Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout Review [Lux #3]

This is a spoiler free review! Spoilers from first two books!

Opal

Written by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction/Paranormal

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Pages: 382

Source: Library

Places to Get this Book: Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository

Recommended Age: 13 and up!

Summary:

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:

This is officially my new favorite series. I love the characters so much and the plot is fantastic. And the cliffhanger that ended this book has made me all kinds of mad. And frustrated. I need the next book but at the same time I don’t want the next book because it will make me closer to the end of the series and I want it to go on and on and on.

COVER

As usual I don’t really like these covers.  If they got cover changes I would be very happy. The covers show that Katy is someone who needs protecting at all times and can’t do anything on her own which makes me very upset because she can totally kick butt.  The spines do look really nice though so I’m happy about that.

WORLD-BUILDING

This is set on earth and there isn't much world-building because of that respect. But we get to see more of the secret government agencies and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Then there are the characters.

KATY

Katy has grown. She experienced so much in the last book; death and betrayal [loads of betrayal] so that has changed her into a harder person. She is now a person who is willing to do anything to save herself and the ones she loves even if it means hurting or even killing an innocent bystander. Katy also won’t take “no” for an answer and would not sit idly by while everyone else did all the dirty work. I am very proud of her and how much she has grown and changed.

DAEMON

Daemon has probably changed the most. He is no longer that arrogant person who is totally swoon-worthy at the same time. I mean he is still incredibly rude at times and he makes it known that he is in charge but he is also a lot nicer. You can tell he really cares about Katy and he is a lot more open. He shows more emotion, actually admits to being jealous and is a lot more friendly. We get to see him being sweet and even romantic at times but he often says something totally rude which ruins the moment.

I miss the bad-ass Daemon though. The one that could make you swoon by saying some snarky comment. The one that made you want to knock some sense into his brain but also the one whom made you gush and swoon. And the fact that he calls her kitten. Adorbs. Daemon is totally one of my book boyfriends and I love him to death.

DEE

Dee totally took her claws out in this one. I felt her pain over losing Adam and I totally supported her though I wished she would have stopped ignoring Katy. She knew what she wanted and she put her foot down about it, even though no one agreed with her. I really like her and hope to see more of her in the future.

BLAKE

I HATE BLAKE!! I knew he was no good and now he returned and that makes me so angry. How did they not see this coming? It was pretty damn obvious. I really wanted to like him because he seemed like he could be sweet but it was too good to be true. And that Killer Ending…

DAWSON

If I wasn’t head over heels for Daemon, I would totally be into Dawson. He was adorable and totally lovable. And Katy is totally on her way to becoming his best friends. Those movie nights were adorable. And when he talks about Beth. Swoon.

PLOT

I can't believe on most reviews, I forget to talk about the plot. The plot annoyed me just a little bit as sometimes there was nothing going on and other times there was a ton going on. But Jennifer L. Armentrout knows how to make her readers hold their breath and wait for what is going to happen. Whether it be good or bad. I was scared for what would happen as everything can’t be sunshine and happiness. Not after the aftermath of the last book. I did come up with some good ways of how to torture Blake for the horrors he put us through.

ROMANCE

The romance… Swoon. Seriously adorable and swoon-worthy at the same time. Finally my babies are together. I feel like both Daemon and Katy are better together and the sexual tension in the last two books was killing me. And Daemon was so overprotective and cute and ugh the feels.

And that ending/cliffhanger killed me. I wanted to believe it was a joke. But no. Well, you can’t expect they will be happy and dancing on rainbows cause that’s not how life works. Especially in this book. But that cliffhanger was horrible and I’m sure everyone just wants to beat Blake and lock him up somewhere. Preferably in Antarctica

.

WRITING

Love the writing. It is beautiful and simple and easy to read.

Final Thoughts:

This series is my favorite. I highly, highly recommend it. You can’t go wrong with this series. Just pick it up and give it a try. The characters are fantastic, the romance is adorable and the plot is unique. This is a series I want everyone reading and I hope you will try it and recommend it too.

Me after that Cliffhanger:

Quotes from the Book:

“I love you, Katy. Always have. Always will.”

“If wishes were fishes, we'd all throw nets.”

“You really shouldn’t trust a soul in this game. Not when everyone has something to gain or lose.”

“The guy just stood there. Hello. There’re zombies everywhere. Try looking behind you, douche canoe.”

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Crowns

COVER REVEAL: Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin & Tyler Jolley

Hey guys! Welcome to the stop on the cover reveal tour of Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler Jolley. I am so excited to share this cover with you guys. This is the first book in The Lost Imperials series. It is set to be published on September 8, 2016.

Before I reveal the cover, here is what Extracted is about:

Two opposing factions of time travelers vie for control of the future in this thrilling steampunk series opener dubbed “Interesting” and “Unexpected” by Kirkus Reviews.

Lex and Ember—two time travelers with no memories of their lives before being recruited into the time war—are torn between the factions. When Lex accepts a mission that lands him deep within the heart of the Telsa Institute, he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them comes flooding back. Now armed with the truth of who they were, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them once again.

ADD IT TO GOODREADS

PREORDER IT

AND NOW FOR THE BIG REVEAL

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AUTHOR BIO'S

Tyler H. Jolley is a sci-fi/fantasy author and full-time orthodontist, periodontist (see: Overachiever). He divides his spare time between writing, reading, mountain biking, and camping with his family.

TWITTER / BLOG / FACEBOOK

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

WEBSITE / GOODREADS / TWITTER / FACEBOOK

JULY BOOKS ON MY SHELF!

July Books on my Shelf!

I got this idea to call it Books on my Shelf from http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/

Today I am going to be doing my July To Be Read! I am going to California this month so I won't be able to blog much and I am not sure how much I will be reading. However, this is the list that I came up with. I requested a lot of these from the library there as I have a library card. I will probably read a couple more than these as I could be very bored there but we'll see. Anyways, let's get into my TBR!

The first book I have on this list is Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I started this book today and plan to finish it by tomorrow which may seem like an impossible feat but I will somehow complete it. I adore the Lux series and I can not wait to dive into this one. 

The second book I have on this list is House of the Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey. I bought this from Barnes and Noble this month and I am so excited to read it. It sounds like an exciting read and it is an Adult Fantasy/Adventure which is about pirates which I love.

The tiny nation of Swansgaard is a lovely place with abundant natural resources, including the royal family, which has been blessed with twelve daughters and a son. As this boisterous baker's dozen approaches adulthood, the king and queen lovingly tell their daughters, "You must make your own fortune, for we cannot enrich you without impoverishing our people or leaving our lands defenceless, and that we will not do."

Happily, the princesses of Swansgaard are eager to meet this challenge, for they yearn for adventures both near and far from home.

Clarice, an expert swordswoman, is the first to depart. Disguising herself as Clarence, she signs on for a voyage to the New World. The captain is vile and blackhearted, and the crew soon mutinies. Clarice becomes first mate - and finds her heart captured by the new captain, Dominick, who is, to his own surprise, increasingly attracted to Clarence.

Now outlaws, Dominick and his crew turn to piracy - though their hearts are not entirely in it. They soon run afoul of the Pirate Council, who orders them to retrieve the Heart of Light. All who have searched for this great treasure have vanished, with neither ships nor crews ever seen again and no sign of their fates ever discovered.

But none before have carried with them the sorceress Shamal, who stakes a claim of her own on Dominick's heart.

The third book I have on this list is Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey. I have had my eyes on this book since I saw it on the 2016 New Releases List. I requested this from a library in California and I am so excited to read it. A lot of people have also enjoyed it so I have high hopes.

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

The fourth book I have on this list is Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I saw the movie a couple months ago and since I read a classic every summer, I picked this one for this year's classic and I am excited to read it. 


Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. 

The fifth book I have on this list is The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine. I have had my eye on this book for a while and it has never appeared in the library and I don't want to buy it. But I am really excited to read this as it sounds like an interesting Snow White retelling. And Kol is a very interesting name plus he sounds really interesting himself. :) 

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

The sixth book I have on this list is A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann. This book says it is for fans of The Maze Runner and since that is one of my favorite series, I am so down to try this. 

Seventeen-year-old Anouk has finally caught the break she’s been looking for—she's been selected out of hundreds of other candidates to fly to France and help with the excavation of a vast, underground palace buried a hundred feet below the suburbs of Paris. Built in the 1780's to hide an aristocratic family and a mad duke during the French Revolution, the palace has lain hidden and forgotten ever since. Anouk, along with several other gifted teenagers, will be the first to set foot in it in over two centuries.

Or so she thought.

But nothing is as it seems, and the teens soon find themselves embroiled in a game far more sinister, and dangerous, than they could possibly have imagined. An evil spanning centuries is waiting for them in the depths. . .

A genre-bending thriller from Stefan Bachmann for fans of The Maze Runner and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods.

You cannot escape the palace.

You cannot guess its secrets.

The seventh book I have is Ash and Bramble by Sarah Prineas. This sounds like a darker version of Cinderella and I love fairytale retellings and this one sounds so intriguing. I can't wait. I might start with this one pretty quickly. 

A prince.

A ball.

A glass slipper left behind at the stroke of midnight.

The tale is told and retold, twisted and tweaked, snipped and stretched, as it leads to happily ever after.

But it is not the true Story.

A dark fortress.

A past forgotten.

A life of servitude.

No one has ever broken free of the Godmother’s terrible stone prison until a girl named Pin attempts a breathless, daring escape. But she discovers that what seems to be freedom is a prison of another kind, one that entangles her in a story that leads to a prince, a kiss, and a clock striking midnight. To unravel herself from this new life, Pin must choose between a prince and another—the one who helped her before and who would give his life for her. Torn, the only thing for her to do is trade in the glass slipper for a sword and find her own destiny.

The eighth book I have on this list is Lock and Mori by Heather W. Petty. This is a sort of Sherlock retelling and I am so down for that. A lot of people didn't like this one which makes me a little bit worried. 

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students—one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James “Mori” Moriarty—meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart.

Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more…

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London’s Regent’s Park. The police have no leads.

FACT: Miss James “Mori” Moriarty and Sherlock “Lock” Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock’s one rule—they must share every clue with each other—Mori is keeping secrets.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can’t trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again

The ninth book I have is The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I am so excited and it is amazing so far. Can't wait to finish it. 

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

The ninth book I have is The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker. This is the sequel to The Witch Hunter which I really enjoyed so I am so ready for this. 

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves.

JUNE WRAP-UP!

So, it's the end of the month and that means another wrap-up! I read a total of ten books this month which isn't too bad considering I had a ton of projects, exams and tests earlier this month. I am one and a half weeks into summer vacation and I'm already bored and starting to slow on updating my blog and reading which sucks. I'm also going to California next week so there will probably be no blogging for a month which also sucks. Now, without further ado, let's get on to the wrap-up.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first physical book I read was Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. This book was so sad but so beautiful and I read it while I was still in school. I adored the book and the characters and I became so attached to it.  I rated this book 5 out of 5 Crowns. I did a full book review of this book which I shall put at the bottom of this post.

The second book I read was Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. This was the second book in the Shatter Me trilogy and it was amazing. It had all I wanted in a sequel. I did change who I shipped with Juliette which was a little weird but I adored it. I rated the book 5 out of 5 Crowns.

The third physical book I read was The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey. I enjoyed this book as much as the first book. I rated this book 5 out of 5 Crowns.  I also did a full book review on this which I will put at the bottom of this post. 

The fourth physical book I read was Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I enjoyed this book so much. It was an amazing second book in the Lux series. I loved the characters so much and I rated this book 5 out of 5 Crowns. I also did a full book review on this which I will put at the bottom of this post. 

The fifth physical book I read was Crossing the Line by Meghan Rogers. This book was a lot better than I expected. It is basically a female James Bond and it was so good. I rated this book 5 out of 5 Crowns.

The sixth book I read was Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter. This book was really good and I ended up rating it 4 out of 5 Crowns. 

The seventh book I read was The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. I had heard horrible things about this book but I have had my eye on this book since the beginning of this year and I was not disappointed or fazed by other's opinions at all. This book turned out to be really enjoyable and I rated it 4 out of 5 Crowns. I am currently writing this review and should be up by tomorrow. 

The eighth book I read was The Chosen Prince by Diane Stanley. This was a Middle Grade and it disappointed me a bit. It confused me and it just wasn't as great as I expected. I only rated this 3 out of 5 Crowns. 

The ninth book I read this month was The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. This exceeded all my expectations and was an amazing Fantasy/Mythology read. I adored the characters and the world and seriously the villain was amazingly done. I rated this 5 out of 5 Crowns. 

The last book I read this month was The Stolen Chapters by James Riley. Okay, so I read the first one a while back and I loved the book a lot. It was hilarious and just a good getaway. This one disappointed me a little. I did end up rating it 4 out of 5 Crowns but I had hoped to rate it higher. It confused me a lot and seemed to jump around a ton which really annoyed me. I will read some of his other books and see what they are like though.  Nevertheless, I could purchase this anyways and give it a second try.

And that is it for my wrap-up! I have come up with my TBR for July and am excited to share it with you.

Top Ten Tuesday || Top Eight Heartbreaking Moments of Once Upon A Time Season 5

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it's a freebie so I'm doing top ten heartbreaking moments of Once Upon A Time Season 5

I loved the thought of kind of having a freebee. So, I'm going to do another post about Once Upon a Time which is my favorite show. This was probably the saddest season as of yet so there are a lot of heartbreaking moments. And yes, there are spoilers. 

1 Neal and Emma's Reunion

The opening scene of the second half of Once Upon a Time season five shows Emma waking up in her yellow Bug and Neal appears. Their reunion is adorable and just made me tear up. He asks about Henry and she says he misses him. Neal warns her about going to the Underworld but she is determined to go. He kisses her on the forehead and disappears. Emma's reaction when he leaves was so sad and you can tell that some part of her still loves him. 

2 Regina Says Goodbye to her Father

This moment happened in the first episode of the last half of the season and ugh, it really got the tears flowing. Regina's father has always supported her and has always wanted the best for his daughter. He was surrounded in flames but nothing happened and then a doorway filled with light opened which showed that he had a pure enough heart to go to heaven and you breathe a sigh of relief but it was still horribly sad. 

3 Hook Almost Dies in Camelot

Emma has to save Hook in Camelot when he almost dies because of being struck by Excalibur. She tethers him to Excalibur thus making him a Dark One. 

4  Regina introduces her son to her dad

This may not seem to be a sad moment but it really was. Regina's dad is about to die and Regina gets to introduce her son, Henry, to him. Regina named her son after her dad as they are both named Henry. It was really beautiful and sad. 

5 Hook tells Emma he wants to hurt her

The moment when Hook says, "I want to hurt you, like you hurt me." everyone was devastated. It was apparently over. Emma had saved Hook's life by making him become the Dark One and that had cost her a lot. And he calls her that she was a distraction. So messed up. 

6 Robin Hood Dies Trying to Protect Regina

When Robin Hood died, I was sure that maybe they could find a way to bring him back since most people don't really die on this show. But then I learned that the Olympian Crystal causes you to cease to exist. How messed up is that? Regina Mills just lost another person who she was close to. This season has been horrible tough on her. She lost both her parents and now her boyfriend/soul-mate. Who is she going to loose next? Henry? 

7 Hook and Emma Say Goodbye in the Underworld

I was 99% done with this show at this moment. I had lost all hope that Hook and Emma would get a happy ending and get to be together. They have just learned that their love is true love and then they are forced to say their final goodbye as they realized Hades had tricked them. Emma is in the elevator to go back up to her family and Hook is standing there, and they keep holding hands until they can't and he tells her to move on. I was so sure that I would have to quit this show and find a new favorite show because I couldn't deal if Hook and Emma weren't going to be together.

8 Emma Stabs Hook With Excalibur

This moment kinda killed me. Hook decides to be a better man and sacrifice himself to destroy the dark ones and save everyone he cares about and the town.  Emma has to help Hook because he can't do it alone and she stabs him. Ugh, this killed me because of how distraut Emma is when she does it. She's still technically the Dark One and she is sobbing as she does it. Horrible moment but beautiful. I don't think anyone can doubt their love in this moment.