In the world of the Lux, secrets thrive, lies shatter, and love is undeniable. #1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout brings her trademark drama and intrigue to a new romantic YA science fiction series with The Darkest Star. Set in the beloved world of the Lux, a girl pulled into in a world she doesn’t understand finds herself confronted by … understand finds herself confronted by long buried secrets, a betrayal that could tear her life apart…and Armentrout’s most swoonworthy book boyfriend yet.
Seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher knows firsthand the devastating consequences of humanity’s war with the aliens. When she’s 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…
Welcome to the Origin series.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Seventeen year old Evie Dasher has an ordinary life….well as ordinary as life can be after Earth has been involved in an alien war and people are not what they seem. Are they human, Luxen or something else? On a night out, the club Evie is at is raided and everything changes for her. Swept into a world she thought she new, Evie will have to figure out who her friends and enemies are pretty quick to survive what is coming.
The Darkest Star was a slow burn read, meaning that you get to know the characters a little bit more and are reintroduced to Luc and some of the other characters from previous books. Evie is the main protagonist in this book and she is really quite ordinary; ordinary in style, language and interests but I definitely think that is part of her appeal and makes her more believable. Her relationship with Luc is a slow starting one and you see their relationship develop as they spend more time together and truths come out. Luc on the other hand comes across as mysterious, sometimes dark and utterly handsome. He definitely gives Evie a lot to think about. What is also good to note is that JLA has made Luc a really likeable yet often flawed character…he isn’t perfect and that is refreshing when it comes to reading YA novels. He hasn’t always made the right choices and he owns that.
This book is action packed with a hint of witty banter and snarky comments throughout and enough of a back-story that you wouldn’t have to have read previous series to understand what is going on. There are also some true teen dramas such as falling in love, bullies and angst which I think added a real life, everyday touch to the story.
There isn’t a cliff-hanger per say but you are definitely left with questions that can only be answered in the second book. A must read for YA/NA Paranormal fans.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
I love the Luxen/Origin world so much.
I couldn’t leave the Luxen world and I definitely couldn’t leave Luc. The only thing I want more of is Luc. I would love something from his POV. You can feel the love he feels for Evie jump off the pages and I can’t wait to see what happens with her and what she develops into. There were things I saw coming and were a bit predictable, but there were others that completely threw me. I also loved getting little glimpses of Daemon and Archer and seeing what has come of the world after the invasion at the end of Opposition.
This was one of the books I was most excited about to finally have in my hands. I already fell in love with Luc in Daemon’s story and couldn’t wait to read his book. What a shame that I felt utterly disappointed with the heroine, who totally ruined it for me.
Evie was an annoying, naïve, foolish and childish girl. I truly couldn’t stand her. Contrary to her, Luc was so mature despite his young age. He just knew danger first hand, was sophisticated, almost wise for his age, had plenty experience of life and carried a lot of responsibility. He was a witty, challenging and clever guy.
I felt really bad for Luc for ending up with this inexperienced, stupid girl, because could she have been any more annoying?! Ugh! She insulted him and called him an ass but she was stubborn, a liar and so contradictory herself. She constantly told him that she hated him and how unfair he was while she couldn’t stop thinking about his lips and drooled all over him. She really wasn’t his perfect fit.
The story was slow, predictable and not very thrilling. Although there were a couple of things happening, it all felt very meh and didn’t keep me engaged. I felt no spark between the characters which could have very well been Evie’s fault because she always just hated on Luc and annoyed the hell out of me.
I never would have thought that I would struggle with this book, but I really had a hard time getting through.
It was really hard to decide on a rating because it was a mix between 2 and 4 stars, and like I mentioned before the worst part for me was the heroine. The story had some similarities to Daemon and Kat’s story but was not as exciting and well worked out.
I was so excited to see some of my beloved characters from the Lux series again but that was the most highlight from the entire book. Evie was not a special character and although I loved Luc from Daemon’s story, I didn’t feel as intrigued by him as I did when I first met his character. He was very similar to the other Luxen characters when I really expected him to be way different.
As of now, I am not even sure if I’ll read the next book, but in the end my curiosity will probably win over.
The Story:
The world wasn’t the same after the invasion of the aliens, which was cause of more conflicts in politics and people’s opinions. They had to deal with discriminations, preconception and hate, because Humans likely act hateful in fear when they dealt with something unknown to them. It was only known that the Luxen lived among the Humans since the invasion, but it was not always in peace. The Government had plans to change this and goaded people more and more which ended in aggressive behaviors towards the aliens. When people got killed, the situation began to escalate and innocent people of all races got in danger. Who was the bad guy behind all this farce?! Who was inciting the Humans against the Luxen?! Why couldn’t all living beings live in peace with each other?! This question was all too real for everyone, fiction or non-fiction.
I have been provided with a copy of The Darkest Star through NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the first book in the brand new Origin series and it takes us back to the world of Luxen and Origins. I absolutely loved this book and I was so excited when I heard that it was going to be about Luc who we had previously met in the Lux series. I just loved getting to reenter this world and see some familiar characters that I have just missed since the Lux series ended. I just couldn’t put this book down and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
This book was definitely worth the wait. My kid and I had just finished the lux series by this author and were left with the feeling “now what to read” it just so happened this books timing to be released was only a couple months later! The story was well written and it flowed to where once you started you did not want to stop reading. I finished reading in a couple days (work made it to where I unfortunately had to take breaks) and my kid whose in jr high finished it during the school work by reading any available time between classes and after done with work. We would both recommend this book to others and are super excited to read book two once it comes out later this year. This book can be read separately from the lux series but I would recommend them all!
What an engrossing novel. The Darkest Star follows Evie Dasher as she is swept up in a world she doesn’t quite understand. The Darkest Star is a post-invasion lit story. The invasion has come and gone, and now the reader is following the aftermath, the way the world has found a way to move past it on fragile peace. It’s a fragile world that Evie lives in, one where her protective mother who happens to work for the Government, seeks to shield her from. However, for Evie, the past is coming back to haunt, and her connection to Luc is more than the typical young adult romance. That’s one of the effective elements that captivates the reader. Armentrout wrote the characters not only so that they jumped off the pages, but also so that they connect in a powerful even humorous way. The way their relationship unfolds is enjoyable because there’s so much chemistry between the two and their personalities balance each other out very well.
As for the story, it’s interesting to see it how it unfolds and how Armentrout has decided to move the story past the invasion and show the aftermath years later. She takes on that genre and by focusing the novel towards a younger audience allows the pace of the book to unfold in a gripping way. At times the story is slow, but it does not feel that way. It moves gracefully, using those measured moments to build the tension as well as the character narratives. Things happen in the novel that Evie doesn’t understand, and despite herself, she is looking for answers. She knows the event somehow connect to her, but she doesn’t understand why. This almost haunting atmosphere lets the mystery and intrigue rise in the plot, creating a compelling plot.
There’s also something to be said about the storytelling. Armentrout uses this foundation to address serious topics such as segregation and xenophobia. Using this medium and genre’s Armentrout highlights the dangers of spreading hate and fear and judging an entire culture by the awful actions of the few. The idea of forcing the Luxen into separate schools and separate living situations is dangerous because it breeds fear and hate instead of acceptance and peace. It’s a powerful underlining element that Armentrout has decided to include in her story and a powerful way to make it resonate with audiences regardless of race and culture.
3 1/2 stars. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I am a huge Jennifer Armentrout fan and have thoroughly enjoyed everything that I have read of hers. And while this wasn’t bad, it wasn’t awesome for me either. The first half really dragged and I constantly felt disconnected from the characters. Part of the problem may have been that it has been quite a while since I was in this particular world. I might have felt different had I refreshed the story line from the Lux. The end did pick up a bit and I will be giving the sequel a shot.
I can get lost in any JLA book. If the hero’s T-shirt slogans don’t win you over the sexual tension and mystery surrounding the main duo will. And Daemon makes an appearance. This is me patiently waiting for the next one.
If you love JLA’s Lux series, then you will love The Darkest Star. You even get cameos from Daemon and the others.
I was a huge fan of JLA’s Lux series and I loved this first in her follow up series. I can’t wait for the rest!
I loved the Lux series, so I was so happy that she decided to write a spin off. Did not disappoint, love that some of the characters in the other series make appearances in this one too.
The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
YA Science Fiction Romance
Though it’s a spin-off from the Lux Series, it totally stands alone
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…
The Darkest Star by Jennifer Armentrout was my first book by her. I was contacted by her publisher to read it and because it was #1 in a series I figured “why not?” I am going to her Apollyon event again this year so it was time to read her. Now keep in mind, I had never really read sci fi, and I very very rarely read YA, but I was looking for a change, so I took it. I was immediately sucked into the world, and kind of had that feeling I had when I read Twilight. It was addictive and unputdownable, but also cheesy and cliché, but in a way that made that good if that makes any sense?
When I was about 50% in, I took to Facebook to proclaim how much I was enjoying The Darkest Star. It was then that I found out it was a spin-off of the Lux Series and that Luc, the hero, had been a previous character. So if you read the Lux Series, you know what he is. But I had no clue and I almost think it was better that way because the heroine didn’t know either. There was not one moment where I felt like I missed something. Jennifer Armentrout filled in new readers without it ever feeling like a recap.
Though I was a little worried about reading about aliens, it honestly was no different than any paranormal book to me. In fact, it was SO SIMILAR. If you loved Twilight, you’ll love this. Again, it’s not a bad thing because I loved Twilight despite the sparkly vampire and other cheesiness. There are a lot of similarities that seem formulaic for other YA paranormals I have read: She doesn’t know what he is, he watches over her to protect her, the aliens have their own table in the lunchroom, she seems normal but she’s “special” and a target for baddies, and he is broody and can read minds and more. Even the sexual tension between them is similar.
“There was no room for thinking or feeling beyond this moment. Not when his mouth made its way back to mine, not when I was panting against his swollen lips, and I knew I was on the precipice of something major, something beautifully unknown, and then I was falling over that edge, tumbling and spinning. I was humming. “Luc,” I said, gasping. He suddenly stilled above me, his breath dancing over my lips, and I was waiting—wanting him to do more, want more. He cursed and wrenched away, flipping onto his back, onto the bed. My eyes went wide, and I was once again staring at the ceiling, my entire body trembling as the pleasant, sultry haze faded.”
Sound familiar? It’s a formula that WORKS. And it worked WELL because I couldn’t put down the book the entire time and plan on continuing the series. I am debating on starting from the beginning of the Lux series, but I kind of liked that I didn’t know everything, just like the heroine.
Likes:
•Easily stands alone, I didn’t realize it was a spinoff at any time.
•I was never confused or lost at any time even though I never read the Lux Series.
•A gripping storyline that had a lot of formulaic elements that always work great.
•The YA sexual tension.
•The way the story unfolded piece by piece. I personally loved that I didn’t know what Luc was, but you would if you read the Lux Series.
•Great world building that was very easy to follow.
•Had a very Twilightesque feel.
Dislikes:
•A few TSTL moments that had me rolling my eyes and yelling at her!
•Maybe a little too formulaic, even though the formula works.
The Down and Dirty:
I have never read alien romances and I rarely read YA, but I took a chance on The Darkest Star and I am so glad I did! As a newbie to Jennifer Armentrout, I didn’t even realize while reading that this is a spinoff of her Lux Series, and that’s OK, it stood really well on its own and I think maybe not knowing may have even enhanced the read for me. This is a series I will definitely continue!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I’ve read the Lux series, and as a fan, the moment I found out about this new series I couldn’t wait to put my hands on it and read it. I loved it, I loved going back to the Luxen world, reading about my favourite characters and getting to know Luc better. I think Jennifer is an amazing author, who made me feel happy, sad, scared (yes, when you read it you will get WHEN), she made me laugh and she made turn the pages as if there was no tomorrow (pun intended). Evie is a great character, I think she is hilarious, and strong. You see her facing the problems with the ones she loves, and the ones she begins to care about.
I loved the book, it took only 3 days to read it, because Jennifer is one of the few authors capable of that. You have lies and drama because, drama llama (right?).
Yet, there is a huge BUT I find about the book, and as a Lux fan (like, reading the whole series once every year) it was something I could not ignore: It’s extremely similar to the original series!!. And I’m talking about LITERALLY things from the Lux series.
What comes next has SPOILERS, consider yourself WARNED:
There were many situations or dialogues that were like reading Daemon and Katy all over again: the adverbs scene, watching a shirtless Luc open a door, Luc overprotective and stalking, Evie becoming a ninja in 1 second. It was simply too much, not that it made put the book down, but I didn’t expect something like that. This is the only thing I don’t like about the book: it feel like Lux 2.0, so you could figure out much about the plot, and for that I rather read about Daemon and Katy.
The other part that didn’t convince me (this more a makes-no-much-sense-for-me kind of thing) was the society response to the Lux presence: it is realistic how people react to the fact that aliens are around them, they are afraid and were invaded. On the other hand, it makes no sense if you think about how the Lux series ended: Katy and Daemon living in a house and Katy studying economics, they didn’t have to wear the disablers since General Eaton made them that favor, Katy described an akward but not hostil life. Yet, they are living between walls, Katy stays at home, they are fugitives for not wearing disablers, etc. I don’t understand how everything just changed like that, maybe it’ll be explained in the next books, but for me it seems like two different worlds.
NO MORE SPOILERS FROM HERE
Please, don’t misinterpret me, I really loved the book, and reading about the old characters was great, and although I’m not dissappointed it’s just not what I expected it to be.
I’ve been through the internet looking for reviews, to see if anyone thought like me, and I found 1 review out of hundreds (most people are not Lux fans, so I understand they don’t have this issue with the book), I’ll leave it here if you are curious: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3HY24VIWZ8AGD/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1250175739 .
I loved JLA’s Lux series. When I heard she was going back with The Darkest Star and new Origin series, I was thrilled. I couldn’t get my hands on it soon enough. I couldn’t even binge read it, because I wanted to savor it. Now that I’ve finished, I just want more.
I have to be honest, I find it very difficult to review non-contemporary books because it’s far too easy to give important things away. I’m going to keep my review pretty short and sweet — and vague — because I don’t want to run the risk of that. If you’ve read and enjoyed the Lux series, you will undoubtedly want to read The Darkest Star. That said, I’m also confident those who haven’t read the Lux series could still get into this one. (But they might not be as excited about certain cameos as those of us who read and loved Lux were.)
The Darkest Star has all those things I’ve come to expect from Jen’s books — a great heroine, swoony (even unexpectedly so) hero, sass and sarcasm, humor and plenty of twists and turns. While I was falling for the characters, I was trying to put the pieces together to figure out what was going on. But for real, y’all, no way I was figuring it out on my own this time. The story is SO FREAKING GOOD and the further I got into the story, the harder I found it to savor it. I just wanted answers and kissing and all the good stuff.
The Origin series is off to an amazing start with The Darkest Star. I’m in love with Luc. Evie is pretty amazing in her own right. I have a lot of questions and I’m totally intrigued by the storyline overall. I’m not sure when we’ll get more, but I know I’ll be waiting with grabby hands until I do.
FAVORITE QUOTES
That was what I wanted at some point in my life, for someone to look at me like I looked at tacos.
Deep down I knew that whispered words were going to turn into actions, and things would escalate. Fear would turn to hatred, and that was a deadly combination. The school was a powder keg, and it wasn’t a matter of if it would blow. It was only a matter of when.
“IF I had to do it all over, I would. Without a fucking doubt, I would do it again, because the only other option would be that you wouldn’t be standing in front of me—pissed off, but breathing. Alive and so damn beautiful that it sometimes kills me a little each time I look at you.
I am so excited that Jennifer has continued the Lux series with Luc. He was so great in the other book I always his personality and that hasn’t change thank the good Lord And then throw good ol Daemon and Archer and I’m a happy camper. Now we got a new one Evie Dasher, love the spunk on that when she get worked up. Everyone had gone through so much since the invasion but it looks like it’s not all sunshine and rainbows looks like things are still going wrong and not everyone like the luxen. Oh and their is a glacier size twist you will not see coming all I can say if my brain exploded with that twist (you’ll know the one). And thank the baby Jesus for not having a heart wrenching cliff hanger. Can’t wait to see what else is in store.
5 Stars
Review by Sasha
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Evie Dasher’s entire world changed when she decided to walk into the club Foretoken one night. She knew that this club was a place where people who didn’t fit in could attend. This was a safe place for any Luxen, a new alien species that had invaded earth a couple years ago. They could come to blow off some steam and not be afraid of getting taken away. Evie had thought that it would be a night filled with dancing and laughing with her best friend and meeting her best friend’s crush. What she didn’t expect was for a devastatingly handsome but outrageously rude guy named Luc to declare that she shouldn’t be there. From her first encounter with Luc, the world around her decides to get turned upside down. Suddenly Evie finds that the world she has come to know, and the life that she had been told was hers, wasn’t what it seemed to be.
There is nothing that Evie would like more than to forget about that night at Foretoken, but Luc seems to be popping up everywhere she goes. He insults her when they first meet, leaves her with nothing but a couple lines of cryptic dialogue and then begins appearing all around her like some guardian angel. Despite the annoyance that Luc brings into her life, Evie finds herself drawn to him. He holds the answers to the questions that she begins searching for. The closer she gets to Luc, the more she finds herself wondering who she can trust and who is actually the person they say there are.
God, I loved this book. It was the perfect young adult novel for any reader who is looking for something similar to the Divergent series. The witty banter between all the characters, especially Luc and Evie, gives the story that youthful tone and vibe. The back and forth nature between Luc and Evie is too funny and it makes the slow burn of their relationship almost bearable. Evie stands up and fights for herself, which gives the young girls reading this another great character to look up to. The fact that it’s a spin-off of another one of Armentrout’s popular series and doesn’t rely on the reader having extensive knowledge of the previous series is a comfort to new readers who are picking up the new series.
I’m definitely a fan of Armentrout’s writing after reading this book. I can’t wait to get my hands no only on the next book in this series but also her other books. Between the dramatic discoveries and the slow burn between Luc and Evie, I was on the edge of my seat reading this novel.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*
First off, The Darkest Star is a spin-off of The Lux Series. Technically, you do not have to read The Lux Series, but I HIGHLY suggest it; it’ll save you a headache, and the series is one of my faves. You will no doubt be confused over multiple scenes; even having read Lux myself, I was still a bit lost in the first 40%.
I had difficulty gaining traction in the beginning of The Darkest Star. The characters fell flat for me, lacking personality and likability; and not because the love interest, Luc, came into the scene like a total ass-hat (which he totally did). I think I’m over my days of rude boys in YA books being snarky, it’s been done to death.
What kept me intrigued were the little bouts of action, comedy, and obvious plot-twists. There were a many.
Once I got past the first 40%, it was MUCH smoother sailing. The characters came to life, the story was still a little rocky, but coming together; and I got that lovely Lux feeling I had been waiting for. Beautiful chemistry blossomed, and I fell fast in love with Luc and Evie.
This is definitely an introductory book that’s setting up for something much larger. I am SUPER freaking excited to read the next one, I have a feeling it’s going to be a 5 star for sure.
Unfortunately, for now, we’ll have to wait a while in cliff-hanger hell.
It’s been a while since Jennifer L Armentrout treated us to the world of Lux. The Darkest Star is definitely a nice way of getting readers back into that reality. It made me want to reread the series since it’s been a few years.
Getting readers copy is a huge treat, but it is also a gigantic responsibility. And a test. I had to keep my mouth shut for several weeks waiting for the book to come out. And during that time I actually came to a conclusion that The Darkest Star deserves a very spoiler-free and judgement-free review. I wanted to keep this review short and sweet, giving readers a chance to make up their own mind about the story and its characters. For me, it was definitely a must ready.
I’m excited and anxious to see how this story continues. I would like to see more dimensions to the characters though, especially Luc. I feel like he hasn’t showed his full “potential” in this book. It will be interesting to see what Jennifer L Armentrout has up her sleeve, because I’ve learned by now, that it’s always something pretty impressive with this lady.
ALL THE STARS! Jennifer L Armentrout doesn’t disappoint her Luxen fans. This was definitely a hit out of the ballpark. When I first heard that JLA was doing a spin off of the Lux Series, I was worried. How can you top Daemon Black? He is the hottest alien out there. Can someone be better than that? Let me answer that for you in two words… YES!!! LUC!!! I could not put this book down. I love that Jennifer has such strong female leads. They don’t run out the door from danger… when they should be running out the door from danger! Evie is one of those characters. She knows she shouldn’t go to Foretoken. But, she sucks it up for her friend and does it anyways. She is strong when her world starts to fall down around her. Nothing is as it seems for Evie. Luc can’t stay away from Evie. The whole book, you are wondering why is he so drawn to her. Is she human, is she an Origin, is something else going on?? It’s also warming when old characters make an appearance in the new series. As a reader, I just can’t get enough of Daemon Black. Jennifer does a great job with giving the reader a twist in the plot. I absolutely love reading her books. I can not wait to see where she goes next with this story. What is the next thing coming to the Luxen and humans?