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karabug's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the first book "Obsidian". It had hot aliens was funny, action-packed and it had some intimate moments. Actually it was just amazing. I liked Kat in "Obsidian".You know who doesn't like book bloggers?... Well now that I think about it there probably are a lot people who think that books are lame. OK I will stop and continue with the review. I probably don't even have to mention that I REALLY liked Daemon in both books (obviously). I liked "Onyx" too ,but then the whole I don't know if he really likes me thing was really annoying. I don't know it just was really frustrating when Kat just couldn't see the obvious things. And that's the reason I gave this book 4 stars. I really liked the bonus material in the end of this book. When I read it I thought that it would be amazing if the whole book was from Daemon's point of view. All in all, this book was really good, full of action, romance and funny moments that will make you laugh. In my opinion you should definitely read this book.
infinitystar's review
5.0
Rating: 5 Stars, but there aren't enough stars for Daemon Black.
“If there is anything, there is us.
You and me. No one else.”
This just became one of my books and I’m just sad I didn’t read this when it was first released, I loved everything about this book, and for the most part of it I saw myself in Katy and that made just love it even more.
Also, I might have a bit of a crush on Daemon...okay...a bit is an understatement... really, that guy is just perfect.
If you like books that have the Hate-to-Love trope then this is the book for you, there were a few moments I really thought Katy and Daemon were going to kill each other.
But seriously i cannot recommend this enough, the author’s writing has improved a lot since this book but it’s still sooooo worth reading and is so good. Give it a try you won’t regret it. ;)
“If there is anything, there is us.
You and me. No one else.”
This just became one of my books and I’m just sad I didn’t read this when it was first released, I loved everything about this book, and for the most part of it I saw myself in Katy and that made just love it even more.
Also, I might have a bit of a crush on Daemon...okay...a bit is an understatement... really, that guy is just perfect.
If you like books that have the Hate-to-Love trope then this is the book for you, there were a few moments I really thought Katy and Daemon were going to kill each other.
But seriously i cannot recommend this enough, the author’s writing has improved a lot since this book but it’s still sooooo worth reading and is so good. Give it a try you won’t regret it. ;)
lgrovesxx's review
5.0
Omg. When I finished this book the feels were so real! I was tearful because I didn't have lux consequences. This book was such a beautiful read and it just made my heart swell with love. Daemon is my bae forever! I love this, so, so, so much! I finished this 801 paged book in 4 days! My all time favourite series!! That's a very big place. I highly, highly recommend this book. If you love alien, romance, action packed books, with swoon worthy characters go and pick this up! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I give a million stars out of five
merlin_reads's review
3.0
Not going to lie, the first book really reminded me of another popular YA series.
Obsidian
Katy is pretty sure there's something strange about her neighbors, the Blacks. Weird things always seem to keep happening around them, and not too mention how the rest of the town treats them. When Katy befriends Dee Black, she gets drawn further into their world. Add on the love/hate relationship that seems to be stemming between Katy and Daemon Black, and suddenly Katy finds herself smack in the middle of something out of this world. The Blacks aren't human - they're aliens, hiding on Earth after their planet was destroyed.
I liked Katy almost instantly. She was an independent girl who liked to keep to herself and was obsessed with reading. She really only reaches out to her neighbors as a favor to her mother. She was very much a 'I'm gonna do it myself' kind of girl. Even when the shit hits the fan and she's surrounded by alien problems, she stays strong. She didn't wait for others to save her, and sometimes that didn't always work out well for her.
Then there were the Blacks: Dee and Daemon. The complete opposite of each other. Dee is super friendly and has a very positive attitude. She just wants a friend and when Katy moves in next door, she sees the perfect opportunity and jumps on it. She was a little overwhelming at times but her heart is in a good place. Daemon on the other hand is arrogant, egotistical and just downright rude, but of course, he has his reasons. He just wants to keep his family safe and he sees Katy as a threat to that safety. He will do anything to keep Katy away, even if it means being a grade A ass.
I haven't read a lot of alien books so I didn't really have anything to really go off of. Having read Armentrout before, I knew that I liked her writing style. One thing I've noticed is that she borrows heavily from other well known sources before finally coming into her own. And that's what happened here.
Onyx
With Onyx, Armentrout breaks away from the mold of another series and brings the story more into her own light, delving more into the alien races and those involved. The connection between Katy and Daemon is only intensifying and Katy doesn't know what's real. Things are happening to her, things that shouldn't happen to a human. She doesn't trust herself around Daemon, so she turns to an outsider who seems to know more than he's letting on.
Onyx definitely kicks up the pace now that everything has been established. We are finally able to jump into what I'm assuming will be the main plot for the rest of the series. Some mysteries are solved here but at the same time, a whole pile of more mystery comes leaking out.
I am looking forward to seeing where Armentrout takes this one. Especially now that Daemon and Katy have finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. However, that whole aliens and humans not mingling may come into play soon and it should make for a fun read watching this play out.
Obsidian
Katy is pretty sure there's something strange about her neighbors, the Blacks. Weird things always seem to keep happening around them, and not too mention how the rest of the town treats them. When Katy befriends Dee Black, she gets drawn further into their world. Add on the love/hate relationship that seems to be stemming between Katy and Daemon Black, and suddenly Katy finds herself smack in the middle of something out of this world. The Blacks aren't human - they're aliens, hiding on Earth after their planet was destroyed.
I liked Katy almost instantly. She was an independent girl who liked to keep to herself and was obsessed with reading. She really only reaches out to her neighbors as a favor to her mother. She was very much a 'I'm gonna do it myself' kind of girl. Even when the shit hits the fan and she's surrounded by alien problems, she stays strong. She didn't wait for others to save her, and sometimes that didn't always work out well for her.
Then there were the Blacks: Dee and Daemon. The complete opposite of each other. Dee is super friendly and has a very positive attitude. She just wants a friend and when Katy moves in next door, she sees the perfect opportunity and jumps on it. She was a little overwhelming at times but her heart is in a good place. Daemon on the other hand is arrogant, egotistical and just downright rude, but of course, he has his reasons. He just wants to keep his family safe and he sees Katy as a threat to that safety. He will do anything to keep Katy away, even if it means being a grade A ass.
I haven't read a lot of alien books so I didn't really have anything to really go off of. Having read Armentrout before, I knew that I liked her writing style. One thing I've noticed is that she borrows heavily from other well known sources before finally coming into her own. And that's what happened here.
Onyx
With Onyx, Armentrout breaks away from the mold of another series and brings the story more into her own light, delving more into the alien races and those involved. The connection between Katy and Daemon is only intensifying and Katy doesn't know what's real. Things are happening to her, things that shouldn't happen to a human. She doesn't trust herself around Daemon, so she turns to an outsider who seems to know more than he's letting on.
Onyx definitely kicks up the pace now that everything has been established. We are finally able to jump into what I'm assuming will be the main plot for the rest of the series. Some mysteries are solved here but at the same time, a whole pile of more mystery comes leaking out.
I am looking forward to seeing where Armentrout takes this one. Especially now that Daemon and Katy have finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. However, that whole aliens and humans not mingling may come into play soon and it should make for a fun read watching this play out.
coffeeplant98's review
5.0
Okay this book is like a drug, literally like a drug or maybe i should say that Daemon is like a drug? xP Sometimes you get really angry and frustrated at him but you still want to read more about him and sometimes he gets you like really high when he isn't a douchebag and is all nice and sexy. Ahhh i can't even, and i'm not usually fond of "Bad guys" but this guy is an exception x)
emmaghanem's review
3.0
I really didn't think that I would like Obsidian which is why i was hesitant to buy the bind up, but I heard so many good things about it that I decided to do it anyways. I am extremely glad I did. Although I liked this book a lot, I did have a few problems with it. There was so much angst in this book. Like the amount of angst was crazy. But it was kind of a guilty pleasure book.
I did enjoy Obsidian a lot more than Onyx. I felt that Katy was really stupid in Onyx, and she made all the wrong choices that eventually led to Adam's death and almost Dee's death. I did like Daemon and Katy a lot, but I found Katy very stupid in Onyx. It was slightly disappointing. I will be continuing on with the series, but definitely for now I need to finish some of the books I have now before I buy the second bind up. I'm buying more than I'm reading right now, and that's not good.
I did enjoy Obsidian a lot more than Onyx. I felt that Katy was really stupid in Onyx, and she made all the wrong choices that eventually led to Adam's death and almost Dee's death. I did like Daemon and Katy a lot, but I found Katy very stupid in Onyx. It was slightly disappointing. I will be continuing on with the series, but definitely for now I need to finish some of the books I have now before I buy the second bind up. I'm buying more than I'm reading right now, and that's not good.
marta_silva's review
5.0
I've been meaning to re-read this book for over a month. And since it was a re-read I decided to go to the audiobook, so I could fast track it.
Obsidian:
Katy's and Damon's relationship, in the beginning, is hilarious! They are sassy and talk back to each other and they also kind of flirt (Deamon). Katy talks back to him while having an internal struggle with his hotness. It's so funny!!!
Deamon invites Katy, out of his own free will, to go for a walk with him. They have a nice talk and it's all really sweet until the moment a bear appears and attacks them. Katy closes her eyes and doesn't see Deamon unleash his power on the bear and passes out. He brings her back home and it's another sweet moment in which they almost kiss, but Dee interrupts... I really like their easy friendship, even though I feel for the two of them that Dee has to hide things from Katy (for a time).
Katy goes to the library and is attacked by a man (who is searching for the Luxen, he was an Arum) and he almost kills her before Deamon shows up and saves her. He even starts to heal her, but Katy is so freaked out about the entire ordeal that he barely gets to do anything.
When school begins a new set of problems begin: Damon's not-girlfriend, Ash, hates Katy's guts and humiliates her at lunch. But Katy empties her lunch on top of her and him (because the girl was sitting in his lap, which also ignited jealousy in her). Katy also makes too perfectly functional human friends that, like most girls in that school, have the hots for Deamon. But it's them that tell Katy that Dee and he had a twin brother, Dawson, who disappeared with his girlfriend a year ago.
After the debacle at lunch, Deamon decides that he needs to speak to Katy, so they go for a walk, at night, back to the amazing lake. The things he says to her are cruel, because he needs her to not be close to his family or she might get hurt or something (even though he doesn't tell her that part), and Katy flees from him. And in her rush, she almost gets hit by a truck. Deamon bends time and it stops before any damage can happen, but Katy is freaked out and runs away from him. Of course, he goes after her and actually explains the entire situation and even shows her his true self and some tricks he can pull off. He, his sister and the other set of triplets are all Luxen, aliens, beings of light. And because Deamon saved Katy, she has his trace on her, which is visible to both Luxen and Arum alike and can bring about unwanted attention and trouble, because people, especially the DOD, don't know about the powers the Luxen have but know they exist and humans can't know, the ones that do disappear. They also may get ideas about stealing their powers or using them in some way, so better to stay under the radar. For that, they need to keep Katy safe, meaning Deamon has to keep her safe (because he is one of the strongest and it's his trace).
Deamon invites Katy back to the lake so she can ask him questions about his power and it ends in a bittersweet way simply because they are talking about their brother and father, so it's sad, but they also connect. It just doesn't last to the next day. Still, and since this is a second read, I can now read the change in Katy (and even Deamon), how their connection is forming and changing him, making them kind of gravitate towards each other (even if it's only with their eyes). And her friends and Dee notice it and it's sort of funny.
The dance comes about and Simon asks Katy out. Against her better judgment (and what Dee later tells her and Deamon too) she says yes. Katy, Dee, Lesa and Carissa go out to buy their dresses and Katy sees a strange man outside the shop (an Arum), but he quickly disappears.
Simon is not exactly subtle when he sees Katy in her gorgeous dress and is a little too friendly (his friends being jerks and openly congratulating him for "scoring" her). His hands are all over the place but Katy manages to escape him multiple times. Then Deamon interrupts and saves her from Simon, dancing with her and being sweet but also comes off as kind of a jerk himself, by ordering her around. And Katy, being annoyed at him, says yes to Simon when he asks her if she wants to go to the other party. He gropes her and tries to have his way with her before Deamon stops him. And he is pissed at him. After the guy leaves, probably scared to death and knowing that if he even looks at Katy again he'll incur Deamon wrath (and carrying his trace too, even though Deamon doesn't care), he is kind to Katy and takes her back home.
They are attacked though, because Deamon killed an Arum and they always travel in groups of four, so his friends are after revenge. He is amazingly powerful! He gives a blade made of obsidian to Katy, the only thing that can kill the Arum, and tells her to run. She starts to, but then one of the Arum starts to kill Deamon while the other holds him (and they are all on their natural form) and she can't. So she goes back and "sneaks up" on the one killing Deamon and kills it. I love the mirror things they say: both of them think/say "remind me not to piss him/you off", and it's cute. The other flees while Katy is terrified that Deamon is hurt. But he comes back to human form in a good shape, just tired mostly and they resume their ride home. Katy has a trace on her that makes her look like the sun, so she stays at his place. And after the night she had, she is still frightened enough to ask him to stay in the same room as her, to sleep there. And they are so cute! Again, it's so clear their connection in the way Katy says she so aware of everything Deamon beside her...!
The next day the Luxen discuss how to deal with the fact of Katy glowing like the sun. Adam comes up with the idea that physical exertion will let it fade. So the next day Deamon goes to her place to try and make her exercise but they end up flirting with each other (because there is no other word for it) and they kiss. And is a hot and heavy make-out session but he leaves right after he sees that her glow faded enough. For an entire week, she kind of avoids the Luxen and Dee is sad.
So on Halloween night, they agree to a movie night. Except that Deamon calls Dee saying the Arum is going in the direction of their house. Katy comes up with a crazy plan: forcing Dee to glow so Katy can go back to be glowing like the sun so she can drive the Arum away from Dee and keep her safe. Crazy, brave Katy... She holds her own for a while, fighting off the Arum as much as she can, but he really hurts her... Then Deamon is there, fighting the Arum. Dee too, falling by Katy's side. The Arum turns to her and attacks her. She is badly hurt and is out of the fight. But that only means that Deamon is distracted with worry about Katy and his sister. And so he gets badly hurt too but he still heals Katy, because she tried to protect Dee and I think she ended up taking the brunt of the Arum attack. Something happens then that causes Katy to have the Luxens' strength to vanquish the Arum.
Deamon and Dee are semi-better in the end and he orders his sister home. Because he doesn't want anyone to know that he is going to basically bring Katy back from the brink of death. It's a very sweet and beautiful moment when he heals her. And that is what seals their connection. They feel each other now (at least Katy does), are aware of where each other is.
On one hand, I want Katy and Deamon together at the end of this book. But on the other, more rational, I know that it's better that they don't end up together yet. Yes, Katy wants him and Deamon does want her. But, like she said, most of the time he was a jerk to her so he has to show her that he truly wants to be with her, that he likes her and all that, treat her like she deserves. So I'm glad for the way this ends!
Onyx:
But then Blake asks her out and Katy says yes. When they are coming out of the restaurant a branch falls from the tree and is aimed at him. Katy stops it mid-air and Deamon to the rescue. She tells him what has been happening then.
Katy has the annoying problem of constantly contradicting and doing the exact opposite of what Deamon says. I mean, he is not always right, but he is not only right about Blake but also right about the fact that Katy should keep things low-key so she can keep everyone from exposure. But she goes against logical thought and not only asks Blake out but kisses him. And it would be clear to a blind man that Katy is desperately trying to deny her attraction to Deamon by starting something with Blake. And I hate him. I remember what this piece of garbage does and is. And I hate it! Just the fact that is coming in between my OTP is hateful!
The DOD comes about asking questions and being weirdly creepy and the fact that Deamon stays so long talking to them makes Katy freak until he gets home. And then she runs to him and hugs him. It's super cute!
Deamon starts spending more time with Katy, because he wants to and because he wants to keep an eye on her given that she is now starting to develop her powers and going through the same thing him and all Luxen go through when they are younger. Of course, they also get into kind of a fight before this in which Katy accuses him of wanting to be with her because of their connection and because Blake wants her. And so he starts bringing her gifts to school, publicly showing her that he likes her and that, for once, he doesn't care about what the rest of the Luxen think. She's confused, of course, and still fighting her own feelings, but she is slowly giving in. Especially when, at Thanksgiving, he brings her dinner and they make a Christmas tree and she is overwhelmed with emotions. She hasn't done anything of the sorts since her father died and so it's beautiful and innocent and caring. She even invites him to stay over and they sleep on the same bed. Nothing happens, other than a kiss, but it's sweeter and more intimate than anything else they did until now.
The day after she and Blake go to a restaurant and Katy wants to talk to him about Deamon and how she can't be with him when she has feelings for her neighbour. But then an Arum walks inside the diner and Blake finally reveals himself as not human (but hybrid like Katy). And everything he says leaves doubt in its wake for me and Deamon alike. And Katy ends up in another fight with Deamon, but this time it's worse. She tries to explain to him why she was with Blake in the first place, after spending the night with him, but in his hurt, he doesn't let her. And finally, at last, Katy realizes how much she likes Deamon. But, of course, it's too late...
Blake starts to teach Katy how to use her abilities and Deamon is there too, refusing to leave her alone. That is until the day he helps her finally succeed in moving objects around. Then he disappears. Stops going. The gap between the two of them grows cold because Katy doesn't reach out (all this time Deamon has been the one to do it; now it's her turn). But leaving her alone with Blake is not the best thing to do, he is not always, let's say, sane. Katy burns her fingers because he wants to know the limits of her abilities. And, moreover, he throws a freaking butcher knife at her to prove she can freeze it! Deamon, who was there at the time, explodes. He threatens Blake then has a horrible argument with Katy. And I get her, I do! She doesn't want to be a liability, she wants to protect them as much as they have been protecting her. But she knows how dangerous training with Blake can be and she still doesn't listen to Deamon. Of course, he has to walk out on that... His heart is breaking...
Katy goes into town and sees Bethany with a guy from the DOD and freaks out. The grist person she tells is Blake because he is at her house, for training. But he is weird and hurts her, so as soon as she can she talks to Deamon. Then they go after the guy from the DOD, because Deamon knows where he's staying, and while they wait they have an honest talk to bring tears to the eyes. They find out that the DOD is in cahoots with the Arum and immediately run to Mathew to share this information. There they discover that when a Luxen willingly heals a human they are connected to the point of one not living without the other. So if Bethany is alive so is Dawson.
Katy continues her training with Blake, even though she is starting to feel weird about him. And she has all the right to feel so! Because the a*****e calls for an Arum to attack them (as part of the "training") and the leaves her to fight it off, alone. She kills it with a blast of light and he is all proud but she finally, finally screams at him. Finally tells him that he pushed too far.
Katy googles Blake and discovers that he is related to Vaughn, one of the guys from the DOD. That leads her to go to his house, where she finds out that the DOD has been watching her since she moved in. She also meets Bethany, who is not completely sane...
Katy and Deamon go to a warehouse to investigate and he finds cages of a type of rock that is harmful to the Luxen (onyx). Katy is caught by a couple of security guards and is hurt by that type of rock before Deamon appears and kills the human guards (which kills him a little).
Blake comes back and wants to talk to Katy. In his car, she finds a piece of the watch Simon, who has been missing for weeks, wore. That triggers Blake's attack and he seriously harms Katy as he explains that he needs to turn her in or the Luxen who changed him, Chris, will die. They fight but Katy is still not strong enough to beat him so he keeps overpowering her. When Dee comes to get her for the party, Katy has to be cruel to her friend so she will leave. But Dee knows her well enough and comes to her rescue with Adam. The two of them fight Blake and he kills Adam and almost kills Dee too. Vaughn arrives and he is so cruel to his own nephew... He brings two Arum with him and Katy starts to fight them, then Deamon arrives and the Arum die and so does Vaughn because he tries to shoot Deamon. But he doesn't kill Blake. After everything it would be to much for him, so he lets him go and fights with Katy because she should have trusted him from the beginning. She knows... But she understood that so late...
Katy and Deamon have a beautiful moment in which they finally confess their feelings and really start their relationship. But just the next day Katy is basically kidnapped by the man dating her mother, Will. The crazy guy is working with the DOD and paid people, Vaughn included, to get Katy so he could blackmail Deamon into mutating him (because he had leukaemia and he wants to be able to live without the fear of ever getting a disease and all that crap evil people want in books and films). Katy is locked for hours with onyx on her hands, hurting to the point of blacking out several times and her voice is raw from so much screaming. When Deamon arrives, Will tells him he wants him to mutate him and after Will tortures Katy a little Deamon gives in. But the man only shoots himself in the leg, is not close to dying (like he should be, for the process to work) and Deamon is not into it so we all hope that the mutation won't take hold, even with the serum. After going to the place Will said Dawson would be in, to get them off his scent enough to escape, and finding nothing but disappointment, they go back home. Where Dawson is.
I'd read this book a few summers ago, but I made the mistake of trying to read the entire series in a row, and it never ends well. I tried again to read the third book two years ago or so, but I couldn't remember enough to read it, so I ended up stopping again. But this series had been on my mind for a few weeks so when I got my hands on the audiobook I thought this was the perfect way to get back to this amazing series. Because this series is amazing! I mean, aliens! And it's different from how they are usually portrayed so it's fantastic. I love it! The banter is so awesome, the romance amazing and there are some real-world struggles thrown in the mix, even if sometimes they seem a little camouflaged by the fantasy of it all. And now I'm going to finish the series, properly (by reading and listening to the audiobooks, while I read other books too, so I don't stop this amazing series again)! Because I want to know how it ends!!!
Obsidian:
Spoiler
Katy is immediately incredibly relatable to the reader. She is a reader and a proud one! She's amazing! And then she goes to the house across the street, to the people her mom said were her age. Deamon meets her when she knocks and holy hell that has to be the hottest character description I've read! And even better, he is sarcastic and sassy and Katy immediately hates him. But his sister, Dee, whom she meets when she goes grocery shopping, is so sweet and dear and amazing! And the way these two characters, twins, are written is perfect. They are siblings. So much so that Deamon is stupid to Katy and Dee steals his car keys just so he is forced to be nice to her (because she'll only give him the keys after that). And so he helps Katy wash her car (poor thing is small and can't reach the roof) and then almost bullies her into going with him to the pool, with help of her mom no less!Katy's and Damon's relationship, in the beginning, is hilarious! They are sassy and talk back to each other and they also kind of flirt (Deamon). Katy talks back to him while having an internal struggle with his hotness. It's so funny!!!
Deamon invites Katy, out of his own free will, to go for a walk with him. They have a nice talk and it's all really sweet until the moment a bear appears and attacks them. Katy closes her eyes and doesn't see Deamon unleash his power on the bear and passes out. He brings her back home and it's another sweet moment in which they almost kiss, but Dee interrupts... I really like their easy friendship, even though I feel for the two of them that Dee has to hide things from Katy (for a time).
Katy goes to the library and is attacked by a man (who is searching for the Luxen, he was an Arum) and he almost kills her before Deamon shows up and saves her. He even starts to heal her, but Katy is so freaked out about the entire ordeal that he barely gets to do anything.
When school begins a new set of problems begin: Damon's not-girlfriend, Ash, hates Katy's guts and humiliates her at lunch. But Katy empties her lunch on top of her and him (because the girl was sitting in his lap, which also ignited jealousy in her). Katy also makes too perfectly functional human friends that, like most girls in that school, have the hots for Deamon. But it's them that tell Katy that Dee and he had a twin brother, Dawson, who disappeared with his girlfriend a year ago.
After the debacle at lunch, Deamon decides that he needs to speak to Katy, so they go for a walk, at night, back to the amazing lake. The things he says to her are cruel, because he needs her to not be close to his family or she might get hurt or something (even though he doesn't tell her that part), and Katy flees from him. And in her rush, she almost gets hit by a truck. Deamon bends time and it stops before any damage can happen, but Katy is freaked out and runs away from him. Of course, he goes after her and actually explains the entire situation and even shows her his true self and some tricks he can pull off. He, his sister and the other set of triplets are all Luxen, aliens, beings of light. And because Deamon saved Katy, she has his trace on her, which is visible to both Luxen and Arum alike and can bring about unwanted attention and trouble, because people, especially the DOD, don't know about the powers the Luxen have but know they exist and humans can't know, the ones that do disappear. They also may get ideas about stealing their powers or using them in some way, so better to stay under the radar. For that, they need to keep Katy safe, meaning Deamon has to keep her safe (because he is one of the strongest and it's his trace).
Deamon invites Katy back to the lake so she can ask him questions about his power and it ends in a bittersweet way simply because they are talking about their brother and father, so it's sad, but they also connect. It just doesn't last to the next day. Still, and since this is a second read, I can now read the change in Katy (and even Deamon), how their connection is forming and changing him, making them kind of gravitate towards each other (even if it's only with their eyes). And her friends and Dee notice it and it's sort of funny.
The dance comes about and Simon asks Katy out. Against her better judgment (and what Dee later tells her and Deamon too) she says yes. Katy, Dee, Lesa and Carissa go out to buy their dresses and Katy sees a strange man outside the shop (an Arum), but he quickly disappears.
Simon is not exactly subtle when he sees Katy in her gorgeous dress and is a little too friendly (his friends being jerks and openly congratulating him for "scoring" her). His hands are all over the place but Katy manages to escape him multiple times. Then Deamon interrupts and saves her from Simon, dancing with her and being sweet but also comes off as kind of a jerk himself, by ordering her around. And Katy, being annoyed at him, says yes to Simon when he asks her if she wants to go to the other party. He gropes her and tries to have his way with her before Deamon stops him. And he is pissed at him. After the guy leaves, probably scared to death and knowing that if he even looks at Katy again he'll incur Deamon wrath (and carrying his trace too, even though Deamon doesn't care), he is kind to Katy and takes her back home.
They are attacked though, because Deamon killed an Arum and they always travel in groups of four, so his friends are after revenge. He is amazingly powerful! He gives a blade made of obsidian to Katy, the only thing that can kill the Arum, and tells her to run. She starts to, but then one of the Arum starts to kill Deamon while the other holds him (and they are all on their natural form) and she can't. So she goes back and "sneaks up" on the one killing Deamon and kills it. I love the mirror things they say: both of them think/say "remind me not to piss him/you off", and it's cute. The other flees while Katy is terrified that Deamon is hurt. But he comes back to human form in a good shape, just tired mostly and they resume their ride home. Katy has a trace on her that makes her look like the sun, so she stays at his place. And after the night she had, she is still frightened enough to ask him to stay in the same room as her, to sleep there. And they are so cute! Again, it's so clear their connection in the way Katy says she so aware of everything Deamon beside her...!
The next day the Luxen discuss how to deal with the fact of Katy glowing like the sun. Adam comes up with the idea that physical exertion will let it fade. So the next day Deamon goes to her place to try and make her exercise but they end up flirting with each other (because there is no other word for it) and they kiss. And is a hot and heavy make-out session but he leaves right after he sees that her glow faded enough. For an entire week, she kind of avoids the Luxen and Dee is sad.
So on Halloween night, they agree to a movie night. Except that Deamon calls Dee saying the Arum is going in the direction of their house. Katy comes up with a crazy plan: forcing Dee to glow so Katy can go back to be glowing like the sun so she can drive the Arum away from Dee and keep her safe. Crazy, brave Katy... She holds her own for a while, fighting off the Arum as much as she can, but he really hurts her... Then Deamon is there, fighting the Arum. Dee too, falling by Katy's side. The Arum turns to her and attacks her. She is badly hurt and is out of the fight. But that only means that Deamon is distracted with worry about Katy and his sister. And so he gets badly hurt too but he still heals Katy, because she tried to protect Dee and I think she ended up taking the brunt of the Arum attack. Something happens then that causes Katy to have the Luxens' strength to vanquish the Arum.
Deamon and Dee are semi-better in the end and he orders his sister home. Because he doesn't want anyone to know that he is going to basically bring Katy back from the brink of death. It's a very sweet and beautiful moment when he heals her. And that is what seals their connection. They feel each other now (at least Katy does), are aware of where each other is.
On one hand, I want Katy and Deamon together at the end of this book. But on the other, more rational, I know that it's better that they don't end up together yet. Yes, Katy wants him and Deamon does want her. But, like she said, most of the time he was a jerk to her so he has to show her that he truly wants to be with her, that he likes her and all that, treat her like she deserves. So I'm glad for the way this ends!
Onyx:
Spoiler
A couple of days after the attack of the Arum Katy falls ill. She feels sick and is burning up and even goes to the lake to try to cool down; Deamon goes to get her, worries about her being out of sorts and takes her to the hospital. She barely remembers anything but someone taking her blood and putting something in her veins (that someone being Will, and the something being a serum). When she finally gets better she has to talk to Deamon to know what happened, and it ends in another heavy make-out session with another computer frying (this one in the library). Katy is really trying not to give in, she's really trying to resist him, but sometimes it's hard! And that day she starts to move things without touching them, like the aliens next door. And she freaks out, thinking she's going a little crazy at first and then freaking out properly when she runs out of possible explanations for it when things keep moving of their own accord.But then Blake asks her out and Katy says yes. When they are coming out of the restaurant a branch falls from the tree and is aimed at him. Katy stops it mid-air and Deamon to the rescue. She tells him what has been happening then.
Katy has the annoying problem of constantly contradicting and doing the exact opposite of what Deamon says. I mean, he is not always right, but he is not only right about Blake but also right about the fact that Katy should keep things low-key so she can keep everyone from exposure. But she goes against logical thought and not only asks Blake out but kisses him. And it would be clear to a blind man that Katy is desperately trying to deny her attraction to Deamon by starting something with Blake. And I hate him. I remember what this piece of garbage does and is. And I hate it! Just the fact that is coming in between my OTP is hateful!
The DOD comes about asking questions and being weirdly creepy and the fact that Deamon stays so long talking to them makes Katy freak until he gets home. And then she runs to him and hugs him. It's super cute!
Deamon starts spending more time with Katy, because he wants to and because he wants to keep an eye on her given that she is now starting to develop her powers and going through the same thing him and all Luxen go through when they are younger. Of course, they also get into kind of a fight before this in which Katy accuses him of wanting to be with her because of their connection and because Blake wants her. And so he starts bringing her gifts to school, publicly showing her that he likes her and that, for once, he doesn't care about what the rest of the Luxen think. She's confused, of course, and still fighting her own feelings, but she is slowly giving in. Especially when, at Thanksgiving, he brings her dinner and they make a Christmas tree and she is overwhelmed with emotions. She hasn't done anything of the sorts since her father died and so it's beautiful and innocent and caring. She even invites him to stay over and they sleep on the same bed. Nothing happens, other than a kiss, but it's sweeter and more intimate than anything else they did until now.
The day after she and Blake go to a restaurant and Katy wants to talk to him about Deamon and how she can't be with him when she has feelings for her neighbour. But then an Arum walks inside the diner and Blake finally reveals himself as not human (but hybrid like Katy). And everything he says leaves doubt in its wake for me and Deamon alike. And Katy ends up in another fight with Deamon, but this time it's worse. She tries to explain to him why she was with Blake in the first place, after spending the night with him, but in his hurt, he doesn't let her. And finally, at last, Katy realizes how much she likes Deamon. But, of course, it's too late...
Blake starts to teach Katy how to use her abilities and Deamon is there too, refusing to leave her alone. That is until the day he helps her finally succeed in moving objects around. Then he disappears. Stops going. The gap between the two of them grows cold because Katy doesn't reach out (all this time Deamon has been the one to do it; now it's her turn). But leaving her alone with Blake is not the best thing to do, he is not always, let's say, sane. Katy burns her fingers because he wants to know the limits of her abilities. And, moreover, he throws a freaking butcher knife at her to prove she can freeze it! Deamon, who was there at the time, explodes. He threatens Blake then has a horrible argument with Katy. And I get her, I do! She doesn't want to be a liability, she wants to protect them as much as they have been protecting her. But she knows how dangerous training with Blake can be and she still doesn't listen to Deamon. Of course, he has to walk out on that... His heart is breaking...
Katy goes into town and sees Bethany with a guy from the DOD and freaks out. The grist person she tells is Blake because he is at her house, for training. But he is weird and hurts her, so as soon as she can she talks to Deamon. Then they go after the guy from the DOD, because Deamon knows where he's staying, and while they wait they have an honest talk to bring tears to the eyes. They find out that the DOD is in cahoots with the Arum and immediately run to Mathew to share this information. There they discover that when a Luxen willingly heals a human they are connected to the point of one not living without the other. So if Bethany is alive so is Dawson.
Katy continues her training with Blake, even though she is starting to feel weird about him. And she has all the right to feel so! Because the a*****e calls for an Arum to attack them (as part of the "training") and the leaves her to fight it off, alone. She kills it with a blast of light and he is all proud but she finally, finally screams at him. Finally tells him that he pushed too far.
Katy googles Blake and discovers that he is related to Vaughn, one of the guys from the DOD. That leads her to go to his house, where she finds out that the DOD has been watching her since she moved in. She also meets Bethany, who is not completely sane...
Katy and Deamon go to a warehouse to investigate and he finds cages of a type of rock that is harmful to the Luxen (onyx). Katy is caught by a couple of security guards and is hurt by that type of rock before Deamon appears and kills the human guards (which kills him a little).
Blake comes back and wants to talk to Katy. In his car, she finds a piece of the watch Simon, who has been missing for weeks, wore. That triggers Blake's attack and he seriously harms Katy as he explains that he needs to turn her in or the Luxen who changed him, Chris, will die. They fight but Katy is still not strong enough to beat him so he keeps overpowering her. When Dee comes to get her for the party, Katy has to be cruel to her friend so she will leave. But Dee knows her well enough and comes to her rescue with Adam. The two of them fight Blake and he kills Adam and almost kills Dee too. Vaughn arrives and he is so cruel to his own nephew... He brings two Arum with him and Katy starts to fight them, then Deamon arrives and the Arum die and so does Vaughn because he tries to shoot Deamon. But he doesn't kill Blake. After everything it would be to much for him, so he lets him go and fights with Katy because she should have trusted him from the beginning. She knows... But she understood that so late...
Katy and Deamon have a beautiful moment in which they finally confess their feelings and really start their relationship. But just the next day Katy is basically kidnapped by the man dating her mother, Will. The crazy guy is working with the DOD and paid people, Vaughn included, to get Katy so he could blackmail Deamon into mutating him (because he had leukaemia and he wants to be able to live without the fear of ever getting a disease and all that crap evil people want in books and films). Katy is locked for hours with onyx on her hands, hurting to the point of blacking out several times and her voice is raw from so much screaming. When Deamon arrives, Will tells him he wants him to mutate him and after Will tortures Katy a little Deamon gives in. But the man only shoots himself in the leg, is not close to dying (like he should be, for the process to work) and Deamon is not into it so we all hope that the mutation won't take hold, even with the serum. After going to the place Will said Dawson would be in, to get them off his scent enough to escape, and finding nothing but disappointment, they go back home. Where Dawson is.
I'd read this book a few summers ago, but I made the mistake of trying to read the entire series in a row, and it never ends well. I tried again to read the third book two years ago or so, but I couldn't remember enough to read it, so I ended up stopping again. But this series had been on my mind for a few weeks so when I got my hands on the audiobook I thought this was the perfect way to get back to this amazing series. Because this series is amazing! I mean, aliens! And it's different from how they are usually portrayed so it's fantastic. I love it! The banter is so awesome, the romance amazing and there are some real-world struggles thrown in the mix, even if sometimes they seem a little camouflaged by the fantasy of it all. And now I'm going to finish the series, properly (by reading and listening to the audiobooks, while I read other books too, so I don't stop this amazing series again)! Because I want to know how it ends!!!
emmymarie88's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
tierranash01's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It’s an amazing first book to start off a series. It’s pretty fast paced , with a lil slow burn romance. Great characters and will have you shocked by the revelations that come to a head!!