Onyx

By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book Two of the bestselling Lux series

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, 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.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I'm a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who's got a secret of his own. He knows what's happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

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?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Read the entire bestselling series!
#1: Obsidian (from Katy's point of view)
#2: Onyx (from Katy's point of view)
#3: Opal (from Katy's point of view)
#4: Origin
#5: Opposition
Oblivion (Books 1-3 from Daemon's point of view) CAN BE READ FIRST OR AFTER KATY'S POV!
Prequel: Shadows (Dawson's story)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Aug 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781622667185

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Jennifer L. Armentrout (also known as J. LYNN) is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Wait for You and the Young Adult Lux and Covenant series, among other books. She writes steamy and fun New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. She is published with Entangled Teen and Brazen, SHP, Disney/Hyperion, and Harlequin Teen.

Book preview

Praise for Obsidian...

"Obsidian is fast-paced and entertaining. I couldn’t put this one down. Who knew aliens could be sexy?"

—YA Fantasy Guide

Take some really hot, sizzling character chemistry, two stubborn love interests who know how to push each other’s buttons, and add in some awesome out-of-this-world characters and you’ve got the makings for one fabulously written story. If Daemon and Jace (Mortal Instrument series) were to battle it out, it would be a close call on which character would win.

—Mundie Moms

"Jennifer has written another YA GOLD book. This is a really ‘cool’ book and a refreshing type of character. Obsidian is just awesome!"

—Novels On The Run

"Witty, refreshing, and electrifying. With a brilliant set of characters, laughs, and sexual tension that will have you pulling your hair out, Obsidian is the perfect page turner that will have you begging for more."

—Shortie Says

"With a unique and entrancing story, Obsidian was action packed, dramatic, captivating, and exciting—I Am Number Four has some SERIOUS competition!"

—A Cupcake and a Latte

The alien twist was great, I love how they weren’t your typical little green men seeking peace or massive bugs after world domination. The end was: awesome, frustrating, humorous, amazing, and intriguing! My hands are going to be tingling to the very tips until I get my hands on book two!

—Nomalicious Reads

"Obsidian blew me away. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would or could fall head-over-heels in love with a story with aliens. Wipe away everything you have ever thought about aliens from your mind. Obsidian sets a new standard."

—Winterhaven Books

Armentrout puts a new twist on the alien-next-door storyline, which was refreshing after this year’s influx of vampires, angels, and wolves.

—Reading Lark

"I’m still in awe over Obsidian and I absolutely cannot wait for the second in this series…I have to have more!"

—Creative Reads

"So Obsidian, wow! From page one you’re sucked into a mysterious and dangerous world of the Luxens and I loved every minute of it…Jennifer keeps us readers in suspense and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. You guys seriously need to read this book, it’s not one to miss and honestly, one of my favourite reads of 2011!"

—Book Passion for Life

I loved this book. Actually loved every second of it. I couldn’t put it down and every time I had something else to do I found myself thinking, do I really have to or can I just keep reading? I devoured the book within two days and then was so very sad that I had no more of Daemon and Katy to read about.

—K-Books

"Obsidian is nothing like you would expect…Daemon and Kat were great together and I loved every single second of their relationship."

—Good Choice Reading

Also by

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lux Series:

Shadows

Obsidian

Onyx

Opal

Origin

Opposition

Oblivion

Origin series:

The Darkest Star

The Burning Shadow

de Vincent series:

Moonlight Sins

Moonlight Seduction

Moonlight Scandals

Covenant series:

Daimon novella

Half Blood

Pure

Deity

Elixir novella

Apollyon

One and Only novella

Sentinel

A Wicked Trilogy:

Wicked

Torn

Brave

The Prince, a Wicked novella

The King, a Wicked novella

Titan novels:

The Return

The Power

The Struggle

The Prophecy

Written as J. Lynn

Tempting the Best Man

Tempting the Player

Tempting the Bodyguard

Unchained

Obsession

Frigid series:

Frigid

Scorched

The Dark Elements series:

Bitter Sweet Love novella

White Hot Kiss

Stone Cold Touch

Every Last Breath

Storm and Fury

Wait for You series:

Wait for You

Trust in Me

Be with Me

The Proposal novella

Stay with Me

Fall with Me

Dream of You novella

Forever with You

Fire in You

Single title books:

The Problem with Forever

If There’s No Tomorrow

Till Death

Cursed

The Dead List

Don’t Look Back

Meet Cute Anthology

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Acknowledgments

About the Author

More from Entangled Teen

Frequency

Toxic

Star-Crossed

Echoes

Zombie Abbey

Book of Ivy

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2012 by Jennifer L. Armentrout. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 105, PMB 159

Fort Collins, CO 80525

[e-mail]

Entangled Teen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Edited by Liz Pelletier

Cover design by LJ Anderson, Mayhem Cover Creations

Cover images by Getty Images and AdobeStock

Interior design by Toni Kerr

Print ISBN  978-1-62061-011-4

Ebook ISBN  978-1-62266-718-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition August 2012

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to book lovers and book bloggers everywhere,

those large and small.

1

Ten seconds passed between when Daemon Black took his seat and when he poked me under my shoulder blade with his trusty pen. Ten whole seconds. Twisting around in my seat, I inhaled the unique outdoorsy scent that was all him.

Daemon pulled his hand back and tapped the blue cap of his pen on the corner of his lips. Lips I was well familiar with. Good morning, Kitten.

I forced my gaze to his eyes. Bright green, like the stem of a freshly cut rose. Good morning, Daemon.

Unruly dark hair fell over his forehead as he tilted his head. Don’t forget we have plans tonight.

Yeah, I know. Looking forward to it, I said drily.

As Daemon leaned forward, his dark sweater stretched over broad shoulders. He tipped his desk down. I heard the soft inhales from my friends Carissa and Lesa, felt the eyes of everyone in class watching us. One corner of his lips curved higher, as if he were secretly laughing.

The stretch of silence became too heavy. What?

We need to work off your trace, he said, low enough that only I could hear. Thank God. Trying to explain what a trace was to the general populace was not something I wanted to get into. Oh, you know, just alien residue that rubs off on humans and lights them up like a Christmas tree and becomes a homing signal to an evil alien race. Want some?

Uh-huh.

I picked up my pen and considered poking him with it. Yeah, I figured as much.

And I have this really fun idea of how we can do it.

I knew what his fun idea was. Me. Him. Making out. I smiled, and the green of his eyes heated.

Liking the idea? he murmured, and his gaze dropped to my lips.

An unhealthy amount of excitement had my entire body humming, and I reminded myself that his sudden turnaround had more to do with the effect of his bizarre alien mojo on me than it did with me as a person. Ever since Daemon healed me after the battle with the Arum, we were connected, and while that seemed to be enough for him to jump into a relationship, it wasn’t for me.

It wasn’t real.

I wanted what my parents had. Undying love. Powerful. True. A whacked-out alien bond couldn’t do that for me.

Not in this lifetime, buddy, I said finally.

Resistance is futile, Kitten.

So is your charm.

We’ll see.

Rolling my eyes, I faced the front of the classroom. Daemon was a total babe, but he was stab-worthy, which, at times, zeroed out the babe part. Not always, though.

Our ancient trig teacher shuffled in, clutching a thick wad of papers while he waited for the tardy bell.

Daemon poked me with his pen. Again.

Squeezing my hands into fists, I debated ignoring him. I knew better. He’d just keep poking me. Turning around, I glared at him. "What, Daemon?"

He moved as fast as a cobra striking. With a grin that did funny things to my stomach, he glided his fingers along my cheek, plucking a tiny bit of fuzz out of my hair.

I stared at him.

After school…

I started to get all kinds of crazy ideas as his grin turned wicked, but I wasn’t playing his game anymore. I rolled my eyes and whipped back around. I would resist my hormones…and the way he got to me like no one else.

A slight tic of pain throbbed behind my left eye the rest of the morning, which I totally blamed on Daemon.

By lunch, I felt like someone had sucker punched me in the head. The steady noise of the cafeteria and the mix of disinfectant and burned food made me want to run from the room.

You going to eat that? Dee Black gestured at my untouched cottage cheese and pineapple.

Shaking my head, I pushed my tray over, and my stomach roiled as she dug in.

You could eat the football team under the table. Lesa watched Dee with obvious envy sparkling in her dark eyes. I couldn’t blame her. I’d once seen Dee eat an entire package of Oreos in one sitting. How do you do it?

Dee shrugged dainty shoulders. I guess I have a fast metabolism.

What did you guys do this weekend? Carissa asked, frowning as she wiped her glasses with the sleeve of her shirt. I was filling out college applications.

I was making out with Chad all weekend. Lesa grinned.

Both girls looked at Dee and me, waiting for us to share. I guessed the whole killing-a-psycho-alien-and-almost-dying thing probably wasn’t something to throw out there.

We hung out and watched stupid movies, Dee answered, giving me a slight smile as she tucked a shiny black curl behind her ear. It was kind of boring.

Lesa snorted. You guys are always boring.

I started to smile, but a warm tingle skated across the nape of my neck. The conversation around me faded and a few seconds later, Daemon dropped into the seat to my left. A plastic cup full of strawberry smoothie—my favorite—was set in front of me. I was more than a little shocked to be receiving any present from Daemon, much less one of my favorite treats. My fingers brushed his as I took the drink, and a jolt of electricity danced along my skin.

I yanked my hand back and took a small sip. Delish. Maybe it would make my tummy feel better. And maybe I could get used to this new gift-giving Daemon. Much better than the other douchebag version of him. Thank you.

He smiled in response.

Where’re ours? Lesa quipped.

Daemon laughed. I’m only at the service of one person in particular.

My cheeks flamed as I scooted my chair over. You are not servicing me in any way.

He leaned in, closing my newly gained distance. Not yet.

Oh, come on, Daemon. I’m right here. Dee frowned. You’re about to make me lose my appetite.

Like that will ever happen, Lesa retorted with an eye roll.

Daemon pulled a sub out of his bag. Only he could skip fourth period early to get lunch and not end up in detention. He was just so…special. Every girl at the table, besides his sister, was staring at him. Some of the guys were, too.

He offered his sister an oatmeal cookie.

Don’t we have plans to make? Carissa asked, two bright spots coloring her cheeks.

Yep, Dee said, grinning at Lesa. Big plans.

I wiped a hand over my damp, clammy forehead. What plans?

Dee and I were talking in English about throwing a party the week after next, Carissa jumped in. Something—

Huge, Lesa said.

Small, Carissa corrected, eyes narrowing on her friend. Just something with a few people.

Dee nodded, and her bright green eyes glimmered with excitement. Our parents are going to be out of town Friday, so it works out perfectly.

I glanced at Daemon. He winked. My stupid heart skipped a beat.

That’s so cool that your parents are letting you have a party at your house, Carissa said. Mine would stroke out if I even suggested something like that.

Dee shrugged one shoulder and looked away. Our parents are pretty cool.

I forced my expression blank as a pang hit me in the chest. I truly believed Dee wanted her parents alive more than she wanted anything else in this world. And maybe even Daemon, too. Then he wouldn’t bear the weight of being responsible for his family.

During the time we’d spent together, I’d figured out most of his bad attitude was because of all the stress. And there was his twin brother’s death…

The party became the topic of discussion at the table for the rest of the lunch period. Which was kind of cool scheduling, since my birthday was the following Saturday. But by Friday, the party would be all over the school. In a town where drinking in a cornfield was the height of excitement on a Friday night, no way was this going to stay a small party. Did Dee realize that?

You okay with all of this? I whispered to Daemon.

He shrugged. Not like I can stop her.

I knew he could if he wanted, which meant he didn’t have a problem with it.

Cookie? he offered, holding a cookie full of chocolate chips.

Upset tummy or not, there was no way I could refuse that. Sure.

His lips tipped up one side and he leaned toward me, his mouth inches from mine. Come and get it.

Come and get…? Daemon placed half the cookie between those full, totally kissable lips.

Oh, holy alien babies everywhere…

My mouth dropped open. Several of the girls at the table made sounds that had me wondering if they were turning into puddles under the table, but I couldn’t bring myself to check out what they really were doing.

That cookie—those lips—were right there.

Heat swept over my cheeks. I could feel the eyes of everyone else, and Daemon… Dear God, Daemon arched his brows, daring me.

Dee gagged. I think I’m going to hurl.

Mortified, I wanted to crawl in a hole. What did he think I was going to do? Take the cookie from his mouth like something straight out of an R-rated version of Lady and the Tramp? Heck, I kind of wanted to, and I wasn’t sure what that said about me.

Daemon reached up and took the cookie. There was a gleam to his eyes, as if he’d just won some battle. Time’s up, Kitten.

I stared at him.

Breaking the cookie in two, he handed me the larger piece. I snatched it away, half tempted to throw it back in his face, but it was… it was chocolate chip. So I ate it and loved it.

Taking another sip of my smoothie, I felt unease skitter along my spine like I was being watched. Glancing around the cafeteria, I expected to find Daemon’s alien ex-girlfriend giving me her trademark bitch look, but Ash Thompson was chatting with another boy. Huh. Was he a Luxen? There weren’t many their age, but I doubted Ash, in all her supremeness, would be smiling at a human boy. My gaze moved away from their table, scanning the rest of the cafeteria.

Mr. Garrison stood by the double doors to the library, but he was staring at a table full of jocks, who were making some intricate designs with their mashed potatoes. No one else even remotely looked in our direction.

I shook my head, feeling foolish for being weirded out over nothing. It wasn’t like an Arum was going to bum-rush the high school cafeteria. Maybe I was coming down with something. My hands shook a little as I reached for the chain around my neck. The obsidian was cool against my skin, comforting—a herald of safety. So I needed to stop freaking out. Maybe that was why I was lightheaded and dizzy.

It surely had nothing to do with the boy sitting beside me.

There were several packages waiting for me at the post office and I only barely squealed. They were advanced reader copies from other bloggers passing them along for review. And I was, like, whatever. Sure evidence I was coming down with mad cow disease.

The trip home was torturous. My hands felt weak. My thoughts were scattered. Gathering my mail close to my chest, I ignored the way the skin on the back of my neck tingled as I climbed the porch steps. And I also ignored six feet and then some of boy leaning against the railing.

You didn’t come straight home after school. Annoyance colored his tone. Like he was my own screwed up, super-hot version of the Secret Service and I’d managed to evade him.

I dug out my keys with my free hand. Obviously I had to go to the post office. I pushed open the door and dropped the pile on the table inside the foyer. Of course, he was right behind me, not waiting for an invite.

Your mail could’ve waited. Daemon followed me into the kitchen. What is it? Just books?

Grabbing the OJ from the fridge, I sighed. People who didn’t heart books didn’t understand. "Yeah, it was just books."

I know there probably aren’t any Arum around right now, but you can never be too careful, and you have a trace on you that will lead them right to our doorsteps. Right now, that’s more important than your books.

Nah, books were more important than the Arum. I poured myself a glass, too tired to get into it with Daemon. We hadn’t mastered the art of polite conversation yet. Drink?

He sighed. Sure. Milk?

I gestured at the fridge. Help yourself.

You offered. You’re not going to get it for me?

I offered orange juice, I replied, taking my glass to the table. You picked milk. And keep it down. My mom’s asleep.

Muttering under his breath, he grabbed a glass of milk. As he sat beside me, I realized he was wearing black sweats, which reminded me of the last time he’d been in my house dressed like that. We’d gotten into it. Our argument had turned into a steamy make out session straight from one of those cheesy romance novels I read. The encounter still kept me up late at night. Not that I’d ever admit it.

It was so hot. Daemon’s alien mojo had blown most of the lightbulbs in the house and had fried my laptop. I really missed my laptop and my blog. Mom promised me a new computer for my birthday. Two more weeks…

I fiddled with my glass, not looking up. Can I ask you a question?

Depends, he replied smoothly.

Do you…feel anything around me?

Other than what I felt this morning when I saw how good you looked in those jeans?

Daemon. I sighed, trying to disregard the girl in me that screamed, HE NOTICED ME! I’m being serious.

His long fingers idly traced circles on the wooden table. The back of my neck gets all warm and tingly. Is that what you’re talking about?

I peeked up. A half smile played across his lips. Yeah, you feel it, too?

Whenever we’re near.

It doesn’t bother you?

Does it bother you?

I wasn’t sure what to say. The tingling wasn’t painful or anything, just weird. But what it symbolized did bother me—the damn connection we knew nothing about. Even our hearts were beating the same.

It could be a…side effect of the healing. Daemon watched me over the rim of his glass. I bet he’d look hot with a milk mustache. Are you feeling well? he asked.

Not really. Why?

You look like crap.

Any other time his comment would’ve started a war in this house, but I just set my half-empty glass down. I think I’m coming down with something.

His brows furrowed. The concept of being sick was foreign to Daemon. The Luxen didn’t get sick. Like, ever. What’s wrong with you?

I don’t know. I probably got alien cooties.

Daemon snorted. Doubtful. I can’t afford for you to be sick. We need to get you outside and try to work your trace off. Until then, you’re a—

If you say I’m a weakness, I will hurt you. Anger pushed down the nausea in my stomach. "I think I proved that I’m not, especially when I led Baruck away from your house and I killed him. I struggled to keep my voice low. Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I’m weak."

He sat back, brows inching up his forehead. "I was going to say that until then, you’re at risk."

Oh. My cheeks flushed. Whoops. Well, then, I’m still not weak.

One second Daemon was sitting at the table and the next he was beside me, kneeling down. He had to look up slightly to see my face. I know you’re not weak. You’ve proven yourself. And what you did this weekend, tapping into our powers? I still can’t figure out how that happened, but you’re not weak. Ever.

Whoa. It was hard to stick to my resolve of not caving to the ridiculous notion of us being together when he was actually…nice, and when he stared at me like I was the last piece of chocolate in the whole world.

Which made me think of that damn chocolate chip cookie in his mouth.

The side of his lips twitched, as if he knew what I was thinking and was fighting a smile. Not that little smirk of his, but a real smile. And suddenly he was standing, towering over me. Now I need you to prove you’re not weak. Get off your butt and let’s work off some of that trace.

I groaned. Daemon, I’m really not feeling well.

Kat…

And I’m not saying that to be difficult. I feel like hurling.

He folded his muscular arms, stretching his Under Armour shirt across his chest. It’s not safe for you to be running around when you look like a damn lighthouse. As long as you carry the trace, you can’t do anything. Go anywhere.

I pushed up from the table, ignoring the rolling in my stomach. I’ll get changed.

Surprise widened his eyes as he stepped back. Caving in so easily?

Caving in? I laughed without feeling. I just want you out of my face.

Daemon chuckled deeply. Keep telling yourself that, Kitten.

Keep using your ego steroids.

In a blink of an eye, he was in front of me, blocking my exit. Then he prowled forward, head lowered and eyes full of intent. I backed up until my hands found the edge of the kitchen table.

What? I demanded.

Placing his hands on either side of my hips, he bent forward. His breath was warm against my cheek and our eyes locked. He moved a fraction of an inch closer, and his lips brushed my chin. A strangled gasp escaped the back of my throat, and I swayed toward him.

A heartbeat later, Daemon pulled back, chuckling smugly. Yeah…not my ego, Kitten. Go get ready.

Dammit!

Giving him the finger, I left the kitchen and went upstairs. My skin still felt clammy and gross, and it had nothing to do with what happened, but I changed into a pair of sweats and a thermal. Running was the last thing I wanted to do. Not like I expected Daemon to care I wasn’t feeling well.

He only cared about himself and his sister.

That’s not true, whispered an insidious, annoying voice in my head. But maybe that voice was correct. He had healed me when he could’ve left me to die, and I had heard his thoughts, heard him begging me not to leave him.

Either way, I had to swallow the urge to puke and go for a fun jog. Some sixth sense knew this wasn’t going to end well.

2

I lasted twenty minutes.

With the uneven terrain of the woods, the brisk November wind, and the boy next to me, I couldn’t do it. Leaving him halfway to the lake, I speed walked all the way back to the house. Daemon called out to me a couple of times, but I ignored him. Within a minute of reaching my bathroom, I threw up—the clutching-the-toilet, on-my-knees, tears-streaming-down-my-face kind of hurling. It was so bad I woke up Mom.

She hurried into the bathroom, pulling my hair back. How long have you been feeling sick, honey? A few hours, all day, or just now?

Mom—ever the nurse. On and off all day, I moaned, resting my head against the tub.

Tsking under her breath, she placed her hand against my forehead. Honey, you’re burning up. She grabbed a towel and ran it under the tap. I should probably call in to work—

No, I’m okay. I took the towel from her, pressing it against my forehead. The coolness was wonderful. It’s just the flu. And I feel better already.

Mom clucked over me until I got up and took a shower. Changing into a long sleep shirt took an absurd amount of time. The room did a Tilt-a-Whirl on me as I climbed under the covers, and I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for Mom to return.

Here’s your phone and some water. She placed both on the table and sat beside me. Open up. Prying one eye open, I saw a thermometer shoved at my face. I obediently opened my mouth. Depending on how high your temperature is, we will determine if I’m staying home, she told me. It’s probably just the flu, but…

Mmm, I groaned.

She gave me a bland look and waited until the thing beeped. One hundred and one. I want you to take this. Pausing, she handed me two pills. I downed them, no questions asked. The temp isn’t that bad, but I want you to stay in bed and rest. I’ll call and check on you before ten, okay?

I nodded and then snuggled down. Sleep was all I needed. She folded up another damp cloth and placed it over my forehead. I closed my eyes, almost certain I was approaching stage one of a zombie infection.

A weird fog entered my brain. I slept, waking up once to check in with Mom, and then again past midnight. The nightshirt was damp, clinging to my feverish skin. I went to push the blankets off and noticed they were across the room, covering my cluttered computer desk.

Cold sweat dotted my forehead as I sat up. My thumping heart echoed in my head, heavy and erratic. Two beats at once, it seemed. My skin felt stretched tight over my muscles—hot and prickly. I stood, and the room spun.

I was so hot, burning up from the inside. My insides felt as if they’d melted into goo. My thoughts ran into one another, a never-ending train of nonsense. All I knew was that I needed to cool down.

The door to the hallway swung open, beckoning me. I didn’t know where I was going, but I stumbled down the hall and then downstairs. The front door was like a beacon, promising relief. It would be cold outside. Then I would be cold.

But it wasn’t enough.

I stood on the porch, the wind blowing my damp shirt and hair back. Stars lined the night sky, intensely bright. I lowered my gaze and the trees lining the road shifted colors. Yellow. Gold. Red. Then they turned a muted shade of brown.

I was dreaming, I realized.

In a daze, I stepped off the porch. Pieces of gravel poked at my feet, but I kept walking, the moonlight leading the way. Several times the world felt like it turned upside down, but I pushed on.

It didn’t take me long to reach the lake. Under the pale light, the onyx-colored water rippled. I moved forward, stopping when my toes sunk through loose dirt. Prickling heat scorched my skin as I stood there. Burning. Sweltering.

Kat?

Slowly, I turned. Wind whipped around me as I stared at the apparition. Moonlight sliced his face in shadows, reflecting in his wide, bright eyes. He couldn’t be real.

What are you doing, Kitten? Daemon asked.

He seemed fuzzy. Daemon was never fuzzy. Fast and blurry sometimes, yes, but never fuzzy. I…I need to cool down.

Understanding shot across his face. Don’t you dare go into that lake.

I moved backward. Icy water lapped at my ankles and then my knees. Why?

Why? He took a step forward. It’s too cold. Kitten, don’t make me come in there and get you.

My head throbbed. Brain cells were definitely melting. I sunk farther down. Cold water soothed the burning in my skin. It washed over my head, stealing my breath and the fire. The burn eased, nearly fading. I could stay under here forever. Maybe I would.

Strong, solid arms surrounded me, pulling me back to the surface. Frigid air rushed me, but my lungs were seared. I dragged in deep gulps, hoping to extinguish the flames. Daemon was pulling me out of the blessed water, moving so fast I was in the water one second and standing on shore the next.

What’s wrong with you? he demanded, grasping my shoulders and giving me a light shake. Have you lost your mind?

Don’t. I pushed at him weakly. I’m so hot.

His intense gaze drifted down to my toes. Yeah, you’re hot. The whole wet white shirt… It’s working, Kitten, but a midnight swim in November? That’s a little daring, don’t you think?

He wasn’t making sense. The reprieve was over, and my skin was burning again. I stumbled from his hands, back toward the lake.

His arms were around me before I took two steps, turning me around. "Kat, you can’t get in the lake. It’s too cold. You’re going to get sick. He brushed back the hair plastered to my cheeks. Hell—sicker than you already are. You’re burning up."

Something in what he said cleared a bit of the haze. I leaned into him, pressing my cheek into his chest. He smelled wonderful. Like spice and man. I don’t want you.

"Uh, now is not the time to get into that conversation."

This was just a dream. I sighed, wrapping my arms around his taut waist. But I do want you.

Daemon’s arms tightened around me. I know, Kitten. You aren’t fooling anyone. Come on.

Letting go, my arms hung limply at my sides. I…I don’t feel good.

Kat. He pulled back. Both hands were on my face, holding my head up. Kat, look at me.

I wasn’t looking at him? My legs gave out. And then there was nothing. No Daemon. No thoughts. No fire. No Katy.

…

Things were hazy, disjointed. Warm hands kept the hair back from my face. Fingers smoothed over my cheek. A deep voice spoke to me in a language that was musical and soft. Like a song, but…more beautiful and comforting. I sunk into the sound, lost for a little while.

I heard voices.

Once, I thought I heard Dee. You can’t. It’ll just make the trace worse.

I was moved around. Wet clothing stripped away. Something warm and soft slid over my skin. I tried talking to the voices around me, and maybe I did. I wasn’t sure.

At some point, I was wrapped in a cloud and carried somewhere. A steady heart beat under my cheek, lulling me until the voices faded and cool hands eventually replaced the warm ones. Bright lights intruded. I heard more voices. Mom? Mom sounded worried. She was talking to…someone. Someone I didn’t recognize. He had the cool hands. There was a prick in my arm, a dull pain that radiated to my fingers. More hushed voices, and then I heard nothing.

There was no day or night, but this weird in-between where a fire raged in my body. Then the cool hands were back, pulling my arm out from underneath the covers. I didn’t hear Mom as I felt the prick again on my skin. Heat swept inside me, rushing through my veins. Gasping, I arched my back off the bed, and a strangled scream escaped the back of my throat. Everything burned. A fire raged inside me ten times worse than before, and I knew I was dying. I had to be…

And then there was a coolness in my veins, like a rush of winter’s air. It moved quickly, dousing the flames and leaving a trail of ice in its wake.

The hands moved to my neck, tugging something up. A chain…my necklace? The hands were gone, but I felt the obsidian humming, vibrating above me. And then I slept for what felt like an eternity, not certain I was ever going to wake up.

Four days of being in the hospital, and I had next to no recollection of any of it. Only that I woke up Wednesday in an uncomfortable bed, staring at a white ceiling and feeling fine. Great, even. Mom had been by my side, and it took a hefty amount of bitching to get released after I spent all day Thursday telling anyone who came within a block of my door that I wanted to go

Reviews for Onyx

[iwriteinbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Teenage romance is hard.You know what makes it so much harder?When your sort of, kind of, maybe boyfriend is an alien.That's Katy (book blogger turned action hero) is grappling with in the second volume of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Lux series.I mostly love this book and the continuing story. There is a lot of passion and even more adventure. The world and concept is complex and my sci-fi heart loves all of that.I have a few relationship and human dynamics quibbles, though.This is not unique to Armentrout not to this series.But I really don't love the whole "He hates me and loves me at the same time and I just don't know what to do!" issue. It's not as bad as Twilight, say, or Beauty and The Beast.No, there are some life threatening reasons for Katy's out of this world beaux being over protective and moody. I mean, I get it. And the attitude stops fairly early on.However, just given my field, it kept throwing up red flags and was distracting. He's a good guy which makes the red flags all that more concerning. While everything works out in the fiction sense, I feel like I just need to say that most guys who are trouble at the start, are not instantly going to change for a partner.Ok, I have said my thing. That annoyance aside, I really do enjoy this series and I'll probably finish the other two books, this week.

[itsbookishme · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can someone get these heroines some self-esteem and listening skills to go with it. I love this second installment of the Lux series but man Katy drove me shit bonkers this time around. I wanted to slap her upside the head many times. It was so obvious how Daemon felt about her but it was like she wasn't hearing him. He tries so hard to protect her but she wouldn't give him the chance some of the time, okay I know she's a strong character and can handle herself but she's in his world and he knows the danger more than she can imagine.

Katy screws up big time and I was doing the, I told you so, you should have gotten your head out of your ass and listen and not be so damn stubborn. I'm not sure why Katy fought Daemon at every turn, when he was trying do right by her and his sister Dee, was she afraid to deal with her feelings for him?, was she worried he didn't feel the same way?(even though he tells and shows her many times), or did she just had a hard time accepting it and was afraid to take a chance. She claims she doesn't run away from difficult things but she kept running away from Daemon. She even kept important alien, life and death info from him(really?), if she finds out something important i'm thinking "oh good, she's on her way to tell him" but nooo she sees him and runs the other way because can't deal with him now(Huh?). She constantly picks a fight(even though Daemon likes that about her) rather than peacefully talking things out and is always lying about her feelings, which I think she really started believe herself. Another big thing about Katy his she tends to not follow her instincts, woman's intuition, evil could be staring her in the eye and she knows it but she tells herself she's it's just paranoid or it's Daemon's paranoia influence or she just completely blocks it out, it seems.

This book was still pretty funny, especially Daemon's dislike for Bleck, Boob, Flake, oh yeah, Blake. I'm sure Daemon knew Blake's name but for his life he would not call him anything but, it was so funny. This book was a lot more action packed. Daemon was redeemed and was still a dickhead at times but also still swoon worthy as Katy might describe some of the male heroes from the books she blogs about. Love it, even with Katy's mind boggling choices.

Now to waiting for the third installment.

[ishanella · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After breezing through the first book, I started this one with high hopes and almost lost it when I smelled this hint of a love triangle (thankfully, that was not the case).

Overall, I didn't find the story as intriguing as the first book, my assumption is that it was an information dump to set up the rest of the books. Still, it's left me curious enough for the rest of the series.

[cool2mom2e · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great series but not for young teens

While I did like this story and characters a lot, it was not for a young audience. The language and detailed descriptions of the relationships in the book were not appropriate for a young audience.

[CRYSTAL-LEIGH BARNES · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Katy grated my nerves. I wish they had more of Blake. Like more as in relationship. Or trial of one. That could have also been a driving force of payback to have her captured I though.

[becky_jean_12 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not sure why I read this one since I HATED the first one, but I did. And to the author's credit, this book was marginally better than the first one.

I had difficulty making sense of and connecting to the characters, which I think was my main problem with this story. Daemon was somewhat less of a jerk in this one, but I find Armentrout's stances on love to be highly questionable. ("He's been bringing you stuff to school, I've never seen him act like that with anyone." SERIOUSLY?)

During most of the book, Daemon keeps shouting at Katy to trust him. And, okay, so most of the book's problems would have been solved if she had done so, but the face remains that HE IS A DOUCHEBAG. I can't blame Katy for not trusting him, regardless of how many crappy presents he drags to school. Not to mention that even the seductive side of Daemon majorly skeeves me out. He reads like a middle-aged woman's fantasy more than a legitimate teenage boy:
His lips tipped up one side and he leaned toward me, his mouth inches from mine. “Come and get it.”


I have to be honest, I'm not getting the appeal of this series. The alien angle is sort of new and interesting, but pretty much everything seems to be taking a backseat to the Katy/Daemon lovefest. The last 1/4th of the book had some major plot progress going down (FINALLY!) but the first 3/4ths of the book have absolutely nothing happening, other than the will-they-won't-they business with Katy and Daemon.

Reading this book has got me wondering, though: has anybody out there read any GOOD sci-fi YA that has to do with aliens? It must exist...but I'm not sure this series is it.

[ray_-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow I'm on a roll!
Rating 3.75 I guess?

This book was better than the first, it was more action packed, it introduced me more to the whole alien thing that's going on in it and added more to the equation.
There are definitely more questions that need answering now, and more things to be worried about and I really like that.
While I felt that the first book was more concentrated on the characters and their own development, this one was more about the plot.
I admit, at the end things were left all over the place, but it made me want to continue on with the series even more.

All in all this was a fun read, I'm starting to understand all the hype about the Lux series now, it's quite good!

[jonez-6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 - A tad predictable, but a good and fast read.


I am not a fan of the romance, but then again I don't read sci-fi, paranormal or fantasy for the romance's, usually. I read them for the plot line, and while this had one it was a tad shaky. Most of it relied on Katy making a lot of idiotic and spur of the moment decisions, some of which had some pretty serious consequences. Not to mention I am pretty sure this chick is void of any gut instincts. I guess that is a good way to keep the action going. Most people wouldn't want to read a suspenseful book where the protagonist says things like "I am not going in there", "I ain't helping any strangers", "Yeah, sounds dangerous, no thanks." I guess if the book was about me as a protagonist in these situations we would have a 30 page book. It would end the first second shit got REAL. :D I digress. The book itself is a quick read and JLA has an amazing ability to suck you into a book with her writing. I will most likely continue with the series, because sometimes I like to read books that don't require me to think on a deeper level. This is missing actual science and common sense, and has a lot of twists and turns in the action (even if predictable at times) so I would still recommend it and I will most likely continue on with the series.

[gigisiriereads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can someone get these heroines some self-esteem and listening skills to go with it. I love this second installment of the Lux series but man Katy drove me shit bonkers this time around. I wanted to slap her upside the head many times. It was so obvious how Daemon felt about her but it was like she wasn't hearing him. He tries so hard to protect her but she wouldn't give him the chance some of the time, okay I know she's a strong character and can handle herself but she's in his world and he knows the danger more than she can imagine.

Katy screws up big time and I was doing the, I told you so, you should have gotten your head out of your ass and listen and not be so damn stubborn. I'm not sure why Katy fought Daemon at every turn, when he was trying do right by her and his sister Dee, was she afraid to deal with her feelings for him?, was she worried he didn't feel the same way?(even though he tells and shows her many times), or did she just had a hard time accepting it and was afraid to take a chance. She claims she doesn't run away from difficult things but she kept running away from Daemon. She even kept important alien, life and death info from him(really?), if she finds out something important i'm thinking "oh good, she's on her way to tell him" but nooo she sees him and runs the other way because can't deal with him now(Huh?). She constantly picks a fight(even though Daemon likes that about her) rather than peacefully talking things out and is always lying about her feelings, which I think she really started believe herself. Another big thing about Katy his she tends to not follow her instincts, woman's intuition, evil could be staring her in the eye and she knows it but she tells herself she's it's just paranoid or it's Daemon's paranoia influence or she just completely blocks it out, it seems.

This book was still pretty funny, especially Daemon's dislike for Bleck, Boob, Flake, oh yeah, Blake. I'm sure Daemon knew Blake's name but for his life he would not call him anything but, it was so funny. This book was a lot more action packed. Daemon was redeemed and was still a dickhead at times but also still swoon worthy as Katy might describe some of the male heroes from the books she blogs about. Love it, even with Katy's mind boggling choices.

Now to waiting for the third installment.

[sugarpeach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Lux series. I won the first one, Obsidian, started reading it, and was instantly hooked onto the story. This second book is no different. I couldn't put the Kindle down until I had read all 416 pages of it. The characters, action, suspense, mystery, and not forgetting the tension and romance were as good as ever.I received the review copy of this book when I signed up for the 30 Days of Daemon tour. For that tour, I posted my favorite Daemon quotes and moments taken from both Obsidian and Onyx. For some reason, ever since I posted that in May last year, that post has been a top post every week (I don't get it actually, I get that he is supposed to be an attractive character, but I don't understand the level of Daemon fandom...). Even until now. I intended to post the review for the book, I even wrote the draft, but I didn't publish it. So, this is my second attempt at reviewing this book.Daemon has changed so much in this book. It's actually kind of freaky the way he gets so caring and thoughtful. His kind gestures will make you go "aww". But, I missed the Daemon in Obsidian. Yes, he was more unapproachable and somewhat of a jerk, but that was him. He was blunt, teasing, nonchalant, uncaring, and mean. His character does a nearly 180° turn in this book. It takes quite a bit of getting used to, but I guess it wouldn't harm if this softer side of him continues to show.Katy was very different as well, and not in a good way. She was constantly pushing Daemon away and making up the flimsiest excuse of why they cannot be together. It was irritating and annoying. She made stupid decisions that endangered her life and the lives of those around her. She held company with the new boy, Blake, who doesn't exactly scream trustworthy. She was stubborn and pig-headed. I liked her Obsidian character better. Yes, she is still a book blogger and that was a little redeeming quality, but I wished someone would just shake some sense into her.Just like in Obsidian, there were shockers in Onyx as well. Like the person Katy saw. Before reading the book, I had a guess about the character and my guess was partly correct. The suspense was an absolute killer. As expected, the ending was a cliffhanger. The story literally ended on the climax, or at least one of the climaxes, and I found myself groaning in disappointment. I cannot stand books that have no sure ending, but this was different. Thankfully the ending wasn't a bleak and hopeless one. Instead it was a bittersweet ending.The romance was one of the two good parts. Even if I wished that Katy had better reaction, I still thought it adorable the way Daemon chased after her. I doubt the macho Daemon realized his gestures were cute. He has this tough guy image, but around Katy, he becomes a softy. And although it shouldn't be so, his jealousy was amusing (intentionally forgetting Blake's name aka calling him different names starting with B?). It was so obvious and I don't know how Katy could be so mean as to let him stew in it!The other good part is the action. There were two major situations. I cannot go much into them without giving spoilers. Let's just say there was plenty of worry, angst, determination, fighting, anything good in an action that you can think of. While much of the story focused on Daemon and Katy's chemistry, there were sufficient parts devoted to the action. And my, was the action good!Conclusion: I loved reading Onyx. It has romance in it and the usual young adult themes, but it remains relatively clean, which was actually quite surprising for me. There weren't many kissing scenes, which could be a disappointment for some. I can't wait to read the third book, Opal. I'm off to order it as soon as I'm done with this review. I've read the reviews of it and while I'm not looking forward to the cliffhanger in it, I'm looking forward to the further development in the whole DOD vs. Luxen thing and the "how" about the person who was seen alive by Katy in this book. If you know me, I try to stay away from science fiction books, but the Lux series is definitely an exception!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[allaissa-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing. There is no other way to put it. Jennifer L. Armentrout delivers yet another brilliantly entertaining book that fans will most certainly devour. I definitely devoured it – I finished the whole book within 2 sittings. This book had so much tension in it, it was crazy. There were times when i wanted to throw it at the wall, but the ending, in my opinion, was amazing- sad, exhilarating, and left you wanting to start Opal(Book 3) the same second you finished reading the last words on it,but nonetheless amazing. It's a fantastic series that I recommend to everyone. The Lux series is just magnificent!

[v_allery · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Onyx seemed a little more boring than Obsidian - Kat & Daemon, it seems, kept having the same conversation over and over and over again... Who the bad guys were was clear from the first pages - no surprises there. Dee was basically written out of the second book, which once again showed the stupid stereotype about a teenage girl with a hot boyfriend/new crush/alien problems that forgets about her best friend. The first book really did seem what Twilight should have been like, but Onyx was even less exciting... And as much as I wanted to feel those sparks between Kat & Daemon - I couldn't. Felt more chemistry between Dee & Adam, really. The plot continuous to be quite interesting, though. I want to know where the story is going with the DOD, what really happened to Dawson (though it's not that hard to guess and how Kat will coexist with the nicer brother.

[thereadingrebel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After being healed by Daemon after almost dying by the hand of an Arum,Katy has Daemon's abilities. With the threat of both the Arum and the Department of Defense(DOD),Daemon and Katy's growing feelings for each other and a new guy in town called Blake, you never know what is going to happen.The DOD played a huge role in this book. I thought the Luxen were naive to think that the DOD didn't know about their abilities. You learn a lot about the Alien Connection between Katy and Daemon which linked her to Daemon and gave her his abilities and what it means for both of them. The new guy Blake added a lot of drama and angst between Katy and Daemon. Plus them not communicating and Katy lying about her feelings for Daemon annoyed me and to me was the only downfall to the book and why I took off a half star. I also hated Blake. I loved watching Katy learn how to use her abilities and becoming confident in them.Katy is in denial. She is madly in love with Daemon and just because their love is different from her parents doesn't mean it is not love. When Katy finally admits she has feelings for Daemon to herself is on of my favorite parts and think it was a big step for her. I fell head over heels in love with Daemon. That Thanksgiving scene. Swoon-worthy and Romantic. I also love how protective Daemon is over Katy and how he is trying to make up for treating her badly in book 1. I do wish we saw more of Dee in this book. I missed her cheerfulness.JLA is great at shocking and surprising you but I did see a few things coming. JLA has yet to let me down and I always get a fast paced read with strong intelligent but imperfect heroines,swoon-worthy heroes who love the heroine passionately and respect her,supporting characters you love and hate,and shocks and surprising plot twists. I love this book and can't wait to read book 3.Rating: 4.5 out of 5Content Rating: PG-13Keeper: Yes

[schatzi_5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hmmm...Okay, I can see why these books get a lot of attention from those who read young adult books. It's basically a somewhat better written version of Twilight with aliens. And I have the same problems with this series as I did with the Twilight series.I just cannot force myself to like the character of Daemon. I know that other readers view him as a "bad boy" type, which many find attractive, but I simply can't get past his controlling nature. He tells Katy what to do, where to be, and who to hang out with throughout the book, and all for "her own good." Yes, he does have his reasons, but that's simply not okay to do in my book. And some of his reasons are downright selfish; when Katy goes out on a date with someone else, Daemon shows up and makes an ass of himself. In a few instances, he actually threatens the other guy with bodily harm, or possibly death, because he's hanging out with Katy. What. That is not okay. And then, of course, the other guy turns out to be a baddie, so Daemon is cast in a better light for his serious anger issues, because it was all for Katy's safety!!!1!!one!!!! Gag.Katy, fortunately, doesn't listen to Daemon and kind of pushes him away because of it, even though she still angsts about him and their doomed love that must still be. But what I really hated was, in the end, Daemon was right about everything and Katy, for asserting her independence from him, was wrong about everything. And she felt guilty about that. Look, she didn't kill anyone, and she had no way of really knowing, with the evidence she had, that things would happen as they did. Yes, my own sensors about Blake were going off, but I'm a reader, not a character. I can't fault Katy for the choices that she made in the book, and I'd like to hear some rational arguments from anyone who does. I can understand the "survivor's guilt" that Katy felt because of what happened, but it wasn't like she was responsible. And I hated that she felt that way.I personally find this series more interesting than Twilight, but I just don't like the "Daemon knows best so do what he says even though he's super controlling" aspect (which is the biggest problem I had with Edward, as well). At least Katy isn't too dumb to live, for the most part (she has her moments). I do like the character of Katy when she does assert herself; I just wish that she didn't get a figurative slap to the face so frequently when she does in any big way.

[margaraawr-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Daemon. Could you please be with me also when I'm giving thoughts about book? That is seriously so cute.

Moving on. Wow. Just wow. Katy's developing super galactic powers and suddenly she's being hunted and of course, my Daemon, oops Daemon is protecting her. and there goes everything. I'm so not good in writing reviews but really, this book is awesomesauce!

JLA is officially my favorite author right now!

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of course, once you read the first book, you have to continue and read the second just to find out what happens. This gets a little steamier, and I think it would be best to pass the series along to my high school.

[cynditefft · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great sequel to Obsidian! Katy is a fun character, but I had a hard time with her always pushing Daemon away for some made-up reason or another. Granted, he can be a totally immature goof (how many different ways can you screw up the name Blake, honestly?), but it was clear to everyone on the planet that he was into her prior to their connection, so I'm not sure why she latched onto that as an excuse to push him away.

And I'll admit there were times when I really wanted to slap her for going to Blake first instead of talking to Daemon, but aside from Katy's poor choices, the book was great.

There was so much action! It was non-stop, one heart-pounding scene after another.

And that Thanksgiving scene was so tender and romantic. *swoon*

Really looking forward to the next in this series!

[vanyadrum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say? I am in love with this series, and with Daemon. Duh!
Honestly, I like the Lux series more than the Covenant... Greek mythology somehow can't capture my attention all that much. But aliens??? Heck yeah!

So, in this installment, we get to see a lot more of the good side of Deamon. I mean, he has his jerk-o moments, and I love him for those too! But also, there are those sweet moments, when I just wanted to kiss him senseless. Or be kissed senseless, doesn't matter. Not really. LOL

Anyway, Onyx is the turning point of this series, I think. So many things happen, so many fates are changed, that the reader is about to explode! Even though I'd known what was to happen, sort of, I was totally surprised by HOW it happened and WHY. I was left with my mouth hanging open for more when I finished the last page, and gosh! I just couldn't handle to wait and got into Opal right away. Addictive much?

Definito!

At first, I can't say I liked Katy much. I mean, she insisted she trusted Daemon, but did all the things he told her not to. Sure, she didn't want to be bossed around, but hello! It never occured to her that all those suspicious things she noticed, might be actually a warning she should heed! Grrr!!! Poor Daemon, and Dee, and even Ash and Andrew!

Blake was sort of a likeable character at first. But then he started doing tricks to Katy (which she totally ignored as legit signs that he wasn't totally honest) and I could hardly stand him! But dang! I don't think Blake was guilty of what happened. He was sort of pushed to the edge. I believe all the events fall on Katy. *sigh* Why is it always the girl who should bear the guilt on her shoulders is beyond me.

Well, in my opinion, Onyx couldn't be written any better. I enjoyed every bit of it. So... if you haven't yet read it, go do that now.

[mvthebookbabe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.For Onyx, I was still at the point of devouring this series- they were just a lot of fun to read, and I was enjoying myself. Like I said in my review of the first book, I feel like Katy is just a filler character. I don't really feel her development, and I don't particularly care for her, to be honest. She's just sort of there. And no, I'm still not really all that sold on her being a "book blogger".I do still think that Katy & Daemon's chemistry is awesome, and in this one the heat was really turned up! Their chemistry was smoking, and while I didn't really care for the angst angst angst side of the story, it did make the chemistry more fun. I was totally telling Katy that she should just give in already!!But as much as I was telling Katy to give in.... I do still think that Daemon is a douche. I mean, the way he does things and just everything... it's just, well, for lack of a better word, it's douchy. I want them to be together, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he just kind of annoys me.I liked that this one had a little bit more of a mystery, and I'll be the first to admit that I didn't really know what was going to happen with that. I ran several theories through my head, but I don't think that there was every any that truly measured up to what happened. It was a good change, that's for sure!The introduction of Blake was a nice twist, and I wasn't sure whether or not to trust him. I mean, I wanted to.. and I kind of did, but he was truly a wild card. I think that the quasi-love triangle that was tried out was ridiculous, though. I wish that JLA had just left well enough alone, and just kept the angst without the added drama of trying to make Daemon jealous.I missed Dee in Onyx, she was so prevalent in the first book - and suddenly it's like she's hanging out with other people instead of Katy. Her presence was dearly missed.All in all, Onyx was a good continuation of the Lux series, and I'd recommend it as a fun read.

[emmytuck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

**3.5**

Another solid 3.5 for the sequel. I was very hopeful for how this one would play out - thinking it had the potential to be better than Obsidian, but a number of the conflicts that ended up keeping Katy and Daemon apart throughout most of the book, were based on misunderstandings and not talking to each other - which is not a trope that I like. I also think this book could have benefited from some of Daemon's POV, as there were times when his behavior wasn't as understandable to me as in the first book.

Overall though, an entertaining read that I finished in two sittings. I will definitely be moving on to the next one.

I should mention that Onyx, like Obsidian, ended with a cliffhanger/lack of closure. This is yet another device that I don't appreciate and I am a little worried that the author will continue doing it throughout the entire series, which, I believe is planned to be 5 books. Based on the description for the 4th one though, I'm pretty sure the 3rd is a cliffhanger, so I'm not as excited about it as I could be. :(

[.riley. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The saga continues. Another great installment of The Lux series. I'm really enjoying it.

[tanat-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

review to come shortly

[diavoletto-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i cried for adam. i was really starting to like him

[shayanasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OH MY GOD!! I LOVE YOU DAEMON BLACK... YOU ARE AWESOME!*swoons* *hyperventilates*
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.
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Oh, who am I kidding? Like I will ever get over my Daemon swoonfest!! This book was awesome, even better than Obsidian. If you think you had a crush on the amazingly hot and annoying and jerk Daemon Black this new sweeter Daemon will blow your mind! He is just that awesome.

This book picks up where Obsidian left off with Katy and Daemon being bound by some freaky alien connextion after Daemon healed her. Daemon is not hiding his feelings for Katy anymore and she thinks this change in attitude has more to do with the alien mojo than what Daemon really feels. The book is pure YA. Superhot chemistry. Amazing drama. Hot sexual tension. Hilarious dialogues. And breathtaking action. I was hooked from the very first pen poke and until the last page. When the book was over my first thought was - now what the eff am I supposed to do until Opal comes out? The ending was so torturous I don't think I can last any longer without knowing what happens next!!


And that little extra from Daemon's point of view... Was Armentrout trying to make us all spontaneously combust? I would've fallen in love with Daemon just from that little bit if I had not already been head over heels. Seriously... Ms. Armentrout if you see dark shadows riaming around your house, they are not Arum. Just a fanatic me trying to find out what happens next!!

[lissaj_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book even better than Obsidian. The character development is consistent and I liked how the characters made mistakes and acknowledged them. The chemistry between the two main characters practically lept off of the page. I am definitly looking forward to the third installment.

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The chick in this story really got on my nerves. She chose the dumb option every time she was faced with a decision. I really wanted to buy her a clue. Daemon was amazing. He made the story great. I'm really interested to see what happens moving forward for everyone, especially with all that happening at the end.

[theyodamom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 Deamon, flairs hot and bright in this book. He gets to put his bedazzle on and I as many others liked it. This one sexy-yumific alien. He steps up and takes care of business, even dealing well with a crazy maybe girlfriend and her maybe semi- two timing ways. Really, it's complicated, you'll see.
It is a great edition to the series, a lot of hair pulling scenes and screaming obscenities moments from this reader. Oh it was so twisted, I loved it.

[marandaray · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I power read this, in a way few books have garnered. Like the first book, I read this nearly nonstop, and when I was not reading it I was thinking about reading it. Suffice to say it was great! This time around was so much more intense than in the first book, obsidian. The romance was steamier, the plot was thicker, and Daemon was hotter! Every chapter added its own amazing twist that our beloved couple had to deal with as they fought for and against love. Now granted some of it was easy to see coming, all the foreshadowing and such, but you really hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t be the way it appear. Alas, it was, which in its own way, was very heart wrenching, because even though you could see all of it coming, it added the whole fate vs. free will debate. I loathe fate vs. free will, not because it is a bad thing it just freaks me out. It suffocates me with the trapped feeling it creates, and trapped is a great way to describe some of the moods and feelings of Katy this time around. Now I love this book and the whole idea of alien forbidden love (and here comes the big ‘but’), but when it delved into how the DOD was bigger then the Luxen even know, I get a bit déjà vu. I don’t think it brings this book down, or makes it worse in any way, there is just a long list of books that fall right into this category, which caused me personally to play on the emotions gained from those books as opposed to this story solely.The fact that this book focused more on Katy and Daemon and the obstacles preventing their love is a bitter sweet, it is great from a romantic standpoint, because they are able to grow more, but some other characters get thrown to the wayside and are unable to grow, which is a bummer, because I personally like all the characters. It’s hard to not want to focus on the romance, though.Lastly, whence the whole love triangle reared its ugly head, I was skeptical of its usefulness, but I am very glad with the way Armentrout addresses and directs it. This in its self, earned much respect from me. As I have tried to repeat, this book was so great, in the skin tingling, shiver inducing reason that is both good and bad. So I definitely recommend it and the whole series so far.

[bornbookish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I almost gave this book four hearts instead of five because there were a few things I didn’t love about it. Then I was thinking, any book that roots you to a chair for eight hours because you can’t pull yourself away to sleep like a normal person, or has you seriously considering driving an hour to the nearest library that has a copy of the third book deserves the full five hearts!Now down to business, I want to apologize upfront if a few of my details are a little off. I read all three of these book so close together that they have become one big blur in my mind.It’s funny because Katy & Dameon pretty much switched places for me in this book. In the first one I really liked Katy and hated Dameon. In this one Katy bugged me a good three-quarters of the way through, while Dameon took a total 180 and was super sweet and not 98% jerk Dameon that we met in book one. We get introduced to some new characters in book two that bring along some interesting twists and turns I didn’t see coming. We also got to learn more about the Luxen race, their powers, and history, which I really enjoyed. Also, every little comment about book blogging brought a ridiculous smile to my face +DThere is SO much more I want to say but can't without spoilers so my lips are sealed!Overall, while it got off to a frustrating start it really picked up and easily became my favorite one in the series so far. Bring on book number three!

[eomalley_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had been looking forward to Onyx since the moment I finished Obsidian, anxious to know where the story of Daemon and Katy was going to head next. The intrigue, action and heat all increase in Onyx, yet there were definitely some issues that managed to keep me from falling completely in love with the story the way I did with Obsidian. Let’s start with the positives.

Storyline and character development are definitely Jennifer L. Armentrout’s strengths. Building on the foundation set with Obsidian, Armentrout manages to increase the danger and intrigue yet keep the tone from getting too dark, which is a huge accomplishment. Onyx focuses on the repercussions of Daemon’s efforts to save Katy in Obsidian. The power involved has caught the eye of the Department of Defense (DOD) and leads to a major change in Katy that will affect her life forever. As if that weren’t bad enough, the new guy at school is showing an interest in her, her mom has a new boyfriend, and someone who’s supposed to be dead suddenly reappears. Filled with twists, turns and shocking revelations the story races along and sets things up for some major confrontations between the Luxen and the DOD – with Katy caught in between.

The characters that we spend the most time with are well-developed and have depth to them. Katy, Daemon and new guy Blake are the centerpieces, holding everything together and providing a lot of the conflict. Blake and Daemon do NOT get along, but Katy barrels ahead anyway spending time with both. I liked the addition of Blake, even if I didn’t completely like him as a character. He is rash and manipulative, but a vein of desperation lies beneath it all. His actions are fully explained by the end but, while I found myself in sympathy with the reasons behind everything he did, his methods and the consequences of those actions were too drastic to ignore. Daemon continues to be one of the sexiest jerks around, and how Katy can continue to believe his feelings for her aren’t real is beyond me. He is such a strong character that he tends to dominate any scene he is in – even if he is just sitting and observing what is going on around him – but he shows vulnerability, especially when dealing with those he loves. He is one of the most protective male characters I’ve come across, yet that protectiveness also leads to impulsive and reckless actions that can have serious consequences. He needs someone strong to stand up to – and with him – and that is Katy. I had some real reservations about Katy in this book (more on that shortly), but there is no denying that she can hold her own with Daemon. Her snippiness is the perfect counterpoint to Daemon’s jabs, and she can be just as protective in her own way as Daemon is in his. Of course, one of the things I adore most about Katy is her love of books and blogging. It was great to recognize the little hints dropped in her conversations with Daemon about books that I have read and enjoyed, and to see the sheer joy she gets from just having books around her. I can’t help but relate to that aspect of her character.

Secondary characters didn’t have quite the depth of the primaries, but most of them showed enough shades to keep them interesting and enjoyable. I wish there had been more of Dee, but as Katy was struggling with everything that was going on and Dee was happily involved in a relationship they naturally pulled apart in this installment. The DOD characters did tend to fall a little too much towards the cardboard cut-out “bad guy” clichés, but since they weren’t in the story a great deal of the time the clichés quickly forged the sense of threat that was necessary to increase the tension of the story. Sometimes, clichés just work.

Sexual tension ran high in this book, as Daemon tried to make Katy realize he really did care for her. From bringing her dinner and stalking her blog, to a simple flower, Daemon did his best to let Katy know how important she was to him. He continues to show that no matter how much of a jerk he is (and he can be a BIG jerk), he loves deeply and protectively. One bruise on Katy could make him blow a gasket – and the number of times he was on the verge of beating Blake to a pulp were many. I have to say the bedroom scenes were my favorites though, with their combination of hot and sweet moments (but no sex – yet!). Daemon and Katy strike sparks whenever they are together.

The biggest problem I had with Onyx turned out to be Katy. I loved Katy in Obsidian, and there were points where she shined in Onyx, but she ended up making so many poor choices that my frustration with her character was too much to ignore. Time and time again she ignored her instincts about several characters, and time and time again it led to major problems – up to and including a tragic death. I have never seen a character work so hard to ignore what was right in front of her, the good and the bad. Every relationship she had came into question at some point (sometimes at many points), and almost always she choose the wrong answer. And when her choices blew up in her face, she STILL went back for more.

Here’s the second problem I had – Onyx had a very abrupt ending. I’m not talking cliffhanger here; I’m talking a sharp drop off the edge. The last few chapters had a lot of excitement and were action-packed, but I ended up feeling like they had been tacked on as an afterthought to give “just a little bit more” instead of ending the story on a more natural note. When I came to the end of chapter 32, it really felt to me like I had reached an ending point. Maybe it was the slightly hopeful tone at the end after the huge tragedy that had just occurred, but those last sentences felt like a perfect stopping point. The story continued on, however, some major action occurred, and a missing character returned – and the story ended right there, on a porch after a hug, with a question lingering in the air. It was quick and it felt off. Sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing.

With a great storyline that features twists and turns galore, danger, sexual tension and heartbreak, Onyx has the makings of greatness. But with a heroine who becomes a little too frustrating due to her many poor choices and an extremely abrupt ending, I just don’t feel comfortable bumping this to a full four stars. I’ll be waiting anxiously for December to see if Opal manages to make me as giddy as Obsidian did, so that I fall in love with this series all over again.