Review: Liked, But Not Loved
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 6, 2013
As Jennifer L. Armentrout's "Lux" series is one of my most favourite YA series, I was beyond excited when she announced that she was releasing an adult book set in the same world. I was further excited to learn that the book would be told from an Arum's perspective, us only having been previously familiarized with the Luxen's point of views. After having finished it I am glad that she made the decision to jump make the jump between the two genres (not the mention the two races), but overall I can't help but wish that it was more.Admittedly I found Hunter and Serena to be far too like Daemon and Katy for my liking, him, arrogant, cocky, and domineering, her, doesn't take "no" for an answer, questions authority at every turn, and so forth. As such, I can't say that I like Hunter more than Daemon, as many others have professed, as I do find him to be a carbon copy, to a degree, of Daemon. I think that it would be interesting for her to write a softer or subdued male lead, perhaps not unlike Hunter's brother Lore.Furthermore, while I did understand the foundation behind this world (the war between the Luxen and the Arum, the DoD and their control, the black-haired stranger with grass green eyes), I can't help but wonder if those who had not read her young adult series would be able to understand it quite as well. It seems to me that the world is much better explained/ ferreted out in her young adult series, whereas in this book it is more so superficial, not truly scratching the surface of all that there is.That being said, as previously mentioned, I do appreciate the fact that she showed us an Arum's perspective. After meeting Hunter, seeing his struggles, seeing his growth, and whatnot, I can't help but question everything that I had ever thought of this world- clearly the Arum aren't the "bad guys" that we were always lead to believe that they are. Therefore, who are the bad guys, the DoD?All in all, despite my complaints I did enjoy this book and I am excited by the prospect that this could perhaps be expanded into the series, should Jennifer choose to do so (after all, there are some very big revelations in this book, revelations which could very well destroy the world that we have come to love)!