Title: Beginnings: Obsidian and Onyx (Lux #1 and #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal (hardly)
Now available together for the first time, don’t miss Obsidian and Onyx, the first two books in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! “A thrilling ride from start to finish,” says RT Book Reviews.
Obsidian
There’s an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he’s hot… until he opens his mouth. He’s infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.Onyx
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. 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?
Potential wasted, potential gone. A book blogger meets an alien, think of all the possibilities!
Well, Jennifer L. Armentrout didn’t.
Let me break this down for you: Girl meets boy alien. Boy alien is attractive. Boy alien is not nice. Girl mopes over conflicted feelings.
Yeah, because I give a crap.
The pacing was also all over the place. The first book ended with absolutely no wrap-up to the story and in the start of the first book the story just suddenly changed direction. There was no smooth story arc, it was just random bursts of teenage angst with the occasional alienish scene.
Despite all that, I must admit I was entertained in the following ways:
- The guilty pleasure sort of fun. Everyone loves a fun, light guilty pleasure read every once in a while, and it’s great for a bit. But 760 pages of it? No thanks, chum.
- I love making fun of everything! Because I’m a cynical and very mean human I love picking a story apart and laughing at all the idiocy. I’m really quite good at this, but even an ‘ol pro like myself gets a little tired of all that stupidity.
Guess what? The writing was crap too!
It felt like I was reading fan fiction. (Not that I’ve ever read fan fiction don’t worry friends.) Everything was set so poorly because of the writing, the dialogue fake and pasty. (Okay, maybe I’ve read fan fiction, like, once.)
Katy was ANNOYING, Daemon was ANNOYING, everyone was ANNOYING.
The characters were essentially the same: One-dimensional, stupid, and OH MY WORD ANNOYING.
Now, I don’t need to like a character to enjoy a story, but it certainly helps. What doesn’t help is when I hate every single human or alien being in the book. ONE WELL-WRITTEN CHATACTER I BEG OF YOU.
(This is Tom Hiddleston slapping all the characters because they’re stupid but softly and with pillows because he’s a gentleman)
Bad plot, worse characters, worst writing. But hey, there’s a hot alien!
lol read if you’re feeling thirsty and over-emotional.
What books with terrible writing do you feel the need to rant about?
[…] Lux: Beginnings | Teenage Angst. Plus Aliens! But Mostly Teenage Angst. […]
[…] Lux: Beginnings | Teenage Angst. Plus Aliens! But Mostly Teenage Angst. […]
[…] Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This book. Oh my word. It hurt me. It hurt me to read it. Every line of terrible writing was a stab into my heart. Hating it, however, was an awfully good time. ★★☆☆☆ […]
Thank you, thank you, and thank you Summer! I’m glad 🙂 Yeah, hopefully it will. I can understand how some might enjoy it but the writing really didn’t work for me
I’m liking the new rating system, theme, and profile picture, Becca! I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this one. I haven’t read any of Arementrout’s work but I’ve hauled this entire series last years. Hopefully the series gets better?
Why, thank you 🙂 Whoops…I’m terrible publicity for this book, aren’t I 😁
I loved reading this review it’s so funny XD I’ve never been interested in this series, but some booktubers and bloggers I follow have praised it, so there was this tiny voice in my head saying ‘maybe you should give it a chance’ After reading your review though, that voice is now completely gone 😛
Yeah, that’s too bad. I really do wish it had lived up to my expectations!
I really enjoyed the first book when I read it years ago but was really disappointed in the rest of the series as it progressed. I felt like the characters became carbon copies of other JLA books (I swear her heroes are all the same character just with a different name and/or powers). So I get your frustrations 😉
Hey, if it works for you, then that’s awesome! Just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean no one can 🙂
I must be one of those weirdos who absolutely loved this series. But it might be because I’m over emotional at the moment and in the mood for something more on the cheesy side. Oh well. Very constructed review though. I can see why you don’t like the writing though, it isn’t the best, but right now it works for me. *shrugs*
Thank you! Yeah, all the hype made me want to read it, but I think it probably made it even more disappointing too.
A great review! Everyone was talking about this so much that I picked it up. The disappointment was real after that
I have high hopes on that series but meeh, it wasn’t my cup of tea. The nearest library (my school library) is not that updated on YA fiction, one of my bookish resolution is to not buy the whole series because I may not like it after all.
Yeah, not too great a series in my opinion. Sorry, I hate when I buy a book and it’s just not what I wanted. Libraries are great!
If you like it, you like it, there’s nothing wrong with that! I’m glad it made you laugh, there’s nothing wrong with being a little thirsty and over-emotional when need be 🙂
I tried marathoning the whole thing last 2014 since the last book came out, but damn money wasted. I was fine with the first book but everytime I read it it reminds me of Twilight and gah teenage angst.
Haha! I actually really enjoy this series but reading this post was a bit of fun and laughter anyway. No shame for me in being thirsty and over-emotional though 😉 Entertaining review!
I thought I already said I haven’t read Twilight so I wouldn’t know.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
I thought Twilight with aliens was The Host?
Thanks, bud! I haven’t read Twilight but I haven’t exactly heard great things so that makes sense.
Haha, I loved this review! I’ve read up to book 3 and this seems like Twilight with hot aliens instead of hot vampires/werewolves xD
YES YES THANK YOU. I don’t understand the hype…it was basically just like fan fiction to me.
Thanks for commenting 🙂
You have perfectly captured all of my feelings about that series into one post. Everyone was hyping it up so much that I just had to try it, and I was so disappointed. Like you said, it felt like I was reading a fanfiction because I was enjoying the hot romantic tension but nothing about the series was good.
HAHA it paid off! I might read it after your review, if only to see if I agree with you as well or not!
I was trying so hard to brainstorm creative titles because I try WAAAY too hard lol. Me too, I heard so many good things! I mean, if you like it you like it, but I really couldn’t get past the bad writing. If you ever read it it would be fun to hear what you think!
Thanks, chum!
LOL at that post title! I’ve actually been pretty interested in finally picking this book up, some people LOVE this series! But I can imagine I’ll have to exact same response as you to the teen angst, and loving-an-asshole elements. Funny review 😀
I heard so many good things too! I can’t fully comprehend how anyone gets past the writing, but hey if you like it you like it. Well I live to make others LOL!
The first book Obsidian has been on my TBR for a while and people keep assuring me it’s a good read, but this review made me LOL. It actually sounds like it would be an insult to most fanfiction writers. LOL.