My Thoughts

Just so you know, I never really liked alien stories. I do now.

Let me start by telling a story (it's kind of long, I apologize in advance). I have wanted this book sooo incredibly bad since it came out. Aliens don't really appeal to me, but I did like Smallville (I was an avid watcher for the first couple seasons) and even though I only saw episode 1 of Roswell, I liked it too. This book sounded a bit like those. That and I'm a major sucker for love/hate relationships. Anyway, I wanted to wait and see if I got it for Christmas (it was on the top of my list), but I ended up getting a Barnes & Noble gift card. So I ordered it, along with Shattered Souls, Everneath, and Incarnate. Mind you, the latter doesn't come out until the 31st of next month. Didn't really think that one through, did I? So, when I got the email informing me of my expected ship date and 'Jan 31' was on there, I almost had an apoplectic fit. Wait another month? Uhh, I think not. So the next day (the day after Christmas), I cancelled Obsidian from that order and drove all around Hell and creation trying to find it. NOBODY had it, so I had to re-order it. So, I have been all but sitting around for the last 4 days, staring at my door, waiting to tackle the UPS man. I passed him on my way home from work today and it was everything I could do to not drive 80 down my road.

After all that, I was reeeaaaaaally hoping this book wouldn't disappoint. It didn't.

In case you didn't know, our main character Katy here is a book blogger. Awesomesauce, right? So I was hooked from the very first paragraph. She's a reader, she's from Gainesville FL, and she's sarcastic. Oh, and she sometimes fantasizes about punching people and considers being around children the perfect abstinence program. I liked her immediately. (Now don't get me wrong, I like children, as long as I can hand them back at the end of the day...)

Then there's Daemon. She really wasn't kidding about him being stab-worthy. In the first chapter of meeting him I already wanted to punch him in the teeth and gouge his eyes out with a rusty spoon. Frustrating. Insufferable. Asshat. Exactly the kind of guy we tell ourselves not to fall for and do it anyway (ladies, you know exactly what I mean). "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. The holy trinity of hot boys." I thought I was going to get mental whiplash from his mood swings. Yep, I wanted to punch him.

As much of an ass as he was, I loved him anyway (go figure). And I loved Katy for standing up to him. She never gave in, meeting his cockiness with a fiery attitude. The banter between them had me giggling at every turn...brownie points for the humor! It makes a book so much more interesting when I laugh out loud. 

I'm not a mushy kind of gal, but I do like that wonderful falling stage of developing romances. Particularly when they start off with hatred. Yeah, I don't know why either. But I really enjoyed the romance in this one because of that. At first they really do hate each other, but they're forced together and as the book goes on, they start to not hate each other. Yet they continue to go on pretending like they can't stand one another, even though it's obvious to everyone else but them that they are developing feelings. And many times I found myself getting frustrated because GOSH DARNIT, they just would not kiss already!!! You get through most of the book, and you think it's not going to happen - but don't worry, it will happen, and when it does, it is HAWT. Hawt like that scene in Mr. and Mrs. Smith where they have their guns pointed at each other's heads ready to kill each other and realize they can't so they go for an attack make-out session instead.

Other than the sexy sparks flying, there was a satisfying amount of danger and action as well. The pace never slowed and I found myself soaking up the words, greedily wanting more and more. The supernatural parts were realistic and easy to imagine. There were many parts when it really did remind me of Smallville - and Daemon kinda reminded me of Tom Welling (Clark) in that one episode where he gets the red kryptonite ring and goes all bad boy sexy rebel (for anyone who saw that, remember the motorcycle and the leather jacket? Mhmmm).

While it didn't really delve deep into the history of the Luxen, I enjoyed what pieces I got of it. It was interesting and convincing. "In this vast, neverending universe, do you think Earth is the only planet with life?" You know, he does have a point. While I don't particularly believe in 'aliens' as the majority of stories portray them, it is kind of narrow-minded to think that we're the only life out there.

I cannot wait for book 2!!!

And for us bloggers...

I loved that she got her kicks out of pissing him off. He acts so disagreeable, it'd be hard not to push his buttons a little.