alindstadtcorbeax
Written on Nov 16, 2020
AHHHHH so good ! So happy to return to the Lux world!
ONTO THE BURNING SHADOWWWWW; RTC
When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher is caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy she initially assumes is a Luxen…but he is in fact something much more powerful. Her growing attraction for Luc will lead her deeper and deeper into a world she’d only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head…
- ISBN10 1250175712
- ISBN13 9781250175717
- Publish Date 16 July 2019 (first published 30 October 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Tor Teen
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
AHHHHH so good ! So happy to return to the Lux world!
ONTO THE BURNING SHADOWWWWW; RTC
whisperingchapters
Written on Sep 17, 2019
cornerfolds
Written on Jul 28, 2019
My first foray into the world of Jennifer L. Armentrout did not go well. I honestly hated The first book in the Lux series and never thought I'd read another one by her. Then I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Darkest Star at ALA, followed by several people telling me how amazing it was! Eventually I gave in and was happy to be proven wrong.
Evie is the MC of this story and immediately finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time when it begins. Luc is a Luxen (or is he?) and the most gorgeous guy Evie has ever seen. She realizes there's more than meets the eye about him and the club they met in and very quickly finds herself thrown into the world of the Luxen by Luc's side.
The first thing I noticed about Evie and Luc as opposed to Damon's story was significantly less angst. I'm not sure if that has to do with the years in which both were written, but this was much more my speed. Evie does have her fair share of angst, don't get me wrong, but it's manageable. Their romance was sweet and I found myself rooting for them despite some of Luc's less flattering moments. If hate to love romance is your trope, you'll probably enjoy this story.
I get the feeling there's definitely a lot more I would have picked up on in this book had I read all the other books in this universe, but I don't feel like I missed out on too much. Armentrout does a pretty good job of making sure the reader is up to speed, although I was really interested to find about about the war that apparently happened between the other book I read and this one!
This book isn't just romance and angst though! There were twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming and that always makes books more enjoyable. I had an idea that something was going on, but I never pinned it down until the reveal. I also really liked the way the author touched on current issues within the world of the Luxen.
I am very pleased to say I did enjoy this book! I don't read many paranormal romance books, so The Darkest Star was a real change of pace. I'll never go back and read the ones before it, that's for sure, but I will be continuing Evie's story. If you loved this author's previous books, you'll probably love this one! If, like me, you're coming into this not knowing the history, you can definitely enjoy it anyway. I can't wait to see what happens next!
bookishzelda
Written on Nov 11, 2018
Even though the story is set in the same world and former characters make appearances you don’t have to read the original Lux series to understand what is going. As the story goes along, it’s explained what previously happened on the planet. It’s not info dumped either, it comes up as things happen in the current story that relate to the past.
What I loved is that this reminded me so much of why I had originally loved the Lux series. The witty banter between the love interest. The slow burn but definitely strong chemistry between them. A protagonist who is not completely helpless. She might not have any special powers but she is going to let herself just be killed and fights back.
I really liked the plot and the pacing. It’s a quick read but entertaining the entire way. Things are happening but also keep moving. I also like how it connects to the previous series but isn’t just rebooting the same plot. It’s moved on and focused on some different types of characters from the original. The Origin kids all grown up for instance and dealing with the kind of hate that can come with people knowing about the Luxen.
I loved the characters. They are witty and smart and really fun to read. It made the story enjoyable.
I loved The Darkest Star, it’s one of those books you read when you need a break and want some sweet slow burn chemistry.
Quirky Cat
Written on Oct 20, 2018
The Darkest Star is the first in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s newest series, Origin. For those that don’t know, this is actually a spin-off series from Lux. If you go and read the description, you’ll probably recognize a name or two…and yes, it’s okay to squeal a bit.
I know that a lot of fans were very much in love with one specific side character from the Lux series, so it’s great to see him getting a chance to shine in this new series.
Don’t worry: if you haven’t read the Lux series you can still read this one, no problem. You will miss some of the backstory for the Luxen and for Luc, but enough of it is covered where you won’t really feel like you’re missing out. The only thing you’ll be missing really is the nostalgia for the older series.
The Darkest Star was an incredibly fast read, due mostly to the fact that I simply couldn’t put it down. Jennifer L. Armentrout did a fantastic job of capturing my attention right for the get go, and kept building up the plot and romance steadily.
There was only one downside to it catching my attention right away; I had originally read the sample shared through BookishFirst, and was not lucky enough to have one it (and I had just spent my points the week before so…). Thankfully my request through NetGalley was accepted, so it was only two weeks of torture I had to deal with, instead of waiting until the release date!
I’ll confess that I’m not up to date in the Lux series, but I still had zero problems following what was happening here. Since it’s a spin off you can see how the two different series connect, but Armentrout did a decent job of making this one completely standalone. I think that new fans could be found here – though obviously they won’t have been waiting years for a Luc book, like some of have been.
I really enjoyed Evie’s character on the whole. Things got a little crazy and confusing at points, but at least there’s a really good reason for that. The revelation is shocking…but at the same time it’s supported by hints that were dropped throughout the entire novel, so I’m happy with it.
Evie and Luc’s relationship is, for lack of a better term, cute. It starts out like you’d expect, with them sort of hating each other (at least by all appearances), but of course it gradually builds into something more. Granted there’s a lot more going on here than we were originally made aware of, but it is all explained with time.
I love that Evie’s friends actually acted like people. They weren’t just cardboard cutouts whose sole purpose was to support Evie and the plot. They had their own dreams and motives, for better or for worse.
I’m sure that there will be more books to this series, and I’m very sad that I’ll have to wait for them. I suppose in the meantime I can get caught up with the rest of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s works?
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Leigha
Written on Aug 11, 2018
Please Note: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A young woman discovers there is more to her world - and herself - in this spinoff to the popular young adult Lux series.
Man oh man, this book is hard for me to rate. On one hand, I disliked the relationship between Evie and Luc. Luc is an egotistical asshole. Not only is he rude to Evie, he disrespects her boundaries multiple times. When she attempts to reassert herself, he essentially bulldozes over her. Case in point - Luc refusing to let Evie leave his place when she returns for her phone. Only after she screams "you're hurting me" does he actual show some level of common decency. "I would never hurt you" he says. DUDE, emotionally hurting someone is just as painful as physically hurting someone. Their relationship bordered on toxic for most of the novel.
Now all that said, I devoured this story. JLA has a way of reeling you into a narrative, making you care about the characters and the world. Evie's awakening to the events going on around her were fun, if a little eye rolling. The pace meandered a bit, but the ending climax felt rewarding and earned. If you enjoyed the first series, most likely you're going to enjoy this book.
tl;dr JLA manages to weave together a problematic romance with entertaining action that fed my trashy side.