Opposition
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by Entangled Teen
Book #5 in the LUX Series
Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.
She can't believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.
Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.
Genre #AlienRomance
Triggers
Violence, Death
Spoilers Galore friends. Its the final book! You don't want to be spoiled. Read it first, then come back! Let me know your thoughts!
Opposition is the fifth, and final (sob!) book of the LUX series. I'm going to let you know some of my thoughts for the characters in Opposition, and my overall thoughts on the book. Not my usual style, but Opposition has so much action and story, its hard to some it all up in a couple paragraphs.
Let's start with Katy. My main girl. Probably one of my favorite book heroines of all time. Our little Kitty Kat has grown up. She went from a timid, quiet teenager who lived in her books, to a kick ass alien-human hybrid who can hold her own. When Daemon, Dee and Dawson are missing, while she feels like she is going crazy, she holds it together pretty well. She doesn't let fear stop her from finding Daemon, and when it comes to fighting Luxen, she stands by Daemon, and kicks ass. She is there for everyone, despite her own problems, showing us that just because she can be a fighting, killing machine, she is still Kat. She still loves. She still feels guilt, even when she only does what she needs to do to survive. Out of all the shit that has happened to her in the past 5 books, we see her truly break when she finds out her Mom has died. The rawness of her pain really comes though.
Daemon has come a long way as well. He went from douchey neighbor, to boyfriend, to husband. Reading Daemon's character in the first book, I totally saw Kat and him falling for one another, but never in my wildest dreams did I see them married. The biggest different I see in him in this book is how respectful he is of Katy, and her feelings and willingness to fight. He no longer fights her. He doesn't even ask her not to fight. He knows, and understands why she fights. The same reason he does. They will both do anything for one another, and those they love, even if it means putting themselves at risk. He even lets Dee pursue a relationship with Archer, with little interference from him. Daemon is not lying when he says Katy brings out the good in him, and makes him want to be a better person. Lucky for us, head over heels in love Daemon, only enhances his charm. He is still the smart, sarcastic, bad boy we love.
We don't see a whole lot of Dawson and Beth is this book. Dawson, like Daemon, is able to withstand the Luxen connection, because of his love for Beth. Although, my thoughts on the matter, is its not JUST love. In the mutation process, they lost pieces of themselves within the other. I suspect Daemon and Dawson's hold on humanity was due in part to a part of themselves within Katy and Beth. When Katy and Daemon go to find the Arum, and ask for their help defeating the Luxen, Dawson stays back with Beth, who is doing better with her pregnancy now that she has medical help. We don't see them again until the epilogue, where they finally get their happy ending, living in the country, hidden away, with their baby daughter Ash. Just saying, I can see there being a whole new series centering on baby Ash, being one of the very rare female origins.
Dee was a hard character to read in this book. Our lovable Dee willingly let the Luxen brainwash her. I get her reasoning. I do. It sucks to be in pain. Dee's character, as nice as she usually is, is sad. She has always felt lonely, and has had so many people she loves taken from her. Her friendship with Katy has changed. Her brothers have changed. Matthew and The Thompsons are dead. She is always worried she is going to lose someone else. I get why she would want to forget, and just be a puppet for the invading Luxen. Doesn't mean it was easy to read. I love that it was Katy who brought her back to who she was, and Archer who helped her find love again.
Archer has a much bigger part in this book. Despite being in Daedalus's clutches since being a baby, he is fiercely loyal, and protective to those he cares about. I love his friendship with Katy, and his bickering with Daemon (and you just know they will become besties one day). His connection with Dee is beautiful. I doubt Daedalus ever cared whether the origins got to experience love. While he is obviously attracted to Dee, I suspect that he fell in love with her for HER. He can read thoughts after all.
We see a little more of Luc in Opposition. He has a heart. He obviously loves his friend, who has cancer, and is willing to do anything to help her survive. Sadly is doesn't work out that way. He obviously builds true friendships with our favorite aliens and hybrids, as he visits them in the epilogue. I know that he ends up taking the origins from Daedalus under his wing, and I know there is a spin off series about him that I can't wait to read.
We see Hunter, and Arum that we were introduced to back in Origin. His character and his brother seem pretty cool. There is also an adult spin off book on his story with Serena, and I also can't wait to read that. Perhaps we will see that crazy asshole Lotho in that one too.
Small notes on Daedalus and the invading Luxen. It seems like Daedalus WAS right about Luxen invading. Too bad 99% of the shit Daedalus did was downright horrific. We come to find out that they weren't even supposed to be doing what they were doing in the first place. Its nice to know that the program ends, and if Daemon and Katy are able to get the Arum to help with the Luxen, they are safe from the government forever. The invading Luxen, and what they do is horrifying. Reading through Katy's point of view, driving through the states, it sounded straight up like a horror movie. It's crazy to me that Ethan, an origin, is the one that brings the Luxen to Earth, for simple revenge.
The last character I will touch on is Katy's mom. What happens to her is truly heartbreaking. To live through all she has, her husbands slow death with cancer, her daughter missing for months, and then to die herself in a horrible way? And for Katy to lose her Mom. ugh. I bawled. It goes to show that not all stories have happy endings. I think there could be a novella written here on her time when Katy was with Daedalus.
Opposition was everything you want in a final book in a series. It was seriously NON STOP action, there was never a time when the story wasn't progressing, and it blew. My. Mind. It was epic. When I read a book, I want to be fully immersed into it. I was to feel what the characters are feeling. I laughed. I cried. I will even admit that when Nancy is forced to admit that there is no life-death bond between Katy and Daemon, I had to stop reading for a day, because I was scared that Daemon was going to die. When he almost dies I may have hyperventilated a bit.
So yeah. I was really into it.
I loved that the story grew up along with the characters. They are adults now, so there was some pretty adult things they dealt with. Issues that had them struggling with morality, relationships and sex (and there is a lot of it), death, and finding peace after trauma. I loved that they seem to all be happy. Still bittersweet though, because I am going to miss these characters so much. This series reignited my love of reading, and it is on my list of all time favorites.
Katy: "Get out of my head."
Archer: "I can't help it. You're broadcasting your thoughts so damn loudly I feel like I need to go sit in the corner and start rocking whispering Daemon's name over and over again."
Katy: "You said it was a brilliant idea."
Luc: "I think a lot of things are brilliant ideas. Like nuclear weapons, zero-calorie soft drinks, and blue jean vests. That doesn't mean we should nuke people, or that diet drinks taste good, or that you should run out to the local Walmart and buy a jean vest. You people shouldn't always listen to me."
Luc: "Are we going to have this argument again? Because I like it when you two get into it. It's like watching a mom and dad have a marital disagreement. I feel like I need to go hide in a bedroom or something to make it more authentic. Maybe slam a door shut or -"
Archer: "Shut up, Luc."
Katy: "Oh my God. She's going to have a baby."
Luc: "That's usually what happens when you have unprotected sex. Glad you two talked, though, because I so did not want to be the bearer of that news."
Archer passed me a quick glance, and I forced myself to stop thinking about Daemon, about anything I didn't want to share with Archer, which was pretty much everything right now. So I thought about belly dancing foxes wearing grass skirts.
Archer: "You're weird."
Katy: "And you're rude."
Sadi: "A female?"
Daemon: "The last time I checked, yes. But I'm still not convinced you're rocking all the right girl parts."
Sadi: "You want to check that out?"
Daemon: "Nah, I think I'll pass on that."
Katy: "Get your hands off him."
Sadi: "Excuse me?"
Katy: "I don't think I stuttered. But it looks like you need me to repeat it. Get your freaking hands off him."
Apparently, Sadi had taken the cleaning thing to a whole different level. My gaze crept up to where Sadi stood only a few feet from her, breathing heavily. Her white blouse was torn. Buttons popped and missing. Her normally coiffed hair looked like she'd been inside a wind tunnel, but the best part? Fingernail marks were etched down the side of Sadi's face and reddish-blue blood had been drawn. A disturbing level of pride rippled through me. Kitten got claws and then some.
Sadi: "She doesn't play nice with others. So I'm in the process of adjusting her attitude."
Katy: "And I'm in the process of getting ready to cut out your heart, bitch."
Daemon: "Kat. I broke every rule of my kind to heal you and keep you with me. I married you and burned down an entire city to keep you safe. I've killed for you. Did you think I'd forget what you mean to me? That anything in this world - in any world - would be stronger than my love for you?"
Daemon: "They're up to something big."
Katy: "Obviously. The whole invading-Earth part kind of gave that away."
Daemon: "Smartass."
Katy: "So besides the obvious me dying equals you dying, the other Luxen think you want to keep me around because you just like ..."
Daemon: "Having wild, animalistic sex with you? Something like that. Though after everything in the office, I doubt they'd think you'd be down for that."
Katy: "I'm not down for that right now, you douche."
Daemon: "I bet I could change that."
In the top drawer were other ... interesting things. Among them was a black box full of sealed wrappers. Really not necessary, but ... I grabbed a handful and slid them in my back pocket. Nothing like being prepared. Smiling to myself, I pivoted around and hustled back to where Dawson waited.
Dawson: "What's up with that shit-eating grin of yours?"
Daemon: "Nothing."
Katy: "What? You didn't bring me any undies. And honestly, I'm not wearing anyone else's."
Daemon: "I have absolutely no problem with that. Whatsoever. Like, ever. And ever. Forever. You get me?"
Katy: "Oh my God. It's like you have a special skill when it comes to finding condoms. Seriously. They must fall out of the sky whenever your around."
Daemon: "I have the skills that count, Kitten."
Kat whipped toward me, her eyes glowing from within. In that moment, she looked like a goddess - a goddess of vengeance.
If we weren't in the middle of a fight, I'd have you up against a tree right now. - Daemon
Another Down. Damn, she was freaking glorious.
By the side of the road, Sadi was up and stumbling forward. She planted a hand on the hood of a cruiser, holding herself up.
Kat stalked over, determination set in the lines of her pale face. She swooped down, picked up the damaged car door, and swung it like a baseball bat. The door caught Sadi in the chest, knocking her away from the car and down onto one leg.
Katy: "That was for being a complete bitch!"
She caught Sadi in the back, pushing her forward. "And this is for even thinking it was okay to touch me."
The final swing came from the front, snapping Sadi's head into next week. "And that is for even speaking Daemon's name."
Damn, Kitten, you're badass, almost scary, and yet so freaking hot. - Daemon
Luc: "Look, this is not a trap, test or a drill. Archer's here, too. He's waiting for us, actually, and I'm more than willing to explain everything to you, but I'm not doing it standing here. Not when I found a Lunchables just a few minutes before you guys showed up, and I'm ready to make myself a delicious buffet or ham and cheese on crackers. What? It's the kind that has Oreo cookies included. That shit is banging."
Daemon: "If you're screwing with us, I swear to-"
Luc: "God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost that you're going to kill me or whatever. Got it. And although I might not appear appropriately threatened, I am. So, kids, can we move this group along?"
Katy: "You're okay. I've been so worried."
Archer: "I told you to stay where you were. But oh no, you didn't listen. I totally told her to stay."
Luc: "Why didn't I get a hug?"
Katy: "Sorry. I had to, you know?"
Archer: "I get it. But damn, girl, it might not have worked out so well. Could've all gone to shit, and then who would take me to Olive Garden so I can try out the endless breadsticks?"
Their eyes met then, and it was like they forgot that anyone else was in the room. It was just them. I understood the kind of connection they had. I had it with Daemon, but I wondered if we looked as love-struck as they did.
Archer: "You do."
Ah, well, that was kind of embarrassing.
Archer: "Yes, it is."
Daemon: "You are not weak, Kitten. You've never been weak, before or after the mutation.
Katy: "You won't let anything happen to me, and I won't let anything happen to you."
Daemon: "That's my Kitten."
Daemon: "Believe it or not, I'm not thinking inappropriate thoughts. Okay. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time I am thinking something that would turn the tips of your ears pink."
Archer: "We're not like you alien freaks, where we mind-meld or know where the others are at every given second."
Daemon: "Last I checked, you're a part of our alien freak family, so ..."
Daemon: "No matter what, don't forget our plans."
Katy: "The wedding plans?"
Daemon: "Those. Because when we get shown something absolutely messed up, which I'm sure we're going to, I'm so going to start focusing on those plans and lifting up your wedding gown and getting down on my knees."
Katy: "Oh my God."
Daemon: "Who's this douche?"
Luc: "God, I knew there was a reason I liked you."
Katy: "Wow. I feel like Morgan Freeman should be doing a voice-over right now, like, 'Their weakest link us something already here.' What? It's from War of the Worlds, and I think it's totes appropriate for the situation."
Daemon: "I love how your brain works."
There's that love-struck thing you were wondering about in Beth and Dawson's room. - Archer
I wanted to be closer, all up in her. I was a needy bastard like that, but she liked it. - Daemon
Archer: Did you know that typically there's a speed limit on these roads?"
Daemon: "Yep."
Archer: "I'm just curious, because I'm pretty sure that sign over there reads fifty-five. Not eighty-five."
Daemon: "You can read? Holy shit. I'm so surprised."
Archer: "Well, that was clever. I just don't want to end up crashing into a fiery ball."
Daemon: "You're an Origin. You'll be fine."
Archer: "I don't want to be a skid-mark Origin or a crispy Origin."
Archer: "Seriously? Kissing her right now is what we need to be doing when we have pissed-off aliens on us?
Daemon: "Kissing her is always the right thing to do."
Katy: "It's not like I'm going to run up and hug him."
Daemon: "I'd sure hope not. I might get jealous."
Archer: "You'd get jealous if she hugged a tree."
Daemon: "Maybe. I'm needy like that."
Daemon: "What up, asshole?"
Lotho: "You're not just a casual observer. You're a whore of the Luxen who hides behind them."
Daemon: "What-"
Katy: "Hold up. Excuse me? First off, last time I checked, I'm not a whore for anyone. Secondly, I didn't cower behind him. Unlike some people."
Daemon: "Uh, Kitten ..."
Katy: "Shut up. You're just as bad as they are."
Daemon: "What the what?"
Lotho: "Look at you and your big, bad self. Rawr."
Daemon kissed me like he was staking a claim, but he already had me - all of me. My heart. My soul. My whole being. - Katy
Katy: "No. Not in a million years. I couldn't imagine any of this when I knocked on your door. All I was really thinking about that day was your abs. And that you were a flaming asshole."
Lotho: "Holy shit, you really were going to let me go all yum-yum on you."
Lotho: "You have balls bigger than the males in this room. I like you. And I'd keep you if it weren't for the fact that you're part Luxen. So that's probably good news for you. Boo for me."
And then he kissed her. Full on, mother-freaking kissed her.
Daemon: "He ... cooks?"
Lore: "I also bake. I'm like a culinary master chef - you know, when I'm not out there killing innocent Luxen babies."
Katy: "Jesus. It's like I'm a muggle to your pure-blood or something."
That - that bitch! She'd thrown me through a wall. - Katy
Daemon: "No. She doesn't hate you. If she did, she wouldn't have tried to bring you back. Kat loves you like a sister, Dee. In face, she's kind of like your sister now."
Dee: "What do you mean? Because that sounds a little ... weird considering what you and her do and all that."
Daemon: "Kat and I are married."
Daemon: "Thank you. That's not enough, but thank you is the best I got."
Katy: "You don't even need to say that. I love you."
Daemon: "you've got a big heart, Kitten. That's what I love about you most. Well, that and I am a really big fan of your sweet body, but your heart? Yeah, that completes the package of you, wraps it up with a nice little bow. It makes you perfect for me."
Katy: "Sometimes ... sometimes you say the most amazing things."
Daemon: "And I do love the sight of my hands on your ass, too."
Katy: "Oh my God, and then you say things like that."
Katy: "You told me ... told me about the most stunning people and what was inside them. The way you said it sounded so very beautiful."
Daemon: "I remember. I said, 'The most beautiful people, ones whose beauty is only rivaled by what is inside of them, are the ones who are quietly unaware of it.' Or something like that."
Katy: "That was it."
Daemon: "I was talking about you then. Those words were meant for you. You had no idea how beautiful you were. I don't even think you do now, but it's inside of you. That's the most beautiful thing in this world. What's in you."
Daemon: "I heard you out in the yard. I wouldn't leave you, Kat. I'd never do that. Now ... get down here and kiss me."
Kat: "But you ... you took a bullet for me, Daemon. She was going to shoot me and you ... you could've died. I thought you had died."
Daemon: "What else would I've done? I love you. If your life is in danger, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're safe. That's what love makes you do, right?"
Katy: "Right."
Daemon: "I'd do it again."
Katy: "Daemon, I ... thank you."
Daemon: "You don't need to thank me."
Katy: "I do."
Daemon: "Okay. Thank me by getting down here and kissing me."
Daemon: "Your inner book nerd will have a book nerd orgasm."
Katy: "That just ... sounds weird and kind of gross."
Daemon: "Katy's Krazy Book Obsession is alive once more. You nerd."
Daemon: "All I need is ten minutes."
Katy: "What happened to only needing two minutes?"
Daemon: "Well, what I plan to do is going to take a little longer than that. If I haven't told you this before ... I want you. I'll always want you."
Katy: "Always?"
Daemon: "Always."
Daemon: "How many minutes do we have left?"
Katy: "I've totally forgotten about the minute thing."
Daemon: "Wow. Already? I'm a little amazed by my own skill."
Katy: "I need to shower."
Daemon: "You don't need to shower."
Katy: "Yes I do! I smell like - like you!"
After a shower, and with Dee and Archer at the door ...
Daemon: "You still smell like me."
Dee: "Like I said, you shouldn't look into people's thoughts and then complain about what you see."
Archer: "I wasn't necessarily complaining. If I remember correctly, I'd told you that it was kind of hot and that it made me want - "
Daemon: "All right. That is stuff I just don't even want to think about."
Dee: "What? You think we don't have wild -"
Daemon: "Stop. Seriously. I barely like him as it is, so please don't make me want to hurt him."
Archer: "But I like you."
"Guess who I heard from this morning?" He paused as Daemon strutted past him. "No, jackass, it wasn't Justin Bieber and I'm not in love with him. What the hell?"
Daemon: "Kitten?"
Katy: "What?"
His lips brushed my ear as he whispered a string of words that widened my eyes and scalded my cheeks. And I recognized the words. They were what he'd written on a note he'd passed to me in class so long ago.
Daemon: "You game for that? I'm really hoping so. Been thinking about it for, like, two years. Don't let me down, Kitten."
Katy: "I'm game for anything with you, Daemon Black."
Check out the rest of the LUX series below! (Oblivion is split into three parts)