The Return Review: Seth

Book: The Return
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Titan (Covenant spin-off series)
Standing: Book 1 (Covenant series Book 6)
POV: 1st person by Seth and Josie, past tense
Setting: mainly South Dakota, present day
Genre: NA paranormal, mythological

Source: Physical Copy
Pages: 347
Release: February 16th, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Favourite line: "What I'm saying is--you are not the sum of only half your actions. You can't disregard everything else."

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb: (Goodreads)
The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…

It’s been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.

                       ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

Seth. I admit, I was never that big of a Seth fan in the Covenant series, because I totally shipped Alex with Aiden more than Alex and Seth. I knew he was bad news for Alex from the beginning, and was heading to a bad place. But after reading Sentinel, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

And then this. I'm back on Team Seth, and I have no qualms about it. How could I, given his personality and the fact that he's practically always shirtless? (Yes, that happens. A lot. Which makes for some very steamy scenes, if you know what I mean ;)) This is why JLA is a queen, everyone.

Seth has been spending his days doing the gods' dirty work, which has mainly been hunting the traitors. Until Apollo shows up and sends him on a completely different mission: to find someone with the initials J. B. at Radford University, in southern Virginia, and get her to the Covenant University in South Dakota for protection. J. B. turns out to be one Josephine Bethel, who's life gets turned upside down the minute Seth comes into the picture. Josie's identity is something neither of them saw coming, and it's now up to Seth to protect her from the Titans who are surely after her.

Seth. If you've read the Covenant series, you know that he's been through a meat grinder of emotions. He harbours intense guilt for what he's done to others in the past, and sees himself as a monster. He's not actively looking for redemption or salvation, knowing he's screwed up way past that to even hope for it. But upon meeting Josie, we begin to see Seth change for the better, being kinder to himself and to others. Seth did have his moments where he thought about Alex and everything he's done in the past to her and her friends, but he ultimately is facing his life with his chin held up high.

Josie began off as being completely oblivious to her nature, and to the world of gods around her. Her mother is diagnosed with schizophrenia, so Josie chalks up any hallucinations to her potentially losing her mind like her mother. However, it's kind of hard to not believe everything when Seth walks in and persuading her in the way Seth can only do. What I liked about Josie was that once she came to terms with the truth, her immediate thoughts went to her mother, and how her mother was never actually crazy. Josie cares for her mother, and immediately sees how wrong she has been acting towards her, and thus wants to apologize to her. Another thing I liked about her was her need to not be useless; unlike Sentinels, Josie has not been trained to fight since the age of 8, and feels helpless. Her conviction to become trained to be able to defend herself and others really got to me. And no matter how painful the training was, she sucked it up and continued on until she got it right.

Seth and Josie's relationship is built on trust. Seth used to be a major player, with girls hanging off his every word. Josie, in return, is the complete opposite. But they both bond over the fact that they know what it's like to be alone, both know what it's like to be started at and whispered about. Josie is able to see past Seth's past and who he is, not what he is, and Seth sees her as his means of salvation from his sins. They are perfect together!

The plot was filled with a few surprises, introducing new mythological elements to the world. We saw a few familiar faces, which was fantastic as we got to check in to see how some of our favourites are holding up in the aftermath. The climax was fast and deadly, lacking no short of action from the highly-trained Sentinels we're all come to love. This series is a lot more dangerous than the Covenant series is, with powerful enemies and temptations at every turn. Loved it!

The next book, titled The Power, is set to come out February 23rd, 2016, so don't forget to mark it on your calendars! :)