The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L Armentrout

The Burning Shadow (Origin, #2)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

#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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3 of 5 stars

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The Burning Shadow is the second novel in the Origin series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. If you've never heard of that series, it's a spin-off of her famous Lux series. And yes, it does include a ton of fan favorites.
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

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 October, 2019: Finished reading
  • 29 October, 2019: Reviewed