Summary:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.
Review:
At this point in my life, I should have written enough so
that I would be able to review a book with ease and clarity. Jennifer L.
Armentrout has left me speechless and without even a sliver of the eloquence I’d
need to give Origin, the latest
installment in the Lux series,
justice. Truly, this series ceases to amaze me, delivering one book after
another that steps up the bar considerably and brings us the jovial, wonderful,
pure incredibility that is the Lux
series.
In Origin, we pick
up with Katy, the wholly spunky and slightly nerdy—albeit in the most adorable
sense—blogger/ alien hybrid. At the end of Opal,
Katy was alone with an Arum (AKA scary dark aliens who have a fetish for
hybrids) in Daedalus, an institution with a reputation to strike fear into any
Luxen or hybrid. It is the place that held Dawson and Bethany captive until
they escaped and were rescued, respectively. It is the place that supposedly
kept Blake’s Luxen friend separated from him. It is the place that Katy is now
having the life sucked out of her by an Arum.
‘“This is going to
hurt,” the Arum said. He leaned in, his face inches from mine and his breath
cold against his mouth.
“Oh God,” I whispered.
A burst of pain
encompassed every cell in my body, and the air flew out of my lungs. Suspended
there, I couldn’t move away. My arms didn’t work. Someone grabbed me from the
side, but I couldn’t feel. It felt like I was still screaming, but there was no
sound.
There was no Daemon.”
Doesn’t that just give you chills? It is the ultimate cliff
hanger, and Jennifer L. Armentrout far from disappoints with the opening of Origin. We are immediately introduced to
the new, harsh, terrible setting of Daedalus, from the cell/quarters where Katy
stays and is constantly monitored, to the medical rooms where “thorough”
examinations take place, to the training rooms, where Katy is made to fight
against unstable hybrids to test her own stability with the Source. The entire
ordeal of Daedalus was exhausting for Katy and for me as a reader, because
Jennifer does such a tremendous job in delivering her story that it truly felt
as if I were the one being held captive by a secret government organization. I
felt as if I, not Katy, was being subjected to these terrible training sessions
and physical exams, being made to eat the bland food and live in a constant
state of “what torture is next?” I missed Daemon for my own reasons, but I also
felt the pure, deep yearning for Katy’s other half as she spent days, then
weeks and months, without Daemon Black, the Luxen—light alien—who healed her
and mutated her into a hybrid, therefore connecting them in a way that went
beyond the bond they’d previously shared.
Daemon may be my favorite male character, like ever. Don’t
worry, though. In Origin, to make up
for missed moments between Daemon and Katy, Jennifer L. Armentrout has given us
half the book told magnificently and so accurately in the POV of Daemon Black,
the hottest alien I’ve ever heard of. I’ve said this a million and one times: I
am not a fan of different POV’s. However, the voice of Daemon is so brilliantly
accomplished that it only made the story that much better. I loved reading
about the love and vulnerability that Daemon had, seeing what went on in his
head beyond the snarky comments, and most of all, kissing—and other stuff—scenes
are SO much steamier when told from Daemon Freaking Black. While Katy’s world
stays very much stagnant in Daedalus, Daemon is on super speed as he goes to
rescue her. It was amazing how Jennifer could portray all of the emotions that
went through his mind as Daemon went to rescue Katy. There was a masculinity
and pride that is so unique to Daemon. I love it so, so, so much. Once Daemon
and Katy are together, interesting turns of events cause everything around them
to change, but their relationship only grows stronger. I am obsessed with the
idea that a semi-nerdy blogger can end up with that glowing piece of you know
what, and the way Jennifer writes their love story makes it seem like a real
life possibility. I’m not going to spoil
the entire book for you, but let me just say this: Nancy Husher, the head
honcho at Daedalus, makes a VERY interesting proposal that will shock your
socks off when they are in Daedalus…in conjoining rooms…with a shared bathroom…with
no cameras….Get my flow? Nancy Husher is one messed up lady. But really, all
women who wear pantsuits are, aren’t they? She is, after all, behind the
experiments at Daedalus, some of which scar Katy physically and emotionally,
such as hurting her fatally to get Daemon to heal her. Origin is by far the most gruesome but riveting installment of the
series. I think if I had to pick a favorite, it would be this one. The blend of
humor, fantasy, romance, and action made for a top-notch read, one I can see
having worn, overly loved pages in a few years from all the re-reading.
One note; there is a bit more steaminess in Origin, and a word to the wise: you
cannot prepare yourself for the hotness that is Daemon Black, and you cannot
deny the hotness that is Daemon Black, and you cannot turn away from the hotness
that is Daemon Black, but be aware that if you are young and impressionable
that you might want to save a few pages here and there for later so that you
can fully appreciate this incredible hotness that is, what? Daemon Black, of
course. Especially when Katy and Daemon leave Daedalus (do they escape, or do
they get released? You have to read and find out), they certainly make up for
lost time. There is an interesting twist in the book at the point of leaving
Daedalus, which I’m not going to ruin if you haven’t read it, but if you have:
was that not the best impromptu thing in the entire universe??? And how it
happened in the “My Blog is Better Than Your Vlog” tee? YES! YES! YES! Trust me
that when I say that you will not want to miss out on this ending, I mean it
whole-heartedly. I haven’t given books 10’s out of 10 since my newbie blogger
days, but this is a must –read and it deserves it! Jennifer Armentrout, you
rock my socks off!!!!
What did you think about Origin? Comment what rating you would have given it in the comments below!!!!!!!!!