Obsidian (A Lux novel #1) by Jennifer Armentrout
YA Paranormal Romance
December 6, 2011
Entangled Publishing

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I knew you would be trouble from the start…”

Katy and her mom moved to Ketterman, West Virginia after her father passes away. Not thrilled to be starting over at a new high school, Katy makes friends with the girl next door, Dee. Dee is wonderful and Katy believes this year might not be so bad; if not for Dee’s twin brother Daemon. Gorgeous, sexy, arrogant, and mind boggling rude, Daemon and Katy are like two spontaneous chemicals that are guaranteed to combust when mixed. Daemon wants Katy to stay away from Dee but won’t give her a reason why. Katy isn’t one to run though so she keeps her friendship with Dee and tries to avoid Daemon. When Katy is attacked, Daemon comes to her rescue and she realizes that something isn’t right about Dee and her brother. As Katy tries to deal with who and WHAT Daemon and his sister are, she finds herself in the middle of an extraterrestrial war that will alter her life forever.

Obsidian made me laugh. Seriously laugh. A paranormal YA that has all the makings of a fabulous series. Action, suspense, intrigue, humor, snark, romance, and two outstanding protagonists whose similarity to Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will have you fist pumping and laughing the whole time. Fast pacing makes this story a fun treat to read. Ms. Armentrout finds just the right tone to keep the story flowing smoothly and keep her readers entertained.

Katy, our heroine, is snarky, fun, and more then able to handle her own when it comes to life in general. Even with Daemon blowing hot and cold on her, she gives as good as she gets and watching them bicker is hilarious. She is attracted to Daemon but doesn’t see his “bad boy” persona as a flaw for her to change. She accepts he’s a jerk. She has a realistic attitude and her reactions are spot on when it comes to certain situations. (The spaghetti scene is a classic) The fact she is a book blogger only endeared her to me more. She has a great relationship with her mom and makes friends easily at school. No emo situations where we had the moody, shy new girl and the broody unobtainable hot guy.

Daemon. Our hero. Not sure what to say about Daemon. He is an enigma. The ultimate high school girl’s fantasy. And maybe a few moms’ fantasies too. :) Dark hair, impossibly green eyes, and ripped twenty ways to Sunday. *clearing throat* He has gone on my book boyfriend list. Maybe top spot. When Katy first meets Daemon he does everything possible to alienate her.

“You know, all I wanted was directions. This is obviously a bad time.”

One side of his lips curled up. “Anytime is a bad time for you to come knocking on my door kid.”

“Kid? I’m not a kid. I’m seventeen.”

“Is that so?” He blinked. “You look like you’re twelve. No. Maybe thirteen, but my sister has this doll that kinda reminds me of you. All big eyed and vacant.”

I reminded him of a doll. A vacant doll? “Thanks, “ I muttered and added under my breathe, “Douchebag.”

And that folks, is the beginning and middle for Katy and Daemon. A bantering of insults, name calling, and Katy’s famous finger flipping. There were times when Daemon would say or do something so outrageous I would sit there with my mouth hanging open. He reminds me of a little boy who likes a girl so much that he spends his days tormenting her because that’s the only way he can physically show his affection for her. Daemon has his reasons though for trying to ruin Dee and Katy’s friendship. He is overly protective of Dee and the secret they are hiding could spell devastation and possibly death for them all if it is revealed publicly.

The chemistry between Katy and Daemon is off the charts; especially for a YA. While we do get one semi physical scene, it’s their dialogue and the intense undercurrents that permeate the storyline that will keep you glued to the pages. You never know what he is going to say or do and he keeps us on his toes as much as Katy. Even when in jerk mode though, there is something undeniable about him so you can’t fault Katy for her tiny crush.

When Katy learns the big “secret”, Ms. Armentrout does a fab job of keeping it real with Katy. She’s is shocked, scared, and certain her death is imminent. No thoughts of jumping Daemon’s bones after she finds out, this girl is ready to make a run for the border. I love how Ms. Armnetrout is able to take an overwritten subject matter and make it 100 percent hers. There were times when there were faint hints of Twilight in here. The prom dress buying scene comes to mind. Thankfully, they were far and few between and may just have been my thoughts & feelings intruding on the book.

A cast of appealing and well developed secondary characters rounds out the story lines. Each one a viable presence and able to carry their own story. I look forward to reading more in depth about Dee, Adam, and the rest of the cast and see where their personal stories led. The ending comes at us fast and hard. We are shown what exactly Daemon, Dee and their friends are hiding from and the build up to it is exquisite. Though the main conflict is resolved, we are left with some questions and clues to what’s in store for us in the second installment, Onyx, which releases May 29, 2012.

Obsidian is a strong start to what I predict will be a popular must have/must read series and I am looking forward to reading Onyx when it releases.

Overall Rating: B+

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