★★★★☆/★★★★★
ARC Book Review: The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Positives
👽 Good storyline and pacing, I never felt bored
👽 Engaging protaginist and supporting characters, more than a few from Lux series pop up too which was nice

Negatives
👽 Although it's a new series, it would help to have read the entire Lux series, I had only read the first two so was a tad confused at times but I still really enjoyed the book.

This YA sci-fi novel reminded my why I love Armentrout; the story was very readable, with just enough intrigue and sexual tension to keep me going, and it flowed really well - im already looking forward to volume 2.

Evie Dasher barely remembers the alien invasion from the hostile Luxen 4 years ago. She lives with her Mum, Sylvia, in the town that they were resettled in after the invasion.

Evie makes the mistake of visiting the alien owned club, Foretaken with her best friend Heidi where she meets the very mysterious and annoying Luxen, Luc and starts to get the strangest feeling of deja vu the more time she spends in his company. She really wants to dislike Luc but he, in her own words, has abs for days 🤦‍♀️😂 the mysterious Luxen has alot of secrets, and Evie finds herself pulled into his dangerous world.

Plenty of breadcrumbs laid for the next book in the series and appearances from characters from Armentrout's Lux series made this a really fun read for me.and I'd highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I had never read one of Jennifer’s books and was excited to try it out. I got a whole Twilight kind of vibe from this book. It was cute and very enjoyable. Luc was such a fun and complex character. He was sweet, funny, loyal and completely dangerous. I enjoyed the storyline and it wasn’t too far fetched. I will definitely read more by her

Full disclosure: I haven't read the Lux series! I know! It's been on my TBR for a while, but I just can't locate the books in the libraries :(.


My first thoughts: If Daemon is as enthralling as Luc is, I might just have to add Lux on my 'to buy' list and not rely on the libraries!

"But there's nothing we can do other than live with the promise of tomorrow while knowing it may not come"

Ohhhhh my goodness. I don't even know where to begin. I am 100% invested in the Lux universe now. I need to read the Lux series.

Evie is a headstrong, fierce young woman with an incredible heart and she is such a great main character to get behind. Luc is the perfect amount of cocky but empathetic to make him a dangerous combination to the heartstrings.

I don't want to go into the storyline as I believe everyone should be able to experience this amazing world without any preconceived notions or ideas. All I will say is I recommend this book wholeheartedly and I cannot wait for the next one - there is a next one right?!?!

*thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Darkest Star is a spin-off of the Lux series, but you don't need to have the Lux series first to enjoy this story. Evie and Luc's chemistry sizzles on the page, and the mystery surrounding Evie was intriguing and suspenseful, keeping me turning pages late into the night. While Evie's naivete and lack of deduction could be frustrating at times, I'm still eager to learn more about her character, since I feel we've only scratched the surface!

First of all, sorry if there are any language mistakes in my review. English is not my mother tongue :)

I've read other books written by Jennifer L. Armentrout but I must say that this one is my favorite ever.

Evie is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in the US, in a world where aliens and human live side by side but not always in a peaceful way. One night, her best friend convinces her to come to a trendy club in the town. There she meets Luc, a mysterious (and irritating) young man. From the beginning, there is a strong attraction between the two of them, even though Evie keeps repeating she hates him. We all know how it will end ;) They meet at the beginning of the story. From the moment they meet, something happens between them. We witness the evolution of their love history, discover alongside Evie all the secrets which were being kept from her, and how these problems affect their relationship. According to me, Evie sometimes had a childish bevavior and I disagreed with her actions. She discovers a new part of her history. I loved that she didn't run to Luc for any problem but she tried to solve things by herself. Moreover,we see her becoming more mature.

Luc is very mysterious and seem to know a lot of things about Evie. At the beginning, I didn't love him very much and sometimes I didn't understand his actions. Through the story, we learn more about his lofe and by the end, I liked him more. The secondary characters are also interesting and quite present during the book. As far as I'm concerned, I didn't read the Lux series (it didn't prevent me from understanding the story) but this book was so amazing it made me want to read it. There was romance, action, emotion, sadness... Furthermore, the book is easily read (I finished it in one day). I have almost only positive comments about "The Darkest Star" !

If you love to read books with purple-eyed people and written by Armentrout, then this book is definitely for you !

Jennifer L. Armentrout has such a compelling writing style, it was so easy to get sucked into her Luxen world yet again.

While this book may not have the kind of “plot” some people might expect, I loved it completely.
The Darkest Star was very much a story about getting to know the new protagonist and her backstory, while setting up what will become the major story arc in the upcoming books.

Some readers of the previous Lux series, might feel like some parts of this book were a little redundant because we’re being told things we already know, but it was all handled really well so that it could catch new readers up who haven’t read the previous series, or just as a refresher if you haven’t read it in a long while. Since it is written this way, you don’t necessarily need to read the original series beforehand, but I would recommend that you do... for no other reason other than the fact that it’s outstanding!

It was written to be engaging and never felt like it was dragging.
I personally didn’t mind reading about past events coming from another character because reading Evie’s reactions and raw emotions to it all made me feel like I was experiencing it all over again for the first time.

Evie has a very likeable narrative. In some ways I felt like she was more likeable that Katy, which surprised me because I LOVED Katy.
Armentrout knows how to write fantastic female leads!

Like many people who read the original series, we all have a soft spot for Luc. He stole every scene that he was in in the Lux series, with his swagger and easy confidence.
Now that he’s older he just oozes sex appeal at the same time as being utterly complex and he still has that insufferable know-it-all grace that made us all love him to begin with.
I can only hope we get his POV as well as Evie’s in the next book.

The thing that made me happiest about this book is that Armentrout finally gave us a bit of a break.
She gave as an ending that was more or less neatly wrapped up with just a few tweaks and bits that are leading up to the big upcoming plot.
The Queen of Brutal Cliffhangers let us off easy, I can only imagine it’s possible she’s apologizing in advance for whatever hair ripping, book throwing, full on sob-fest she has in store for us for book 2!

Waiting is going to be torturous...

Kindly provided with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review......

Okay first off 5 Stars is a COMPLETE UNDERSTATEMENT.......this baby truly rocked 100++++ Stars !!
To say I was excited and practically breathless and that I was just feeling okay when I received my ARC does not really reflect my feelings at the time.
I WAS BLOWN AWAY AND COMPLETELY THRILLED that I had been given this opportunity.
I stopped my current read, yes shallow of me not to see that book through but come on it's Luc's story !!!! That was a no brainer for me !!!. Once again I was off delving into the world of the Origins, Luxen and Arum.
Dear lord to say I have been wanting and waiting to read Luc's book is a lie.........I have pinned for his story practically from reading about him in the Lux series. Luckily Jennifer heard my plea (probably plus another few thousand readers) and she did not let me down.

Okay, no spoilers as I need you to read this book !!. This was Evie and Luc's story and from start to finish I devoured EVERY word, sentence and chapter. Boy just when I thought I had the plot nailed.....nope Jennifer just did a sneaky but outstanding twist that left me reeling.
Its told from Evie's point of view and although I would have loved Luc's POV as well (greedy, greedy me) Evie's perspective completely rocked and the story unfolded perfectly.
Jennifer in my opinion really made Evie life like character. Evie was funny and she had a great dialogue throughout the story, she was brave, caring and had a gorgeous inner strength.
When reading I was constantly trying to think back to he Lux series to recall the name of the mystery girl that Luc protected. I was that hooked in this read I could not even break off to check my copy to get her name !!!. Oh it mattered but I was so invested in Evie and Luc I just knew all would be revealed in due time. And oh it was !!!!!
This story was nothing short of genius. I loved getting little snippets of the lives of some of the previous characters from the Lux series integrated in this tale......bless you Jennifer.
I am nearly hysterical with delight and I note that this is book 1 in the series..........please, please let there be many, many more. I am truly addicted to this story line.
If you loved the Lux series and have been waiting for more then you will not be disappointed. The Origin series takes us to the next level and I for one am so on board with that !!!!
Utterly outstanding read and Luc.......boy oh boy you've grown into one bad*ss dude !!

Thank you so very much for this opportunity. Seriously peeps get this one pre-ordered !!!!

100 "Shinny light bulb" Stars from me x

Later peeps xx

I'm a bit behind in my reviews, but I need to get them caught up so I apologize in advance for the deluge this weekend, LOL!

I read this a couple of weeks ago. There is no mistake the Ms. Armentrout can WRITE. Man, can she write! Here's my dilemma... I didn't read the Lux series. *hides* I know, what rock have I been living under? Actually, I can explain....it wasn't a rock, it was a blankie fort, it was sparkly and pretty...and there was Godiva, that's my only excuse... anywho.... if you're like me, I'm happy to tell you, you can STILL read this book! The author, in her infinite wisdom, does a great job of explaining the fantasy/sci-fi aspects of the world described within and you don't feel as though you're coming in 3/4 way through the story. Well, you sort of do... but, not really; and furthermore, you don't care, because this book is pretty much amazing. I will further quantify though... it is YA... But the story, wow. I did really enjoy it, and I can see why I need to go dig up the older works, because it's pretty obvious it would be in my wheelhouse. Engaging characters that make you feel, dialogue that is snappy and sharp, a plot that moves and deepens... a supernova, for sure!

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"I knew someone once who said modesty was for saints and losers."

"Good people do terrible things when they believe in what they're doing."

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Yeah.... Mt. TBR just continues to grow. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in advance of release day. 4.5 sparkliest stars!

I really loved Jennifer's original Lux series, so I was super excited to find out that we get to dive back into the Luxen world with a spinoff series! I loved The Darkest Star as much as I loved the other series! Like all of Jennifer's books, this story is well-written. It's filled with lots of action, shocking plot twists, and a little romance. I love Evie and Luc! I was really glad that this book didn't end on a cliffhanger, yet there are still questions to be answered. I am anxiously awaiting the next book!

Description:
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...

My Thoughts:
This newest paranormal (or supernatural, or transterrestrial) YA romance reminds me of the early years of Twilight except that it is missing the "choose a team" love triangle aspect. Instead, The Darkest Star focuses on the familiar girl notices much too beautiful boy in a place she has never been to. Much too beautiful boy with laser focus sees girl and makes sure that he talks to her, almost angrily. Much too beautiful boy of course has no other girl vying for his attention. Girl is both irritated by and extremely attracted to boy who is not human (but she does not know that yet).

In short, this is not a new story, but as YA paranormal romance goes, it fulfills all the expectations of this genre and will appeal to those YA readers searching for this kind of book. The ending has the potential for more books and it will probably interest movie producers who are eager to tap into the YA book to movie market. After all, who does not love smooth faced, beautiful teens who have their own apartment, lots of freedom and juicy secrets?

A digital advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorite authors. This is common knowledge about me. The first book I picked up of hers was "Obsidian" way back when it was first published and I have been a loyal reader ever since. Since The Lux Series was my first read by JLA, it holds a special fuzzy warm place in my heart. Learning that she was going to do an entire spin-off series from that world and revolving around Luc, no less, I was ecstatic! As soon as I got my greedy hands on a copy of "The Darkest Star," I scarcely moved from my spot until I finished it. But enough about me...onto the review!

The Darkest Star starts with the adorable Evie, a high schooler and daughter of Sergent Dasher - who was killed in the Invasion. Ever since the Invasion, the Luxen that stayed on Earth were forced to register and wear a Disabler - which disabled all their super special alien powers. That's where we first find Evie. Evie tags along with a friend to a club where aliens and humans are allowed to coexist without prejudice. There, she meets Luc, the owner of the club and super mysterious hot guy. You can only imagine what happens next. Lots of WTF moments, sobbing, and fist-pumping the air.

If you've heard anything about this story, you know there's a HUGE reveal around halfway through. It's shocking. It's momentous. I've heard a pretty equal divide among people who saw the twist coming, and who didn't. I saw it coming, but only because I've had my suspicions for a while. But anyway, get ready to have your heart ripped out of your body.

In this book, we get to see a few of our favorite characters from The Lux Series, including Daemon and Archer. You don't have to read The Lux Series before you read The Darkest Star, but I would suggest it for context of the alien invasion. JLA does a great job explaining a lot of it though to new readers, so don't let this stop you from reading TDS!

JLS has revealed relatively little about the next book in this series, but I cannot wait! I feel like this book was primarily a huge set-up for the rest of the series, and I know the next book will blow my socks off!

Advanced reader copy provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review.

It did not occur to me that this book happened after the events of the Lux series so I was quite worried at the start since I felt that it was not right for me to enter this book without knowing anything about the past events. However, The Darkest Star was an easy read and reading the previous series did not have to be a prerequisite to the book (although, I believe I will be more emotionally attached if I read this book, especially with my slightly growing appreciation for Luc).

It took me a while to finish The Darkest Star. I found the writing style to be quite naive and occasionally cringe-worthy, especially considering Evie's train of thoughts and some of her banter with Luc. I feared that the vibe of the plot would be similar to those seen in cheesy alien invasion films but the story's focus on the mystery and the search for identity proved me wrong. I would have liked to see more advancement of the mystery for I felt like the budding romance overpowered it and when the final battle and resolution occurred, I thought of it to be a bit rushed and sudden. Furthermore, although Evie's emotions are clearly shown, I couldn't feel it much.

Overall, The Darkest Star is a book with a world I would like to delve into more.

Oh. My. God.

I can tell you that my brain imploded during multiple chapters of this incredibly amazing story and there were things that if I wasn’t a die hard fan of the Lux series I would not have seen them coming.

I squealed more times reading this book than any other moment in my life. Legit squealing! At 2 o’clock in the morning!

The Darkest Star was way more than I could have ever expected and I’m so freaking thankful I was able to get the ARC, because the anticipation was killing me, but it was also a curse because now I have to wait god knows how long to even get a name of the sequel, so happy and sad tears at the end of reading this book just for that very reason.

I have to say guys, this book surpassed any expectation I could have had. To be completely honest with you I wasn’t all that excited, I mean I was excited because I knew Daemon Black would make an appearance, but I wasn’t sure I wanted a Luc book.

Cannot tell you what I was expecting, but I can definitely tell you I wasn’t expecting this awesomeness.

The Darkest Star not only delivers an incredibly well written story with great new characters and a fascinating, well thought out plot (and plot twists), it also delivers a story about humanity, how all humans are afraid of something they don’t know and therefore we as human beings attack the one thing we don’t understand.

This Origin story gets 5 out of 5 stars just because it’s awesome and I couldn’t put it down. That is the just of it. But obviously you don’t just want that when reading a review, because that is boring and it tells you nothing. Well I’m afraid I may not be able to tell you much either.

The Darkest Star begins four years after the events of Opposition the final book of the Lux series. If you remember in that particular book, the planet was attacked by new Luxen and there was a lot of death, destruction and the world was left afraid of the Luxen and trying to assimilate the knowledge of different beings in the planet.

Things are slowly going back to normal, and humans and Luxen are trying to coexist, but this time things are different because humans know of the existence of aliens and they have the upper hand (or so they think).

Evie is a seventeen year old girl who is in the wrong place at the wrong time when this amazing story begins. Our dear Luc is still the head of a club and he lets in all sorts of beings, Humans, Luxen, Origin and he is also running a secret operation.

I mean did you expect him to do anything else?

He is still the badass you remember, but he’s got a secret and he is also older so he is even more awesome than you might remember.

The secret holds the key to the most amazing plot twist in this book and also one of the most gut wrenching chapters I’ve read in awhile.

I’m sad that there isn’t much I can tell you without spoiling this story, but this is what I can tell you:

There is a big fight, a legit big fight that you see coming, but hope doesn’t happen
Sad to say this, but there are quite a few deaths
We see an appearance by Daemon and Archer
We hear about Dee and Katy, but we don’t see (read) them
Like I said before there is a HUGE SECRET

I know this is kind of vague, but I can’t say anything else without hinting at what the big secret is and then the entire story will be spoiled!

The Darkest Star is such an epic story that will leave you wanting more, with a transcending, swoon worthy love story that has you rooting for Luc and Evie and hoping that whatever is there to come for them they can get through it together and have the happy ending they deserve.

Okay full discloser I had never heard of the LUX series when I got this book. I just had read books by Jennifer Armentrout and loved them. Fantasy is not my normal genre but I LOVED this book. I was like 30 pages in and was totally hooked. I couldn't put this book down. I loved the way the story flowed and I loved all the characters. I'm so glad I got my hands on an early copy of this book. It's wonderful. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this crazy world. I finished it and immediately went and checked the entire Lux series out from the library.

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of those books that will suck you in from the get-go and haunt your consciousness long after finishing it. The main characters, Evie and Luc, are circling in my head, even though I finished the book hours ago. Evie is a regular teenage girl who heads to a night club with her good friend, Heidi, fake ID in-hand. While there, she notices Luc, an unfairly handsome young man who Evie is sure is a Luxen (a human-like alien). Luc seems interested in her, which immediately made me, as a reader, groan inwardly. I don't like insta-love stories. However, this is not one of those. Once you near the end, you will find out secrets that Evie herself doesn't even know as the story begins. Why does Luc act like he knows her already? Why is she so attracted to him even though she knows he's bad news? And, why does Evie's mom hide shotguns under the couch cushions? Read this very addicting dark fantasy to find out!

Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my all time favorite authors and has become an auto buy author for me. I have missed the Lux series so much and when I found out she was writing a spin off series set in the same universe I flipped out. I saw this book on NetGalley and instantly requested it and I screamed when I got the email saying that I was approved for it. This book was amazing. It felt so good to be back in this world. I didn't realize how much I missed these aliens. The story that is told in this book is so interesting and it kept me wanting more. I couldn't put the book down and I read almost all of it in one day. It was just such an addicting story with intriguing characters and I loved how she had characters from the original series in this spin off series. If you haven't read the Lux series I highly recommend you do. They are just such a fun read and it is so easy to get lost in the romance in them and the action and adventure. I cannot wait for the next book in this new spin off series and I am so sad that I have to wait for over a year for the sequel to come out. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

The LUX universe sucked me right in and Jennifer Armentrout did NOT disappoint! I highly recommend this book and need someone to talk about it with ASAP!

THE FEELS! The mystery, the glory! READ NOW

Loved it! Set in a world in which Aliens and humans have come to co-exist in a tentative existence. Everything was new to me having never read any of the Lux books (totally going to now). I really enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Luc and Evie I love a little sass. This story was full of so many twists and surprises I couldn’t put it down and now must wait forever :( for the next book (luckily there are a bunch of Lux books to fill the gap)

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L Armentrout is the first book in the young adult paranormal series, Origin. Origin is a spin off from Armentrout’s Lux Series, and focuses on a fan favourite, Luc.

When seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher gets caught up in a raid at a notorious club where humans and Luxen mingle freely, she meets Luc, an unnaturally beautiful guy who she assumes is a Luxen… But it soon becomes clear he is much more powerful than a Luxen.

As Evie’s connection to Luc grows stronger, she gets pulled deeper and deeper into a world She’d only heard about. A world that holds secrets that will turn Evie’s life, and everything she thought she knew, upside down.
It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer L Armentrout’s work, and I was so excited to hear she was returning to the Lux world and am so glad that The Darkest Star did not disappoint.

The Darkest Star can be read without reading the Lux Series, although I do recommend checking that out first.
I loved the banter between all the characters but especially between Evie and Luc,

“Damn straight you do. What you did tonight, by going to that party, was absolutely, fundamentally—”
“Want to use another adverb?”
“Yeah.” His jaw locked down. “How about irresponsibly, recklessly, and carelessly immature?”

The Darkest Star is an amazing and perfect addition to the world Armentrout created in the Lux Series and I cannot wait to read more about Evie and Luc.

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout was an enjoyable read. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorite authors and I was immensely impressed by the story.