Top Ten YA Novels 2014 #2: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I would be extremely surprised when a book tops City of Heavenly Fire, let alone two. But oh man, I can't count the times I've re-read this book. It never gets old to re-read the book.

The second place belongs to:

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

***

Date read: August 5, 2014

My review: 

http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2014/08/opposition-review.html

My rating: 10/10

***

Top 3 reasons why I like it:

1) It's so different from Obsidian.

Well, if it was no different from Obsidian, that would not be exactly cool. But I thought about the time when I read Obsidian. I despise the Arum. Even after reading Obsession I still have some tiny little faith in me that Luxen is good. Opposition completely changes that. Of course, not all of them are bad. But nothing is certain anymore. There's the human side and the Arum side and the Luxen side and neither sides are exactly good. I guess I should say I like the uncertainty and the grays in the book. After all, a villain is a hero in his or her own story. You can't exactly judge them fairly.

2) Daemon/Kat

After a true test of their relationship, it has solidified even further and has become more intense and fiery. They might just have to be the best couple in my YA history. They are so perfect. They will practically sacrifice anything to be with each other (well, except for sacrificing each other, of course). Kat and Daemon are really the cutest together. And super bad-ass. You can't say they don't glow with triumph when the fight. I also like Daemon's overprotectiveness. I guess I like it because it's kind of expected, so it doesn't annoy me. Anyway, it's fierce and cute and very powerful. It's impossible not to love them while reading the books.

3) It just blew my mind

A lot of stuff happened in Opposition. Oh, that's the worse understatement ever. There's no way JLA can string up so many crazy things together in one single book (that is not exactly long, by the way) and still manage to stay awesome and natural. How can you go from bad to FML territory to things-aren't-actually-that-screwed in merely 200 pages or so? This is just unbelievable. This book deserves an award for simply being fantastic.

***

Why I recommend this book or series:

I am not exactly familiar with aliens, that's why Obsidian sounds awesome in the first place. But there are so much more good stuff in the series than just glowing aliens. It has the best narrators ever. Kat is simply amazing by being strong and witty and logical. You don't even need to describe Daemon's hotness (and his smart mouth). This series wins by default. I mentioned just how crazy Opposition is. Well, the previous four books might be slightly less mind-blowing, but still really great. I enjoy every second of reading the series. I miss it.

***

Do I like the cover?

Not as much as I do with the original covers of Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, and Origin. It still looks good, but I wish they'd keep to the original covers.

***

Top 3 favorite scenes:

1) The meeting with Lotho

It's a full demonstration of just how protective Daemon is and how strong Kat is. There are also a lot of exciting moments and plot twists

2) When Daemon finally confirms his, um, sanity to Kat (I think it's in chapter 6)

Even though I know Daemon's pretending, I was seconds away from kicking his balls and setting Kat up for someone else when I read those scenes from Kat's point of view. It's a huge relief when Kat finally learns about Daemon's sanity. It's also a smoking hot scene, so I'm all over it.

3) Kat and Daemon's conversation at the Seneca Rocks

At last, the wheel comes full circle. 

I like the rememberance. I also like how the legend fits to this story perfectly and seamlessly. The whole story is masterfully written.

***

OTP: Duh, Kat/Daemon of course!

Opposition: Review

Synopsis:

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

***

One year of palm-twitching and toes-curling, and I'm scared of reading it. 

With all the excerpts of pain and fury, the first thing I'm going to talk about is the sanity state of our beloved Luxen (aka Daemon, Dawson and Dee). It's possible to hate them. It's also possible to hate them forever, I'd give you that. Sounds really crazy, but I think everyone who read this book hate them more or less for at least some of the time. It's up to you guys to stop hating them or otherwise, but I'm so glad that they all try to redeem themselves from the hands of the bad Luxen in the end. I'm not sure I can hold a grudge on the three of them without exhausting myself. I have done it with another series and I loved that series a lot. It's hard not to re-read those books but it's also hard to re-read those books and be reminded how the series has ended and the loss those characters have suffered, even if you love the ending.

I have a strange protectiveness towards Kat in Opposition. I always admire her character and she's one of my favorite heroines ever. But I don't love her to the point where I want to hurt someone who has hurt her, even unintentionally *cough Daemon *cough *cough. But then, she fares so well in a pre-apocalyptic world. She kind of even enjoys it. It's very bookish and cute. I bet everyone is secretly hoping for a zombie apocalypse or apocalypse of some kind, especially book nerds like us. It's very understandable and relatable. Make sense why Kat is loved by so many of us.

Opposition is even more fast-paced than Origin, which is unimaginable. A shitload of stuff happened in Origin, and my heart barely survived that. I'm not sure how I survived Opposition aside from screaming and trying not to tear my hair out of my head. A lot has happened in Opposition, and that is the worse understatement ever. Mind. Completely. Blown. I was this close from a mental breakdown. The ending is perfect, despite every new challenges that emerges throughout the book. Happily Ever Afters are perfect when they are earned. 

It's just amazing. A masterpiece of perfection. I don't understand why people hesitate to dive for Obsidian. The level of awesomeness of the series should be illegal.

Rating: 10/10 

TBR #16: August 2014

I kinda hate August, mainly because it's summer holiday and homework is the equivalent of summer holiday (yes, my holiday isn't as exciting as others). But then BOOKS!

1. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

Expected Publication Date: August 5, 2014

I'm so scared of reading this but I'm still freaking excited

2. Mortal Danger (Immortal Game #1) by Ann Aguirre

Synopsis:

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

Expected Publication: August 5, 2014

3. Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1) by Lori M. Lee

Synopsis:

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Expected Publication: August 5, 2014

4. Wordless (Words Made Flesh #1) by AdriAnne Strickland

Synopsis:

“The Gods made their Words into flesh, giving privileged individuals the powers of creation...”

In Eden City, a member of the illiterate wordless class would never dream of meeting the all-powerful Words ... much less of running away with one. So when a gorgeous girl literally falls into his lap during a routine trash run, seventeen-year-old Tavin Barnes isn’t sure if it’s the luckiest or worst day of his life. That girl is Khaya, the Word of Life, who can heal a wound or command an ivy bush to devour a city block with ease. And yet she needs Tavin’s help.

By aiding Khaya’s escape from the seemingly idyllic confines of Eden City, Tavin unwittingly throws himself into the heart of a conflict that is threatening to tear the world apart. Eden City’s elite will stop at nothing to protect the shocking secret Khaya hides, and they enlist the other Words, each with their own frightening powers, to bring her back.

Expected Publication: August 8, 2014

5. Between The Spark and The Burn (Between #2) by April Genevieve Tucholke

Synopsis:

The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures andAnna Dressed in Blood.
Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world.
But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry.
The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.

The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .

Expected Publication: August 14, 2014

6. The Aftermath by Jen Alexander

Synopsis:

Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

Expected Publication: August 26, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #6: Top Ten 2014 Releases I'm Dying to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's question is my top ten choices of 2014 new releases that I'm dying to read.

1. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare -- well who wouldn't be dying to read this?

2. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- apocalypse is ready to throw up in our world. As well as alien hotness.

3. Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer -- Cress! And Cinder! And Captain Thorne! 

4. The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa -- the ending of The Eternity Cure kills me! I need this right now!!!

5. Untitled (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas -- Yep, another killer ending

6. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi -- I'm curious about how it will end. Everything seems so uncertain.

7. White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout -- I'm curious about how this series will turn out!

8. Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards -- I want Ash and Natalie together is it too much to ask?

9. Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton -- I really, really want to see the Everneath brought down by Nikki and Jack together

10. Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep -- I like Gwen. That's all.

Top Ten Tuesday #4: Top Ten Sequels We Can't Wait To Get Our Hands On

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's question is top ten sequels that we can't wait for. And for me, there's a whole lot of them.

1. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare - Who wouldn't want City of Heavenly Fire?

2. Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I'm curious if it will turn out as good as Sentinel :)

3. Into The Still Blue (Under The Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi - Aria and Perry and Roar. There's no need to say anymore.

4. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer - The whole series is awesome.

5. World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) by Susan Ee - After the whole Chapter 59 revealed thing, it's on.

6. The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa - I know this is going to break my heart, but still I really want it

7. Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi - Although not my favorite series of all time, Shatter is pretty cool

8. Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards - I need to know what will happen!

9. Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep - I want to see Loki go down. For good.

10. Secret (Elemental #4) by Brigid Kemmerer - Nick!