Katy – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: Opposition

Posted on September 9, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis from Amazon:

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can’t believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

I have been obsessed with the Lux series since the first book so it was bittersweet to see the series come to end but man did Ms. Armentrout end it with a bang. This book was so good I couldn’t put it down for a second. Amazing.

This book begins exactly where Origin left off, with the world falling to pieces. The other Lux have arrived and they’re ready to take over the Earth. They’ve got Dee drinking their “we are great and humans suck” Kool-Aid but thankfully Daemon and Dawson aren’t falling for it. However to stay on the aliens good side they have to play along while trying to figure out how to escape. Meanwhile, Katy, Bethany, Archer, and Luc were left to fend for themselves and try to figure out how they were going to handle the alien invasion.

Forced to make allies with former enemies, not knowing whom they can really trust, and the loss of even more lives makes the conclusion of this series BIG. There’s all out war on Earth and no one is safe and Daemon and Katy’s love is greatly tested.

Opposition had me on an emotional roller coaster. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, not knowing what was going to happen next. Armentrout kept surprising me with all the twists and turns of the novel. She even had me in tears at some points. For a moment there I wasn’t sure who would make it to the end of the book alive.

It was also great learning more about some of the lesser characters. For example we get more insight in Luc’s plans for himself and the people he cares about. We also learn more about Daedalus and (crazy) Nancy. Lastly, we see that not everything is so black and white when it comes to the Luxen and Arum and they’re actually more alike than Daemon cared to admit.

Also this novel is again told in Daemon and Katy’s point of view which I enjoyed because I love hearing Daemon’s thoughts. He’s hilarious but also really sweet. Too cute.

Overall, this was a great conclusion to an amazing series and I can’t wait to go back and read this whole series all over again. If you haven’t read the series yet I definitely recommend it. Such a good read.

Favorite Line:

Sometimes – and it happened at random moments – I was blown away by the fact that she was mine and I was hers. This was one of those times.

Stars: 5 out of 5. I loved this book from beginning to end. There were definitely some parts that ripped my heart out and I wished some events didn’t occur but overall I thought the book was great and I loved how it ended.

Borrow or Buy: BUY!! Absolutely buy this book. Actually buy the whole series while you’re at it. You’ll definitely want this on your bookshelf.

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Live Book Read: Opposition

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Anyone that is in love with the Lux series as much as I am knows the final book in the series, Opposition, came out today.

Although I’m sure people are already half way done, if not finished, I thought it we would be fun if we did a Live Book Read of the novel on Twitter.

The way it’ll work is while reading you can Tweet your reactions to the book with the hashtag #OppositionLiveRead that way everyone else reading can see your reactions and reply, retweet, and/or favorite. I think it’ll be a great way for all of us fans to collectively read together.

Obviously everyone reads at different paces and some of you may already be almost done so try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. You could also say #ch1 or #ch2 for example so people know how far you are.

I personally don’t know a lot of people who read the series and would love to have other people to fangirl with.

If you’re in follow me on Twitter (@BooksTVMe) or just follow the hashtag #OppositionLiveRead and join in on the fun.

Let’s get to reading!

Book Review: Origin

Posted on April 27, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

It took me way too long to finally get to the most recent book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series. However, I also wanted to save it since now I have to wait just like everyone else to see what happens next and I’m very impatient. Especially because the way this book ended left me with a lot of questions but in a good way.

If you’re not caught up in the Lux series I’m going to stop right here because there will be spoilers. Beware!

Last time we left off Katy was trapped in Daedalus leaving Daemon in a frenzy and finally admitting he loves her (although truthfully we all knew it). Now Katy’s been taken to Area 51 where she’s being told all kinds of things about the Lux and is left to figure who’s the real bad guys. Meanwhile, Daemon is on a mission to get Katy back and he’ll do whatever it takes, including turning himself in.

This was by far my favorite book in the Lux series. The love between Daemon and Katy is heart stopping but besides that their shared fear and anger of both Daedalus and some of the Luxen is exhilarating. Origin is the first book in the series that is written in both Katy and Daemon’s point of view and it’s fantastic.

I personally loved hearing Daemon’s point of view more than Katy’s and if there’s a book that’s all in Daemon’s point of view I would not object. What’s great is there’s so much that Daemon doesn’t actually say but because there are parts that are in his point of view, readers can actually see how much he loves Katy and how far he’s willing to go for her. Believe me it’s very far.

With so much hanging in the balance (Katy and Daemon’s lives, their family and friend’s lives, and the world as they know it) everyone’s on edge. In this book, although the focus is obviously still on Katy and Daemon we learn so much more about the Luxen and Daedalus. There’s so much both the readers and Daemon and Katy still don’t really know. For example, besides the Luxen, Arum, humans, and hybrids there’s a whole other species that may be the most dangerous of all.

There’s a war brewing between aliens and humans that is sure to explode soon and both Katy and Daemon are going to be forced to figure out who’s side they’re on and who they can trust.

Will they be able to stay together when everything hits the fan? Can they stand together against everything? Will they have a choice? So many questions! I can’t wait until Opposition comes out this summer but I’ll also be sad because it’s the last book in the series.

I have fallen in love with these characters and it’ll be sad to see them go. Luckily I own each and every one of these books so I’ll be rereading them forever. Thankfully, classes are almost over so I can start from the beginning and read until Opposition comes out.

Honestly, if you haven’t tried this series yet you’re really missing out. Between all the romance, fights, and drama you’ll really enjoy it. The first book doesn’t do this series justice. The books get better and better as they go on and harder and harder to put down. Definitely a must read.

Favorite Line: This is a new feature I’m adding because I think its necessary for this book. “I promise you that this isn’t going to be our future, Kitten. I will give that to you – a normal life. Her eyes glistened. I don’t expect a normal life. I just expect a life with you.”

Stars: 5 out of 5. Seriously, I’m in love with this book. I’ve already started rereading it. I know, I have a problem.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. It’s worth every penny. Trust me.

Book Review: Opal

Posted on March 9, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

If you haven’t noticed by now I am 100% obsessed with the Lux series. I just can’t stop. It’s a serious problem, especially for my bank account. That being said, this book was much better than the first two and I couldn’t put it down.

A lot happened in the last book so let me give you a quick recap. If you haven’t read the first two books of the Lux series (Obsidian and Onyx) then you should stop reading right now. For those of you who have reached the point I’m at, here we go:

Adam FREAKING died. Seriously, for why? I mean I get how it happened but why? I loved him and so did Dee.
Dawson is back and he’s (acting) weird.
Daemon and Katy are in love despite everything that occurred (and technically Daemon still hasn’t said it out loud).
Katy’s officially okay with killing people.
Blake left?
Will sucks and is actually evil
He might be connected to Daemon and Katy now since Daemon was forced to heal him to save Katy.

I think that about sums up all the OMG moments of the last book. Now on to this bad boy.

We jump back in right where we left off. Everyone is stressed and there’s a lot of tension as there should be since it’s getting really difficult for everyone to know who they can and cannot trust. After the whole Blake fiasco it’s evident that Katy shouldn’t trust anyone.

When the novel begins Katy’s in the dog house with Dee (and Ash and Andrew but they never really liked her to begin with). Daemon and Dee are trying to get reacquainted with their long lost brother which is proving to be difficult since all he wants to do is save his love, Beth, which is understandable since he risked everything for her in the first place. Plus, Daemon and Katy would be lying if they said they wouldn’t do the same thing if they were in his shoes.

Therefore Katy decides that they have to help Dawson get Beth back because it wouldn’t be fair if they didn’t try to help. Honestly, though how in the world were they going to do that with no leads to go on? Enter their old friend, Blake, who decided he wasn’t really the “run and get gone” type. Nope, this kid is bold. So bold that in spite of Daemon (and everyone else’s death threats) he still returns and with a plan to save Beth and his alien buddy Chris from wherever the Department of Defense is holding them.

Of course no one really trusts Blake (and with good reason) but honestly this rag tag team of aliens and hybrids don’t have a lot of options, which leads them to make a deal with the devil. Blake claims he’ll leave once he gets Chris and all will be good but it’s still risk, one Katy and Daemon (along with everyone else) are still willing to take.

Besides everyone’s life being on the line and having no one they can truly trust except each other, Daemon and Katy also grow closer, making their love stronger as they stand together against every obstacle that comes their way.

Opal has been my favorite book in the series thus far. With so much anger, sadness, distrust, sexual tension, and drama I never knew what to expect. This book kept me on my toes to the very end and I’m excited (and scared) to see what happens next.

Stars: 5 out of 5. I had my doubts about this series but I’m completely hooked now. There were so many times I was glad I was reading by myself because I found myself screaming and freaking out often.

Borrow or Buy: BUY!!! Honestly I have no money to be buying these books but I have because they’re just so good and I have to know what happens next. Definitely one to put on the shelf.

Book Review: Onyx

Posted on March 8, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

In answer to my question in my review for the first book of this series, I’m not sure if this series is going downhill or not but maybe I’ll figure it out by the end of this review. Let us begin.

First, my feelings about Katy were very up and down throughout the novel. This is the second book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series and last time we left off Daemon told Katy he was going to make her fall for him and of course she said that’s ridiculous and he said:

And as we see early on, he means business. Flowering Katy with gifts and attention Katy has to force herself to not believe he has feelings for her which is ridiculous because he clearly does. However, she is in thorough denial blaming their new alien connection for his feelings. In conclusion, she’s crazy.

Needless to say when a new, human guy comes in the picture Katy is all too happy to jump on that train in hopes that she can forget all about Daemon and aliens and just be normal. Sadly, for Katy this guy, Blake, is anything but normal. Rather he might just turn out to be her worst nightmare.

Despite Katy’s annoying disbelief in her clearly budding relationship with Daemon, I still like her as a character. She can be very sassy when she wants to be and definitely doesn’t stand for Daemon’s crap which is great.

Even so, I really love Daemon. He’s so flirty, snarky, protective, and attractive and it’s heartbreaking to watch him put his heart on the line and Katy still not believe it’s real. Daemon is what really kept me reading. And Katy when she wasn’t discussing her blog so much which is ironic since I have my own blog and know exactly what she’s talking about when she says she’s going to write four book reviews in one sitting. I feel for you girl. However, I’d rather hear about your alien drama rather than all the books you read.

What’s also great about this novel is Katy get’s her own powers. For the first time she’s not completely defenseless (although she could handle her own in the first book as well). Learning how to control these powers, however, causes Katy and Daemon issues, especially since they’re keeping her powers and their new alien connection a secret from everyone, including Dee, putting a strain on their friendship.

Overall, I’d have to say that I did enjoy this novel more than the first in the series. There’s way more sexual tension between the two main characters, Dee gets some action as well, and the alien drama gets even more crazy as the Department of Defense (DOD) makes a big appearance in this novel. With so many threats, secrets, and romance around, this novel was an exciting book to read. Yes, there were still some parts that I could do without (mostly Katy’s inner monologues about her feelings about Daemon and her books) but overall this book was good enough for me to buy the third.

Stars: 4out of 5. Good but not OMG amazing.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. This one isn’t as cheap as the first one and although I’ll definitely be rereading some parts at some point, I don’t think it’s something I needed in my Kindle library.

Book Review: Obsidian

Posted on March 5, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

I am a creature of habit so when I find an author I love I read all their books until there’s no more left and I don’t stray. I’m also pretty stuck up about the books I read. Not to say I only read classics and NY Times Bestsellers but I only read novels that I deem to be “worthy”. That being said, rarely do I ever take a chance on an author I’ve never read/heard of before. But this time since it was only $2.99 on my Kindle and I was desperate to read something new I had to take a chance and I’m very glad that I did.

I don’t know where Jennifer L. Armentrout has been hiding this whole time but I am now officially hooked on her Lux series. The series focuses on Katy Swartz, a 17 year old girl, who moves to a small town in West Virginia with her mom a few years after her dad died. Both her mom and herself are looking for a fresh start and although Katy is not at all thrilled with her mom’s choice of location she attempts to take it in stride for the sake of her mom.

That is until she meets her next door neighbor, Daemon Black, who seems to hate her from the moment she meets him, and Katy has no idea why. All she knows is he’s a douche bag that she hates but is also kind of attracted to. Talk about awkward. Daemon’s sister, Dee, is his opposite however, as she quickly befriends Katy, despite her brother’s warning. The more Katy spends time with the Blacks the more she realizes that there’s something strange about the Blacks that she can’t quite put her finger on. It’s not until Daemon saves her life that she learns the truth: they’re aliens.

By saving Katy’s life Daemon leaves an alien trace on her that puts her in danger of being found by other aliens that won’t hesitate to kill her. This forces the two to spend more time together than either of them bargained for as Daemon feels obligated to protect her and get rid of the trace that also puts himself and sister in danger. This of course leads to multiple fights, a lot of sexual tension, and the learning that they may have more in common than they originally thought.

I’ll admit the beginning started pretty slow with Katy constantly talking about how much she missed writing on her blog and me thinking, “Nobody cares; get to the good stuff!” However, the novel then quickly picks up once she meets Daemon and starts hanging out with the Blacks on a more regular basis.

What makes this novel great is although it relies on the classic “girl meets guy who turns out to not be a human” trope it differs because although we all know they’re probably going to end up falling for each other it doesn’t start off that way. Katy knows she wants Daemon sexually but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dick to her and what’s great about Katy is she doesn’t stand for it, not even when she finds out the truth about him and what he could do. Armentrout produces a character that’s not afraid to say what she’s thinking and is willing to stand up for herself no matter how attractive and mysterious a guy is. That’s awesome.

Additionally, Armentrout is a saint and adds two chapters in Daemon’s point of view at the end of the book so we can know exactly what he was thinking in those moments. While you’re reading you’ll understand why this is such a God send. Daemon is such a hard character to read and always leaves us wondering, “Does he like her or not?” It’s frustrating but so fun to read as well.

I plan to read the whole series over my spring break so I’ll have many reviews to let you know whether the series get’s better or worse from here but I’ve read the first two chapters of the next book and I’m very excited to see what happens next.

Stars: 4 out 5. Though I think the novel is great over all, the beginning was too slow for me.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. It’s so cheap, why not? Plus it’s really good and you’ll definitely want to reread it at some point.