Review: Oblivion - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Experience the epic love story of Obsidian as told by its hero, Daemon Black . . .

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door there was going to be trouble. Lots of it.

And trouble's the last thing I need, since I'm not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there's one thing I know, it's that humans can't be trusted.

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her - or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I'm the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl . . . she could mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy - the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.

Falling for Katy - a human - won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that's one thing I'll never let happen . . .

Lux Series:
Shadows (Prequel Novella)
Obsidian
Oblivion (Obsidian retold from Daemon's POV)
Onyx
Opal
Origin
Opposition

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout's website for more information

Review:
I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the trend to write the same book all over again but from the male character's perspective, most of the time it doesn't actually add much to the story and I tend to think these books are just a gimmick to get fans spending more of their money so in general I tend to steer clear of them. However, in this case I was really intrigued by the idea of getting into Daemon's head, if you've read Obsidian (and if you haven't then I don't know why you're even reading this review!) you'll know his character was very hard to pin down. The chemistry between him and Katy was scorching hot but he'd go from undressing her with his eyes one minute to giving her the cold shoulder and acting like a complete arse the next. Along with many other fans I fell for him anyway but I was really curious to see whether Jennifer L. Armentrout would be able to pull of giving him realistic and believable reasons for his behaviour and I have to say she completely pulled it off.

Dameon is a complex character but he has a reason for everything he does. It's not always a good reason and it doesn't make his mean behaviour any more acceptable but it does make it understandable. He's just trying to do right by his sister and the rest of his people, he doesn't want to make the same mistake that his brother did and he's terrified of his feelings for Katy. I was glad to see that it upset him when he hurt her and I definitely feel more invested in the outcome of their relationship now I've seen how deeply he cares. I'm still glad that Katy calls him out for his behaviour though and he'd better have had an attitude adjustment when I start reading Onyx but I now love his character more than ever.

It's actually been a long time since I read Obsidian, so long that I'd forgotten most of what happened in it, which meant that reading Oblivion was almost like reading a completely new book and that made it even better. I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed this as much as I did if I'd read it immediately after the first book but after a long year gap I loved it. It reminded me how much I loved the first two books and made me excited to carry on reading the series (yes sadly I never did get past the first book and the prequel, even though I pre-ordered every single book in the series that released over the last four years!). It was fun being back in this world and I'm excited to finally find out how it all ends!

Just for readers information if you buy the print copy of Oblivion you'll only receive the first story retold from Daemon's point of view but if you buy the ebook version you'll actually get to read the entirety of the first three books (Obsidian, Onyx and Opal) so that's something to consider when you're deciding which version to purchase. I've only read the first story so far but I did buy the kindle version (even though I received a review copy of the paperback from the publisher) so I may come back and update this review later if I go on to read the next two parts.

Source: Received from Hodder in exchange for an honest review

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Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Obsidian - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy Internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbour, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

**SPECIAL FEATURE** E-book version of this title includes two bonus scenes from Daemon's point of view at the end!

Lux Series:
Shadows (Prequel Novella)
Obsidian
Oblivion (Obsidian retold from Daemon's POV)
Onyx
Opal
Origin
Opposition

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout's website for more information

Review:
I had seen so many rave reviews for Obsidian that I have to admit I was a bit nervous to start reading it. My expectations had been raised so high that I was worried the book wouldn't live up to them and I have to admit in the beginning I didn't think it was going to. There were quite a few similarities with another popular YA series which made the storyline feel familiar and some events were quite predictable. However, despite my initial reservations Obsidian really grew on me and the further you read the less familiar it becomes as it starts to move off in it's own direction.

I loved Katy from the beginning, she is the kind of character that any book blogger will be able to relate to because she shares our love of books, blogging and her online community. I loved her comments about her blog and the way she was so excited to gain new followers or receive books in the post and I could totally understand her joy at finally getting internet access at their new home! Along with being a bit of a nerdy book lover Katy is also an intelligent girl and a good friend. She is immediately drawn to the hot boy next door but she isn't going to let anyone talk to her the way Daemon does without telling them exactly what she thinks of them. I was so pleased that she called him out whenever he was acting like a jerk (which unfortunately was quite regularly!). Daemon isn't the only one she stands up to though and there was a particular scene in the school cafeteria that practically had me jumping up and down and waving pompoms to cheer her on.

Now let's talk some more about Daemon. He totally has the hot body and good looks going for him but his attitude stinks. I think Katy said it best: "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." He was such a complete jerk for the majority of the book and there were times I wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into him. But no matter how badly he acts he has something about him that draws you in so I could completely understand Katy's attraction. The only word to describe the chemistry between these two is intense. They scorch the pages in every scene and you can never quite tell if they're going to tear each others heads off or start ripping their clothes off! I haven't come across so much heat in a YA book in a long time and that alone makes it worth reading the book. The more you get to know Daemon the more you start to see a sweeter side to him, he keeps that side well hidden but just those glimpses leave you wanting to get to know him better.

I have to mention how much I loved the fact that this series is about aliens rather than the usual vampires, shapeshifters, angels or demons. I don't think I've actually come across any other YA paranormal romance or urban fantasy books about aliens (but if you know of any good ones please let me know because I'd love to read them!) so that made a really nice change. I'm not going to say much about Jennifer L Armentrout's alien mythology because I think it's something you want to discover yourself as you read the book but I did find it really interesting and well thought out. I'm looking forward to learning more about the Luxen as the series continues.

So I have to say that Obsidian surprised me, after a shaky start it did manage to live up to the hype that has surrounded it and it has made me want to check out more books by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I will definitely be picking up a copy of the next book Onyx when it is released in August. One last thing I want to mention is that if you're a fan of this series then make sure you check out the extra scenes she has written and posted on her website. You'll get to see some of the important scenes from the book but told from Daemon's perspective and I promise they'll just make you love him even more! The Kindle version of the book even had a couple of extra scenes included at the end that aren't on her website (and I don't believe they're included in the paperback either so I'm glad I purchased the kindle edition).

Source: Purchased

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Review: Shadows - Jennifer L. Armentrout

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Lux Series:
Shadows (Prequel Novella)
Obsidian
Oblivion (Obsidian retold from Daemon's POV)
Onyx
Opal
Origin
Opposition

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout's website for more information

Review:
Although this novella is set before Obsidian in the Lux series time line I would actually recommend reading Obsidian first. The way Shadows has been written assumes that you have some familiarity with the world that Jennifer L. Armentrout has created so although you could read it as a prequel I think you'd understand more if you read it as the second book. It is definitely worth reading though and Obsidian fans will really enjoy getting to know the third Black triplet Dawson.

I have to say right now that I love Dawson, he is just so sweet and in a lot of ways the complete opposite of Daemon. Where Daemon is the one with the snarky attitude and bad temper Dawson is much more laid back and friendly. He is more open about his feelings and when he falls for Bethany he falls hard. But just because he is the easy going brother doesn't make him any less sexy, he is just as hot as Daemon and he'll manage to raise your temperature while you're reading! Bethany is perfect for him, she is sweet and quite innocent and can be very shy with strangers but when she opens up to someone she doesn't hold anything back. She isn't as quick to stand up for herself as Katy but she will bite back if she is pushed hard enough - especially in defence of those she cares about - and I liked the way she wanted to stand up for Dawson when his family were hassling him about their relationship.

What I loved most was the way Dawson and Bethany's relationship develops. It starts out as pure lust (don't most relationships?) but they take time to get to know each other and you get to see them build a real connection. Their story reminded me a lot of my first serious relationship and brought back those feelings of first love when you couldn't spend enough time just talking and neither of you wanted to put the phone down first. Shadows definitely focuses more on the relationship and could almost be a contemporary romance if it weren't for the whole fact that Dawson is an alien. Well no boy is perfect right?

Now as much as I love Dawson I have to admit that I'm the kind of girl who is always drawn to the fictional bad boys so he didn't quite manage to take Daemon's place in my affections - it was a close race though. It's funny because Dawson is much more like the kind of guys I end up in real life but when it comes to books it's always the ones like Daemon that I route for. In Shadows we get to see yet another side to Daemon and it helps to explain why he acts the way he does in Obsidian. No it doesn't excuse him for being a jerk but it does make it much easier to understand his reasoning and forgive him for his attitude.

Of course we also get to find out a bit more about the Luxen and the way that the elders and the DOD have so much say over how they live their lives. It must be so hard for Dawson, Daemon and Dee to have their whole lives mapped out for them and no choice about things like where they can go to college, what jobs they can do or who they get to marry. If you take my advice and read Obsidian first then you'll have a good idea about how Shadows is going to end, I'm not going to say much in case anyone reading this review is completely new to the series but be prepared for an emotional finish! I do have a theory about what happened though and really hope I'm proved right when Onyx is released in August. Jennifer L. Armentrout certainly packs a lot into this novella and it definitely shouldn't be missed by fans of the series.

Source: Purchased

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