Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

TITLE: Origin
(Lux #4)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen
PUB DATE: Aug 27 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?"

Rating:

“Oh shit. ET so phones home kids.” Damn cliffhangers!!!

I’m taking back what I said on my review of Opal that that was my favorite book among the series. THIS is my favorite! The Lux series has gone far from its first book, Obisidian. What I once thought as a simple paranormal romance between a human and an alien turned out to have an even deeper story than I imagined. Origin has really done this series justice!

The previous books from the Lux series have been in Katy’s point of view alone, but since J.L. Armentrout loves us [even with the damn cliffhangers], she gives us snippets of chapters with Daemon’s point of view as bonuses. And that is one of the things that sets Origin apart; here we get to see the story through alternating points of view of Katy AND DAEMON. How awesome is that?

I am really happy to see the kind of change Katy has developed over this book. At first I was afraid she was doomed to repeat the same mistakes she has done in the past but she proved otherwise. So, thank you, Katy for finally trusting Daemon.

If I had loved Daemon even more in Opal, I am so close [maybe I’m already there] to worshipping this hottie alien in Origin. Talk about a man who is really smitten!

Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

TITLE: Obsession
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Publishing
PUB DATE: May 31 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

This is a stand alone novel that is an adult spin-off of the Lux Series You do not need to read a Lux book to read Obsession and vice versa.

"He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?"

Rating:

“Well, the good guys really weren't typical. They really weren't the good guys at all, but if I discovered anything, there was no such thing as white and black. There was a lot of gray in the middle.”

When Jennifer L. Armentrout said that Obsession would change the way we’d look at the Luxen and the Arum, she wasn’t kidding!

Meeting Hunter, an Arum, had definitely changed the way I look at these alien life forms inhabiting earth. Yes, Hunter admits he’s a killer but the kind of affection he has developed for Serena gives the impression that he’s more than just a bad guy. I’m sounding like one of those naïve women who long to change the bad boy image of the men in their lives, but as much as it sounds so pathetic, Hunter is [fictional] proof.

It also made me realize that not all the Luxen are like Daemon and his group. There are those that are just as lethal and wicked as any Arum. And there are Arum that can be as good-natured as Daemon and his group, who want nothing more than to live as normal a life as possible.

It was a little hard for me to appreciate Serena and Hunter’s relationship. They sound so much like Daemon and Katy when they first started out that it doesn’t have the same spark of amusement that I once felt towards Daemon and Katy. Although I got to admit, Serena and Hunter had quite an intense bond… Ahem! If you catch my drift! Let’s just say this is definitely not g-rated. But at least it didn’t border over ridiculous, there is so much passion and warmth within.

It feels like these two races are just being pitted at each other. By whom, I have yet to figure out. I wonder if whatever happened here in Obsession would be some relevance to what would happen in Origin, especially since Daemon made a teeny-tiny cameo near the ending. Will we be seeing two rivaling races suddenly join forces for the greater good? Or will this be an endless battle over a war that has raged for generations that should have died down along with their ancestors?

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

TITLE: Opal (Lux #3)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen
PUB DATE: Dec 11 2012 

Summary from Goodreads:

"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."

Rating:

Katy and Daemon are back, better than ever, for another blazing adventure. Now hold your horses, this is not just about Daemon... – oh who am I kidding it’s all about DAEMON! *squeals uncontrollably* Okay, okay, I’ll calm down now. Sorry.

As I was saying, Opal, the third book from the Lux series gives readers a new insight on Katy and Daemon’s relationship. While Obsidian and Onyx went off with these two love birds having the constant love-hate relationship, and the ever brooding push-and-pull, hiding feelings and do-not-associate-with-humans/aliens interactions; Opal gives readers exactly what they were finally waiting for, the ever blooming, you-and-me-against-the-world, sweet moments of Katy and Daemon. Can you say HOT?!

Opal is probably my most favorite among the three (for now) books. I guess I was tired of seeing Katy and Daemon fight off their feelings for each other, it was a relief to see them go into the mushy couple phase. Of course, there’s no lack of the witty, snarky, obnoxious yet sexy Daemon that we all know, but I love that I got to see an even more sensitive side of him. Boy, can this guy make a girl’s knees wobble (I hope that didn’t sound bad, I meant that to be sweet thing).

Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout [SHORT REVIEW]

TITLE: Shadows (Lux #0.5)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Publishing
PUB DATE: Feb 20 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

"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."

Rating:

Warning: Spoilers all around!

Shadows is a short story from the Lux series where we meet, Dawson Black. If you’ve read Obsidian, then you know that Dawson was said to be dead, along with Bethany, the human girl Dawson fell in love with. The only thing revealed in Obsidian was that Dawson didn’t care about the rules and what the DOD says, his love for Bethany is worth all the sacrifices he has to make. But we don’t know the whole story, until now...

Is it just me or did this short story seem longer than expected? Is it because it doesn’t have that much Daemon pull and power? *giggles* Just saying his name makes me so giddy. *fanning self* Whoops! I’m sorry, I’ll behave. Promise. *sheepish smile*

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

TITLE: Onyx (Lux #2)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Publishing
PUB DATE: Aug 14 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

"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…"

Rating:

As hard as Katy denies it, she has developed deep feelings for Daemon. It’s not helping that he’s trying to win her over, and make amends for treating her badly before. But it seems that there are other things they need to worry about.

The Department of Defense is lurking around town, and once they find out about what Katy can do – she’s in for a lot of trouble, worse even for Daemon.

And yet, it’s not enough that Katy is juggling her feelings for Daemon, and being careful not to be discovered by the DoD, they suddenly learn of something even deeper. Something that sparked hope – but it might leave Daemon devastated all in the end...

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

TITLE: Obsidian (Lux #1)
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
PUBLISHER: Entangled Publishing
PUB DATE: Nov 23 2011

 Summary from Goodreads:

"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."

Rating:

Katy is pulled away from a life she knows so well when her mom decides to move them to West Virginia. Nothing but a dull town to bring down Katy’s unrelenting detest over this move to sheer boredom and gloom. That is until her mom decides she needs to go out and make friends. Katy obliges and introduces herself to their next door neighbor... an extremely arrogant, rude and infuriating HOT neighbor named Daemon.

Aside from the occasional banter and disagreement with Daemon, Katy goes about her days as she always does, plus hanging out with her best friend, Dee, who also happens to be Daemon’s twin sister... until she starts seeing things out of the norm. She notices odd things about Daemon and Dee... and then something Deamon did to save Katy from being run over by a speeding truck made her a glowing target to people beyond her imagination...

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore [REVIEW]

The Rise of Nine
(Lorien Legacies #3)
by Pittacus Lore

 Summary from Goodreads:

"Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John.

But so are they.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They caught me in New York--but I escaped.
I am Number Six.
They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first."

Rating:

Warning: If you haven’t read the Lorien Legacies series, this review contains spoilers.

John Smith/Four is lucky to be alive after braving the hideout of the Mogadorians. In doing so he manages to free Nine from his imprisonment, but in his escape, Sam got left behind. Although tempting to go after him, Four and Nine are pressed forward to find the rest of the Garde, train, fight the Mogs and free everyone on earth, including Sam. But the plan isn’t that simple...

Meanwhile, Six has finally found Seven in Spain, along with Ella/Ten and her Cepan, Crayton. After careful research, they’re off to India to find another member of the Garde. As Seven tries to catch up to the training Six already had with her legacies, and as Ten still waits for her own legacies to develop, they get to meet who they’ve been travelling in search for, a peculiar one of their kind, Eight.

As these remaining Gardes find their way to each other, they fight off the Mogadorians, as best they could, who are eagerly trying to kill them all. But they know that this battle only comes down to them, the remaining Lorien Gardes, and Setrakus Ra, the leader of the Mogadorians...

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

        

I Am Number Four
(Lorien Legacies #1)
by Pittacus Lore

Summary from Goodreads:

"In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. 

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next. 

I Am Number Four is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth. 

I AM NUMBER FOUR. 
I AM NEXT."

Rating:

I’m a bit sleepy now so pardon me because I’ll probably just be rambling everything out of order on this review but I hope its as clear as I can get it to be. 

I’ve seen this book getting raved up on the Internet but didn’t bother to read it since aliens aren’t my cup of tea. But when I saw the movie trailer, I immediately became intrigued. 

I Am Number Four was entertaining to read, but was too slow for me. All the action and fighting came at about chapter twenty-eight and this book has thirty-four chapters. Yet, I can’t deny that it got me hooked. Notwithstanding the platitude of “aliens coming to earth and living like us”, the concept was interesting enough. 

The characters are okay. Four (I like calling him Four rather than John), aka John Smith, doesn’t sound alien. I couldn’t blame him probably because he’s spent more years on Earth rather than on Lorien. Aside from that, there are times he sounded like a girl. He has this oogly-googly feeling whenever he’s around Sarah. Perhaps he’s just too love-struck but the narration of his feelings seems to better fit a girl’s voice. I like Henri and Sam because they seem to be those who are close to being characters with real personalities. But I do question how Sam got his hands on a gun, I mean he’s a geek for goodness sake; it doesn’t seem to fit in. Sarah, Four’s girlfriend, is underdeveloped. She doesn’t have a solid personality. I also still question what the hell was she doing when the fire at Mark’s (her ex) house during a party happened. No one even questioned it, it’s as if the author put her there just to make a superhero act for Four. The only character that I love from among them is Bernie Kosar!!! He’s adorable! I just love dogs!

Well, that’s about all I can think of with this book. Oh! One more thing, I don’t know if it was done on purpose as a major cliffhanger or it was just unfledged but I feel like Four’s Legacies were wimpy compared to Six’s . At first I thought it was because Four is still discovering his other Legacies but up at the end he seemed to have nothing but light, fire-resistance, telekinesis and animal-speaking powers while Six has dominant powers like invisibility and elemental-control. I waited to see what else he could develop but sadly the book ended. I guess since there’s a 2nd book it means I’ll have my questions answered there. 

Anyway, in spite of the flaws I saw, I enjoyed reading it and it still got me hooked to it, and by the end, I was almost in tears for knowing that Four and Sarah had to part ways.