Word Spelunking

If you're familiar with my reviews then you've probably figured out that, like many of you, I'm quite the Jennifer L. Armentrout fangirl. I'll pretty much read anything she writes and will know without a doubt going into each and every story that it will be awesome and well-written and give me all the feels possible. Deity, the third book in the Covenant Series, is no exception. This is an excellent installment in an already phenomenal series.In Deity the stakes are high, the romance is enticingly angsty, the twists keep coming, and Alex's world is one Oh My Gods moment after the next. As her 18th birthday draws closer, Alex finds herself the target of an old, fanatical order, the early recipient of the marks of the Apollyon, desperate to cover up the events that took place in New York, caught between Seth and Aiden, and, oh yeah, the Gods ain't happy about any of it.This may just be favorite book in the series yet, and that's saying something. In Deity, Armentrout's impressive storytelling and writing is as addictive as ever. The intensely suspenseful and twisty, yet palpably emotional, plot had me captivated from beginning to end (and oh that ending!). Everything I've come to love about and expect from Armentrout's writing (superb world-building, layered characters, hot romance, and thrilling stories) is present in this third novel.The world of the half-bloods, pures, and Gods is further expanded and explored in this book, while the history and role of the Apollyon is made clearer. I feel like a lot of questions are answered in this book, while many more intriguing mysteries are laid out. Armentrout continues to add fantastic layers to her already intricate and realistic world-building. There's a great mix of action and emotion in Deity, and I like that the emotional aspects of the story kind of take center stage in this installment. There's still plenty of exciting and heart-pounding action of course, but we really get to explore the mind and hearts of the main characters on a deeper, more honest and personal level in this book. Which I love.And the characters themselves are both familiar and wonderfully surprising. We find the main characters in a difficult place- emotionally; mentally; and physically- and I really loved seeing how they each reacted and grew in response to their situation. The character development continues to be excellent and full of the unexpected. Alex, Seth, and Aiden don't always behave or react the way I expect or even want, but I'm always fascinated and charmed by them...especially my cupcake Aiden...and, more importantly, I'm always completely invested in their story.I'm not the type of reader who has to have some type of romance in a story to keep me interested and I'm definitely not a fan of love triangles, BUT I'm such a sucker for the romance in the Covenant Series. And the romantic elements in Deity had me squee'ing in fangirl delight; there's just something so deliciously alluring, addictive and hot about them. Yes, there were times when I either wanted to knee Seth in the junk or have Alex rip his clothes off, and even more times when I wanted to throw Aiden at Alex and scream “Kiss her you fool!”, but all the frustration and angst was well worth it...hello page 214 *fans self*The surprise revelations, betrayals, secrets, and twists are plentiful and lead up to an electrifying, heart-stopping, Oh-My-Gods-Tha-Hell-Just-Happened?!?! ending that left me open-mouthed and shaking my fist at Jennifer Armentrout *shakes fist* (I highly recommend reading the novella Elixir immediately after finishing this book!).MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Deity has made me squeal in fangirl delight, it has squeezed my heart, and punched me in the ovaries. This series just keeps getting better and better (and hotter and hotter!), and Deity is, in my opinion, the best yet. A fantastic installment in an already kickass series!