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Obsidian (Lux #1)
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: Nov. 2011 (Entangled Teen)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Obsidian is a great example of why I love the book community. I’ve always been more of a fantasy fan than a sci-fi one, so when I saw this book featured aliens I wasn’t entirely sure it was going to be for me. Having seen some fantastic reviews for it though, I thought I’d give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did.
Having lost her father to cancer two years ago, Katy’s mother decides it time for a fresh start. Moving from Florida to a small town in West Virginia will take some getting used to. After prompts from her mother to be more sociable, she soon strikes up a friendship with the girl next door. Dee is sweet, if a little strange, but her twin brother Daemon: Jerk with a side order of douchebag.
His continuous warnings to stay away from his sister only make Katy more determined to hold on to her new friend. As the new school year approaches she can’t shake the feeling there is something off about the twins, off about the whole town in general. When Katy is attacked by a stranger the truth about Daemon and his sister begins to unravel and it’s a secret that could get all of them killed… or worse.
Being more familiar with well-known fantasy myths (vampires, weres, etc.) I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed having an unknown mythology stretched out in front of me. The intrigue about who and what the twins are builds right from the beginning, with bits of information threading thought out the plot that soon had me sucked in. There is a fair amount of world building (it is about aliens after all), but it never felt overwhelming and there’s plenty of action.
Katy is a girl after my own heart. She’s smart, resilient and I loved her enthusiasm over books with the little nods throughout to fellow book lovers. Daemon may be gorgeous but he’s utterly infuriating, in the most delicious way. At times Katy is left gobsmacked by his level of rudeness, understandably self-conscience and confused. She doesn’t just get mad though, she gets even. Expect plenty of verbal sparring and more than one occasion of cheering at the page as Katy stands up for herself. As the danger surrounding their secret is revealed, Daemon’s actions becomes slightly more understandable but Katy isn’t about to let him get away with it.
This isn’t your average tale of first love. These two are more likely to be giving each other the evil eye than gooey ones. Their chemistry is undeniable though and I found myself desperate to get to their next scene to watch the sparks fly. Jennifer L. Armentrout has nailed the ‘I can’t decide if I want to kiss you or punch you in the face’ vibe between them and I ate up every word.
Obsidian is one of the hottest YAs I’ve ever picked up. Katy and Daemon challenge each other in a way that is addictive to read. Add to that a fresh premise plus a fun writing style and you have a book I found very difficult to put down. I’ve already picked up the next in the series Onyx as I quite simply had to get my Daemon fix!
Sexual content: Kissing, references to sex, eye-scorching sexual tension.
The porch scene. That’s all I have to say.
I agree this is a great series. You should read the novella Shadows too. It explains the heartbreaking events Dawson and Bethany went through which also explains Daemon’s rude behaviour towards Katy.
Although Shadows is a prequel I’d rather read it after Obsidian as it otherwise spoils too much already.
I’ve been wanting something just a tad different and haven’t found anything that sounded interesting enough. I’ll definitely give this a try though! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Thanks Angela for the tip about the prequel. I would have read it first, and I’m glad I won’t ruin any surprises now. =p
I started reading this yesterday and this morning I bought #3. This was awesome! I was definitely skeptical about the alien part, but it definitely worked for me. Thanks for the recommendation!