Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Opal by: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads Synopsis:

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review:

I honestly did not think that anything could top Onyx (see review here) as my favorite book of 2012. Of course, December came around and Opal came out, and I was sure wrong. Opal was even more amazinger than Onyx.

After the sad events at the end of Onyx, the atmosphere surrounding the Lux aliens is definitely gloomy, with the whole group reeling from the loss of a loved one. Also, with the return of Blake, Daemon and Katy have no idea who to trust. With the Department of Defense’s secret organization testing and hurting hybrids, Dawson will do anything to get Bethany back. Can Daemon and Katy help Dawson without any harmful repercussions?

Katy gets stronger and stronger, physically and emotionally, every book. She learns to harness her powers even better and will stop at nothing to help the ones she loves. She does not let the fact that she is human deter her from whatever and whomever she needs to beat down. She has finally let her guard down and lets Daemon in. It really is great to see her positive development over the past 2 books. She also still hates anyone telling her what to do. Katy definitely holds her own against Daemon, and I adore Katy very much. Definitely my favorite heroine ever.

Daemon is the perfect mix of sexiness, sweetness, and snarkiness. I love him more and more every book, if that’s even possible. He is very protective of Katy and will do anything for her, no matter the cost. He is still his sarcastic and butt face self, but he is the most good-looking butt face ever. In this book, he shows all the sacrifices he is willing to make to be with Katy. It is awe-inspiring and so damn sweet, and the cliffhanger…I wouldn’t want to be anyone who crosses Daemon.

Although I absolutely adore the two main protagonists, Armentrout has a fantastic mix of a supporting cast. Dee is not the same Dee as the first two books and with good reason. She is hurting and sad, but I love her the same. Blake again(!) is a total wildcard. I’ll never understand his intentions and quite frankly I don’t like him. I love the relationship between Katy and her mother; it is sweet and Katy means the world to her. She needs to find her own happiness.

The first book was focused on the Arum, the bad aliens, while the second book was more focused on the Department of Defense. Unfortunately, there is a mix of these two evils in Opal, which is not such a good thing. There is a perfect mix of action, with many super steamy moments thrown in there. I love the writing and being able to be in Katy’s head. She is definitely unique and her voice is refreshing. And of course, I can’t leave out the romance, my favorite part of the book. All the walls that were previously up between Katy and Daemon have been destroyed and there are no obstacles between them. They have their snarky moments between each other, I would be worried if they didn’t, but they also have the sweetest scenes. I fell in love with Daemon all over again.

I am dying for Origin after that sucky cliffhanger. But, I am ecstatic that it will be in Katy and Daemon’s POV! I want to get into that horribly sexy head of his very much. All I can say is to his enemies…watch out.

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: The kiss started off tentative and smooth. Silky kisses created a yearning that was becoming all too familiar. The sensation of his lips against mine, the knowledge of what I wanted, sparked deep inside us and our hearts picked up together, beating heavily and fast. I let myself fall into that kiss, drown in it, become it. The swelling wave of feelings was hard to process.

Rating: 5/5 Tar Heels!