

There were a lot of similarities between Half Blood and Vampire Academy. I speak about this in my review of the first book. However, the story was still really enjoyable with likable characters. Plus, everyone I’ve spoken to in regards to this book all say that the series just gets better and better.

If I'm completely honest with myself, this isn’t my favourite series of JLA. Don’t get me wrong; Jen’s written it so it is really fun and entertaining. However, when I compare it to her Lux series or Dark Elements series… I don’t know. I suppose there are still some similarities between this and the VA series. And as I love the VA series so much, I can’t help docking this book one star for lack of originality.

In fairness, Pure has gone in a different direction than VA. There’s a lot more focus on the Apollyon, and Alex coming to grips with a devastating loss in her life. She’s very confused over her feelings for Aiden, and she and Seth are becoming very close. I really liked her relationship with Seth. I don’t think it’s like a love triangle between Seth, Alex and Aiden because Alex has two very different relationships with both boys.

With Aiden, it’s like this all-consuming passion. Her heart screams with how much it loves Aiden. He’s the first she seeks out in a room, sparks fly when their hands touch, and they get each other in a way no one else does. However, while Alex made her feelings clear for Aiden several times in both this book and Half-Blood, Aiden is being hot and cold. First he’ll kiss her and say how much he cares for her, but then will push away and say he can’t be with her. It made me want to throttle him! He’s hurting Alex so much with all this back and forth-ness, and to an extent I do get it. It’s not just a simple forbidden love between those two. Alex will be sent to slavery if she’s caught with a Pureblood, which is her worst nightmare. By keeping away, he’s protecting Alex. Still, I hated how much he confused and hurt Alex by pushing and pulling constantly.

With Seth, they have a connection because they’re both Apollyon’s. Seth can sense Alex’s emotions and vice versa (which will only grow stronger when Alex does Awaken). When Alex starts getting nightmares after the traumatic experience with her mother, Seth is the only one that can make her sleep peacefully. Just by resting her head on his shoulder, or sitting on the bed next to him, it calms her down and lets her see past the gloom facing her right now, into a future that seems brighter. And when Alex suffers a horrible loss, Seth is the only one who understands her grief as he feels it too. Alex lusts after Seth physically, but her heart still loves Aiden. With Seth, I honestly don’t know. He’s obviously attracted to her too, but is it to the extent and Aiden and Alex care for each other? 

Alex herself still makes really dumb decisions that have dire consequences for her. She’s still as brass, sarcastic, stubborn, irrational and badass as she was in Half-Blood, but she’s beginning to realise that while some of these qualities are good and make her unique, there are also penalties for being too irrational. I hope she learns that while it’s good to be stubborn and irrational sometimes, she also has to learn to think before she acts.

Besides the intricate relationships Alex has with the two boys in her life, the plot was really interesting. There was a lot of kickass fighting scenes that Jen handled wonderfully, and we meet lots of characters when Alex, Aiden and Seth go to New York for a hearing about daimon-halfs. We learn there are some Pures that don’t want Alex to Awaken, and will do whatever it takes to stop it from happening. We learn more about the world of Pures and Halfs, the people who want to see change from the archaic way things are currently being viewed, and people who believe that Halfs don’t matter enough to be a part of the world and should only be servants to Pure Masters.

The ending opened up a lot of questions for the next book, and I can’t wait to find out how Alex handles the next complication in her life. I just hope Deity finally begins to find its own path and veer away from the Vampire Academy.