alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Nov 17, 2020
This was AMAZING!
ONTO THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.
When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.
Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.
Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.
And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.
- ISBN10 1250175747
- ISBN13 9781250175748
- Publish Date 8 October 2019
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint St Martin's Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 432
- Language English
Reviews
This was AMAZING!
ONTO THE BRIGHTEST NIGHT
Quirky Cat
Written on Oct 29, 2019
Evelyn's whole life has changed since she met Luc. And not in the overly dramatic and romantic sense either. It turns out her whole life was a lie – including her memories and everything she believed to be true about herself. Now she's trying to get a grip on what is real for her. All while falling for Luc – and trying to decipher if it is her, or the memory of her past self, that Luc is in love with.
Evelyn is a conflicted character. And who can blame her? She's got a past she can't remember, and nobody seems willing to be completely upfront about what that past version of her went through. So now she's stuck uncertain about what is real and what is the truth.
“All I wanted to do is eat a damn grilled cheese sandwich, eat some freaking soup, and be normal for five seconds...”
As far as sequels go, I have to admit that I didn't love Burning Shadow. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adored The Darkest Star. But, I don't know. I feel like this novel lost something? Almost like it lost it's sparkle or charm somewhere between book one and book two.
Perhaps whatever that missing piece is will be found before the next novel picks up. Or maybe not. Maybe it's me or the mood I was in while reading this book? I'm always so hesitant when I find myself not loving a novel in a series I once liked.
This novel did shift towards a more heavily character-driven plot. Even while there were other things happening alongside our characters – it always felt like Evelyn and the interactions she had took priority. That can be good or bad, depending on what sort of novel you're looking for.
That being said, it was still nice to see Evie and see her trying to work things out for herself. She's an interesting and strong character. One who has been through so much – even if she doesn't remember half of what she's survived.
The tension in this novel was well balanced as well. You can really feel the conflict Evie was dealing with. Her uncertainty about Luc and his reasons for caring about her felt all too real. So that was truly a highlight in this book.
To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to end up picking up the next book in the series. I'll probably wait it out and see how the reviews go before I make a final decision on the matter. Anybody else in the same boat as me?
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
whisperingchapters
Written on Oct 2, 2019
MY HEART!!!!! Luc stole my breath, my heart, my entire soul and being!!! (Can I leave my review there? No? *sighs* All right, but don't judge the mess this will be.)
This book sucked me in so hard. It continues right where The Darkest Star left off and from then on, my life only knew the Origin world; nothing else existed or mattered. The world building Jennifer created is outstanding and otherworldly. Everything from the humans to the Luxen to the post-invasion to rebuilding was done with such care and with details to make the reader feel they were right there in the story as a character.
Jennifer has fleshed out all of these characters, from the ones that are new to the ones that we've known since the Lux series. Evie, a new character, has gone through way too much. In the first novel, she was shy, timid, scared. And now, we have this woman who isn't shying away from all the bad she's seeing, but wants to help and tackle it head on. She also became into this badass woman that had me with my jaw dropped open! Seriously, I was not expecting the mega bombshell Jennifer threw at us about Evie, and I'm still not over it! It took me by such a surprise, but all I kept thinking was, "You go, girl! Kick some ass!"
"I don't care what you call me as long as you call me yours."
Luc *sighs dreamily* I can't say his name without my heart wanting to jump out of my chest like it has a mind of it's own and his hoping Luc is right in front of me so it can hug him (I know, my mind works in mysterious ways). Luc has grown so much from the Lux series. Before, I would see him as a kid; now, as a hot man who makes me drool and swoon! He's matured so much and tackling on so much for someone still kind of young. Because of this, he can be immature at times, but it doesn't take away from who Luc has become so there are no complaints from me.
Something that tore my heart apart was seeing Luc not knowing something specific concerning Evie. He prides himself in having all the answers, but with the person that means the universe to him, he doesn't have them. The frustration he carries is overwhelming and heart-breaking. I mean, it did help in knocking down his ego a bit, but it was still so sad to see him that way.
"You don’t need to worry about me, Peaches. I’m always going to come back to you. That’s a promise."
The length of this book surprised me! I thought it would feel dragging or slow, but it never felt that way. There was always something going on and it felt like a much shorter book than it was. I'm glad Jennifer kept writing and gave the reader so much content to work with and put our brains to work through what was going on. There were so many twists and turns, it was hard to pinpoint everything, which I greatly appreciate!
The ending had me yelling in frustration because I just knew it! I was suspecting another character but it became very obvious who was behind everything! Even thinking about it now has my heart racing. It was an epic ending, that's for sure, to be dropping a bombshell and then the book ends. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT AN ENTIRE YEAR FOR MORE!
AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS:
I mostly listened to the audio for this one and I'm so glad I did! The narrator did a fantastic job in changing her voice to fit each character's personality. Through her voice, I could feel the characters' frustrations, excitement, love, care. I highly suggest going the audio route with this one because it will suck you in even more!
Overall, The Burning Shadow is phenomenal, shocking, action-packed, full of twists and turns and a romance that will have you swooning right from the start!
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Cocktails and Books
Written on Jul 23, 2019
Leigha
Written on Jun 22, 2019
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Evie and the gang are back in this surprisingly enjoyable sequel to The Darkest Star.
My first vacation in three years (count them people – THREE years) deserved a good book, and, lucky for me, The Burning Shadow lived up to my desires. It was the perfect amount of romance, action, and world development. Whereas I felt the relationship between Luc and Evie toxic in the first book, this novel attempted to create a balance between the two. Considering this novel puts their relationship center stage, it needed to create a healthier dynamic between them.
Characters may take center stage in the first half of the novel, but the plot moves forward rapidly in the second half. Perhaps a little too fast? I felt a bit of whiplash from all the twists and turns. It ends on a cliffhanger that has me eager to read the next installment. Those looking for familiar faces from the previous series will be pleasantly surprised.
tl;dr A healthier dynamic is established between Luc and Evie, making me enjoy this novel more than the previous one.