Review: Origin

Origin (Lux, #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: August 27th 2013 by Entangled Teen
Pages: 364

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

"Oh shit. ET just phoned home." 

- Jennifer L. Armentrout, Origin

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

The Lux series hasn't been as awesome for me as it was for everbody else. There was always something that bothered me, and is the number one reason not to call the Lux series one of my favourites. Origin, the fourth book in the series, changed all that. I don't know what's up with me having an amazing reading month, but this book was a thrill ride.

Armentrout's motto seems to be out with the old, in with the new. Origin makes it clear that it's not all about Daemon and Katy anymore. Without realising it, they're actually just a small piece of everything around them. Something much bigger is going on. I loved how there was a story created in the first three books which slowly connected to everything else. It becomes clear why new characters are introduced and what's their role to play. Certain older characters are put in the background and we open up to a whole new story. We also leave the usual crew of characters behind and open up to a new, smaller cast. I loved this because this way it keeps the series fresh and exciting. At times there was so much going on I'm again, sitting on the edge of my seat and flying through the pages. I can't even wrap my head around everything the characters went through. Origin is the best book in this series so far, as it deserves to be. The plot twists in this book were so well done, I don't think anyone could have seen those coming. They were a perfect addition to the pace, resulting into an action-packed novel.

I must admit that I was scared for the sudden change of the point of view. Not only Katy would be narrating Origin, because Daemon would have his parts too. I have read books where the sudden change to dual POVs were an absolute mess. There was no way of separating the two because they basically talk and think the same way. Origin, is in fact an outstanding surprise. Of course, I had to get used to them in the beginning, but as I did, it was easy to tell who was narrating the story. It was refreshing to be in Daemon's head for a while. He's aggressive and not scared to take consequences, and it was made clear by the way he thought. His point of view is refreshing and I'd love to continue reading in both his and Katy's.

Discussing the world building of the Luxen was a problem to me before. They don't have their home planet anymore, yet that doesn't mean their species along with their secrets are also wiped away. I think a huge deal of those secrets is revealed in Origin. Katy learned things she never knew before about the Luxen and the Arum because Daedalus is the one who's telling her all this. To believe or not to believe? When it comes down to all the information I've gathered while reading, I'm pretty sure she must to. It's because were on the side of the so-called enemy, that we got to discover the other side of the Luxen, the side Katy knew nothing about. I personally adored that, and I'm very interested in where this new information will lead us to.

There may have been some confusion I had while reading Origin. I could think about it as much as I wanted to, but in the end, I still didn't know who the bad guys really were. Okay, looking at the last chapter, I definitely got a hint. But looking at Daedalus, I don't know. Although their plans and ways to achieve what they want are terrifying, they're only doing this for their belief of what's right. I can't understand why Katy didn't show a single sign of understanding. They can't go out there and achieve what they want without doing things which aren't legitimate. Comparing it to the real world, there isn't much difference. Everybody strives for their own good cause, and Daedalus is not an exception. Katy suffering while being there was brought in a way that made you feel compassionate with her, yet on the other hand it didn't make me feel sad. I do feel bad now for saying this, but overall it was quite enjoyable.

The new characters who were introduced were all very likable to me. Or should I say character? Archer has won my heart. The way he, out of everyone at Daedalus, cared for Katy made my heart melt. I'm dying to see him, his relationship with Katy and another certain girl play out in Opposition. Besides discussing Archer, I'm feeling the need to talk about Dee. After one book of her being a total bitch to Katy and everyone else in her environment, I finally got my girl back. This just made me put down the book, hug it for a few seconds before I started reading again.

Moving onto other characters, I must say I'm a bit disappointed when it comes to the amount of deaths in this book. Was it really necessary? I get that it's a huge deal, what they did at the end of the book, but to have a few known characters die made me really sad. Even though I didn't know them as much as I wanted to. I agree there was one who really deserved it, or something far more worse, yet everyone else? I didn't want them to leave, certainly because it's not the last book.

Katy's and Daemon's romance was yet again full of their undying love for each other. It was lovely at times, how Daemon wanted to protect his kitten no matter what, but in my opinion Armentrout has crossed a bridge too far this time. Were they drunk when they decided to do something so stupid? Honestly, all I could think of is what an idiots they were. You don't just go to that place for something so important just because maybe they won't be able to do it in the future? It shouldn't bother me so much in the first place, but because it does it matters. I'm really crossing my fingers in the hope this little mess will be restored in the last book.

So besides the ridiculous change to the romance, unnecessary deaths and yet another cliffhanger, I'm completely sucked into the world Jennifer L. Armentrout has created. There were plot twists at every corner and a certain new character I'm genuinely interested in. I'd prefer to get the last book with its ugly cover right now instead of waiting until August comes around.