Obsidian (Lux #1) – Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

It’s been a few years since I’ve read Obsidian, so I figured it was the perfect time for a reread. Obsidian is one of the few books I would give anything to reread for the first time and it experience as a new reader. It has an amazing main character, quick and witty writing/dialogue, an intriguing plot, and one of the most frustrating and swoon worthy book boyfriends. 

The first thing I’ll address in my review is the parallels to Twilight. Yes, they exist and are pretty obvious, however it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story. The first time I read Obsidian I didn’t even notice because I was too engrossed in the novel. I devoured it in one sitting. What sets Obsidian apart from Twilight is the quality of the characters and writing. The overall writing style of Obsidian is sarcastic and clever, whereas Twilight features a more bland style. Katy is a character I identified with immediately. She’s a book lover with a blog, isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and gives just as good as she gets, whereas Bella is a more submissive bland character meant to be as uninteresting as possible so that the reader can better picture themselves in her place. In other words, Katy sticks out and Bella blends in. This distinction alone is what makes Obsidian a million times better (not that I’m dissing Twilight because I fell in LOVE with those books. Hard.). 
So, is Obsidian worth reading even though is features many parallels to Twilight? Absolutely! A million times yes! 

My favourite aspect of this novel is the dialogue, especially between Katy and Daemon. It’s quick, witty, sarcastic, and doesn’t miss a beat. Katy and Daemon’s dialogue is Armentrout at her best. Not many books or authors can live up to this level of writing. 

Another element of this novel that sets it apart from similar novels is the progression of Katy and Daemon’s friendship. It’s refreshingly different from what’s offered in typical novels. After all this time, they’re still easily one of my favourite couples. 

Overall, Obsidian is a fantastic first novel of a series that introduces a truly unique cast of characters that you can’t help but fall in love with as soon as they’re introduced.