Showing posts with label lux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lux. Show all posts

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Reboot (Reboot #1) by Amy Tintera

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #3
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Aliens
Rating: ★★
Pages: 382
Published by Entangled Teen on December 1, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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. 
I guess the Daty obsession/fad is over now, for me at least. I know what these books flaws are now. In my opinion, you have to marathon read them with no time in between to read anything else in order to stay involved in their world. I stopped reading Opal because I had volleyball tryouts and then I just need picked it back up. Finally I finished it and I see how similar this book is to Wattpad books. And I can't do it anymore. The twists aren't aren't surprising anymore.

The ending was so predictable. It seemed like Armentrout foreshadowed the ending a little too much. To the extent that I knew exactly what was going to happen. And the betrayals were extremely obvious as well. The only reason I gave this book two stars was because, hey, I liked Daemon. He's supposed to be badass and callous but he's got a soft spot for Katy. I used to love Katy, but now I don't. I just can't stand to read in her point of view anymore.

And Armentrout's attempt at a climatic ending (with the totally susceptible and inevitable villain coming back to kill Katy) was weak, and it wasn't even very necessary to make the plot continue. While reading this book, I felt like the only reason she added it in was to fill up space in her book.

No hate on Armentrout, because she creates some pretty unique plots and she entertained me during Obsidian, Opal, and Obsession, but I just don't think I'll be able to read any of her stories anymore unless I'm up for something fluffy, and I want a break from heavy books that cause emotional stress on my sanity. I doubt I'll be reading Origin anytime soon.

To read the review for the first book in the Lux series Obsidian, click here. To read the review for the second book in the Lux series Opal, click here.




Pages: 365
Published by HarperTeen on May 7, 2013
Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.
 
I read this a month or so ago, so this mini review is actually going to be mini. I'm just going to say why I gave the book three stars, as in what stood out to me and what didn't.

The first thing I hated about the book was Callum and Wren's relationship. I didn't hate Callum and I didn't hate Wren, I just hated their relationship. They should not have fallen in love. They had no reason two. They simply fell in love because, hey, the author wanted them to. In my opinion, two people should fall in love with each other's personalities. Callum and Wren fell in love with their circumstance.

Also, Wren was 'trained' to be a cold-hearted robot, and then the second Callum shows up, she picks him, the weakest reboot, to train? I'm sorry, but no. Wren had no motivation to make the choices that she did other than the fact that she wanted to. That's a little bit too weak for me. Now this would work in the case that the character making such choice was whimsical and spontaneous, not for a character that was rational and driven by their brain rather than their heart. Choosing Callum and falling in love with him were not rational, therefore Wren shouldn't have done it. I liked her just fine when she was a coldhearted bitch. She was hilarious.

I'm afraid that this book was exactly by Shatter Me in a sense of the action stopping halfway through the book. Shit goes the fuck down in the first half of the book and the characters are in a tough situation, but then the last half is the characters that have escaped facing the real life world. That's literally two different plots all in its own! Now, I don't really have a problem with this, I just noticed this particular point while reading Reboot. This didn't affect the rating, I just wanted to point it out.

Now the ending. The ending was...weak, to say the least. Wren and Callum made it to their end goal, but the ending was just...lacking. It wasn't action packed (a bit of action, but still) and everything was a bit too convenient. Callum is hurt (it gets a bit spoilery from here. Skip this paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled) and Wren doesn't know if she can help him. So she gets the cure and gives it to Callum and she doesn't know if it will work...but it does...? I mean, it's great that it worked and all but at least give the book a cliffhanger so the readers have a good reason to want to read the next book. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to read the next book, but honestly, it's only because I do have a soft spot for Callum. He's sweet. Good for him.

Anyway, if you want to, go ahead and read Reboot. It's worth it.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Obsidian + Onyx + Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux #1
Pages: 335
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Rating: ★★★★
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.

Uh, honestly, this book was like crack cocaine. I read it in two days. I would've finished it in one, but school was the next day, and we all know how school gets in the way of my raging reading habits. Well, other than that, I loved this book to pieces. Looking back on reading this, I wish I didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but for some reason I still liked it.

This book was basically just about a teen girl named Katy fawning over her sexy alien neighbor Daemon. There's no plot, really. It's a very mindless read, and it's easy to get through. If you're wanting a fast, simple read with a hot alien, read this then.


 
Series: Lux #2
Pages: 366
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Rating: ★★★★
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….
 

Okay, to be completely honest, I haven't read any reviews of this book. I know that once I read reviews nitpicking Armentrout's series, I'm going to being nitpicking Armentrout's series. And that's just something that I'm not prepared to do. Lesbihonest here you guys, Daemon is a fucking beast, and I love him so much. There's just something about mindless love that gets me, especially when it's done right. I have to admit though that these books would suck if it weren't for Armentrout's writing/romance. I mean it's basically a repeat of Twilight...but three million times better. 

Although I feel compelled to say that I still think the name 'Luxen' for these light aliens is a little bit corny and unrealistic. I mean, why would aliens from three hundred billion light years away have a Latin name? Sorry, nope. 

But still. LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH. DAEMON. OH GOD. DAEMON. BABY. DAEMON, BABY. 

I need the next book. Good thing I just downloaded it, ahahaha, I have problems. But like, guys, honestly, this book is such fluff. If you like fluff, then go for it. 


 

Pages: 275
Release Date: May 31, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Rating: ★★★
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?

Uh, I honestly didn't even read the summary, so I had no idea that this was an adult spin-off of the Lux series. If I had known that, I probably wouldn't have read it. I had a pedestal in my mind for Armentrout where she could write hot romance without adding sex to the mix, but after reading this, I was disappointed. I didn't want to read sex in this book. I wanted to read about two people--human and Arum--falling in love. This book displayed instalove, and I disliked that a lot.

Serena (I had to look at the summary for the name. I didn't even remember it) and Hunter have nothing in common, and the only reason they were brought together was because Hunter was forced to protect her. And Serena and Hunter only embarked in a sexual relationship because they're sexually attracted to each other. So when they pop the l word out, it was extremely unbelievable.

I just didn't like this book as much. The only reason I gave it three stars was because of Hunter. Even though he was a callous little bitch, he was a hot callous little bitch.