Review: Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing. 

Finishing the final book in a series that you've followed for years is always a bittersweet moment which may be why I took my sweet time in getting around to Opposition. I've loved Daemon and Katy from Obsidian, and it breaks my heart to have to let them go.

That being said, I could only manage to pull three stars out for Opposition. I feel like the last book in a series can either make or break a series... And I can't quite put my finger on it, but I wasn't blown away by this last book like I was with its predecessors.

To put it frankly, I felt bored sometimes. I always loved the banter between Katy and Daemon, but this time around, I wasn't feeling it. Sometimes it seemed that I was reading the same scene over and over again... They worship each other... They're desperate for each other's bodies... Daemon has a one-track mind... yada yada yada... I love romance, and there were a few fantastic and heartfelt moments between them, but for the most part, I just couldn't get as into it...

The dialogue also bugged me. Most of the characters have this immature and, honestly, almost annoying way of speaking. Even Lotho, the supposedly badass, sort of evil Arum talked like a stereotypical 14-year-old girl... No offense to 14-year-old girls... I can appreciate goofiness or lightening the mood, but it all felt a little stilted...

What I loved about the book was the sacrifices that the characters were willing to make for each other... And how the love and memories between them were stronger than any other power that tried to overcome them.

Throw in a few unexpected surprises and a heart-attack-inducing ending, and you've got a solid finale.

Maybe my reluctance to say I loved the final Lux novel has more to do with me than the book. Maybe my preferences or tastes or whatever you want to call it are changing. 

If you read and loved Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series from book one, I can say with a decent amount of confidence that you'll enjoy the finale. 

3.5/5 Stars

Cheers!!

Review: Opal by Jennifer Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

This series has completely put me under a spell ~ I just freakin' love it. Book three ~ you would think the story would get old by now or begin to drag just a bit, but no... Armentrout weaves her magic and we all eventually find ourselves in thankful stupor and mild book coma... Either it's her mad writing skills or our continuous swooning over Daemon Black... mm MM MM....

Let's start with the focus of this one ~ Dawson's back in town, Beth is imprisoned by the DOD, Blake's the worlds #1 asshole, and Katy's relationship with Daemon continues to grow ;). Everyone is enduring their senior year unlike normal teenagers (as much as they try otherwise), as there's the whole issue of Will still being MIA, the DOD constantly monitoring their every move, and Dawson going all spaztic trying to save the love of his life (not that I blame him). 

Daemon and Dee finally have their brother back, but he's not the same... He's half of a person without Beth, and they come face to face with the fact that they have to help Dawson get her back. The group's only option seems to be to do the unbearable ~ trust Blake... He knows the ins and outs of the compound where Beth is being kept, not to mention he's a blackmailing, backstabbing little twerp that leaves them without much of a choice. 

All that jazziness aside, Katy and Daemon's relationship simply melts your heart. They argue and get on each other's last nerve (of course) which is all a part of their charm, but their love for each other outweighs everything. If the sparks were flying before, there are practically explosions in this one ~ something that could be unbelievable frustrating at times... especially because everyone keeps interrupting them... 

They grow together and learn to trust in each other's abilities ~ something Daemon especially needs to work on with his almost smothering overprotectiveness... But it's impossible to stay frustrated with him for long, ego and all. C'mon ~ it's Daemon Black ;). 

Katy has a heavy burden of guilt to carry on her shoulders in this novel. The weight of it all almost seems like too much ~ she has a best friend who refuses to talk to her and she feels responsible for the death and pain that came to a head in the last novel. She's not a fragile little human anymore, though, and she does everything she can, despite her fears, to set things as right as they can be. She's still a bookworm at heart (*love*), but she's grown to move beyond the pages of her beloved stories. Her new, crazy world shouldn't be real, after all, and I admire her courage and strength as she stands up for herself and those she loves.

Everyone goes through changes and evolves in this novel, and it's totally refreshing ~ the author isn't afraid to take chances by flipping the switch on characters or even killing them off... It's not all unicorns and rainbows, and it's a relief to feel the reality, even in a work of fiction.

I've fallen in love with this series, and to be honest, I didn't think the idea of "aliens" would really do it for me. I was so wrong and I'm glad I gave it a shot ~ because now I'm obsessed :). I'm ecstatic to find out that the story doesn't end with the third book ~ YAY! You'd think it would drag on and on and on like some of those series that really should have ended and continue past their prime, but I really don't believe that will be the case with the Lux Series. Look forward to more :).

Five out of five stars from this reader...

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Tuesday Prelude

Formerly named Tuesday Tickle (it just didn't sound right to me, so I'm playing around with different names), Tuesday Prelude is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. The only difference is that my "teasers" tend to go a bit deeper, revealing a little more about the story, author, setting, or specific characters.

My Prelude this week hails from Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer 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 neighbor, 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.

Please welcome Katy Swartz. She's witty, independent, strong-willed, and continually lies to herself about her feelings for the infamous Daemon Black. Did I also mention that she's also a book blogger? She totally understands the reasons behind our overwhelming excitement about receiving books in the mail and the comfort of having them scattered around the house, always within arm's reach. I love that she's not afraid to tell off the boy with highly intimidating hotness ~ my kinda girl :).

Here are some thoughts from Katy:

Every cell in my body seemed to be aware of how close he was while we walked in a cocoon of darkness, the light bouncing in front of us with each step. And I hated each of my traitorous cells with a vengeance.

Like he'd turned off my bitch switch, all I could do was stare at him.

I hated Daemon Black - if that was even his real name - with a vengeance that equaled the solar power of a thousand suns.

My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.

Oh, holy alien babies everywhere...

She's hilarious ~ but sometimes I do want to shake her out of her denial.... ;) I admire her love of books and blogging.. makes her feel like an old friend ... I can totally relate..

I'd rather read a book and stalk my blog comments. **(totally)**

People who didn't heart books didn't understand.

It literally hurt deep inside not being able to post my "Waiting on Wednesday"...

Mom hated that there were books everywhere. They weren't really everywhere. Just wherever I was, like the couch, recliner, kitchen counters, laundry room, and even the bathroom. It wouldn't be like that if she caved and installed a wall-to-ceiling bookcase. **(Duh...)**

Gotta love her... Now you need to meet Daemon Black ~ but that'll take an entire post and then some ~ so I'll save him for later ;).

Have a great week!


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~