Series Review: Lux - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian (Lux #1)

Release Date: November 23rd 2011

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Source: Bought

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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.

I first read Obsidian more than a year ago, and even then I'd already loved it to bits. Everything about it—from the plot to the setting and especially the characters—was very addictive, and I was hooked from start to end.

Katy was kind and calm but feisty when provoked, and I could relate to her not only because she felt like such a real teenager, but also because she's a book blogger! Yep, she's not just the stereotypical bookworm goody-two-shoes. She spazzes about books the way I do—the way we do, blogger friends! Anyway, her halo got thrown to the corner every time Daemon, her hot alien neighbor, was within interacting distance, and it was amusing to see Katy be both repulsed and attracted to him. Daemon was, unarguably, a douchebag, but his backstory was reason enough for that. And really, their hilarious and sexual-tension-filled bantering just entertained me. 

The other characters also added so much to this story. There was Dee, Daemon's sister, who was kinda desperate to have a human friend. She was so perky, and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't get along too well if she were real. And then there were the other alien triplets: Ash, Andrew, and Adam. The first two had attitudes that were worse than Daemon's, but Katy was tough enough to handle them. And finally, Katy's mom and human friends, Lesa and Carissa, who were worthy distractions for when the aliens next door became too much for her sanity.

This take on aliens was very fresh and unique, and it worked well with the story because I don't even want to imagine Katy falling for an innards-eating monster! But I'll shut up now and let you discover for yourself the type of alien that JLA has written—types, actually, because their enemies were a different species.

An incredibly fast-paced book that was equal parts sci-fi and contemporary, Obsidian never bored me, not even for a second, and has made this one of my favorite book series ever!

MY FAVORITE PART was Daemon's sleepy fondling =))

RATING:

Title: Shadows (Lux #0.5)
Release Date: February 21st 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
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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.

Because I read this prequel novella after Obsidian, I knew how it would go. I knew that Dawson Black fell for a human, and that love became the end of him. Still, watching firsthand just how instantly and utterly smitten Bethany and Dawson were with each other—well, that just made the whole thing more depressing.

But enough of the sad. There were also a lot of fun times here, particularly when the Black triplets were together: something we didn't get in Obsidian. Dawson was the toned-down, boy version of Dee, but also the carbon copy of Daemon... Yep. And the last chapter was the ultimate explanation of Daemon's douchy-ness in Obsidian, so I think people who hated him in that book will like him, even a little, because of this. 

MY FAVORITE PART was Dawson's first visit to Bethany's home XD

RATING:

   

 Title: Onyx (Lux #2)
Release Date: August 14th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Bought
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Being connected to Daemon Black sucks...

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town...

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes...

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies...

Onyx picks up a few days after the events in Obsidian. Immediately, I was pulled back in by Katy, Daemon, and their incredible out-of-this-world chemistry. Hell, I was swooning in less than ten pages! But that said, Onyx wasn't as swoon-y as I'd thought it would be; instead, it stocked up with the action that some people might have wanted the first book to have had.

There was a lot going on in this sequel, what with Katy, um, "changing"; a new guy moving in on her, much to Daemon's rage; and the DOD becoming more of a problem for them. And there was also Katy trying to stay away from Daemon, trying to push down her feelings for him because she thought he only wanted her because of their alien mojo connection.

While Daemon still had his douche-y side here in Onyx, we also got to see a little bit more of his sweet side that he often kept hidden. Unfortunately, there was also more of his controlling side—granted that he was doing it to protect Katy, it still wasn't fair that he'd keep his distance, though not for long, just because she wouldn't do what he wanted her to.

"He just doesn't want to see me hurt." And that actually hurt to say, because I knew there was a mile-long road of good intentions behind what he had been saying last night, but he needed to see me as an equal. Not someone who was weak and needed rescuing.

Katy, on the other hand, became more of a badass in here (can't say more without being spoiler-y, I'm afraid), but she made a lot of facepalm-worthy decisions and actions, and sometimes she just irritated me.

The crazy chain of events led to a shocking, heartbreaking, and totally risky ending. It made clear just how heightened the stakes were, and I get nervous when I think about just how much worse it could get for these characters in Opal.

MY FAVORITE PART was Daemon joining Katy when she filmed a Stacking the Shelves video. Sweet baby Jesus, why don't I have a Luxen to do that with?!

RATING:

Title: Opal (Lux #3)
Release Date: December 1st 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Bought
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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.

Opal was one hell of a third book. It had immediate tension, making my brows furrow in frustration within a few pages. I was also sucked right back into JLA's crazy world of aliens. The ominous feeling was a constant in this book, and I worried for my beloved Luxens and hybrids the whole time.

One thing I noticed was how there really hadn't been character development as much as character exposure. They haven't changed a lot from Obsidian until now; we merely see more sides to them that, probably, even they themselves didn't know about. Believe me when I say no one is to be fully-trusted in this series.

Daemon was sweeter than ever, but he still had his controlling and possessive streak, wanting Katy to stay at home to keep her safe (like what I mentioned in my Onyx review above). Thankfully, Katy never backed down.

I know you're upset because you worry about me, but I'm not going to be the girl who sits at home and waits for the hero to wipe out the villains.

She worked hard and toughened up so Daemon would see her as his equal, and I appreciated that plus her getting him to respect her decisions because I believe those are essential in a healthy relationship.

Here in Opal, we get two new somethings. There was Katy and Daemon's full-blown romance (finally!) which felt like the only respite from their universe of problems. Their sweetness make me sigh and giggle like a schoolgirl. And then there was Dawson. I loved seeing more of his dynamic with everyone: something we only got a taste of in Shadows.

You know a book's good when you keep putting off reading it just because you don't want it to end, even though I really wanted to finish the characters' misery by turning that last page. Shit kept hitting fan, and the hard times brought out the worst in everyone. And that ending? Sure brought out the worst in me.

MY FAVORITE PART was their prom. And after it, hee ♥

RATING: