Onyx (Lux # 2) by Jennifer Armentrout

Book Description:

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…

Christina's BookReview

“Strange how something good can come from something horrible.”
RECAP:

In this second full installment of the Lux series we pick up where Obsidian left off. Katy and Daemon are connected because of him healing her. What they aren’t prepared for are the consequences of what his actions are.

When Katy starts to experience moments of unexpected “alien mojo” she starts to freak out. And then there’s Blake who is completely normal and different from the infuriating Daemon. But when Blake turns out to be anything but normal Katy discovers just how different she is.

Katy’s life will never be the same.

As she trains to protect the people she loves and tries to fight the growing feelings she has towards Daemon, Katy realizes that she will have to make the toughest decision yet. Trust Daemon or hide what she does learn in order to protect him.

MY TAKE:

When I first read Obsidian I was head over heels in love with Daemon Black. When I read Shadows that didn’t change. But with Onyx my feelings dwindled a bit. Although I still like him but I was a little annoyed with his hot and cold attitude in Onyx. He also became a little bit too possessive and that frustrated me a bit. I understood his need to protect the people he loves but I felt like he was selfish when it came to Katy learning how to protect herself. He loved her, he was jealous. I understood why but I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t consider the benefit of having her learn to harness the changes in her. 

And then there was Katy. I loved her Obsidian. I was exasperated with her in Onyx. Again, I understood her motives and liked that she stood up to Daemon when she needed too but every other sentence was Daemon this and Daemon that. She turned into mush every time he was around. I found myself wondering, “Where did the feisty Katy from Obsidian go?” You didn’t see her in Onyx. The banter between the two was the highlight of Obsidian but in Onyx its just blah. Katy’s fire is quickly extinguished when she’s around Daemon and it just turns old quickly. She is also a terrible friend in this book and I know she thinks its to protect Dee but it was rude and it made her seem very selfish.

I actually liked Blake and understood the reasons for what he did. I liked that he didn’t go soft on Katy and that he helped her develop her powers. Even when I found out his true intentions I could understand him. I’m not saying that what he did was right but I understood why. And at the end I think Katy understood as well, which earned her some points. 

All in all Onyx was a good read. I think it definitely suffered from the second book syndrome but I will continue to read the series. 

 

Obsidian (Lux #1) Review HERE

Shadows (Lux #0.5) Review HERE

Shadows (Lux # 0.5) by Jennifer Armentrout

Book Description:

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.

Christina's BookReview

 “She. Spoke. To. Him. First. It was like winning the lottery, getting laid, and climbing the highest cliff all rolled into one. But he needed to play it cool, because he was trending into lame-o land at a quick pace.”

In this novella from Jennifer Armentrout’s Lux series we are introduced to Dawson and Bethany’s story.

In Obsidian we met Daemon and Dee and scratched the surface on what their life had been pre-Katy. In this book we get the complete details.

Dawson is the complete opposite of Daemon. Dawson wears his heart on his sleeves as to where his brother is very cautious. He’s caring, loving, sweet and levelheaded. But he is also very protective of the people he loves and that is one thing that the triplets have in common. When Bethany Williams walks into his life Dawson finally finds the one thing that will test his dedication to his life as a Luxen. Bethany is a human girl and as we found out in Obsidian, a relationship between the two is forbidden.

Bethany Williams isn’t happy with the new change in her life. Although she understands that her uncle has to be cared for her family has broken up. With a father that only comes home on the weekends and a mother that is overprotective she tries to keep to herself. The moment she sets eyes on the beautiful twins she can’t help but be captivated with the one with the smile on his face.

Bethany wants Dawson and Dawson wants Bethany. Unfortunately their lives get complicated when the Luxen community doesn’t agree with Dawson’s decision and the Arum is out to kill them. And after reading Obsidian we know how it ends up. Or do we?

I have my suspicions about what happened to the two and hope that everything works out as I predict them. I can’t wait to continue reading more!

I liked this book and liked getting to know more about what happened with Dawson and Bethany. I found myself enjoying their relationship as much as Katy and Daemons. Where Katy’s and Daemon’s is hot and heavy, Dawson’s and Bethany’s is sweet and cute.

If you haven’t checked out this series do yourself a favor and pick it up! You will love it!  

Obsidian (Lux #1)- Review HERE

Oynx (Lux #2)- Review HERE

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

Book Description:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:
Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.
Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Christina's Book Review:

“Need covers itself with love, but need… need is never love. Always beware of the one who needs you. There is always a want behind a need, you see.”

Holy crap this book is AWESOMENESS! Jennifer Armentrout takes Greek Mythology and develops an outstanding storyline! From horrid monsters to a kick ass heroine!

Alexandria Andros is a half blood who is taken from the Covenant by her mother for reasons she doesn't know. When tragedy strikes she must find a way back to her home all the while avoiding the Daimon's hunting her. As a half blood she is able to see Daimons for what they really are and not for what they portray. As a half blood she has no other power then the ability to kick Daimon ass. She was born and breed to do just that. Protect the Pure's from Daimons. When she finally makes it to the Covenant she realizes things aren't going to be easy for her. She is training to catch up on her combative skills and trying to follow the Covenant rules. There's one rule that's the hardest for her. Relationships between Half's and Pure are forbidden.

Unfortunately, Alex has fallen for Aidan St. Delphi. Aidan is a Pure.

Aidan is a Sentinel for the Covenant. A guard that protects all Pure's from the Daimons. He isn't like most Pure's though. He isn't a snob, doesn't believe he's better then the Half's. Aidan is everything a girl wants. Everything Alex loves. He is protective, smart, badass, sweet, caring, and gorgeous. The one thing about Aidan? He is a Pure. Which means he is off limits to Alex.

As Aidan trains Alex so that she can enter the Covenant for school they both fight against what they both feel. All the while trying to figure out what is going on and why the Daimons are coming after her. When they finally do figure it out Alex will have to make a decisions. Kill someone she loves of let them kill her in order to protect everyone else she loves. Read to find out...

This book is totally badass! I loved that every character had a personality and everyone of them were kick ass in their ways.

If you love Greek mythology, a kick ass heroine, a HOT male lead and lots of action this is the book for you! Pick it up and read it! You will not be disappointed!

Daimon (Covenant, # 0.5)

Book Description:

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.
According to her mother, that’s a good thing.
But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.
The Daimons have found her.

Christina's Book Review: 

Daimon is the prequel to the Covenant series. In this book we get the story of what happened with Alex before she was taken back to the Covenant. It helps to read this before Half Blood to understand what happened with Alex's mom.
Quick and easy read. If you are about to start the series read this first. 

Obsidian (Lux # 1) by Jennifer Armentrout

Book Description:

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.

Christina's BookReview

“But no matter where I went, what I was running from would still be with me—Kat. She wasn’t just back in the house, in that bed. She was with me now, inside me. And there was no outrunning that.”

Holy freaking heck! I never imagined that a story about aliens would keep me enthralled. I seriously was hesitant about it but anything with romance quickly pulls me in. Obsidian is so much more then what I expected! It is the kind of book that you want to take your time reading because you never want it to end!

Katy has just moved to a new town with her mother. She is like any typical teenager, upset about the move, upset about leaving her hometown behind and upset that her internet connection sucks which means she won’t be able to update her blog. With her mother’s insistence, she decides to try and befriend the next door neighbors. What can it hurt? There just her neighbors. Oh how wrong she was…

When Daemon Black answers the door, dark shaggy hair, green eyes, half naked and looking like he walked out of cover shoot for GQ, Katy doesn’t know how to react. That is until he speaks. Daemon Black is douchebag. He’s arrogant, ignorant and a jerk to Katy. She suddenly rethinks the friendship part and leaves him with a few choice words herself. But the opposite happens with Dee, Daemon’s twin sister. They instantly form a friendship and become the best of friends. All the while Daemon keeps insisting that Katy is not good enough to be friends with his sister. He threatens her and belittles her in order to get his point across. But Daemon Black has just met his match.

Katy isn’t a pushover, she isn’t a measly human, and will not let him get away with his behavior. She will fight fire with fire or insult with insult in their case. Katy is tired of people thinking that she is some measly girl that cannot and will not defend herself. She is tired of Daemon Black and his threats. She will not give her friendship with Dee up and Daemon Black can shove off.

When things in town suddenly start to get weird and Katy is attacked by a man looking for them, Katy knows something is up. What she doesn’t expect is what she finally discovers. Her new best friend and her infuriating brother are not normal. They are not even human.

While trying to understand the new Paranormal world she is introduced to she must also fight off jealous ex-girlfriends, an arrogant jerk that makes her blood boil, people staring at her weirdly, people coming after her, and the glow she now has surrounding her.

How can a mere human handle so much? Read and find out!

The author does an amazing job in bringing the alien concept into this story. I loved the hot and cold relationship between Katy and Daemon. Katy was a kick ass protagonist and I loved that about her. The secondary characters were also amazing and weren’t just shortly mentioned characters. The author spends time in introducing every one of them to the reader. Its action packed, chuck full of romance, and jammed pack with funny moments.

I cannot wait to get my hands on Onyx! August isn’t coming fast enough now!

Seriously, if you are hesitant about this book, don’t be. It’s fabulous! Pick up a copy NOW and devour it! I dare you!