Too. Frickin. Cute. 
 This prequel to the Lux series answered a few questions of mine that cropped up while reading Obsidian, yet also left one big question hanging. I don't buy that anything is final, no matter how much everything would appear as such. The DOD knows too much imo. I'm guessing that I'm not the only one feeling this way. 
 Dawson, the "good" twin to his temperamental other half Daemon (who was the main character in Obsidian) was a pleasant enough character. He was easy enough to like because there wasn't much about him not to like. His relationship with Bethany was endearing to watch because it reminded me of what it was like to be in the first stages of a new relationship as a younger person. I'm sure many of us had those same exact late-night conversations on the phone until we fell asleep. 
 If there hadn't been outside interference from meddling Luxen friends and enemy Arum stalkers, this relationship would probably qualify for one of the most normal I've read about in a book recently. Normal can tend to equate to boring sometimes, but I think in this case, the coupling was adorable. Some people might think the relationship happened too hard and too fast, but since this was a novella, there were a few fast-forward moments. I recall one scene where it had insinuated an entire month had passed (and they still hadn't kissed yet). So even though it would seem as if these two were rushing in to things, this is only because some of the relationship was cut for sake of time. 
 Let's get this straight though - don't start to think I've converted to the Dawson side. I honestly believe that Dawson would not be a strong enough presence to carry several books on his own. He might be the more "normal" character that many of us would like to read about in books, but I'm putting my money on Daemon for being the one to bring the story. 
 Shadows gave us a bit more insight as to why Daemon was such a jerk in Obsidian. After seeing just how much he had to go through in this book, it's no wonder why he chose to keep human girls at arm's length, to the point of resorting to extreme cruelty. He honestly believed that he could not afford kindness, or it might be at the risk of those he loved. 
 ..... 
 For those curious about series order or about what type of book this is...I'd say if you haven't picked up any book in this series, I'd start with Obsidian first. While Shadows is a prequel and can be read to start, I think that reading book 1 before 0.5 makes you want to know what is in this book even more. As for genre, I'd say that there is definitely a bit of action/adventure on the sci-fi front, but the book reads like a paranormal romance. Even with the interesting foundation of the Luxen and Arum characters, the suspense is slow to build in both books because the romance is so much in the forefront. 
 As for the few issues I had with Obsidian, most of those early complaints of mine were not as obvious in this book, which made me breathe a little easier. If you'd like to know my initial impressions of the series, you can find my review for Obsidian here.