ALL THE STARS!!! 
 Before I do this I would like to make a quick statement to my friends who have not read this ABSOFRAKKINLUTELY AWESOME book yet: 
 Some of you seem to be afraid of the cliffhanger. And it is a bit brutal after the blinding joy of like 90% of the book, BUT I won't find the wait any harder than the ones we've already had in this series. This is a series centered on one couple. A couple who we know will get their HEA. So I'm going to take the downs because these ups are well freakin' worth it! 
 And Daemon Black, is worth withstanding them once a week for an entire year. Or possibly more. 
 Now for those of you have read the book or just want some non-spoilery review giblets and word vomit, I'm going to attempt to do this right. I say attempt because even 2 days later my brain is still basically Luxen mush. This is my favorite series. By far. And when I got the word that the Kindle edition was out early I couldn't wait to devour it. Actually, I'm on my second reading now still licking my chops. I simply can not get enough of this world that the brilliant Jennifer Armentrout has created. 
 When I started my first reading it became one of those things where you want to read a book so badly that you are almost afraid to start it because your brain might not be ready to receive it's awesomeness. I get like a few pages in and have to pause and do breathing and settling down, because at just 2% Daemon Black makes his first appearance and he was wearing pajama bottoms and sleep hair. And that's it. 
 So yeah, THAT is conducive to coherent thought like not at all. 
 But I snuggled in and just got into Daemon & Katy finally being a full on couple. And even though I adored Daemon when he was an asshole, then when he was a persistent and wooing asshole, this still snarky but 1000% devoted to Katy version of Daemon Black is by far my very very favorite. Sure there are a few instances in the book where he is a stubborn boy, he still insists he is always right and he is deliciously (and justifiably) arrogant, but I don't even care. I can see where that would annoy some people, but I'll be honest with you - it turned me on even more. Yep. I'm his total and complete bitch and I have no shame in admitting it. 
 This book's story isn't all smooth sailing and rainbows. Even though Katy and Daemon are very much together, the plot is still highly intense. There are issues and problems and obstacles. But they met them together and fought through them together as a team. Which is my favorite kind of way to write a couple. Forget this tension thing. You think that because Daemon and Katy are in the big L.O.V.E. that they don't spar and that spark is gone? Wrong. They are like two sides of the same coin and it's brilliant how they still spark (sometimes literally) off each other. Their entire relationship is just a gift. 
 See? I go and start talking about the plot and get back to Daemon & Katy. 
 I'm pathetic. 
 But I don't want to say too much about the plot because I don't want to spoil things. I encourage everyone to read this series and if it is not read in a specific order, everything is all screwed up. Obsidian, then Shadow (even though it's a prequel have to read it after Obsidian, but you NEED to read it before..), Onyx, and now Opal. There are 2 more books in this series and I hear that the next book, Origin, will be from both Katy and Daemon's POV. Given the nature of the hated cliffhanger that makes sense - but as fans of this series know, Daemon's POV no matter his state of mind is gold. ((Go to Jennifer Armentrout's web page and read the 'extras' -- a good number of chapters from Daemon's POV and they are all AHMAZING)) 
 But I'm getting ahead of myself. Or maybe it's behind myself. Who knows. What I do know is Opal is probably my favorite book of the series so far. I say probably because there are parts and reason I love them all and that is because THE ENTIRE SERIES IS EPIC! 
 Yes. Epic. 
 I love books with great characters and I love books with amazing plots and this series give me both and I just can't form the words to say how very happy it makes me that these books exist. 
 The cliffhanger, well yes, it was brutal. And the wait will be hard. But as I said above, I'm gonna take it in stride. When I read the end of this book I cried, and that alone is very rare for me while reading. I can probably count on one hand the times I've cried while reading a book (whereas TV, forget about it - I'm like a faucet. I guess I'm a visual person. *shrug*). But this one did it because it was so beautifully and perfectly written. I could literally feel what Daemon & Katy were feeling at that moment. And it hurt. Badly. 
 Daemon Black and Katy Swartz are my absolute favorite book series couple and I have faith in Jennifer Armentrout to bring it full around again. 
 I'll be counting the days until Origin, and as I have this entire year, read this series again every few months just to get my fix. 
 ... Random spoiler bits .... 
 I did have a few tiny issues with Opal... (view spoiler)[One of the major obstacles in the book is for the group to build up a tolerance to the debilitating onyx. Now I can see where they would need to build up some tolerance since the entire Daedalus compound had onyx everywhere - BUT for the skin and clothing thing b/c of the onyx spray shields - hazmat suits. I mean, that drove me absolutely batshit. ALSO, when he killed Simon, why didn't Daemon snatch his opal bracelet off? That power boost could have come in handy right about then. Maybe this is how Katy survives the cliffhanger, although I doubt the Daedalus folks want her harmed and the Arum are probably under orders, but for now we don't know that. All we do know is there was an all powerful opal that is now still on the arm of a dead body instead of in the hands of our hero. *spits* (hide spoiler)] 
 Back on the subject of my original 'Cliffhanger' rant... (view spoiler)[We also know that if Katy dies, Daemon dies and vice versa. So not only can we have utter faith in a HEA but we know they will both survive and be alright. Of course after what happened I wouldn't want even be in the same state as Daemon Black. He is going to warp so much vengeance and shatter so many bodies in his quest to get Katy back it is gonna get hella bloody. Quickly. And I for one hope like hell he starts with Blake. That creepy lying snake needs to DIE!DIE!DIE!!! *double spits* (hide spoiler)] 
 And on a VERY ECSTATICALLY HAPPY note... 
 (view spoiler)[THE SEX WAS AMAZING!!! I mean, we knew it would be but, OMG! What I wouldn't give to have JA write a mature version of THAT chapter. Because if you have read any of her J. Lynn work, she has got mad skills at the smut, but seeing how awesomely she wrote it clean(ish)... Wow. Although I'm still pissed at freakin' Dawson's continual cock blocking making us wait so long. I mean, UGH!!! But still, so freaking worth it. *le sigh* (hide spoiler)] 
 ETA: February 22, 2013: I was talking to a friend of mine who is slacking *cough* Christina *cough* who is just now catching up with this series and about Origin coming in July. ANYWAY, I was telling her when she was done about the FB discussion page that Jennifer L. Armentrout started after Opal was released early. She only announced it on her FB and twitter accounts, so not many of us showed up, BUT I did (of course) and she answered some of our questions and gave us juicy tidbits into the Opal and the rest of the series. All of my "tiny issues" with Opal she addressed as well as so much more. Here is the link to the goodies. Enjoy!