A review by dark_dispatch
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Obsidian is the first novel in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series. It was billed as a YA at the time of release, though now it might classify as an NA series; it is a mature YA with 17-year-old protagonists dealing with life and death situations.

I love an action-packed novel with strong characters, and Obsidian delivers. This book gives us Katy's POV exclusively, which does add the mystery as she tries to piece together her suspicions and reach conclusions. After moving from Florida to West Virginia, her new neighbors aren't all they seem, and Katy is both smart and self-confident enough to not let the gaslighting completely undermine what she's seen.

Katy is a compelling protagonist because she is very messy and real. She's self-confident enough to not accept being treated poorly, but she's also not a snob, she has her insecurities, and she wrestles with things. The combination makes her credible and relatable. 

Daemon is like a faucet - he runs hot and cold in a blink, and you never know which version of him you'll get. While that's frustrating for Katy, it does reveal his internal struggle, because he knows his people should keep their distance from humans, but that isn't always easy to do.

While this book centers on discovery and a growing potential relationship between Katy and Daemon, JLA doesn't feel pressured to tie things up with a neat bow or give us closure. Many threads have been introduced because they'll become relevant later (I read the entire series last week) and it works extremely well within the context of the series. This book is a compelling introduction to the series and it left me wanting more, which was why I kept reading, and didn't even take a break before completing all 5 books in the series. I'm thrilled that Entangled is releasing new special editions of these books - I must admit to having a bit of a book hangover now, because Katy, Daemon, and the rest of the gang have become so embedded in my brain, it's hard to let them go. A pageturner that I thoroughly enjoyed. 5 stars. 
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