My Review of Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks… Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. Something worse than the Arum has come to town… The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard. But then everything changes… I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me? No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
It’s not often that a sequel turns out to be better than its predecessor, but as usual, Jennifer simply astounded me with Onyx. I actually think that with each book in a series that I read from her gets better and better! It was hilarious, romantic, mysterious, dangerous, touching, and a million other adjectives I can go on and on with.
From the very beginning, Jennifer draws you in with her quick wit and steady flow of sarcastic humor that makes me love her writing and her characters so much. I honestly fell in “girl love” with Katy after reading Onyx because she is such a fierce character, especially considering she’s “only human” in such a “non-human” situation. But you do get to see her do some pretty kickass things, particularly involving a knife, that’ll make you go “F-yeah, Katy!”.
The best part of Onyx, for me?! The fact that it changed my perspective of Daemon as a character and his relationship with Katy.
Although I really did like Obsidian, one of the things that turned me off was how quickly and unquestioningly Katy and Daemon fell for each other. Daemon didn’t really strike me as a guy I could easily fall for and I couldn’t get on board with other fans and how they fell for him instantly. But after reading Onyx, that changed COMPLETELY! You really get to know Daemon a lot more and his relationship with Katy develops on so many levels that they have easily become one of my favorite bookish couples. Here, Katy questions Daemon’s true intentions and Daemon does wonders at showing her if what they feel for each other is because of their “connection” or if it’s something deeper and more meaningful. There is one particular scene, after a very climactic slew of events, where Daemon and Katy have a truly touching moment that goes beyond physical attraction and showed me just how real their relationship is. Daemon is truly a force to be reckoned with. Not only is this guy wicked hot, super powerful, and crazy slick, but he’s also surprisingly sweet, passionate, and dedicated to protecting whatever he cherishes most in life. Not to mention he knows how to make you laugh and push your buttons in all the right ways *wink wink*. How can you not fall for a guy like that?!
Now love and romance are all well and dandy, but there’s got to be more to a good book, right?! Right!
Jennifer dives deeper into the mysterious motives of the DOD. Why do they allow the Luxen to coexist with humans as they do? What exactly do they know about them and the Arum? This is some serious “conspiracy theory” stuff here, people! And I loved every minute of it. With Obsidian, there were some crazy moments here and there, but with Onyx, it was straight up action-packed! The “big players” of the DOD surface in this story and you meet some new, and some old, acquaintances along the way. The whole mystery of what happened to Daemon’s brother Dawson in Shadows comes into play here, in a major way, and Katy’s new friend Blake changes all of their lives in ways I couldn’t even believe. Some surprising enemies come into light and things are a lot more complex that anyone could’ve imagined, it’s brillant. I’m so fascinated by this world that Jennifer has created, I just can’t get enough.
Speaking of Blake, let me just say that his interactions with Daemon were by far the most hilarious moments in the book, and also some of my favorite moments. I swear, I’m laughing right now just thinking about them!
Jennifer is truly a master at world-building, her writing is impeccable, and her characters?! Wow! Just, wow! You seriously fall for each of them, boy or girl, lead or supporting. Not only do her main characters make you swoon and cheer for them, she works wonders on her supporting cast and when she wants you to feel something for one of them, she does it! Oh, that ending! My heart!
If you thought Obsidian was awesome, just wait until you get your hands on Onyx. A true knock-your-fuzzy-socks-off book that will have you begging for more. Always remember the mantra when you read ANY of Jennifer’s books: You won’t be able to put this down!
*Please Note: This review was originally posted on my personal blog, Vi3tBabe, and was re-published here on Deity Island for fans of the series to get a more comprehensive overview of my thoughts and opinions of Jennifer's books in one place.*
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