Obsidian

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hot alien, sassy blogger. And hot alien is a complete and total jerk. Sexual tension plus alien battle equals pretty good story.

Jennifer Armentrout is expert at this sort of thing. The aliens she creates here are very appealing, with an ability to bend and transform light. While it plays off the whole light equals good, dark equals bad cliche, it works. These aliens aren't just hot to look at, they're pretty in their natural form, and their language sounds like music. I want to be their friend. I want one for myself.

Katy is a well-written character. She's a bit insecure without being completely undone by it. It's clear that she covers her insecurity with some false bravado - but that's typical of any 17-year old. She's pretty without realising she's pretty, but this is done in a way that is also typical of any 17-year old, or really of any female in general. We all think we're too fat and too dull and that there's some fatal flaw in us. American girls have a very bad habit of standing in circles admiring each other, envying each other, and all thinking they are the worst of the bunch.

I like this about Katy. It makes her endearing and normal. She's someone I can imagine living down the street.

Daemon is decidedly not typical. And it is not at all typical that he keeps being drawn to Katy. I can believe Katy, I find it much harder to believe Daemon. I get why the story plays out as it does, but he isn't behaving the way a regular guy would. The sexy alien is all fiction. Hot, swoony fiction, but fiction nonetheless.

The secondary characters were well-drawn and not at all shallow. They were only explored as was necessary to the plot. So when things didn't focus on them that much, it was ok. They really were the accessories to the main event.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It was well-paced, the action alternating with the exchanges charged with all that sexual tension. Armentrout thought through the backstory; it all made sense. But let's face it, the romance is the central focus here. And in terms of a romance surrounded by a story about aliens, it's well done. It's what Armentrout is great at - romance.

All in all, a great read. I finished this in about 2 hours as a re-read. I liked it even better the second time. And although I've read all the books in the series up to this point, I am looking forward to the last one. Armentrout has a way of taking each plotline and changing it up just enough to make it interesting. And the characters continue to grow. Call it a guilty pleasure - I'm happy to go back and visit Daemon and Katy anytime.

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