Double Review: Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

o.m.g. I finally get what all the hype is about... after visiting blog after blog containing image after image of Daemon's piercing green eyes, I finally had to give in... and I ended up devouring both of these books in the short timespan of a week.. 
After moving to West Virginia, Katy Swartz's life changes in ways she couldn't possibly imagine. Who knew life could be so exciting ~ and dangerous ~ in such a small town that barely forms a speck on the map? It's all her neighbors' doing, and she suspects and soon confirms that something isn't .... "normal"... about them..
I'll start with the storyline itself (relationships and characters aside). Aliens, secrets of their race, fear of government action, betrayal, lies, newfound trusts, and ultimately fear of the unknown ~ all elements integrated into the pages of this series. The mystery keeps you on your toes and the action thrills you to the point of gasping in disbelief. Armentrout gets every detail right, creating an easily imaginable world where anything is possible. 
And the relationships... "Oh, holy alien babies everywhere..." The tension and undeniable chemistry between Daemon and Katy is almost unbearable. It's practically ridiculous. I found my heart pounding in anticipation combined with my utter disappointment in their stubborn will to have nothing to do with each other... It's so frustrating!!! 
First up: Daemon Black.... "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." He's the type of guy you find yourself fantasizing about...that is, until he opens his mouth. He pulls off this persona of being completely full of himself, knowing full and well the affect he has on Katy. Self-confidence is definitely not something left to be desired with this guy... "Modesty is for saints and losers. I'm neither." But even his "horrible attitude" finds a way to be attractive. It's unreal... Because you know that underneath it all, as with most incredibly sexy and mysterious guys, he's got this huge heart he's trying to hide. "Deadly and sweet - that was what Daemon was; two very different kinds of souls rested in him, fused together." 
He meets his match when Katy moves next door, a book worm with an aptitude to put Daemon in his place. She cracks me right up with her wit and silly denial that she's attracted to her hot alien neighbor. ("hot alien neighbor"... sound so weird..) "I hated Daemon Black - if that was even his real name - with a vengeance that equaled the solar power of a thousand suns." Strong words... totally justified, but even with her said hatred, she still finds herself with wobbly knees around him. I love that even though she finds Daemon attractive (understatement of the year), she holds her ground. Katy keeps him on his toes, taking none of his shit and surprising him every chance she gets. I think it's because he has this way of getting her completely riled up, irking the hell out of her, and taking pleasure from seeing her annoyance. "My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face. "I dislike you so very much." LOL ~ one of my favorite quotes from the book... 
Now although I really enjoyed the antics between them, after a while I got really tired of Katy's denial. Daemon finally comes to terms with his feelings for Katy, showing her his softer side, but she still holds onto a grudge for the way he treated her before ~ like a plague to be avoided at all costs. (Although she's dealt her share of pain...) Get over it Katy! He told you why he did what he did, and he's more than made up for it... She makes some utterly stupid decisions, causing preventable chaos, and I really just kinda wanted to slap her throughout almost the entire second book, Onyx. She's redeeming herself, slowly but surely (especially with her love of books and blogging), and I can't wait to see how she grows {especially in her relationship with Daemon (; } in the third book...
Wow, now that I've gone on entirely too much about the two main characters and their dynamic... I want to say that the problems and worries that Daemon and his family have to go through are... jeez, barely survivable?... I don't know how else to put it... They are put through the ringer with the DOD and their sick surveillance. The government watches their every move and the Blacks' own people...species...whatever.. expect them to fulfill some kind of archaic responsibility (make babies) by the age of eighteen, despite what they might want for themselves. It really just... sucks, for lack of a more appropriate word. And what Daemon faces because of his feelings for Katy? They've got a lot of obstacles to look forward to... not to mention the secrets uncovered about the DOD's true goal when it comes to the Luxen... 
AHH, I ramble... I just loved these books so much that I have a lot going on in my mind about them... The characters are completely relatable, the dynamics between them hilarious, heartbreaking, and grasping. You connect to them in such a way that makes them feel real... And the writing was incredible ~ witty, fluid, and lovely to follow. I can't get enough!
Thank goodness for the novella, Shadows, and the fact that Opal, the third book in the series, releases December 11th... whew.. :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~