Opal (Lux #3)

I just love this hole series. Even though the end of this book makes me scream, I just loved it. I'm worried about putting spoilers so I'm just going to say read this series if you haven't yet.

I love JLA, but this book drove me crazy.

I loved this book even though it left on a huge cliff hanger. Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing is amazing and the story and characters are perfect. The Lux series is one of my favorite book series.

Oh my goodness. How I have waiting to dig into this book. I requested it not long after I finished Onyx and have been waiting patiently for the library to fill my request so I could find out what happened with Katy and Daemon. As I also read Shadows around the same time that I read this book, it gave me a unique perspective on Dawson and his love for Beth. I was giddy with anticipation as I opened the book and started to read.

When we left off in Onyx, Dawson had just come home after a particularly fearful encounter with the splinter organization of the Department of Defense, Daedalus. Of course, there was to be expected some changes in Dawson's character. He was no longer the happy-go-lucky boy that he once was. He no longer mirrored Dee's thirst for interaction with humans. He was moody, morose, and uneasily quiet. The only time he did speak was in his declaration to free Beth from her captors. This idea was met with resistance, what with Katy's recent entrapment in their facility. Dawson was not to be swayed. The family had to make a choice. Follow and aid Dawson in is task or let him do it on his own and risk losing him again, this time permanently.

A couple of fiends from their past resurface and the Luxens and Katy must decide who they can trust and how to handle the delicate positions these people have in their lives. They can't just run around flashing people with their deadly beams of light without the possibility of consequences resurfacing, right?

As with all the books in the Lux series, there are always consequences for every single action they take. Mostly, their lives consist of trying to hammer out a normal life while keeping their less than human identities a secret and keeping themselves together. We always seem to lose someone important in one fashion or another in each of the Lux series books. Tragedy seems to follow Daemon and Katy no matter what they do.

I absolutely love this series. I have never read anything so unique and awe-inspiring. From the moment I read Obsidian, I knew I would be hooked. Now that I have completed Opal and have to await the release of Origin, I somewhat wish I had waited until the newest book was out before diving into the series. I hate the wait! I am a strong believer in instant gratification, so waiting for a book in one of my favorite alien romance series is sheer torture! What more can I say about Opal besides the obvious praises of it being yet another great installment in the series?

Opal continues the trials and tribulations of a charismatic alien and a introverted quasi-human. It breaks hearts with every page turn and addicts its reader to the a fictitious story that almost seems real. Opal is the third book in a series that everybody should read before the Department of Defense deems it classified material and banishes it to the bowels of Area 51. Hey... who says aliens are all that fictitious?

Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com

Opal“Oh, for the love of backwoods babies everywhere”
? Jennifer L. Armentrout, Opal

Dawson is back, but he is not whole. Beth is still a prisoner of Daedalus, and he will do anything to get her back.

Katy and Daemon are determined not to lose Dawson again, so they agree to help him break Beth out. With the help of their best frenemy, Blake, they are going to break into Mt. Weather, a prison for Luxen and hybrids.

Daemon and Katy want nothing more than to be lost in their own little world, where they can be with each other without all the drama and the dangers that reality is throwing at them.

Katy wants Dee back, but she know that Dee blames her for Adam’s death. When events occur that leave another friend dead, Dee slowly starts opening up to Katy.

Daedalus, Arum, and Will are after Katy and Deamon. Will they ever be rid of them?

Our heroes are fighting for their life, and their love. Will they triumph, or will they be lost in the shadows….

Dani’s Review:
Wow! Opal led me on a roller coaster of emotions. Crimson love, deep blue sorrow, burning red anger, and the bitter taste of guilt are only a few of the feelings that ran through the characters in this book. The plot and character development was wonderful! Opal will not disappoint you.

Onyx, the second book in the Lux series, ended with the sudden reappearance of Dawson, Daemon and Dee’s brother. Most of Onyx was dedicated to rescuing Dawson from the hands of the DOD, or Department of Defense, so we readers thought that all our characters’ problems would be solved when they finally met their goal. But no, getting Dawson back was the catalyst for a whole series of new obstacles to conquer. Now, Katy and Daemon have to rescue Dawson’s girlfriend Bethany or risk losing Dawson again.

The last paragraph of the summary above really captures the emotions Katy is battling. She’s afraid to lose Daemon and everyone she loves. She blames herself for the death of Adam and wonders if her friendship with Dee will ever return. She’s terrified of losing herself, wondering What happened to the old Katy? Who am I? But don’t worry, Katy stays strong even in the darkest hours--or should I say pages?--of Opal.

Yes, there are several wonderfully cute and sexy Katy and Daemon scenes. There’s even some Daemon-needs-to-control-his-male-testosterone-protectiveness-feelings scenes when an unexpected character who we thought we would never see again shows up. What would a Lux book be like without Daemon’s sexyness and humour?
Opal truly is an amazing book. It really deserves 6 out of 5 stars, but I couldn’t put that on top because I would be breaking the rules of the rating system. It is the epitome of a perfect book. The only possible fault that I found is the HUGE cliffhanger ending. Shh...I shan’t say anymore or else I would giving out spoilers! *Duct tapes mouth shut*

Jenn is so amazing. The sneaky woman somehow slipped in a teaser from APOLLYON (Covenant #4) in Opal! In Opal, Katy is reading a book with an amber cover and she puts a teaser from it into her Teaser Tuesday on her blog. Hmm...I wonder what book has an AMBER colored cover?
I was his power-up — the ace up his sleeve. I was the beginning and he was the end. And together, we were everything."
-Apollyon teaser!

Daemon snatched the yellow packages from my hands. “Oh! Books! You have books!
-Daemon mocking Katy. Well, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

Okay so actually I will say ONE small spoiler.






Wait for it...P.S. keep scrolling for Steph's commentary







Daemon finally says the L-word to Katy!


Now wasn’t that a wonderful teaser that makes you want to get your hands on Opal NOW? :)

Steph’s commentary:
This book started out a little bit slow for my tastes, but it just got quicker and quicker towards the end, which by the way just DESTROYED me, ripped out my heart, and stomped on it on the sidewalk. After reading the last chapter, I thought I got a defective copy of the book because I couldn’t believe it just ended where it did. A warning: it is a killer. Jen sure knows how to make people want to read her next book with those kind of cliffhangers.

I agree with Danielle that this was a rollercoaster of emotions. I was so suspicious at some points (one character everyone hates comes back...), and at other times I was just swelling up and fanning myself over that piece of pure hotness Daemon Black. I was fangirling and giggling and squealing internally basically in every scene he was in. *giggles* He is just a sweetie towards Katy, even though he has this whole bad-boy persona going for him. He really opens up to her in this book. I loved to see his relationship with his brother Dawson too (he came back in Onyx). Other times in Opal I was just wide eyed and gaping at the pages because I could not believe what was happening (yeah the ending). There is a change in Katy, both physically and mentally, but I think it is for the better for everyone’s sake. There are also plenty of new characters and ideas introduced in Opal.

Opal was very well written, and it’s plot just really drew me in. Can’t say too much about it though because I know I will leak something out I will regret later. There is a lot of spoilery stuff I need to get out, but not in this review :). It took me a few hours to finish total, but those hours just flew past me and felt like minutes while I was reading. JLA’s Lux series is one I seriously recommend to everyone, and I will be putting Origin(Lux #4) on my to-read list! Full 5 stars!

This was an emotional and at times hard to deal with book only because I have come to care so much about these characters that it is very hard to see them in pain and struggling ).
Dawson is so broken, and I can totally understand where Katy and Daemon are coming from wanting to do anything to make things right. I also appreciate the empathy that Katy has for Dawson, and imagining that she would do the exact same thing if not more if it were Daemon.
It is also so hard to see the friendship between Katy and Dee so broken. I miss their easy and fun way about them and I hated seeing them not getting along. I also long for them to be able to talk about their love life as well a everything else going on with each other. Though if there is ever any blameless motivation for a broken relationship, Dee and her feelings of loss and that Katy didn't trust her and confide in her, they are founded, though I also understand that Katy was trying to protect her.
As usual, Jennifer kept me on the edge of my seat, only guessing at what would come next, and being completely blown away by where she takes the plot. I love these characters, this series, and Jennifer as an author.
But oh man, talk about one helluva cliff hanger. Sweet alien babies... I mean, really? You're gonna leave my girl like that? But alas, I shall have to suffer with the other fangirls until the next book comes out.
Bottom line: Must read series. Opal is hot, fast paced, with amazing characters.