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cookieprincess's review against another edition
5.0
Liebe es das Buch war so spannend und hat mich zum Schluss in ein emotionales Wrack verwandelte aber es ist ein absolutes Meisterwerk. Und die Protagonisten erst. Vorallrm Roth und Layla❤ und Bambi erst
eesh25's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
Not feeling very review-y. So, I'm gonna say something. Super Quick.
I didn't like Layla (whining, self-pity, hypocrisy, stupidity and an inability to think for herself). I was slightly more okay with her by the end. Loved Roth. Zayne was my favoutite.
And finally, I liked that the Devil wasn't the bad guy. Nice change. Most of the book was meh (foreplay, blushing, Layla), but I like the last few chapters.
That's all I have to say. Will be reading book 2 soon.
Not feeling very review-y. So, I'm gonna say something. Super Quick.
I didn't like Layla (whining, self-pity, hypocrisy, stupidity and an inability to think for herself). I was slightly more okay with her by the end. Loved Roth. Zayne was my favoutite.
And finally, I liked that the Devil wasn't the bad guy. Nice change. Most of the book was meh (foreplay, blushing, Layla), but I like the last few chapters.
That's all I have to say. Will be reading book 2 soon.
kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
First in The Darkest Elements urban fantasy series for young adults and revolving around Layla. Based in Washington D.C.
My Take
This is certainly a twist on your usual YA romance. Half-good, half-bad, Layla is pivotal to many concerns on both sides of the divide. For such a lovely, sweet, young thing, she also has more than her fair share of haters, and she rates one hunk of a bodyguard. Brings that total up to two. Hunky bodyguards.
The conflicts show up immediately: Layla loves Zayne but can't have him; Zayne cares for Layla; Layla feels shame about her heritage — she can't even shift!; Layla wants to help, but is terrified that Abbott will restrict her movements, and she needs to be free; she wonders if the Wardens have brainwashed her; and, she's not treated well in a space where they claim to care about her.
I can understand wanting to be free, and Armentrout does a nice job of portraying a seventeen-year-old girl in her conflict between wanting to retain her freedom and yet wanting to do the right thing.
That jealousy of Layla's got old fast. She's such a child insisting that everything revolve around her. It's not like she doesn't know about Danika, the restrictions Zayne faces, and she's so immature in her reactions. Although, she's not as immature and mean as Eva. Jeez. Then there are those comments she makes to other Wardens about Petr's soul. I mean, duhhhhh. What is she thinking? It is interesting how very opposite the Wardens and Roth are. The Wardens promote themselves as Saviors and the demons as true evil, and yet there's Roth's point. And Petr's actions certainly do not support the concept of what a Warden is supposed to be. I do not see how his soul can remain pure with the thoughts he has or the actions he undertakes.
I don't like how Abbott treats her. Pushing her aside, telling her this isn't her world, even though she's half Warden. That comment he makes about it was better she didn't know about the stain she carried. Puh-lease. He's never treated her like family. He's tolerated her. This whole thing is messed up. But in a good storytelling way, *grin*. I want one side or the other to be the bad guy. I want to believe that one side is telling the truth. And Armentrout throws out so many possibilities. So many ways the story could swing.
It's a courtship of sorts. Layla's in hopeless love with Zayne, she can't kiss anyone as it will suck their soul out, and Roth is after her with the sexual innuendoes, the kisses, poking and prodding at the concepts with which she's been indoctrinated.
Both Roth and Abbott are jerks in this. Why not just explain to Layla what the dangers are? Lay it out for her. This is another one of those stupid tropes where those in the know think not telling anyone else anything is a help. It's never a help.
I'm frustrated with Armentrout pulling out the stupid tropes as it affected my tension levels. I wasn't as tense with the hunting. And it is scary. They come from everywhere, could be anyone, and yet I was more twisted up by stupid than the terror.
I can't believe Roth and Layla don't think about the clothes when they set it up for her to be "rescued" by the Wardens. I mean, hullo, it's a pretty big, in-your-face, kind of deal.
Yeah, there are a lot of oh, brothers in here for me, and still…Armentrout grabs my heart and twists…
With all that happens and that surprise ending…I'm just glad I only have to wait until the end of October for Stone Cold Touch.
The Story
Orphaned, Layla has been taken in by the Wardens and barely treated like family. Worse, they tell her nothing about her past or the potential of her future. She does know that her kiss can steal a person's soul. Instead she contributes by marking the soulless for the Wardens to collect and send back to Hell. Until her seventeenth birthday...
The Characters
Layla Shaw is a high schooler with AP papers due. She’s also half-demon, half-gargoyle who can see souls or the lack of one. Zayne is a Warden and Abbott’s son. Roth calls him "Stony" and claims he’s in love with Layla. Morris is the human chauffeur who picks Layla up.
Stacey Boyd is her best girlfriend; Sam is her best guy friend with a love for random knowledge. Gareth Richmond’s dad is rich, and he throws the best parties while Eva Hasher is a mean girl.
Roth is an Upper Level demon, who is working for the Boss, Satan. He’s also Astaroth, the most recent Crown Prince of Hell. All the previous ones served their purpose or went bad; they got sent to the demons’ equivalent of death, the fiery pits of Hell. Lucy is his mother. In name only. Bambi is the snake who lives on Roth’s skin as a tattoo; wait’ll you meet Thumper. He also has three kittens: Fury, Nitro, and Thor. Cayman is a demon who is friends with Roth and keeps an eye on his place.
The Wardens
Abbott is the Warden/gargoyle in charge, and he's Zayne's father as well as a father figure to Layla. Geoff monitors security. Jasmine is a mated Warden (see "Bitter Sweet Love", 0.5) and married with twins: Isabelle and Drake. Danika is Jasmine’s sister; she’s intended to be Zayne’s mate. Nicolai is one of the few who is kind to Layla.
Elijah Faustin (who turns out to be her father!!) is being relocated to the Northeast along with his son, Petr. Both of them harass and brutalize Layla any chance they get.
Wardens are gargoyles, and they police the supernatural world, taking out the demons. The Alphas are angels, the Seraphim, and they command the Wardens. They enforce the Law of Balance.
Tony is an nine- or ten-year-old seer.
Demons are escapees from Hell and lack souls. The Lesser Key of Solomon is a catalog of demons and includes the secret of recreating the Lilin. Poser demons can look and act like humans. The evil they bring is their bite, it’s like rabies and contagious. Mean and aggressive, Seeker demons locate and retrieve anything their handler sends them for. Upper Level demons include Dukes or Infernal Rulers, not on Layla’s mess-with list. Fiends are the most common and always look young, and they have a wide range of abilities. Hellions are “cracked-out mutant apes and pit bulls rolled into one” and not supposed to be out topside. Rack demons are “from the inner bowels of Hell” and feed off the pain of others. Caym and Paimon are some of the Upper Level demons after Layla. Naberius is one of Paimon’s lackeys.
Lilith is a demon with abilities like Layla, and it’s put Layla on Hell’s Most Wanted List. Sounds like she was the first feminist, lol! She birthed every monster the world now knows including the Lilin, a "race of demons who could steal souls with a single touch…her first and most powerful children".
Wraiths are souls that got stuck between Heaven and Hell and can interact with humanity.
The Cover
The cover is very pretty and romantic with its pink and white with the pink enough to separate the tattooed Roth and the innocent Layla from the background as he leans down and she reaches up to kiss.
The title is all about Layla’s White Hot Kiss, not one that kills, but close enough.
My Take
This is certainly a twist on your usual YA romance. Half-good, half-bad, Layla is pivotal to many concerns on both sides of the divide. For such a lovely, sweet, young thing, she also has more than her fair share of haters, and she rates one hunk of a bodyguard. Brings that total up to two. Hunky bodyguards.
The conflicts show up immediately: Layla loves Zayne but can't have him; Zayne cares for Layla; Layla feels shame about her heritage — she can't even shift!; Layla wants to help, but is terrified that Abbott will restrict her movements, and she needs to be free; she wonders if the Wardens have brainwashed her; and, she's not treated well in a space where they claim to care about her.
I can understand wanting to be free, and Armentrout does a nice job of portraying a seventeen-year-old girl in her conflict between wanting to retain her freedom and yet wanting to do the right thing.
That jealousy of Layla's got old fast. She's such a child insisting that everything revolve around her. It's not like she doesn't know about Danika, the restrictions Zayne faces, and she's so immature in her reactions. Although, she's not as immature and mean as Eva. Jeez. Then there are those comments she makes to other Wardens about Petr's soul. I mean, duhhhhh. What is she thinking? It is interesting how very opposite the Wardens and Roth are. The Wardens promote themselves as Saviors and the demons as true evil, and yet there's Roth's point. And Petr's actions certainly do not support the concept of what a Warden is supposed to be. I do not see how his soul can remain pure with the thoughts he has or the actions he undertakes.
I don't like how Abbott treats her. Pushing her aside, telling her this isn't her world, even though she's half Warden. That comment he makes about it was better she didn't know about the stain she carried. Puh-lease. He's never treated her like family. He's tolerated her. This whole thing is messed up. But in a good storytelling way, *grin*. I want one side or the other to be the bad guy. I want to believe that one side is telling the truth. And Armentrout throws out so many possibilities. So many ways the story could swing.
It's a courtship of sorts. Layla's in hopeless love with Zayne, she can't kiss anyone as it will suck their soul out, and Roth is after her with the sexual innuendoes, the kisses, poking and prodding at the concepts with which she's been indoctrinated.
Both Roth and Abbott are jerks in this. Why not just explain to Layla what the dangers are? Lay it out for her. This is another one of those stupid tropes where those in the know think not telling anyone else anything is a help. It's never a help.
I'm frustrated with Armentrout pulling out the stupid tropes as it affected my tension levels. I wasn't as tense with the hunting. And it is scary. They come from everywhere, could be anyone, and yet I was more twisted up by stupid than the terror.
I can't believe Roth and Layla don't think about the clothes when they set it up for her to be "rescued" by the Wardens. I mean, hullo, it's a pretty big, in-your-face, kind of deal.
Yeah, there are a lot of oh, brothers in here for me, and still…Armentrout grabs my heart and twists…
With all that happens and that surprise ending…I'm just glad I only have to wait until the end of October for Stone Cold Touch.
The Story
Orphaned, Layla has been taken in by the Wardens and barely treated like family. Worse, they tell her nothing about her past or the potential of her future. She does know that her kiss can steal a person's soul. Instead she contributes by marking the soulless for the Wardens to collect and send back to Hell. Until her seventeenth birthday...
The Characters
Layla Shaw is a high schooler with AP papers due. She’s also half-demon, half-gargoyle who can see souls or the lack of one. Zayne is a Warden and Abbott’s son. Roth calls him "Stony" and claims he’s in love with Layla. Morris is the human chauffeur who picks Layla up.
Stacey Boyd is her best girlfriend; Sam is her best guy friend with a love for random knowledge. Gareth Richmond’s dad is rich, and he throws the best parties while Eva Hasher is a mean girl.
Roth is an Upper Level demon, who is working for the Boss, Satan. He’s also Astaroth, the most recent Crown Prince of Hell. All the previous ones served their purpose or went bad; they got sent to the demons’ equivalent of death, the fiery pits of Hell. Lucy is his mother. In name only. Bambi is the snake who lives on Roth’s skin as a tattoo; wait’ll you meet Thumper. He also has three kittens: Fury, Nitro, and Thor. Cayman is a demon who is friends with Roth and keeps an eye on his place.
The Wardens
Abbott is the Warden/gargoyle in charge, and he's Zayne's father as well as a father figure to Layla. Geoff monitors security. Jasmine is a mated Warden (see "Bitter Sweet Love", 0.5) and married with twins: Isabelle and Drake. Danika is Jasmine’s sister; she’s intended to be Zayne’s mate. Nicolai is one of the few who is kind to Layla.
Elijah Faustin (who turns out to be her father!!) is being relocated to the Northeast along with his son, Petr. Both of them harass and brutalize Layla any chance they get.
Wardens are gargoyles, and they police the supernatural world, taking out the demons. The Alphas are angels, the Seraphim, and they command the Wardens. They enforce the Law of Balance.
Tony is an nine- or ten-year-old seer.
Demons are escapees from Hell and lack souls. The Lesser Key of Solomon is a catalog of demons and includes the secret of recreating the Lilin. Poser demons can look and act like humans. The evil they bring is their bite, it’s like rabies and contagious. Mean and aggressive, Seeker demons locate and retrieve anything their handler sends them for. Upper Level demons include Dukes or Infernal Rulers, not on Layla’s mess-with list. Fiends are the most common and always look young, and they have a wide range of abilities. Hellions are “cracked-out mutant apes and pit bulls rolled into one” and not supposed to be out topside. Rack demons are “from the inner bowels of Hell” and feed off the pain of others. Caym and Paimon are some of the Upper Level demons after Layla. Naberius is one of Paimon’s lackeys.
Lilith is a demon with abilities like Layla, and it’s put Layla on Hell’s Most Wanted List. Sounds like she was the first feminist, lol! She birthed every monster the world now knows including the Lilin, a "race of demons who could steal souls with a single touch…her first and most powerful children".
Wraiths are souls that got stuck between Heaven and Hell and can interact with humanity.
The Cover
The cover is very pretty and romantic with its pink and white with the pink enough to separate the tattooed Roth and the innocent Layla from the background as he leans down and she reaches up to kiss.
The title is all about Layla’s White Hot Kiss, not one that kills, but close enough.
rsf086's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
soulsbooks23's review against another edition
5.0
AMÉ ESTE LIBRO Y TODA SU HISTORIA. Tenemos una historia súper interesante que me dejó maravillada, este es el primer libro de una trilogía y he de decir que para ser un poco introductorio estuvo buenísimo. Tenemos unos protagonistas que es imposible no amar.
En especial me ha encantado Roth y es que él es todo lo que está bien en este mundo, simplemente apareciendo en escena ya estaba diciendo “cásate conmigo”. Creo y sé que he desbloqueado a un nuevo crush literario y estoy completamente enamorada de él.
La protagonista me ha caído muy bien y espero que siga desarrollando en los siguientes libros. El qué no me ha caído en gracia que digamos es Zayne y es que a pesar de que es bueno y lindo, hay algo que no me convence.
Necesito saber ya en que deseará la historia y cuál será su final. Obviamente que recomiendo este primer libro con los ojos cerrados. Y ese final me dejó destrozada y con ganas de arrancar el siguiente de una.
En especial me ha encantado Roth y es que él es todo lo que está bien en este mundo, simplemente apareciendo en escena ya estaba diciendo “cásate conmigo”. Creo y sé que he desbloqueado a un nuevo crush literario y estoy completamente enamorada de él.
La protagonista me ha caído muy bien y espero que siga desarrollando en los siguientes libros. El qué no me ha caído en gracia que digamos es Zayne y es que a pesar de que es bueno y lindo, hay algo que no me convence.
Necesito saber ya en que deseará la historia y cuál será su final. Obviamente que recomiendo este primer libro con los ojos cerrados. Y ese final me dejó destrozada y con ganas de arrancar el siguiente de una.
smithrachaelynn's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a couple tries to get into this book but once I did it was really interesting and fun. It reminded me a lot of Hush, Hush. Roth is 💕💕💕
sarahp85's review
3.0
I had to read this one as I bought Storm & Fury and didn't know this series came first.
I've seen many reviews saying Armentrouts work is a bit repeating, always a girl falling for the bad boy etc etc.
True. But... I like it. I like how she writes sassy characters and I am a sucker for these lovestories anyways.
So far I like From Blood And Ash series the most, then Lux and then this one. But hey, if you don't expect anything but exactly whay it is, these are very much enjoyable books imo :)
I've seen many reviews saying Armentrouts work is a bit repeating, always a girl falling for the bad boy etc etc.
True. But... I like it. I like how she writes sassy characters and I am a sucker for these lovestories anyways.
So far I like From Blood And Ash series the most, then Lux and then this one. But hey, if you don't expect anything but exactly whay it is, these are very much enjoyable books imo :)
yukarin's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
In my eyes, this is a typical Jennifer L. Armentrout book. It's a quick and easy read but I has similar flaws compared to the Lux series. I hoped to get some fresh air in this book, since I hated Daemon and also Katy in the second book, but the characters and their traits are nearly identical. It had the same feeling than the Lux series and I hope this series continues on in a better way.
In my eyes, this is a typical Jennifer L. Armentrout book. It's a quick and easy read but I has similar flaws compared to the Lux series. I hoped to get some fresh air in this book, since I hated Daemon and also Katy in the second book, but the characters and their traits are nearly identical. It had the same feeling than the Lux series and I hope this series continues on in a better way.
erikajay's review
3.0
This was my first book with gargoyles and I loved them. I’m not sure how other authors use them, but I definitely want to keep reading this series and finding others that use them.
This book was what I wanted it to be - a cheesy paranormal romance book about a lady whose kiss is deadly.
I do wish that the characters were a bit older, perhaps young adults, instead of high-school aged. The best friend was also very annoying and kind of a bad friend. I couldn’t root for her or their friendship.
This book was what I wanted it to be - a cheesy paranormal romance book about a lady whose kiss is deadly.
I do wish that the characters were a bit older, perhaps young adults, instead of high-school aged. The best friend was also very annoying and kind of a bad friend. I couldn’t root for her or their friendship.