Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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.






Thoughts
This book is about the teenaged descendents of Greek gods. There are the pure-blood kids and the half-blood kids. Pure-blood kids are always considered to be much better than the half-blood kids. Alex is a half blood, and a little rebel, who fell in love with with Aiden, a pure-blood, which is forbidden. If a half-blood cannot make it as a sentinel, they are sent to live as slaves with no freedoms and the harshness of their Pure-blood masters.

I read this a long time ago, and I really did not care too much about it, and there is a reason for it: This book sounded a lot like Vampire Academy! Mostly the first part of the book and I can admit the other half when Seth showed up to the story was good. I felt like the author had no originality or her unique ideas to write her own story.

Here is a list of the similarities and situations that reminded me of Vampire Academy:
Half-bloods = Damphir
Pure-bloods = Morois
Daimons = Strigoi. (They turn pure/half blood/moroi into daimons/strigoi)

Alex = Rose
Aiden = Dimitri (Dimka is way cooler and hotter!)
Deacon = Adrian (both alcoholic, too.)
Caleb = Mason
Lea = Mia (parents of both girls were killed in a daimon/strigoi attack.)
There is no Lissa in this book. (well, I could say that Seth would be some kind of Lissa)

Page 84
Aidan (Dimitri) Also reads!!!! He is reading while he makes Alex (Rose) train.
Same as in the Vampire Academy training scenes. 

"I'm sure I could kill someone I once knew." Alex ( Rose)
Aiden's(Dimitri) lips pursed and he looked away. "It's hard when it 's someone you knew."
"Have you ever fought one you knew before they went all dark side?"
"Yes." 
I swallowed. "Did you...?"
"Yes. It wasn't easy."
It reminds me of the conversation Roza and Dimka had in the van.

Page 94
Killing a Pure in any situation would get you executed, even if he was trying to cut your head off.

Page 98
 Deacon(Adrian) "I got bored on the main island. All the pomp and circumstance is enough to drive a man sober."
"We can't have that." I took in the red around his eyes. "are you ever sober?" Alex ( Rose)
"Not if I can help it. Things are... easier this way." Deacon ( Adrian)
Adrian in Vampire academy used to drink too , to make things easier for him

Page 135
When Pures (Morois) were turned into Daimons (Strigoi), they didn't care about anything from their previous lives.

The characters are very likable anyway, perhaps it has to do with the fact that they have nearly identical personalities to the characters of Vampire Academy. Then this character showed up, Seth, I think his presence is what made the book take a different direction and leave Vampire Academy behind. Actually, I thought he was pretty awesome, I really liked him a lot. He has some kind of connection with Alex, as if they are linked to each other, it was kind of like the bond with Lisa and Rose. It is not a boring book, it will keep you entertained , the problem I had with it is that it seemed as if I was reading Vampire Academy again.

All five books in the Covenant series have been published: Pure, Deity, Apollyon and Sentinel. The first book in a spin-off series featuring Seth, The Return, is set for release in February of 2015.


3 Stars
Similar Books: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.