I picked up Half-Blood after I read both Obsidian and Onyx and basically fell in love with Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing and characters. all The Lux and JLA fans recommended this series for me and I thought I should give it a shot. While I did enjoy Half-Blood, it isn't close to the level of Obsidian in my opinion. I know people say that the first book isn't the greatest in the series but I have to say that I loved Aiden and the whole forbidden relationship aspect. I do hope JLA doesn't stretch that and keep us and the characters frustrated. As for the paranormal plot, I am not the biggest fan, especially with the whole mother issue that the main protagonist, Alex, is facing. I love the boarding school setting, you guys know I am a BIG fan of that book setting, and I love how independent and kick butt Alex is. I wrote this review literally months (maybe 4?) after I read it but I still seem to remember a ton of it, even if I don't remember ALL the character's names. This shows you that this book and series are definitely worth it, however you shouldn't compare it with The Lux series. I can't wait to pick up Pure and see how the plot progresses!