Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 382
Format: Paperback (Emily), eBook (Izzy)
Source: Purchased by Reviewers
Goodreads • Amazon
Emily's Rating:
Izzy's Rating:
No one is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger... and they know it.
Emily:
Note: this review is based off a re-read. Does it matter? Probably not. But now you know.
In Obsidian, we saw asshole Daemon.
In Onyx, we saw sassy, wooing Daemon.
Prepare yourselves, because Opal is bringing a whole other animal...
Romantic boyfriend Daemon.
And the world was never the same again.
At the end of Onyx, Katy, Daemon, and company were left shaken. The destruction Blake left in his wake coupled with the reappearance of the one person they'd been desperately trying to find made for an epic, emotional conclusion, and they're still reeling as Opal begins. I have loved all of the books in this series (see my reviews here and here) and it just keeps getting better and better—the stakes are higher, the action is more intense, and the romance...well...let's just say Daemon and Kat totally have the ability to render me nothing more than a pile of goo.
I'll start by discussing their relationship, because the happiness it brings me is practically boundless. The chemistry between Daemon and Katy has always been beyond intense, and that's only more true now that they've made things official. Their snark and quips—the reason I fell in love with them as a couple—still abound even as they settle into being together. But now everything has an extra layer of playful sexiness and tension that will make your knees weak, put butterflies in flight in your stomach, and have a stupid smile on your face virtually the whole time you're reading. Of course, in true JLA fashion, it's just setting you up for the heart break.
And it's a doozy, y'all.
Because despite all of the happiness our beloved alien and kitten are experiencing, things are far from perfect. Dee is being Ash-level awful (perhaps the most gut-wrenching thing of all). Daemon's friends and family are still not happy with Katy, made worse by the end of Onyx. Katy still doesn't know the full extent of what being a hybrid could mean. Not to mention that with the mysterious return of Dawson, Daemon and Dee's brother, the drive to understand what the Department of Defense is up to has never been greater for our group. While Daemon and Dee are overjoyed to have their brother back, Dawson is...different. He's not what they remember, and he's determined to get Bethany back. The others just want to know what the DOD's end game is. Their fact-finding missions were intense and nerve-wracking, but also gave some awesome ways to showcase the culmination of Katy's blossoming into a certifiable badass. Which was too amazing for words.
Real talk: Katy is the kind of female protag I love, the kind I want to be. Her attitude, spunk, and passion are beyond fabulous. She loves books. She runs her own book blog. I mean, gah. With every installment, I fell more in lady-love with her, and I truly believe you'll feel the same. But I digress.
Back to the story itself. With all of this spy-level observation of a top-secret government agency going on, they still manage to struggle with those normal teenage experiences. Juggling a government agency that may or may not want to kidnap, study, and probe you with prom and exams is just so very Katy and Daemon, I can't stand it. And they do it with flawless sarcasm, quick wits—basically perfection. This is the best kind of story, with supremely fantastic elements while still maintaining a quality that is relateable for the reader. I smiled like an idiot, squealed with joy, groaned in frustration, and generally got way too invested in the incredible moments of these characters' stories.
But the real impact moment comes at the end. This book will leave you wrecked, with a conclusion so intense and gut-wrenching that you should definitely prepare for the possible tears. I know I shed more than a few. It's beyond rough, and still somehow beautiful. All you can do is take a deep breath, pull on your big girl (or maybe boy—you could be lurking out there somewhere!) undies and trust in the magical powerhouse that is JLA. Because she'll take care of us. We hope.
The Lux series is one of those extra-special finds. I was lucky in that I got wise to it relatively early on (in fact, over one particular summer I found both the Covenant and Lux series, kick-starting my complete and utter devotion to JLA—certainly the high-point of that summer), but if you still haven't jumped on the bandwagon, do so. I seriously can't recommend it enough. With an excellent story line, amazing characters, and beautiful interactions throughout, this series is a clear choice for any YA paranormal fan. And Opal may be my favorite of the series. I don't know. It tends to switch depending on which installment I'd last read, but Opal has a special place in my heart. In an already stellar series, this is an incredible installment and should not be missed!
Izzy:
After the debacle with Blake and Will, everyone knows. The damage has been done. People have been hurt— been killed—and Katy isn't who she used to be. And, her blog is in complete disarray!
IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED ONYX STOP RIGHT HERE!
Dawson, apparently not dead, returns. But he is not the brother Dee and Daemon lost a year ago. Unhinged, Dawson is obsessed with finding and rescuing Bethany. At the same time, Blake approaches Katy and Daemon with a proposition that will get Bethany back to Dawson. And now, Katy and Daemon have to decide if they can trust him...again.
With the rest of the Luxen against her, Katy feels isolated from her friends—but at least she has Daemon! That's right, they're official (THANK ALL THAT IS HOLY)! So, Daemon fans, get ready to live vicariously through Katy! But their relationship is not smooth sailing. If ever there is a theme to their relationship, it's this:
Every. Single. Time. I mean, is there no privacy in this group? Nope, apparently not! Poor guys, they just want to spend an hour together without someone barging in and demanding their presence.
The third installment of the Lux saga is jam packed with sizzling chemistry (the only thing better than a wooing-Daemon is boyfriend-Daemon—get ready to swoon repeatedly) and action. The DOD is still sniffing around, suspecting that a hybrid has been made. Pair that with Katy actively poking around them to find out about Bethany, and you've got yourself a severe case of anxiety.
Seriously, I was so nervous for them every time they decided to "scout out" the DOD.
Unlike Onyx, Opal focuses back on high school life (Prom time!) and I loved it. I feel terrible that Katy has to balance an alien boyfriend to whom she is telepathically connected with (okay, not so much sympathy there), hiding her shenanigans from her mom, and Bio exams. That just straight up sucks--high school is terrible enough without adding paranormal stuff!
I can feel unstructured ramblings coming on, so I'm going to cut myself short. I loved Opal, behind Origin it was probably my favorite in the series. And in general, although I've made this pretty clear, I love this series!
So PLEASE go read this series! You will fall more and more in love with Katy and Daemon with every page in every book!
# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
