Review: The Power

The Power

Rating: 5/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy 

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher, Hodder! 

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.
Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.
But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.
Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation. 

"You guys are like mogwais fed after midnight" 

Oh my God you guys, this series is getting SO. GOOD. Like emotionally devastating good. Which is an odd combination but there you go! I love diving back in to the world of the Covenant and I love the setting of this spin off series in the University, I just love the world of the book, it's rich and it's original and it's so easy to get lost in! This book pulled me back from the bring of a reading slump and I read 200 pages in one sitting! I couldn't put it down, every time I went to, something happened and I found myself reading just one more chapter. Repeatedly. Until 3am. Oops? 

The opening throws you straight back in to the world of the book and the story, and it's a heart pounding opening. Josie for me in this book was complicated. I loved her in book one, and I loved her in this book, she's so easy for me to relate to and connect to. Like she is me, I'd be that clumsy and that useless at doing the fight training and everything! I loved watching Josie doing all the training and I loved her personality. She's a badass in her own way, like the scene with Colin, even if it is sometimes an accident! But I loved watching her get better and better, and more assertive, and by the end she was so awesome! 

My problem with Josie in this book is purely me being too attached to Alex I think, I love Alex, she's my favourite character, I loved her, she was everything I love in a character, she's badass and snarky and perfect. Josie is different to Alex, she's hesitant about killing, but then in a couple of ways she is like Alex. The thing is in this book, I got annoyed at Josie because of how she was about Alex, like her being insecure and everything made her realistic, but it reached a point when I was rolling my eyes a little bit and was like okay leave Alex alone now. Like I said, Alex is my fave, I'm way too attached to her and Josie being funny about her annoyed me, which is my own problem not the books to be honest! Like while Josie was annoying me being funny about Alex, I could understand her and where she was coming from. There where some really epic scenes with Josie and Alex though, that where nice to see, but then there where others where I was like seriously Josie?! It's difficult for me and I'll get in to it in a minute! OMG I nearly forgot, Josie was totally reading all about her father and his past conquests and it was the funniest thing ever! So awkward. I can't wait for Apollo and Josie to sort it out between them! 

"My father put the 'who' in whore."

Seth in this book, and in the previous book...I can't even. I liked Seth in the Covenant, but then towards the end when he was being all evil Seth it was a bit like "I like you Seth....but you need to do the right thing...oh nope...kill people instead..okay" but then he redeemed himself and everything. In these books, you see a softer side of Seth, and a more vulnerable side of him that we've never seen before. I love seeing this other side to Seth, it's like getting to know him all over again. It makes me so sad to see this side of Seth though, because he doesn't expect anything good, like people remembering his birthday, or Josie and her feelings for him and there's so many scenes that choke me up for him! He's still a badass and he's still snarky and hilarious and he makes me laugh, but in this book he's having problems and he's struggling with the Aether and then there's this whole thing with Josie and my poor Seth you guys! 

I love getting both POV's, they both have such entertaining narratives, and each narrative adds to the story, rather than just repeating scenes from both POV's. You get to see what's going on with each character, and what's going on in their heads..what their motivation is and everything. I love getting to see Seth's POV especially, and it makes me so sad that we never got Aiden's...just imagine guys. Imagine Aiden's POV *sigh* the POV's are just so brilliantly done to be honest, and the switches are perfect, the timing is perfect, and it never messes with the pace, the pace keeps up the entire time. 

Anyway, back to characters! All of our favourites are back, we get Luke and Deacon and oh my God Deacon takes a stand and it's awesome! Aiden doesn't think so, though! Deacon also demonstrates how much of a fanboy he is and it's hilarious! Luke and Deacon are completely adorable as well. I've missed them, and in these books we get to know the two of them even more. Marcus and Alexander make brief experiences, Apollo the cockblocker returns and he is forever one of my favourites because he's so hilarious! Oh and the Edward Cullen of the nymphs is back, still kinda creepy. Still kind of intriguing. Then there's Solos and Ladaan and omg I love seeing all the other characters from the book! 

"Apparently Apollo wasn't aware that he'd rate high on the 'stranger danger' scale" 

We also get new characters, like Colin, who has a nice connection to a character from the Covenant, and is Josie's new friend. I'm curious about him because we met him, but then we didn't see much of him at the end. I'd like to see more of him, even though Seth wouldn't, and I'm still really curious about him! We also meet Gable, one of the Demigods, and I love how there was a comment about how cliche his whole thing was, I'm not going to say too much else because you know...I'll leave it for you guys to find out! I'm excited to get to know him better and see what he can do, he handled the whole "dude you're a demigod" thing surprisingly well! 

I love how we get Medusa and Armentrout gives her her own take, and she's so intriguing! I hope to see more of her! I was so sad we didn't get to see more of Erin though! But YOU GUYS! We get Hercules...like actual Hercules. My brain went through a rendition of all the Hercules songs as soon as I saw his name, not going to lie! He was another take on the standard Hercules and he was completely hilarious, like I'm surprised at myself that I didn't see it coming, because trust Apollo to pick a demigod like Hercules. He was SO arrogant, but then at times I did kinda like him or at least wanted to like him. I kid you not, Apollo is like "hey guys, this is Hercules. Hercules is a dick" straight off and I spat out what I was drinking before I choked on it! 

Like I predicted Alex and Aiden came baaacckk! I knew they'd have to show up eventually, but I wasn't expecting this soon! But then ya know...Alex had to come topside to sort out Seth...I mean....help search for the Demigods. Yeah. That. Also, trust Alex to make an entrance, it was awesome. I kinda choked up a little bit at the reunion A squared had with everyone else, not going to lie! The whole gang was back together and it was so much perfection you guys! And then Seth and Aiden...how I've missed their banter! It cracks me up. Like I said, Alex and Josie meet in this book with mixed results, and then you have Alex and Aiden's reunion with Apollo and I always forget how long they've known Apollo, that they knew him before they knew he was Apollo and it was such a touching scene! 

"His smile turned creepy, like hide-your-kids-level creepy" 

Alex and Aiden...I can't even. Seeing the two of them together again, was just so perfect and amazing and SO CUTE. Seriously the two of them are still so adorable, and so perfect together, you can see through the eyes of Seth and Josie what their relationship looks like, and how they interact with each other and it's all so warm and fuzzy inducing, all the little things are what makes it really. It's still a romance I completely love, I've actually missed them so much, I should probably re-read the Covenant again! 

Speaking of romance, we get double in this book because OBVIOUSLY, we have Seth and Josie, and I loved watching everything develop in the first book, but now they're together in this book it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There's cute scenes, steamy scenes and angsty scenes. They make you feel a lot of feels this book, because they have so many obstacles to overcome and a couple of them come in to play in this book, and I can't even. I just can't discuss it right now guys! You should all keep your eyes out as well, because there's a couple of rather familiar scenes, and I'm so glad Marcus commented on one of them at one point! 

So, this has been more of a book reaction than a review, but to be honest, it's the perfect sequel to the first book in the spin off and it's the perfect continuation of a series that I love so much. The plot is complex, there's a lot going on, you have Josie training, Seth and his aether issues, the tension and the violence between the Halfs and Pures escalates and it's really not good! Then you have Alex and Aiden coming back, Seth and Alex being connected still, the search for the other demigods, the Seth and Josie issues and everything else. There are so many threads in this book that all come together to make a plot that's so engrossing, that makes the book so difficult to put down. It's action packed, it makes you laugh, it chokes you up because there are some completely heart breaking scenes, prepare yourselves guys. It's original, there's lots of little details that bring the story to life, the characters are lively and multi dimensional, there's new characters to intrigue us! There's new threads to carry us over in to the next book, and oh my God. We need to talk about them. 

"Bigotry is literally the Twinkie of human emotions. Shit will survive the apocalypse" 

I got SUCH a bad feeling when Medusa and Athena kept mentioning Seth in one particular conversation. "A great sense of foreboding washed over me, so strong and insistent that I tensed in my seat"....me too Josie. Me too. But I got that vibe a couple chapters are go and you're kinda late to the party! I was completely right as well, and there's this one scene and it completely and utter spells NOT EFFING GOOD. I am SO NOT OKAY with the ending of the book. Seth needs his happy ending okay, he deserves it at this stage. 

It's so difficult for me because Alex and Aiden are right, Josie has no idea about everything Seth's done and what he was like before, but at the same time, Josie is right because he is different and at the end I was like...don't make me choose a side omg. But it's okay, because it didn't come to that! I get why Alex and Aiden where acting the way they where, but I was also sad because I  understand Seth a lot better and know him more now! 

I'm so excited for book three now, there's hopefully going to be more demigods to find, we're gonna have Where's Wally?: Apollyon Edition, and so much more! I'm intrigued to see if we'll see get Alex's POV again, because if they end up splitting up....I'm not sure what will happen. Like will we just get Seth and Josie's POV and then they'll all meet back up with the demigods in tow? I'm not sure how I'd feel about that because I'm enjoying the hunt for the demigods, and all of the old crew working together again! I need it NOOOOWW! 

So yeah, reaction rather than a review, sorry guys! I tried not to fangirl but I just wasn't strong enough! Honestly, this series gets better and better and the books just pull you in, they're vivid and atmospheric and they're funny as well as emotional. Each new book adds more and more to the world of the book, brings more and more to the characters we know and love. The Covenant is one of my favourite series and so a Seth spin off was like a dream come true, and I'm loving the direction this is all going! 

"I was surrounded by mythical beings instead of by twenty-somethings whose greatest powers were the ability to perform tasks hungover and with minimal sleep."