Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Onyx (#2) by Jennifer Armentrout
4.5 stars

Previous Lux Series Review

Obsidian (#1)

This book basically was a bit of a shock for me. It was not what I was expecting. In Obsidian we are first introduced into the world. We learn who the Lux are, their origins, their enemies, and basically what they can do. After the big fight with the Arum at the end of the book Daemon heals Katy and this changes everything. They noticed that their heartbeats are in sync and they are connected. Daemon really likes Katy but he'd been pushing her away and being an ass through the whole first book to protect his family.

Well now that Katy is so deeply involved in their world, Daemon gives up on being the ass and pushing Katy away. He wants to be in a relationship and Katy only believes it's because of their connection. This persists through almost the entire book. It's one of the most annoying things about Onyx which kept me from giving it the five stars.

Katy starts to develop super powers that are similar to those of the Luxen. It's pretty crazy and not something I was expecting. She can freeze things and move things. Her powers are out of control and
Daemon has never heard of anything like it. Katy and Daemon decide to keep these sudden abilities a secret from everyone so they could figure it out.

We have new character, Blake. Instantly Daemon and Dee don't like him. I don't like him. It's obvious that something bad is going to happen. He witnesses Katy freezing something and later reveals that he too has powers. It's something that happens when a Luxen heals a human. They become hybrids. Blake wants to train Katy so she doesn't bring the DOD down on the town because she is a danger. They
can't risk the world finding out about the aliens of course.

This book. My goodness it has so many twists and turns. I had a hard time putting it down. There is an incredibly sad scene (spoiler)* and it breaks my heart because I knew the consequences of those actions. Sure enough it rears it's ugly head in Opal. But then there is an extremely surprising ending that leaves you in shock. Insanity.

Onyx is a perfect name for the book and I like how Armentrout decided on what to title the books. I enjoyed it and I was happy to learn more about this world they are in. Nothing is as it seems and I think anyone who reads it will thoroughly enjoy it. I'm not sure if I like Onyx more than Obsidian. Obsidian is the introduction. Onyx is a darker novel and delves deeper into the world. Ah. So good.

Fan Art and Its Awesomeness

I love fan art. I run across it all the time while on tumblr. There are some talented people out there who can just capture certain scenes and emotions. I follow a lot of fandom blogs on tumblr. Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Sherlock, etc. I've seen some pretty genius fan art. I've also seen a lot of terrible fan art.

I decided while I'm working on my review for Onyx (Book Two in the Lux series) that I would share some of my favorite works. There are some that I have used for reviews and others that I just can stare at. I'm also including some fanart from tv shows and movies because I think they're brilliant.

Enjoy!

Hazel and Augustus

Rose: Will I ever see you again?
Doctor: You can't.

Frozen

Rose and Eleven

Rue from The Hunger Games

Harry and Ginny

Katniss Everdeen

Races from Chronicles of Elantra

Farewell, Ponds by Saimain on deviantART

Harry and Ginny unwittingly find themselves
in muggle London a bit too close to Halloween

"If there is a life after this one,
let me meet you in it, James Carstairs"
- Will Herondale, Clockwork Princess

Sorcerer's Stone

Chamber of Secrets

Prisoner of Azkaban

Goblet of Fire

Order of the Phoenix

Half Blood Prince

Deathly Hallows

"I don’t want anything else in the world." - Clary, City of Glass

by Alice X. Zhang

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout - 4.5 stars

Obsidian (#1) by Jennifer Armentrout
4.5 stars

I really liked this book. I've never really read any books about aliens before. They've just never sounded interesting to me. Obsidian was very interesting and this take on aliens is great. It's original and not something I was expecting.

The story is told through Katy's point of view. She and her mother just moved to the small town in West Virginia. The town only has one light and their house doesn't even get mail. They actually have to go to the post office to pick up their mail. It's a very small town. Katy and her mother moved from Florida three year's after Katy's father died from cancer. Her mother needed a fresh start. She is a nurse and works crazy hours.

I like Katy. She loves books and the way she talks about them and obsesses about them reminds me of myself. I think it's great when authors include book lovers in their characters. Katy also enjoys gardening. Both of these hobbies help her escape the world and just sink into another one. While I don't enjoy gardening, the enjoyment of reading something I can connect to.

We meet Daemon in chapter one and he's just one huge asshole. Later we find out the exact reason for
his jerkiness. Katy actually says this to his face which makes me smile. There are a lot of internal comments made by Katy that I sometimes find annoying. There are moments when they are unnecessary. Anyways, Daemon is this super hot guy that Katy can't stand because he's so rude to her. At times he will be nice and then he will turn into a jerk again. This hot and cold behavior makes him extremely unlikable.

Daemon's sister is Dee and I really like her. She instantly befriends Katy despite Daemon's repeated attempts to keep them away from each other. Dee is this super hyper and seemingly very happy girl that is excited to finally have a close friend.

This is my favorite cover

Since this book is about aliens and the fact that there are obvious hints that there is something not normal about Dee and Daemon, we do eventually find out that Dee and Daemon, along with three other students and some teachers are said aliens. They're known as Luxen and they are refugees on Earth. They are beings made of light and they have certain powers. Their home planet, Lux, was destroyed by the Arum, the Luxen's enemies. The Arum are creatures of shadows and kill the Luxen and absorb their essence. The Arum can't find the Luxen easily but the Arum can find them if a human has the trace on them. Guess who gets a trace? Of course it's Katy.

I liked this book a lot. I was debating between 4.5 and 5 stars but I kept it at 4.5 because of the minor annoyances I found throughout the book. Despite this, I really really like this book and it's one I would highly recommend, even to those who do not like reading about aliens.

Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 5 stars

by Doris (disanthus.com)
Book 1 in the Innkeeper Chronicles

Isn't the cover beautiful? Ilona and Gordon hired Doris and she did all kinds of artwork for the story and they all turned out really well. I love it. 

Clean Sweep (#1) by Ilona Andrews
5 stars

This was originally a free serial offered by Ilona and Gordon on their blog. We would get parts as the story was written. It is not something that I've ever come across before but it was really cool. My only annoyance with it was I couldn't continue reading until the end. It was never enough and I just wanted them to put the whole thing up to satisfy my need to know what happened next.

This is more of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy book rather than Urban Fantasy. It's a completely knew concept and captivated my attention from the beginning. Dina, the protagonist, is an Innkeeper. (I love her name too. It's so unique and just cool.) There are different Inns all over the place. Dina's parents were also Innkeepers but they disappeared one day without a trace. The lot where the Inn had been was vacant and no one has seen them since. After much wandering and searching, Dina comes across the Gertrude Hunt Inn. It's old and it had been vacant for so long that it was almost dying. Dina uses her magic and the Inn's magic and brings it back to life.

I find Dina's magic so interesting. She has this really cool broom that can take whatever shape she wants it to be. She can control the grounds of the Inn and the house itself. She's connected to it and the idea of the relationship between the Inn and Dina is so original.

We have interesting characters besides Dina. Sean is a werewolf who doesn't know his races' history. Werewolves are aliens and not from this world. He's not just any werewolf though. He's a special one which is always ten times more interesting. There is a definite connection between Dina and him. He is a typical Alpha male but I like him.

There is also a vampire element in this story. This particular breed of vampire is amazingly original. They're religious and crazy and I don't know where they came up with the idea. Arland is the main vampire we come across but there are a few others. The politics and the customs of vampires in this universe are crazy. They also have a different metabolism which makes for an extremely funny scene but I won't spoil it. Arland is really cool and definitely took an interest in Dina.

Finally we have Her Grace Caldenia ka ret Magren. She is an alien with two hearts. She paid for a lifetime stay at the Inn and cannot leave the grounds. Apparently she did some pretty crazy things and arrived with a herd of bounty hunters on her tail. She is a small character but she makes me laugh. It's just the things she says. The way she casually talks about eating humans is just so funny.

This is a short story, only 175 pages in the Nook format. There is some rule about word count but it was still good, despite it's length. I really enjoyed it and have reread it. Ilona Andrews even added a reference to the Guild Hunter series at the end of the book which made me smile. Innkeeper 2 will be coming out soon. I can't wait to start reading it again and finding out what happens next in Dina's life.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate - 2.5 stars

Teardrop by Lauren Kate
2.5 stars

First off, the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous. I mean seriously, look at that cover. That's what drew my attention. Because of this I picked it up and read the description. It sounded interesting so I bought it. I did like it but I wish I had just borrowed it from the library. Oh well. It will make my bookshelf look pretty.

The first half of this book confused me. Almost nothing happened. It was interesting but I was just waiting for something to happen. Honestly, I was sitting there reading and for the life of me I could not explain what this book was about. It finally starts moving along after Eureka gets her inheritance from Diana's will. Diana is her mother and she ended up dying in the "freak" accident that took out the bridge they were driving on. From the beginning we know that the Seedbearers took the bridge out. Of course we don't know what Seedbearers are and why Eureka had to die.

We have a mysterious boy, Ander. We have Eureka's depression over her mother's death. We have two best friends, Cat and Brooks. Cat is that stereotypical girl who likes a bunch of guys and seems a little shallow. At some points I was thinking, what is the point of her character other than filling in the place of the girl friend.

It wasn't emphasized until later on that Eureka never cried. Her mother told her to never cry after she sobbed when she overheard her parents fighting. After her mother told her that, she never did. And of course there is obvious foreshadowing there (spoiler)*.

Once you start getting about 2/3 of the way through, things start to happen. Brooks acts weird. The fortune teller starts translating the book Eureka got from her mother. We learn who Ander is and what Seedbearers are. We find out why Eureka can't cry (spoiler)**. Then there is the obvious climatic ending.

The mythology for this book is the lost city of Atlantis. I like the idea of Atlantis. I like the mythology. However there are very few books that capture my attention long enough to even finish the book. I was able to finish Teardrop but I almost didn't because it was so empty in the beginning.

I don't seem to be a big Lauren Kate fan. I really liked Fallen. I barely finished Torment. I couldn't even get through Passion. I didn't even bother with Rapture. Maybe the second book in the Teardrop series will be better. I hope that it gets better. I like the idea but the execution wasn't very good.

Last Day of Love: A Teardrop Story
2.5

This was a little short story from Ander's point of view. This was prior to the wave that the Seedbearers brought down on Eureka and Diana. Apparently Seedbearers give up love when they turn 18 but it's obvious that he isn't going to. I think the saddest part for me was the expectation to kill his dog. Thankfully that was solved without bloodshed.

I bought this right after I bought Teardrop and before I actually read the book. I'm a little annoyed that I spent money on it. It was interesting to learn more about what the Seedbearers are and what they do but that was about it.

Circle of Fire by Keri Arthur - 3.5 stars

Circle of Fire by Keri Arthur
3.5 stars

I was a little hesitant to pick this book up at first even though it sounded interesting. I'm glad I did. It was a good book and I enjoyed it. Despite my enjoyment, I had a hard time rating this. I went back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars. The concept is great but some of the things in the story bothered me enough to knock it down to 3.5. I would still recommend it though. Overall it's a good story with a good plot line despite some of the things I did not particularly like.

It's quite obvious from the first time Jon and Maddie meet that there is going to be a love story between them. Jon appears in an astral form in Maddie's bedroom. Maddie has been living alone ever since her husband died in a fire. She is afraid of hurting anyone with her power because she has no control. Jon is dying and something is forcing him to appear before her. Maddie thinks she's going crazy until Jon warns her about missing teenagers from the area her sister and her nephew, Ethan, visited two weeks prior. Jon begs her to find him and save him. When Ethan disappears like the other teenagers who visited AREA, Maddie decides to set out to save Jon and then find Ethan.


Along with Maddie's pyrokinesis, she is also clairvoyant. Ethan has inherited that power as well. Maddie's power helps her with trying to locate Ethan but since she doesn't have much control, the visions are confusing and unclear. Jon can't help her focus her powers because he is a shapeshifter, a hawk to be exact, and he doesn't know the finer arts of the craft. He does help her calm down when she sets the inn on fire by accident.

Maddie stays at an inn where there is a creepy owner named Hank. This guy is so well written that when you are reading it, you get that creepy vibe. He's nasty and you know that he is evil. He has a fascination with Maddie and it scares her. I would be scared too. We find out pretty early who is behind the kidnappings and murders. It was quite obvious from the beginning so I was a little annoyed by that. There really wasn't a sense of mystery. I'm not sure is this is what Arthur was aiming for but it was extremely predictable.

I was also a little annoyed by the hot and cold vibes Jon sent towards Maddie. I understand the reasoning behind it but it was a constant thing so I found it tiring.

I was a little surprised by the ending. I wasn't expecting the time difference, something you will understand when you read the last chapter. It did have a HEA which I am grateful for. Overall it was a good book. The next book in the Damask Circle series focuses on two different characters. It's one of those series that have different main characters for each book. I will be reading the next book in the series.

Othersphere by Nina Berry - 4.5 stars

Othersphere (#3) by Nina Berry

4.5 stars

Previous Otherkin Series Reviews
Otherkin (#1) | Othermoon (#2)

Othersphere is the final book in the Otherkin trilogy and I really enjoyed it. It wrapped up the loose ends from Othermoon and filled in any missing information. We finally learn everything about Dez and her connection to the Othersphere, who her biological parents are, and who she ends up with. 

At the end of Othermoon, Caleb left because he couldn't trust Dez after she met up with Lazar twice without telling anyone. She was doing it for the right reasons because everyone wanted to kill Lazar but in the end, Caleb broke up with her and then left. In Othersphere, Dez and Lazar are together despite Dez still having feelings for Caleb. I found it a bit weird honestly. I still don't know who I was rooting for in the end (spoiler)*. 

At the beginning of the book, Amaris sneaks off to meet up with Caleb. Dez follows her, knowing that she is going to meet her brother and Dez just wants to see Caleb. Things go to hell from there. Suddenly they are surrounded by the Tribunal and Ximon throws Amaris into the Othersphere, using Dez to open the veil. Caleb and Dez escape and return to the school. Everyone agrees that they have to go rescue Amaris from the Othersphere (spoiler)**. When they get a call from Ximon claiming that he has been possessed by a "demon", the group decides to check out if what he claims is true. Caleb believes Ximon is telling the truth but Dez doesn't. As she is the unofficial leader, the group backs her up. They find Ximon's location and break into his house. It turns out he was telling the truth. Ximon is being possessed by the same creature that possessed Caleb in Otherkin. At first Ximon is himself but then Orgoli, the creature from the Othersphere, takes control of Ximon again and basically destroys the house. November almost dies and Dez freezes up for the first time. We also find out some pretty interesting information (spoiler)***.

This book has more action and more tension between the friends. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that a group of teenagers are the ones who go into these extremely dangerous situations with the approval of their teacher Morfael. It just seems a little too unbelievable at times. I did like finding out about Dez and her origins. It's an interesting world. The Othersphere is dangerous but also really cool. I liked learning more about it and the Amba. Berry created a very interesting world and I enjoyed the series. It ended well and I felt no need for the story to go on. She managed to wrap everything up without leaving any plot holes. 

This is another 4.5 star book. I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title prior to it's release.