Elixir: A Covenant Novella Paperback – 27 Nov. 2012

It was so nice getting into Aiden's head and see things from his point of view.Alex has finally awakened, but the effects are not pretty. Aiden is conflicted about what he has to do to stop her from losing herself. His feelings for her are very obvious and the whole scenario is heartbreaking. He finally makes a decision, but will it be the right one?This novella totally captivated my attention. The emotions are very palpable and my admiration for Aiden has multiplied. I am so glad that I read this before tackling book four. Absolutely loved it.

Picture the scene. I'm working a night shift and it gets to my break so I start reading Apollyon (which I'd been dying to read) only to realise that I don't know what the hell is going on. That was when I remembered about Elixir, the short novella between Deity and Apollyon and got to work on it straight away. Obviously, it goes without saying that if you haven't read any of this awesome series yet, look away now or you will encounter spoilers.At the end of Deity, Alex reached her 18th birthday and connected with Seth. His wants and desires became HER wants and desires and it was only a matter of time before Seth found her, drained her and became the God Killer. AND THAT'S WHERE THE BOOK ENDED!!!! Elixir picks up where Deity left off, only this time we see through the eyes of Aiden as the book is written in his point of view. Alex appears to have had a personality transplant overnight and it's a case of `oh, hello evil Alex, what a fun girl you are!' I have to say that it was fantastic seeing this side to her, kind of like watching Alex's evil twin take a turn in the spotlight with loyal Aiden, tortured, angst ridden Aiden waiting on the sidelines, refusing to give up hope that Alex will come back to him. Le sigh.As the book title suggests, the elixir plays a huge part in this story and you can guess what's going to happen. Aiden would do anything for Alex, even if it means making difficult decisions. Even if it means standing up to the Gods. He's one brave guy and he's definitely head over heels for Alex, as if it wasn't clear before, it definitely is now.Basically, the story all boils down to this - there's a war brewing among the Gods and the only way to stop it is if Alex can break the connection. Alex is a tough girl and a fighter for sure but is she strong to enough to fight the connection taking over and consuming her?I absolutely loved this novella and for such a short piece, I was surprised just how entertaining it was and how much information we got from it. It was wonderful to see from Aiden's perspective and while Seth was really nowhere to be seen, the absence of him was everywhere. I am definitely ordering the paperback for my collection. Five stars again for Ms Armentrout.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****There is absolutely no way to write a review about this novella and not give away major plot points and spoilers from the previous books. So please if you have not yet read Deity do not read this review as it will give the game away. You have been warned!I am not usually a fan of novellas. They are just so short that it is hard to get enough story to sink your teeth into but I can not say that holds true for Elixir. It is only 75 pages long and I can easily admit that I cried at least twice! That is what Armentrout's writing does to me. A person shouldn't be able to put so much emotion into 75 pages... but thankfully she can and hopefully her writing will continue to be this great. Honestly I am in awe with her as an author and if I heard she obtained a job writing for the Yellow Pages I would probably be out in search of those to read also. Simply amazing.So as previously pointed out you should only be reading this review if you have read Deity and in that case you know how it ended!? What an ending... it honestly left me gasping. Elixir picks up right after 'that' ending. Alex has been locked away and Aiden is doing his best to watch over her and trying to get her to break the connection with Seth. Let me just say she is pure evil and says some pretty nasty things during this time, I am just glad that Aiden loves her because most men would just be like 'see ya later'.Apollo is off searching and trying to find a way to help break the connection but they are all running out of time because the Gods fear Seth and they want to go to war to stop those who are standing with him. The only way Apollo can buy more time is to convince Aiden that they need to give Alex the elixir. Of course this is the last thing he wants to do but in the end he knows it is the only way right now because she is not eating or sleeping and eventually she will find out where they are and Seth will be there to get her. The elixir will break the connection but it will also make her a shell of a person. How can he live with himself if he allows this to happen?Being inside Aiden's head is always a joy! Armentrout is a rock star when it comes to writing extra scenes from other characters perspectives and Aiden is no exception (you can find these extra/deleted scenes HERE). So this is not the first time we have been in his head but it is the longest that we have been there. He is just such a lovable character! There are a lot of swoon-worthy boys out there in the YA book world but I must say that Aiden is right up there with the best of them. He is fiercely loyal and it is obvious that nothing is ever going to change that. The love he has for Alex is breathtaking and I challenge anybody who is on Team Seth to read Elixir and not fall for Aiden even a little bit. I would think it would be impossible.So now begins the wait. April 9th, 2013 is when Apollyon is due to be published. I will be going into work tomorrow to request that day off because there is no way I would be able to be at work knowing that it is on my Kindle ready to read. I will need to start it as soon as possible!"Apollo had said he knew what this kind of love was capable of. And I finally understood why Paris had risked his country and his blood for Helen. Selfish, yes, but I understood. I would burn the world if that meant Alex would be safe."ChristineRainy Day Reads

Full review at treasurecovebookreviews.comAdrian, if nothing else, should make your list of book boyfriends after reading Elixir. The relationship between him and Alex is heartbreakingly sweet, their love for one another in both Apollyon and Sentinel is one of the strongest and unwavering that I have read in a long while – partly because the problems that they overcome aren’t to do with silly decisions that either character made. Yes, admittedly, they are ‘star-crossed lovers’ but it doesn’t feel corny or as if it is a plot device used by Armentrout to create tension and drama – their relationship is representative of a larger problem in their world: equality between races.