Apollyon: Review

Synopsis:

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

***

(This might contain spoilers of Deity)

Oh. My. Gods. Apollyon is the setup for Sentinel, the grand finale of Covenant series. And damn if the setup isn't perfect. There are no words to describe the awesomeness of Apollyon. Hell, even the word "awesome" is redundant. This book takes my breath away right from the start of it and it stays that way EVEN AFTER I finish the book. Just when I imagined there's nothing better than Deity, Apollyon strikes me silent again with the words and the epic scenes. Jeez, I have to say Jennifer IS the writing ninja. I have no idea how she can pull off something so fascinating when time is so limited (since, you know, she has got tons of projects on her hand).

Alex grows up in this book. Yeah, I know she keeps growing up throughout the series. But in Apollyon, she really matures A LOT. She has to face higher stakes and more pressing issues in this book, and I'm so glad that she's finally an adult on handling shits that are sometimes so very annoying to deal with. Even though I kind of miss that reckless, snarky girl in Half-Blood.

Aiden is a little different in this book too. Yeah, he's still insanely protective when it comes to Alex. But we can see a more... vulnerable and unsure side of him. I mean, in Half-Blood and Pure, Strong Aiden is in charge. Even in Deity and Elixir, when things are starting to get really messed-up, he still stays strong. Okay, not that he isn't strong in Apollyon, but he reveals a more vulnerable and emotional side of him. You know what? This side of him is truly glorious (Glorious? Did I just say that?) and fascinating. Though I will still urge him to man up (just like Alex says) a little bit.

You can't imagine how fast-paced the book is. It's like everything is happening at once and you have no idea what to solve first. That's exactly the case in Apollyon. You think Alex connecting to Seth is the worst thing that could possibly happen? Oh you have no idea. Just when you think shit is cleaned up for good, another truckload of shit hits the fan. AGAIN. This time hell truly starts to break loose. Obstacles that Alex and her friends has to go through are getting harder and harder. Secrets are reveal and you will never be able to believe your eyes again. Like I said, this is the perfect setup for Sentinel. And... after reading Apollyon, a certain scene in it makes me think that Sentinel might not be a HEA finale I once thought. 

There's just one teensy-tiny flaw in Apollyon: not enough Alex/Aiden scenes.

Jeez, somebody gives me Sentinel right now! How can I suffer for 8 months WAITING?!

Rating: 9.5/10