Series: The Dark Elements #3
Genres: YA | Fantasy | Paranormal | Romance
Published: July 28th 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
My rating: .png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
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…
To summarize it, Armentrout let the reader choose who Layla will end up with. There was a poll, and the guy with the most votes got his happily ever after with Layla.
And she did this, because Jennifer L. Armentrout, the author, creator of this story, didn't know how to decide. She basically had no idea how to solve the love triangle.
Which is just ridiculous.
Let's be serious, she created those characters and the story, she knows them better than anyone, and yet she didn't know who Laylor would 'choose'? What the fuck is this?
This is what I call lazy ass writing. She let the readers do her work. Which is unacceptable.
Therefore, I just can't give it more than 1 star.
There's the question why I did even read it, and truth is, I hate not finishing series. I always want to know how it wrapped up.
Now, let's see what I can say about the story itself.
BEWARE, SPOILERS FOR White Hot Kiss AND Stone Cold Touch
It picks up exactly where Stone Cold Touch ended, Layla discovered that Sam, her best friend, is the Lilin. And now she has to kill him to prevent the apocalypse.
I can say without doubt that the plot was action-packed and fast-paced, but there was too much romance for my taste. Which is typical for Armentrout's books.
So if you liked her Lux series and Covenant series you will definitely enjoy this book.
A thing I did like was that the love triangle problem was solved in the first 50 pages. Not too much whining about who she loves more.
But I just couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Her characters are so alike.
Layla is just another Katy or Alex, Roth another Daemon or Seth. Some of the dialogues were just the same. It's like JLA just copied and pasted them and changed a few words.
Additionally I didn't like the ending, it was too happily ever after for me.
All in all it was a nice wrap-up to the story, if she wouldn't have done the whole 'Who Will You Choose' thing, it would have been a solid 3-stars book.
If you're a huge Armentrout fan, go for it. If you think Daemon was kind of an asshole and you're sick of love-triangles, don't even bother.
