Wow. I can't even read my last post it was so bizarrely horrific. I mean, come on, who only posts the book jacket and, like, nothing else? No review, nothing? I was so anxious to start the second book I guess I wimped out on you, huh? Sorry about that. I'm making up for it now, though. Here is my official review of "Obsidian," by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Lately I've found it difficult to find a book or series I can really dive into, get totally lost in, like I did when I read the Twilight series. (Don't judge me.) Oh, sure, there are tons of great books out there, but I honestly didn't think a series could possibly capture my attention as ravenously as those books had. Well, I'm here to tell you that the Lux series captured my attention, is holding it hostage, and we are currently negotiating the release of my heart, which feels like it's been lodged in my throat the last several days.
I heard about the Lux series via Coffeeshopreader's (visit her amazing blog at www.coffeeshopreader.worpress.com) glowing review of the latest installment, "Origin." Personally I think the girl has good taste and a great way with words because she immediately had me interested. The words "snarky... viewpoint" played a role in that. Of course she was reviewing the fourth book, so I was thinking, Where did this all start? Who's Katy? What the heck is a Luxen? Another thing that caught my attention: aliens. I hadn't read a thing about aliens since "The Rise of Nine" by Pittacus Lore. Onto Amazon.com I went, anticipation making my heart stutter in a dormant but familiar way.
It's a little dizzying when you jump into a novel without knowing what to expect (besides what you read in the description). It was thrilling! I felt like I'd embarked on an adventure, into the unknown, with nothing but a glass of water and one page of Goodreads quotes to go on.
I will say this once: "Obsidian" left me breathless. I couldn't get enough of Katy and Daemon's snarky banter, their arguments, just their... how did they put it... hate-hate relationship. It was surprisingly addictive and entertaining. Yeah, I mean the addictive part in a good way. Katy is funny. Her internal monologue cracked my up time and time again, and I could not help but adore Daemon's remarks, though sometimes inappropriate. I feel like this book was fresh and vibrant, a break away from the entertaining-but-usual.
On that note, I would like to make a point about something. Giving the reviews for "Obsidian" a cursory glance, I noticed someone remarking how it was a good story but the plot wasn't original. Let's get this out of the way now. There is really no story that is completely original. With the exception of Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Midnighters, and Leviathan series), every story is borrowed from some other story and written either to reflect a different aspect or take the concept in a totally different direction. Either way, plotlines are like roots: You have the bigger ones stemming directly from the flower, but then you have these tiny little spidery arms branching out from those roots, reaching, growing. I read because I enjoy reading, not because I'm looking for something totally and completely original. It's not always the plotline that makes the book good, but the writing.
Now that we have that all settled, back to "Obsidian." Great book, I liked the writing style, and I didn't even mind the language. Honestly, if you can get through "Game of Thrones," you should be just fine with this. However, there were some scenes that were a bit... steamy. Don't worry, I would call this book PG-13, but just for the record....
If you like paranormal fantasy mixed with romance, action, and dark humor, you will probably enjoy "Obsidian" immensely, because here's the thing with these books... once you start reading, you can't put them down.
-Grace
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