Super Six Sunday: Killer Endings

Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday, a new feature from the fabulous ladies at Bewitched Bookworms, has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each one in the form of a list of six. Obviously.

This week's topic is killer endings, an aspect of various book series with which I have a love/hate relationship. I understand the purpose of cliffhangers and don't deny they do their job in making me chomp at the bit for the next book, but I die a little each time I come across one because my poor heart gets so invested in the stories and characters that I give myself a stress-induced ulcer when they're left hurt or in trouble and I'm forced wait to find out if they're okay. *sobs*

Below are some of the endings tore my heart out and stomped on it, or otherwise had me screaming and swearing at the top of my lungs when I reached the last page, and though I admit to disliking endings where my beloved characters are in mortal peril, I loved each of these books!

DREAMFEVER (Fever Series #4)

This book has quite possibly the most brutal ending I've ever come across. I cried. I yelled obscenities. I stared blankly at the last sentence for an absurd length of time willing more chapters to magically appear and fix everything that just happened. What made this ending even more soul-scarring you ask? The fact that the next book, Shadowfever, didn't come out for 17 months after this book released. 17 MONTHS! *falls down dead* The wait was excruciating, but Shadowfever blew me away and entirely made up for it, so I almost forgive KMM for what she put me through with Dreamfever. Almost ;-)

DEITY (Covenant Series #3)

Deity doesn't end in quite as cruel a fashion as Dreamfever, but it's one of those endings that forced a "please, no" past my lips as the far-reaching implications and ramifications of what takes place settled like a lead weight in my gut. While I was of course dying to read Apollyon as soon as I could get my hands on it, the ending of this book also had me dreading cracking the spine of the next one, knowing my bubble of delusion wherein Alex and Aiden are happy and together and in love was going to be heart-breakingly popped. I do so love this series though, and cannot wait for Sentinel to finally bring Alex's story full circle.

THE RAVEN BOYS

Okay. So the ending of The Raven Boys isn't exactly on par with the other books on this list in terms of the emotional flaying it inflicts, but it has one of the most bizarre and befuddling parting lines I've read, and I therefore felt it earned itself a spot. Confession: I flip to the back of a book and read the ending first probably 75% of the time. I need to know what's going to happen alright? I CAN'T HELP IT! I flipped straight to the back of this one, read the last line and thought to myself "Self, I can't wait to figure out what that means" before returning to the front and reading straight through. Well, as it turns out, the line I'd read initially didn't make any more sense to me after reading the story in its entirety than it had when I read it out of context, and I need to hurry up and get a hold of Dream Thieves so it can hopefully explain things to me.

INFINITE DAYS

I absolutely LOVED this book. It turns the typical vampire story on its head a bit as the protagonist turns from vampire to human rather than human to vampire. I have to be pretty invested in a story to cry (obviously), and typically crying takes place later in a book after I've had time to really get attached to the characters. With this book though? I was crying inside of the first 30 pages as my beloved Rhode wrapped himself around my heart and refused to let go. My emotions evened out after that until the very end when former vampire Lenah saw fit to slice me into emotional confetti once more. So good.

UNTIL I DIE (Revenants #2)

While this second installment was a bit rockier for me than the first, the ending took me completely by surprise and left me feeling stripped bare as I sprinted to the computer to see when the third and final book would be coming out. Logically, I knew what happened would likely be remedied in the next book, but my heart didn't seem to understand logic at all and promptly stopped working for a beat or two. Emotional stability fail.

THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER (Mara Dyer #2)

Oh, Michelle Hodkin. What a brilliant dispenser of pain you are. This series is strange and twisted and a confusing jumble of "what the hell is going on?" that works so beautifully well that I will be able to read these books over and over again and learn something new each time. The ending of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was a jaw-dropper, but the ending of Evolution is more of a punch to the gut, one that sent me reeling and raving and looking around for anyone who might listen, willingly or otherwise, as I tried to get all my thoughts in order by speaking them aloud. Can it be time for Retribution already?

Author Interview: Jennifer Armentrout

I'm beyond thrilled today to welcome author Jennifer Armentrout back to the blog to answer some questions about the latest novel in her Covenant series, Deity. I'm a huge fan of these books, and also more than slightly in love with Aiden, so if you haven't had a chance to pick them up yet, I hope they make their way to the top of your list soon! For me this series just keeps getting better, and Deity had me riveted from action-packed beginning to action-packed end (read my review for both Pure and Deity HERE), so be prepared to set aside a solid block of reading time if and when you pick this one up.

Let’s say Alex, Aiden and Seth are accompanying you to a book signing for Deity. What introductory question might Alex ask each boy so the audience could get to know them better?
 
I’m not sure any question Alex would pick would serve any true purpose other than to amuse her. She would probably ask Seth why he thought he was so awesome and ask Aiden why is he so fascinated with James Bond.

If you had to pick a single scene from any of the books to write from Aiden’s point of view just to get in his head, which would you choose and why?

There’s a certain scene in Deity I’d love to do in his POV. Well, two scenes. One involves Linard and, well, there is another one. 

If you were at the Covenant and had to undergo all the training that Alex and company do to learn to fight and kill Daimons, in what area do you think you’d excel (hand to hand, particular weapon specialty, strategy etc.)?

I would love to say something with knives and daggers, because that sounds super cool, but I know I would suck at that. You should see me playing darts. RUN! I think I would be good at grappling.

Neither Seth nor Alex love the bond between them that allows them to occasionally pick up on the emotional state of the other, but what might each of them say is one positive thing about their connection?

They both would agree it lets each of the know when the other is in trouble—typically. Sometimes distance lessens the bond, but it helps them know if something is going down.

You can bring in one villain from another book for Alex and Aiden to test their mettle against. Who do you think they’d enjoy facing the most, and who would best give the two of them a run for their money?

I would bring in a truck load of demons from any book that had demons running amuck in them. I think both Alex and Aiden would need a lot to test their skills. Outside the demons, I think Alex would enjoy fighting dementors from Harry Potter (did I spell that right???) and Aiden would like to square off against a dragon. He’s got a thing for fire.

What’s your single favorite element of the world you created in the Covenant series?

The society. It’s something that a lot of readers dislike, but they’re supposed to dislike the society. I based it on ancient Greek civilization during the time they worshipped gods. It was a really stratified society that wasn’t fair. It creates the perfect backdrop for the story.

Deity concludes on a rather epic cliffhanger. What book has the most intense cliffhanger you’ve ever read and how long was the wait until the next installment?

Oh gosh, I’m trying to think here. I usually hate cliffhangers… when I’m not writing them. Ha! I can’t think of one, but it always feels like a thousand years before the next one comes out.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Jennifer! More information on Jennifer and her books can be found here:

Website
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Buy Deity on Amazon

DEITY 

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

Double Review: Pure + Deity

PURE/DEITY

Covenant Novels #2 and #3

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Paranormal Young Adult

Spencer Hill Press

Pure: Available Now

Deity: Available November 6th

Received from publisher for review

PURE (from Goodreads)
There is need. And then there is Fate
 
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.
 
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude or killing her.
 
When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

MY THOUGHTS
Books two and three in the Covenant series build beautifully on the events of Half-Blood, drastically increasing not only the emotional intensity between Alex, Aiden, and Seth, but also the physical intensity between our heroine and the innumerable dangers facing her as a half-blood and an apollyon. Ms. Armentrout’s world is one that continuously ignites our anger and frustration, the treatment of the half-bloods something that sets our teeth to grinding and our fists to clenching as we are constantly reminded that they are perfect to sleep with, abuse, and defend the Pures with their lives, but it remains unacceptable for those who consider themselves an exalted race to love, respect, or die for them in turn. With Pure and continuing into Deity, Ms. Armentrout introduces a new villain, a man who strictly adheres to the most revolting of Pure tenets and causes our lips to curl into an involuntary smile as we root for Alex to show him what she’s made of.

Alex is as entertaining as ever, her smart mouth continuing to get her into trouble with classmates and authority figures alike, and while we sometimes share in the viewpoint of those around her who wish she were a little less outspoken when in the presence of those who have the power to make her life miserable, we can’t help but appreciate her determination to stand her ground, however misguided at times. As she did in Half-Blood, she often makes snap decisions that have monstrous consequences, but she’s always quick to recognize and admit her mistakes instead of clinging to the pretense that she’s always right. She shows a distinct vulnerability in both Pure and Deity – her love for Aiden like an open wound that’s poked and prodded with rough fingers and her fear that her Awakening will fundamentally alter who she is a piece of sandpaper that rubs and abrades sensitive skin again, and again, and again.

The romantic element is present on a grand scale in both books, the seemingly impossible relationship with Aiden creating a raw ache in our chests as he pushes her away from him and toward Seth, and though we might roll our eyes at the familiar plot device, Ms. Armentrout executes it in spectacular fashion, leaving us with heavy hearts and hollow souls as Alex struggles. What works so well in Alex’s case is that the love triangle is one of circumstance as opposed to conflicted feelings, her heart belonging solely and indisputably to Aiden while her connection to Seth becomes something manufactured as a result of their bond as Apollyons. Seth does play his role as potential suitor stunningly well though, every now and then the cocky arrogance set aside in favor of what appears to be sincerity, but the most intense of their interludes are always precipitated by a change in – or strengthening of – the spiritual cord running between them, reminding us of the difference between what Alex shares with him and what she shares with Aiden.

Readers should prepare themselves for a massive cliffhanger with Deity, the last page leaving us with the desperate desire to write Ms. Armentrout and see what we can do or say to help move the release date for Apollyon up several months. Things in the next book will no doubt be even darker and more intense than what we’ve experienced thus far, and time is sure to pass excruciatingly slowly as we wait to see what’s to become of Alex, Aiden, and Seth.

Rating: 4.5/5