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| Dark Elements 0.5 |
(Dark Elements Books 1-3)
Bitter Sweet Love (prequel):
Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.
And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again..
White Hot Kiss (book 1):
One kiss could be the last
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.
Stone Cold Touch (book 2):
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…
Every Last Breath (book 3):
Some loves will last ’til your dying breath
Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.
Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.
Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…
https://www.goodreads.com/series/98903-the-dark-elements
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My Review: 5/5 Stars for each book and the series.
I decided I would just do an overall review of the series since I read them before I started this blog, but still read them recently enough that despite it being a couple of weeks, I am still thinking about them.
So let me start by saying that when you go to read the series, definitely start with the prequel, Bitter Sweet Love. It isn't one of those prequels that would totally spoiler the entire series. Besides it came out before the first book anyway, so it's supposed to be read that way! Bitter Sweet Love's main characters are Jasmine and Dez. After 3 years of being separated, Dez had mysteriously left the night Jasmine was told they were to be mated, he is back and is ready to make that claim on Jasmine. It's a good start to the series to really understand the world that Armentrout has created. She's done mythology, aliens, and now faeries, now it's time for gargoyles. Yup, gargoyles. Haven't seen that one yet. And though I remember hesitating because how could a story of gargoyles be interesting, I was glad I caved and read them. (It was after caving to reading her Lux series, and man did I wish I did NOT hesitate on that series because it is one of my favorite series of all time, probably my favorite from her.) She makes the myth of gargoyles and demons SO interesting and awesome.
So the prequel gives you insight on the world of gargoyles and the society of the Wardens. And Dez and Jasmine introduce us to two of the main characters of the series, Layla and Zayne. Well, actually three! Though he isn't named, Roth does make an appearance, that the moment you pick up White Hot Kiss and see our characters wondering who is humming Paradise City, then you know immediately who he is.
The series as a whole is excellently written, with plot twists, romance, and action. Layla is half-demon and half-Warden. Her demon genes make it so that she has the power to steal souls by a kiss. The Wardens for the most part are wary of her, except for Zayne. Her best friend and the boy she has had a crush on since she was taken in by his father as a child. Layla is sure she is in love with him despite knowing that they could never have a relationship, until the moment she meets Roth. The demon prince from Hell. There is an immediate connection and it doesn't hurt that she can touch him without having his soul sucked out, since he is a demon, he has no soul.
Love triangles aren't my favorite thing in a story, but this one wasn't so bad. The good news is she does make a decision early in the third book, instead of waiting until the end. But with any good love story there are happy moments for the couple you are rooting for and moments of tears when something bad happens.
The overall story that develops of the three books, besides the love story, is that Layla is the key to breaking free the mother of demons, Lilith. But with any good story, some bad things happen, and monsters are released and created. Then there is Layla who is learning to embrace both sides of her nature, instead of locking up the part that she was told was always bad. Roth shows her that not all demons are evil creatures. Some just want to be normal and be left alone. The character development for all the characters are great. Because while Layla is on her journey of learning about herself, Roth is learning that he has a choice on who he gets to be. Just because he was born a demon doesn't mean he can't love and make his own choices. And Zayne, learns to go after what he wants and not let it matter what others think. He follows his heart and understands right and wrong.
Definitely a great series to pick up and read. Like always Armentrout doesn't disappoint.
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