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.
more
Reading the darkest star was like venturing back into a place where all your old friends live. It’s exciting and comfortable and also new again. We know the main character Luc, although this boy has grown up and very well I might add, into the sexy, funny and dangerous man he was destined to be. The main female characters are all new to us although Evie comes from a familiar character. The story starts off by throwing us right into the action and never really slows down. The intrigue is off the charts and keeps you guessing and anticipating throughout the story. We do get some conclusion but this book opens up a whole slew of questions and anticipation for the next. Thank goodness Jennifer is making this a series because we are nowhere near done with these characters or the Luxon world she has created. 5/5 stars again.
Absolutely LOVED this book! I was first introduced to Ms. Armentrout’s work through the Origin series, so it has always had a special place in my heart. This book takes place about 5 years after the Origin series. And it quickly fills you in on the war and what’s happened since Origins. Loved meeting Luc and Evie together and seeing their growth and overal just loved being in the Luxen world again. Definitely recommend!
I’m pretty obsessed with Jennifer L. Armentrout. I love everything she’s ever written and this book is a companion to her Lux world which is where many of us started our love affair with her writing. She was the first author I read when, exhausted with a baby / toddler who never slept, I finally relented and downloaded the kindle app to my tablet. Obsidian was being offered for free, so I gave it a shot and the rest is history. It was extra fun for me that the publishing house was located in Ft. Collins, CO, a city I know quite well as I attended college there and lived in the area most of my life.
Returning to the world of the Luxen and Origins and aliens among us was actually kind of a relief. That sounds odd, but really I felt like I had been holding my breath and waiting for a continuation of the adventures there. We finally get more about Luc in TDS – the great and powerful Origin we met along the way in Kat and Daemon’s stories. There’s a splash of our old favorites as well, a pinch of Archer, a dash of Daemon, but really this is Evie’s story and so we have to step away from them to fall into her reality. But Luc is there, so it’s mostly okay.
Secrets and lies are common threads that can’t be avoided in the Luxen world. Evie finds herself completely submerged in both very quickly after simply going to a club with a friend. I don’t love spoilers, so I can’t say much except nothing is really as it seems (ain’t that always the way?) and what you think you know you probably don’t. This cast is fantastic, and I’m excited for the next one. I’ll ALWAYS be excited for the next one. Always. Jennifer gives me all the feels every time I read her stuff and I find her entirely re-readable which just adds to the appeal,
You want to read this one. If you haven’t read the Lux series, no worries – you can jump right into this and won’t be lost at all. I will highly recommend that if you read this first you then go back and pick up Lux. Naturally. Start with Obsidian. You won’t regret it!
I was so excited to dive back into the Lux world with The Darkest Star. Luc was an intriguing character, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about him. He and his fabulous t-shirt collection lived up to expectations. As predicted he was ridiculously cocky, but it was clear that his heart was in the right place. It didn’t hurt that his attractiveness that he was so powerful. I absolutely loved his friend Kent, and I look forward to seeing more of him in subsequent books.
Evie was great. I appreciated that she was a good friend and also that she didn’t hesitate to stand up for others. Her internal dialogue cracked me up on numerous occasions. The plot was fast-paced and fun. I was fascinated by the world they lived in and how it was different from that of the Lux series. While I tried to savor this story, I must admit I failed miserably and pretty much read it all in one sitting. The Darkest Star was a fantastic start to this series. Now comes the difficult part where I have to wait for more Luc and Evie. Sigh.
I am a HUGE JLA fan and when it was announced that she was making a spinoff of the Lux series, I squealed and did a happy dance! The Lux series has been my fave of hers for years, so I KNEW I’d love The Darkest Star as well…and I was right! It was everything I’d hoped for. It can be read as a stand-alone since she briefly recaps the history in the story. But if you’re like me, and want ALL the info and glimpses of characters, read the Lux series first then TDS. I also especially loved seeing a few familiar faces from The Lux series making an appearance throughout the book. TDS is well paced, witty, a little angsty, sweet, heartbreaking, and with some young lust thrown in to keep me happy!
Evie is a good female lead. She’s strong, compassionate, is relatable, stands her ground, and protective of her friends and family. I loved seeing her blossom throughout the book. The way she would let others help her when needed, but at other times she’d stand and help. I loved seeing her bring out the softer side to Luc.
Luc….oh sweet Luc. He’s everything I remember him being and then some! He’s older, more mature, sexy, yet still the bad@ss, smart@ass we all know and love! I really loved seeing his protective side in the previous books, but it was even more so in TDS, sometimes to the point of giving me chills! I got all swoony whenever he did little things: gentle touches, bringing a Coke, light kisses to the forehead. *sighs*
All in all, this was a phenomenal read that any Lux lover and first time Lux (Origin) reader will enjoy! Thank you Jenn, Tor Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.
My review of The Darkest Star may be slightly biased since my love for the Lux series knows no bounds, so bare with me.
The Darkest Star is the first novel in a spinoff series of the Lux novels. You do not have to read the Lux series to enjoy or understand the world building since Armentrout spends a lot of time explaining the world and its intricacies in The Darkest Star. Though, I’d highly recommend reading the Lux series since there are a lot of little moments in The Darkest Star that you’ll be missing out on.
This is where my bias clearly shows because there are two aspects of this novel that I disliked and should have warranted a four star rating instead of five, but I think that everything else outweighs these two criticisms.
First, as an avid fan of the Lux series the explanation of the world and parts of the plot from the previous novels felt tedious and long winded at certain points. These passages are perfect for new readers, but I found that there were too many of them throughout the novel.
Secondly, The Darkest Star reads like young adult. You may be thinking: well yes, it reads like young adult because it is young adult. However, I point this out because the Lux series never read like young adult to me. There’s a maturity with those novels that The Darkest Star is lacking.
As soon as Luc was introduced in the previous novels, I knew I had to know more about him. Armentrout does not disappoint with her expansion of Luc as a character. He’s mysterious, fun, and alluring. There’s an immediate chemistry between Luc and Evie that sizzles off the pages and leaves readers gasping for more.
What made me LOVE this book was the explosive finale. The Darkest Star delivers an action packed finale that is reminiscent of Obsidian, but includes a gut wrenching emotional aspect that is the reason I rated it five stars despite my few criticisms. Without spoiling anything, all I’ll say is that despite my correct prediction of a certain plot point I was hooked in every sense of the word to its reveal and aftermath. Armentrout’s writing of the fallout scenes is flawless. I was emotionally gutted dying for more.
Overall, The Darkest Star is the next evolution in the Lux series. It caters flawlessly to existing fans while also making new ones.
The Darkest Star
von Jennifer L. Armentrout
Macmillan-Tor/Forge
Tor Teen
Cover:
Beautiful starfall
Review:
„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…
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the universe of the Lux in this brand new series, featuring beloved characters both new and old.“
Finally we are back in the Lux universe and Luc gets his own spin-off series. As with any Armentrout book, there was incredible angst, swoon, and action. Going back to the Lux universe was for me to revel in old memories. As if strolling through a Christmas market and traveling alone through the smell of cotton candy, mulled wine and candied apples in a long time ago and just feels good, as if you came home after a long absence. I had literally no idea what to expect from this Origin series, except for the fact that Luc was going to be there. This book has really exceeded my expectations and lets me rave about it again, because Luc was really one of the reasons why I loved the Lux series so much. I admired Luc and Evie’s relationship, which was full of secrets waiting to be deciphered. The plot moves steadily forward and is heavily dependent on Evie’s character. Her life begins to change after she visits Lucs Club. This spin-off series brings back the nostalgia and brings me back to this universe that you just had to love and its characters. It is warmth and familiarity. I can’t recommend this book enough to all the Lux fandom out there. It isn’t a cliffhanger, but there are still questions that I can’t wait to be answered in book 2! The only negative thing I can say is that the book just felt too short. You just always wanted to keep on reading.
5/5 Stars.
Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for the review copy!
The Darkest Star is the spin-off of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I didn’t read the Lux series but I didn’t feel lost because I wasn’t familiar with the Lux universe. The author did an excellent job of making The Darkest Star to stand on it’s own. This is a YA romance, set in the world where aliens and humans co-exist (not so peacefully) on Earth following an alien invasion.
This book reminded me in the best way of the classic YA romances (think Twilight), where we have an ordinary girl fall in love with a brooding, mysterious boy, who have supernatural powers and who may or may not be human. I enjoyed Luc and Evie’s story, even thought it was a little cliched, with Luc constantly saving Evie from danger. And even though the book didn’t end on a cliff-hanger, I was left a little unsatisfied because their story was not complete, with many questions still left unanswered. I hope the second book will be a continuation of Luc and Evie’s story because I want to know how their relationship progresses. Also, the events in The Darkest Star set in motion some major conflicts and developments in the Lux universe and I am looking forward to continue with the series.
This book. As a fan of the Lux Series, I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this book. Words can not even express how excited I was to hear that we would be returning to the Lux world. I was over the moon, excited and on pins and needles. Anxious to get my hands on this book and see what new adventure lies ahead. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed at all. From the moment I started reading The Darkest Star, it felt like I was home. Like I was with an old friend, but a whole new one at the same time. I was addicted and utterly captivated. Wild horses could not stop me from putting this book down.
The Darkest Star picks up a while after Opposition left off with a new story and threat to the world as we know it. It follows the story of Evie and Luc. Evie is seventeen and her biggest worry is getting busted underage at a club known for humans and Luxen to mix freely. Evie is awkward and out of place, but will do anything to support a friend, even if that means showing up at club despite what her instincts are telling her. The one thing she never planned on was meeting Luc. She feels an instant and unexplained pull to him. She tries to fight it and stay away, but before she knows it, she finds herself in a world she never expected to be a part of. A place where nothing makes sense and everything she thought she knew may not be….
The Darkest Star is a thrilling and entertaining read. To say I devoured it would be a total understatement. This book is totally one of those cancel all your plans, turn off your phone and lock yourself in your room type reads. You won’t want to put this book down. Trust me, I literally had to force myself to take a break and eat some breakfast; it was that good.
The Darkest Star gave me everything I was looking for and then some. From new friends to old. To a captivating plot with threats and danger around every corner. To delicious sexual tension and oh so many swoon worthy moments. The Darkest Star is fast paced and action packed. There certainly was never a dull moment. This is the kind of book that reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this genre to begin with.
The Darkest Star is hands down one of the best YA books I’ve read this year. It’s reignited my love for this genre and the Lux Series. I still have some burning questions and am super excited to see where this story is going to go next!
Everything I hoped for and then some more.
Oh, how much I love this series. This is a perfect addition to the Lux series.
We get to know Luc better and gain some insight into his mind and why he does what he does.
This book builds beautifully on the Lux series and love that twist.
LOVE it!
I’ll go in parts. First one: I’m a fan of Jennifer Armentrout’s YA so I picked up this book without reading the synopsis just by seeing this beautiful cover. Second: I rarely read a book with an alien, a vampire or other. Third: then you can deduce that I did not read the Lux series.
So when I came across with this new series in this universe with aliens I was very afraid I could not finish reading the book, but we’re talking about Jennifer, right? And she managed to conquer me for the plot. At first, I found the narrative a bit slow, but when the story evolves and gains a rhytm like a film, I was simply engulfed by the book and could not quit until I discovered the whole mystery that involved Luc and Evie.
Bringing new members to enrich the plot , Jennifer creates a new suspense and left me eager to read the next books in the series.
Initially, I talked to some fans of the Lux series to better understand Luc.
Luc is wonderful from beginning to end of the book even with his arrogant and all powerful way, he is so so cute in my opinion and shows his vulnerability in the course of the book and ends robbing my poor heart .
Counterpart, I found Evie quite nauseous, it was difficult to connect with her and mainly to realize what she really felt for Luc, but since the narrative is only made by her, I have no choice but to try to understand her behavior. In the end, I started to understand even though I still did not think she deserved the fantastic Origin that is Luc.
I really enjoyed the suspense that surrounds the characters, the mystery that surrounds the events in the present and the past, I liked the tips that were released and for sure can only be clarified in the next books and especially I loved Luc’s gang.
NO SPOILERS!
It’s been several years since I read the Lux series, and I loved returning to the world of Luxen, Origins, etc. again. The Darkest Star was a great start to the new Origins series and Luc and Evie’s story, and I really enjoyed the storyline and characters. Jennifer L. Armentrout weaved a surprising, funny, and action-filled young adult paranormal tale full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. It was entertaining from beginning to end, and although there were some things I didn’t like, I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series in the books to come.
I discovered this author a couple of years ago but only this year I read her series “Lux” and became a fan. Of course, I couldn’t miss Luc’s story because during the other saga I was interested in his thoughts and I wanted to see if he was really who he claimed to be. So I requested to read this book, but it wasn’t what I hoped for. I realize that the author wanted to continue the story of the Luxen/Origin, but this book reused some classic YA plots like the girl who finds she’s not “normal” and the mysterious guy who finds attracted to her despite they are from different worlds. In some parts it reminded me of other famous YA books, but I can’t blame the author because sadly YA stories are very similar to each other. Despite all this, which I also remember to have found reading the first book of the Lux series, the story was enjoyable. The author knows how to write and I like the dialogue between the couple, because there’s angst and they’re funny to read. Since this is just the first volume of a new series, I’ll read the sequel when and if it will be published, because maybe the story gets better.
OMG! OMG! OMG!
I feel like a cartoon character right now. I’m squealing, jumping, and giddy beyond belief. If you liked the Lux Series, you will absolutely enjoy this romp in a world we haven’t been to since Oblivion. If you loved the Lux Series, you are going to freak the f@ck out over the new revelations. If you are obsessed with the Lux Series, you are going to need a leg bag (potty breaks), snacks, and your books near by because I guarantee you will want to do a re-read of the entire series after this taste.
It’s Luc’s story. Luc. (Read that as underlined, in bold, and size 34 font) LUC!!!!!
I know you were curious. I know you’ve wondered. Now you will learn some of the nitty gritty. Life without Luc was empty and now….now I feel refreshed. I can’t stop the dumb grin and cloudy, happy eyes. I can’t stop jumping for unadulterated joy at the mention of a certain someone.
Get ready for the bottom to fall out! Your world is about to get rocked.
Violet eyes and smirks a plenty. Luc is at his best in The Darkest Star.
***Note: If you haven’t read the Lux series, I’d recommend starting there first!***
“The dangers we all faced after the invasion hadn’t really gone away. They’d just changed.”
As a fan of the Lux series I was eager to dive into The Darkest Star , which gives readers a glimpse at the world after the invasion and stars one of our favorite Origin: Luc, and Evie—who should be familiar to fans of the Lux series—as well as some cameos from other reader favorites.
Fun characters, witty banter, strong bonds, great chemistry, humor, and world building make JLA’s series some of my favorites. Sure there’s some over the top cheesy moments or lines, but it’s all in good fun, and something I’d expected peppered in YA/NA reads along with all the swoony-sweet moments.
“You were all my good memories.”
The Darkest Star takes readers on a journey that reveals identities, secrets and leaves clues sprinkled throughout for future revelations and some ominous foreshadowing leading into the rest of what hopefully is a series as great as the original.
If you enjoyed the Lux series, putting the Origin series on your TBR is a must. Let’s hope for more cameos from our Lux favorites!
Even though sci-fi isn’t my typical genre, my expectations going into this book were pretty high. The blurb sounded amazing and I’ve heard people rave about how amazing Jennifer Armentrout’s books are for several years. I am happy to say that The Darkest Star did not let me down.
This book was fantastic. It has the mystery and adventure of a YA Sci-Fi book with the angst of an enemies to lovers romance. Luc is your typical cocky and sarcastic hero with enough swagger to spread from the East coast to the West coast. And I loved every sarcastic cocky word he spoke. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book. Even the supporting characters seemed well rounded and added a lot to the story. Grayson is one character I really hope to learn more about. He is intimidating and so unapproachable, but I’m betting he has one big heart behind his hard lollipop loving exterior.
The Darkest Star is the first book in a new spin-off series from JLA’s Lux series, which I have not read, but I didn’t feel like there were big chunks of back story that I was missing. I did enjoy this book so much that I’ve already added all of the Lux books to my TBR!
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I received the email that I got approved for an ARC of this book, I honestly felt so happy I could cry.
But let me get this straight. I haven’t read the Lux series yet. What made me so happy is that I read Jennifer Armentrout’s The Problem with Forever and I loved it. And for fans of the Lux series, this book is a highly anticipated read that I felt so honored to get it.
The thing with books you have high expectations for is that more often than not, they let you down. And I’m so, so glad The Darkest Star didn’t. To me, this is one of those books that you just love without reason. The kind that makes you go, “I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I love this book!!!”
Full review: https://kookbookery.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/review-the-darkest-star-origin-1/
TDS was my most expected book for this year and it was definitely worth the wait. I am such a crazy fan of Lux and have read the series more times that I could count. So being back in this world was like a dream come true, like coming home after being away for a while. I haven’t realized how badly I missed the whole gang. And my heart was overflowing with so many emotions the moment I stepped back in the Lux universe. But even though the set was the same, or rather the Lux world 4 years after the Invasion, there were lots of new thing happening in this world that made it even more intriguing.
You may think you know some of the characters in this story and in a way you do if you’ve read Lux, but there is so much more going on in their lives in TDS. Luc was his typical overconfident, a little arrogant and a lot awesome self. He definitely gave Daemon a run for his money in the cockiness department and then he could easily compete against Seth in the going-around-shirtless contest. I laughed a lot with him in here, but there was this sweet, caring, overprotective side of him that we saw a lot and it would absolutely make you swoon. He was just the perfect, dreamy BBF material.
I was kind of surprised at the beginning that the whole book was told from Evie’s POV, but her backstory was so intriguing that it sucked me in from page one. She seemed like the normal, regular kind of girl with very human hobbies and interests. But she was anything but that. There were lots of things about her that were revealed one after another and kept my interest to the very end. She was a true enigma and still is, even though lots of questions were answered there are a ton more that are still running in my mind.
The love between Luc and Evie was a slow-burning one and I really liked the fact he was so attentive and gave her the space she needed to come to terms with the relationship they were building. I never took him for the patient type, but apparently, he somehow changed through the years and grew a little in a very good way. Be prepared to sigh and drool a lot during this book.
But also expect a lot of action, some epic battles and some very intensive and nail-biting moments in typical JLA style. I absolutely forgot how awesome Luc was and the extent of his abilities. He showed some serious powers and I really enjoyed seeing him in fight-mode. He was awesome, as well as some other very well known friends who made an appearance. I might have cried a little when a certain dark-haired Luxen showed up in the book.
It felt surreal seeing some of our beloved characters from Lux. But even though there were parts that were very much connected with Lux series, the story was somehow unique on its own. I highly recommend reading Lux before going for this story, even though everything was well explained in here.
Seriously, I wouldn’t have dreamt of a better sequel to Lux series. I absolutely loved it. So many emotional moments, so many twists and turns, so many secrets revealed, so many new favorite characters made and so much more to come. All the feels, all the stars, top read for the year and a new favorite book couple. Great come-back in the Lux universe and holy alien babies, I need moreeeeeeee!
Aaaand…now I suffer until the next book! What a fabulous start to the series!
okay okay I’m not too sure where to start with this book!! There is a lot of things to say about.. I was waiting for this book for more than a year!!
When I finally got the ARC in my kindle I was so excited and I start reading it immediately..
But then I star reading it and I was a little bit disappointment, I read about the first 40% percent of the book and the book didn´t involve me.. I was waiting like Lux Series that the book catch your attention since the first couple of pages, and then you can´t stop reading.. well that didn´t happen in this book, and then there was this little details that I said.. Really Jenn?? Like the first time that Daemon appears in the book, I felt that his appearance was unnecessary in that moment, I felt that Daemon deserves a better entrance in this book, but noup.
But around the 50% of the book, Oh God.. Honestly I didn´t sleep last night, is like when you are in a roller coaster, and it starts going up and up and up and the adrenaline starts growing inside of you and then you get to the top and suddenly you are coming down really fast and you start feeling a lot of things at the same time that you cannot even describe them!! Well that´s how I felt with this book when I start reading the second half of the book..
I hope you can see the chat with my friend, I was sending her my reactions while I read and actually those are some of them: “Omg Omg Omg Omg, he is doing it again!!!” ” Omg What the Hell??? Whaaat??? OMG OMG look this”
And at this point, I finish it around 3 hours ago and I´m still not sure if I love it or I hate it..
And the reason is this: there are some parts of the book that I´m so confuse, especially at the beginning, there are some details that I´m like… “Hold on, I thought that an Origin can´t do that” and then, the world after the invasion, I hate it, I hate how the world is for the Luxens.. But also I love the second half of the book, what happen next, I never expect that, and then I never expect what happen next after that neither, so is like pfff a big wooow.. Also there are other little details like when Luc said, I hear about a girl that run in front of a truck… And you get so excited because you know he is talking about Kat, even though we just see Daemon and Archer in the book..
And there are a lot of things to say but I´m just going to finish with: there were good people that now is evil, and there were people that it is suppose were death but are alive.
I receive this ARC in change of an honest review