Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Tor Teen for the advance reader copy, The Darkest Star by awesome author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, in exchange for an honest review. I am so happy Jennifer Armentrout is continuing the Lux series (if you have not read, YOU MUST!!!) with a new series, Origin, and The Darkest Star does not disappoint with Luc, an Origin (produced by a Lux and human mating) from the Lux series, who is young, powerful, and scary. Like the Lux, Luc is perfectly handsome, chiseled, and arrogant. But he is cares deeply for his Lux and Origin friends and will stop at nothing to help them. This NEW YA alien series brings back some favorite characters from Lux as the world has returned to normal (if humans accepting Lux as neighbors) and features Evie as a senior going to an underage club that is known to have both Lux and humans in attendance. When Evie meets Luc, he is arrogant and wants her to leave—but when a raid unexpectantly happens, Luc helps her escape—and the rest is oh so good! I could not put this fantasy/scifi book down, Armentrout’s delicious writing is spine tingling with mysteries galore. Teens will love this new series and race to read all other Armentrout books; verdict an epic read with humor and toe-curling romance.

*SPOILER ALERT

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rarely do you read a book that truly meets expectations. I started the original series when I was in high school. The main characters were also in high school. I'm now a junior in college. This might not seem like a big deal, but from reading the first book when I was thirteen to now reading this one at nineteen, I'll say I've grown as a person.

The one thing I wasn't a fan of has to be Luc's attitude. This is a trademark of YA. The hot, dreamy, and sarcastic mysterious love interest. Daemon was the same. Don't get me wrong, Daemon Black is the love of my life. But he was able to grow and change is douche-y ways...for the most part, as the series continued on. We first met Luc when he was a young boy in the original Lux series. The time between that young boy, to the adult that is featured in this book is recognizable. What is also recognizable is the same, egotistical attitude that (what a surprise) Daemon had.

I loved just about everything else. I loved the recalling of previous characters. I loved the subtle and the not so subtle nods to the characters from the original series. The new characters in this book were refreshing and reading this book felt like catching up with old friends. I loved the main character, Evie, and how she reacted to things in a way a normal person would react. In one of the first chapters there is a quote; "That was what I wanted at some point in my life, for someone to look at me like I looked at tacos." If that doesn't sum up my life, I don't know what does.

I really liked the transition from the previous series to this new one. The gaps in-between were filled in nicely.

I do wish the twists were more difficult to figure out, however. As soon as Luc reacted in the way he did to seeing Evie, I knew she was the ill girl from the original series. (Context clues, fam) I obviously didn't know how it was her, but she had an Amy Pond season 5 vibe about her. It was also fairly easy to figure out who Micah was when he was name dropped rather early on. Earlier when I mentioned the nods to the original series? Him asking Luc to play with him genuinely gave me goosebumps, for I remember him asking Katy the same thing when she was held in the facility.

9/10 Recommend

I love Jennifer L. Armentrout’s work and I loved the Lux series. So this book was a must read for me. I was super excited excited to dive back into the lux world.
You don’t have to have read the Lux books in order to read this one but I would recommend it, not only are they great but it will help you with past events and or people. But again, it is not necessary in order to read this book.

That being said, sadly I didn’t love as much as I thought I would, it was not horrible by any means, but it also was not the best she has written.

The good, it had plenty of action and humor, we get from her books. Loved the banter we got between Luc and Evie, most of the time, there were a few times it just seemed forced or over the top. It also had its suspense and defiantly kept you asking for more and wanting to find out, who ,what and why….And of course there is the romance, which also had its up and downs.
We see some lovely and familiar faces again and it was great. But also meet some pretty great new people.


Luc, it has been a few years since we saw him last but he is still the funny dude we met way back when. Just all grown up. Or well almost …….
And for the most part I liked him, funny, cocky and willing protect those around him. Now that includes Evie. Sometime now with Evie he had his moments, that more than anything made me roll my eye, not so much him as them together.
Evie, it is clear from the beginning that there is more to her and it takes a bit before we get there but I must say I was just like “ oh okay…..” not shocked or anything it was just hmm okay. Maybe that was because, I was not her biggest fan and she annoyed me a lot of times. She often just came over as whiny more than anything.
The romance sometimes seemed to be taking over the story but it all came back around.

For me, the whole narrative came over as very young or naiveish ?! IF that is a word lol. I know it is YA, but so was the Lux series but that by any means did not seem that young/ and or teen angst written as this book.

So overall, we get a teen angst insta love/lust teen drama but that is also wonderfully connected to the world we read and loved.
In a weird way I couldn’t quit. I was often annoyed with it but also couldn’t put it down.

So the verdict. I give it 3★, I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate, it was just in the middle somewhere. That being said though I most likely will get book two to see how it continues.

This book was everything I've come to expect from a Jennifer L. Armentrout book: steamy, hilarious, and packed full of action.

As soon as I saw that Armentrout was expanding the Lux world I knew I had to have this read, hoping it would have all the elements of romance, humor, friendship, and action that I had come to expect from Daemon and Kat's story. I wasn't disappointed one bit.

I will admit I have not yet finished the Lux series and was worried that this would affect my ability to read The Darkest Star without feeling confused. This ended up not being an issue at all. Armentrout catches the reader up on details without it feeling tedious and I never felt out of place.

I sped through the first 75% of this one, completely unable to put it down. The last 25% was a bit slower but I still was really satisfied with the overall pacing and outcome of this book. Enough elements of suspicion and unlikable characters were sprinkled throughout that I have no doubt I will need to keep reading the rest of this series as it is released.

The major "twist" was far from shocking and I saw it coming a mile off, but that did not bother me as much as I expected. Evie was just a really likable character that it was difficult to feel annoyed with. I enjoyed the way her actions and the conflict between Luxen and humans in this world could be used to compare to current political implications or simply as a teaching moment of what actions are right.

And Luc is easily a new favorite book boyfriend.

I will be posting this review to the blog listed once we are closer to the publication day.

The Darkest Star was a book that I received from NetGalley as an ARC. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s first book in the Lux series, Obsidian, is actually the book that inspired myself and Antonia to create this book review blog in the first place. So when I saw that Armentrout was coming out with another installment in the same world featuring some of the characters we’ve grown to love very much I knew that I had to have it. When NetGalley approved me for this I think I actually shrieked out loud.
I tore through this story like no body’s business. I totally loved Evie. She’s a nice girl that gets her entire world shaken to its core. She was a realistic reaction to everything she goes through. Having a minor meltdown but still trying to keep it together. Talking about her problems with her friends. Even the ending was great. Nothing completely resolved, she acknowledges that she needs to take time to figure out who she really is, but is willing to do that surrounded by those that care about her. I liked Evie. She was a realistic and likable character.
Luc is a total book boyfriend babe. He’s our typical mysterious, protective, I-know-everything macho male main character. But I loved every second of it. He was just trying to look out for Evie because she didn’t really even know the whole story. Luc is a guy with a dark past. He is our ‘darkest star’ as the title tells us. I liked that with the mysterious vibe he gives there was actual darkness within him instead of just being mysterious because we didn’t know his history. He has a dark history and has dealt with hardships, done things he’d rather forget. I really loved Luc.

“We were all stars, but Luc … he was the darkest.”

This book was super quotable. I’m a bookworm that loves books that have memorable quotes. This one has a couple that I really love. It’s a wonderfully written story with characters that I love and can’t wait to read more about. The book was fast paced and exciting, giving us a little bit of information at a time, just enough to keep the reader interested and needing to know more.
I would recommend this to all the lovers of the Lux series for sure. And to those who don’t know about the Lux series, go look them up now and read them and love them.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

*4.75 Stars*

JLA never cease to amaze me.
I've read all her books and they always do it for me.
This was no exception.

The Darkest Star tells the story of Evie, 17, a regular, quiet girl living with her mom after her dad was killed in the alien invasion.
When she goes with her friend to a club, she meets strange and very hot Luc. The club gets raided and Evie's life gets tangled in things she couldn't even have imagined.

This story starts about 3 or 4 years after we left Lux's world at the end of Opposition.
I haven't reread the Lux series before reading The Darkest Star but I actually remembered it pretty well. Getting back into the Lux world was amazing. I simply loved seeing Luc, Daemon and Archer again.
The characters were great. The plot was captivating and even though I guessed the main twist pretty early on, I just loved being right.
I was just so excited reading the whole thing, I always wanted to know what was coming next, I read this fairly quickly.
Evie was amazing, I loved her. Luc was as amazing as ever. So were all of Evie and Luc's friends. They were all so layered.
The romance was on point. I rooted for them pretty early in the book.
The school storyline was just as engrossing as all the other stuff. I also really enjoyed all the friendship and family dynamics.
This story honestly made me want to read Lux all over again and then, reread this as well.

I seriously cannot wait for the next book in this series/world.

Let me just say that 20 year old me is screaming inside you guys! The Lux series is one of the first series that I read when I started reading all the time and it is still one of my favorites to this day. So to see that years later JLA wrote another book in this world? I was sold before I even read the synopsis.

Even though this story is about Luc, we do get a glimpse at some of our favorite characters. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, we do get glimpses of Daemon. I hate to tell the teenager inside me to chill.

As you can see the synopsis doesn’t give you much about the plot so I won’t either. Go in blind, you won’t regret it. Just know that this takes place four years after the invasion in the Opposition book.

The building relationship between Evie and Luc was setting me on fire. For a YA book, there was hella chemistry between these two! I love them both and I ship them so damn hard!

This has action, romance, and some badass aliens. Even if you haven’t read the Lux series I highly recommend this. And if you are a fan, what the hell are you waiting for? Pre-order this one!

I have never read the Lux series that The Darkest Star is a spin off of but trust me I soon will be based on my enjoyment of this novel.

Initially I was drawn in by the cover and then reading the synopsis I was hooked so the moment I was approved to read and review this I jumped on it!

In the first few chapters I felt this book was targeted to a younger audience than I was used to. More on the younger side of ya and the beginning of Luc and Evie (our protagonists) relationship in was outright disgusted. It felt misogynistic and forced BUT and trust me on this it is a BUT situation... Revelations further along in the book shed light on those particular reactions and it made sense! Don't be put off my this! I kept reading and everything made sense and I actually appreciated how well thought out all the writing was.

On that note, the author has written this book brilliantly! You have the same reactions as Evie would and you can easily connect with her and your thoughts and feelings develop with hers as the story progresses and you learn more and more!

Two other fantastic things about this book: representation and social commentary.

Representation: There is a beautiful, positive example of an LGBTIQ relationship in this book and even though it's not a main feature it is wonderful to read about and enjoy!

Social commentary: The divide between the Luxen (an alien race that nearly invaded and also assimilated into earthen life) and the humans is reminiscent of all the political upheaval surrounding refugees and asylum seekers in current society. I love that even Evie our protagonist reflects on herself that being silent isn't choosing a side and she has to actively make a change for the bettering of a situation.

Overall it was a binge worthy read that was great fun. I'll be posting a summarised review linking back to this on my Instagram @booksandyass closer to the release date.

Hot aliens, government secrets, a murderous psycho on the loose, and of course a little forbidden romance, all unfolds with an addictive intensity that will have you devouring the pages and craving more. THE DARKEST STAR takes a stab at rekindling this world of Luxen assimilating on earth beside humans and does so with dramatic gusto that will make one want to swoon and rage all at once. Brace yourself for a new binge-worthy read.
-pooled ink

<b>Let me start on the story-line and its development first </b>

It was really exciting to read about the aftermath – <i>well, aftermath? It’s been a couple of years though</i> - of everything that happened in the LUX books and finding out how things fared ever since saying goodbye to the characters I came to love so much in the Lux series. It's obvious no-one's forgotten about the invasion and the Luxen who wanted to harm humankind. There's a lot of hatred and fear present today because of that and a lot of humans remain skittish around the Luxen. All of this pent-up anxiety is going to take it’s toll at some point of course and I have a feeling this is going to develop a lot more in the next books as well. Things are heating up and are ready to explode..

In this first book of a new series, it’s obvious there’s something major coming our way, something new and mysterious, and that this book is basically a build-up towards that and what I love most of all; an opportunity to focus on some character development before the shit hits the fan – <i>doesn’t mean there isn’t anything happening in this book because there IS, especially towards the end so hold on to your seats!</i>

But… to be honest, it takes some time for the story to take off at first, I think. From early on, it's obvious there's some mystery going on around Evie and Luc and on the one hand, you can't stop reading because you're so desperate to get to that point in the story when you finally get some answers - <i>although a lot of it was quite predictable to me though. But the way Armentrout writes made me enjoy it all the same even though I saw some things coming</i>. I can’t quite put a finger to it, but I also felt there’s not that much happening in the first part of the book regarding the Evie/Luc story-line, as well as the background story-line, up until I hit the 50% mark I guess? Sure, there was some awesome humor present, great characters who made their entrance, new and familiar ones- SQEEL!!!!! But somehow it didn’t wow me as much as Obsidian did back then for example. It didn’t sink its claws into me right away..

When I passed the 50% mark, the story really took off like a freight-train though and it became unputdownable! Armentrout is really good at angst building and then have it explode in the best ways possible that make you balance on the edge of your seat the entire time, holding your breath and have you grabbing for some tissues. The writing is – even though I had some remarks on some things - as I’ve come to expect when reading Armentrout, addictive which made it a really fast-paced read.

<b>character talk</b>

When meeting Luc in the prior books, I was immediately intrigued about the Origin’s in general and his character specifically- <i>he was this kick ass and sometimes scary Origin who had a really fun and sarcastic streak so I was a fan of him right away back then</i>. I am bummed out a bit though for not having a Luc POV available throughout this book – <i>maybe there’ll be one someday just as we got the Daemon pov’s? Let’s hope so!</i> On the one hand, I understand it though, given the development of things in this book because it would’ve given away too much on some secrets regarding the story-line and its development. But on the other hand, I think it'd been better for Luc’s character development though?

Or maybe it’s just that I craved more and couldn’t get enough of him? Lol. I love love looove seeing his development throughout this book. Or rather; I just loved getting to know the Luc underneath that calm surface that we know he likes to maintain. It was such a wonderful journey to get to know the person he really is underneath his calm facade. Sure, he’s scary as hell when he wants to be, <i>DUH -> Origin</i>, and he can kick some serious ass, but he’s so much more and I loved getting to know him the way Evie did; layer by layer being peeled off until there was only this beautiful, kind and caring person left – <i>and don’t forget his sarcasm and his HUGE ego resurfacing every now and then, lol. But we are already familiar with all of that thanks to Daemon, so you can probably understand why I love these boys with their huge ego’s and their huge hearts, sigh. Bottom line; Luc is a fantastic character to read about, he made my heart definitely do some heavy thump-thumps in my chest on several occasions and I’m already craving MORE of him!

Then there’s also Evie. Evie was a really fun main character to follow around. That there’s a lot happening to her in this book is a huge understatement. I felt so bad for her sometimes and I think that Armentrout did a really great job on her character development. I really liked seeing how Evie experienced it all and how she reacted to it. The focus on her mental state was really well balanced out with all of the things that happened, I think and made it easy for me to connect with this character. I’m excited to see how she’ll develop in the next book.

As with the LUX books, there’s a tremendous amount of awesome (sarcastic) humor present, vocalized by some pretty awesome characters. In general, I really liked all of the characters, main and minor ones. There is some awesome friendships present, that I really liked reading about a lot. I cannot wait to read more of the minor characters in the next book as well. I love it when I feel like looking forward to the next book so I can spend more time with the characters. Characters are such a huge part to me of making a book work and the characters in this one are all really great!

<b> Conclusion </b>

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read and a fun first book in this lux spin-off series. Not As good as Obsidian was to me back then, because I kind of felt like there are quite some similarities between this book and the LUX books regarding how several things developed and the characters and their traits and their relationships -<i>which makes this one a bit less original and unique</i>.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t like reading it, obviously, but it Has influenced my rating on the book. I liked the characters a lot, The writing is addictive, the storyline is interesting but it didn’t Wow me. I am really curious though to read the next book and see how things are going to develop from here, especially story-wise since I already have a lot of faith in the characters being their awesome selves because I came to love them a lot – I can’t wait for you to meet Luc, Evie and some new characters as well as getting reacquainted with some familiar ones hehe</i>.

I think it’s a challenge to live up to the LUX legend and even best it. Thankfully there are some new things being introduced which makes it possible for this to become a spin-off series that really adds something more and different to the already well-loved LUX world. At this point, I’d say it’s a fun first spin-off book, with a promise of becoming a spectacular spin-off series when it’s all written and published. *Fingers crossed!

<b>And of course, the million dollar question: Did Lux dethrone Daemon?</b>
At this point, I’m still debating with myself, lol. Let's see how I feel after reading the next book? I have a feeling I’m not going to be able to choose because Luc is quite a phenomenal character already and Daemon as well. DAEMON...But Luc is LUC and what he showed me so far has had me melted into a puddle of a swooning fangirl mess.

Probably should've reread the previous books to get a better grasp on the characters again but, over all I thought it was okay. I found many of the annoying and couldn't really connect with them.

Oh, wow, I loved reading this book! I mean, I loved the original series, and when I found that that Luc was getting his own series, yeah, I was really excited to read it! I loved Evie and Luc's interactions, he was so audacious!

It'd been a while since I had last read the Lux series, so I kinda wish that I'd read them again in preparation for this book. I honestly think you either have to either reread the series, or have never read it, going into this book. Then going back to the Lux series. This in-between that I was in, yeah, it didn't make my reading experience bad, but it wasn't as good as it could've been, and that was my fault.

One thing that I loved about this series was that we got to see the aftermath of the war at the end of Opposition. That's something we never really get in most books, because the series ends. But now we got this spin off series, so yeah, I'm really happy with that!

There were a lot of secrets, that slowly Evie learned, a lot that concerned her. I really enjoyed that! And because of those secrets, and them coming out, well, some threads were emerging. Well, some where separate. And they weren't all dealt with, or even fully explained, so I can't wait to read about them in the future books!

This book was so freaking fantastic, and I can't wait for the next book!

The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout will always be my favorite series of hers. As a stand-alone book this was good. I was thrown quite a few surprises throughout the book but I still wish the story had more to it, Yes we did get background, and the characters are well developed, but the story lacks emotion. I was reading the book as if it were simply facts. The author failed to sway me to a side or to spark an emotion from me through the book which was disappointing. Overall, the story had originality with well developed characters, besides the missing emotions the story was good.

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

A spinoff on the Lux series after the invasion.
Lux isn't human and he isn't a true Luxen but he is strong, resourceful witty sexy,and powerful.
Evie a high school student who is thrown if to a very complex situation .
Lot of drama,mystery,suspense,romance.
If you read The Lux series you will like this book.
Really intriguing and interesting plot.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorite authors, so I'm thrilled to read anything new of hers. Darkest Star did not disappoint! This is a spinoff of the Lux series. While it is recommended that you read that series first, it can be read first. It's a must read!

The Lux series has been and will always be one of my most beloved teen/ya series with unforgettable characters and plots that will literally blow your mind. So when I heard that JLA was putting out an Origin series my heart almost burst out of my chest, and it quickly became my most anticipated read of 2018! Luc was such an intriguing and mysterious character in the Lux series, and it wasn't hard to fall in love with him instantly. We always knew there had to be more to Luc's story and I'm so thrilled that it has finally arrived in The Darkest Star. Diving back into this world was like coming home for the first time in years; I was nervous, excited, and probably a little nauseous because I couldn't wait to start it, but knew once I did it would be over too soon. 

Coming into the book I already knew I loved the characters. Every single one of them had layers upon layers and in typical JLA fashion, she peeled them back little by little as the story progressed. We got to revisit some old characters that we love so much as well as meet new ones that are just as intriguing and relatable as the others we already can't get enough of. Evie was someone who you just wanted to get to know instantly. In the beginning it was easy to see there was more to her than even she knew, and I loved how brave she was. She had fear but she never let it stop her from doing what she wanted. Honestly, she was really good for Luc. Speaking of.. Luc was annoyingly charming as ever and I couldn't help falling even more in love with him. Together these two were amazing for each other; they connected instantly and even when Evie didn't understand it, she felt it on such a deep level that it was hard not to swoon. Their relationship runs so deep and they are connected on so many levels. Watching Luc love her was something I'll never forget. He's such a badass, but when it comes to Evie, he's all soft edges and heart. 

The plot itself was fast paced, witty, and deeply entertaining. It was executed perfectly and I loved every second of it. JLA gives us a better understanding of the Origins and she leaves the door open for so much more that could possibly come, and I have to say I'm really excited about it. I'm serious....the options are endless and I just know she's going to take us on one wild ride. I cannot wait for it! 

**Thank you so much to Macmillian & TorTeen for the arc and the opportunity to read and review this title!**

Advance Readers Copy

Title: The Darkest Star (Origin #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Tor Teen
Edition: Kindle
Amount of Pages: 368
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance

Date Read: 08-09-2018

Favorite Quote "I don't people well"

Review:
I was really looking forward to reading this book! I love the lux series and I loved Luc so I was really excited to see him grown up.

What is this book about:
This book is set 4 years after Opposition. The world knows aliens walk among them and they aren't taking it well. People are scared, and some are just giant assholes.
Anyhow, this series focuses on Luc and Evie. For those of you that read the lux series, you know what Luc is, you know what he can do. For those of you that haven't read the lux series, please do so now.
Evie is a 17 year old high school student. Her mother is Silvia Dasher, we met her in the Lux series, and she works for the government.
One night Evie decides to go to a illegal night club with her friend. The night club is known for allowing anyone in, including aliens. Evie's live is going to change after this night and she doesn't even know how much. Ever meeting Luc in the night club she hoped to leave that dreadful night behind her but Luc has other plans.
Things post invasion aren't all about roses. People are getting killed and it all points into the Luxen being the ones who are doing it. People are protesting, wanting the luxen to be round up and be send to special camps and neighborhoods, since that worked oh so wel in history.
The killer is targeting people in Evie's school and it seems whomever is doing this has noticed Evie as well.

What did I like about this book:
I loved seeing Luc again. I really liked him in the Lux series. I absolutely loved seeing Daemon and Archer again.
I am just absolutely excited to be back in the lux world.
Jennifer has some really clever plot twists hiding in this book. Some I saw coming and some completely slapped me into my face.
I cannot wait to read the next book! I really want to see where this is going!

Rating:
5 Amazing Stars

This really was an easy and fun read and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The Darkest Star is a spin-off of the Lux series, and when I found that out I was slightly worried as I have not yet read that series. However, even without having read any of the Lux series books, I found the plot easy to follow and I liked how Jennifer L. Armentrout explained the intricacies of the world so that any reader could understand.

This story follow Evie, a young girl living in what is left of the world after the war between humans and the Luxen, an alien race who tried to take over. She and her friend Heidi go to a club one night, and this is where Evie meets Luc, a mysterious boy who Evie can't help but feel a connection to right away.

Although I predicted a few of the plot points fairly early on in the book, I still found myself almost immediately caught up in the story. The plot was fast paced and, the ending especially, was action packed. I liked how the author included the prejudice against the Luxens in this book, and I thought that it mirrored what could be seen in the real world today. There were times when the romance plot line was a little heavy handed for me, but overall I really enjoyed the plot and I am excited to see where it will go in future books.

In general. I enjoyed Evie as a character. She grew a lot from the beginning of the book, but there were times in which I wish she would have just stopped and listened to those around her. Luc was also an interesting character. As I had not read the previous books, I was intrigued about his identity from the get go, and was glad we got to learn a lot about him as the story progressed. The romance between our two main characters was a little insta-lovey for me, but considering the story, it did make sense that the author chose to go in that direction. We will have to wait until the next books to really see how their budding relationship progresses in the next books.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was just the action-packed quick read I was looking for and I am excited to see where the plot goes in book two.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.
Ohemgee it was amazing getting back to the Lux world!! I didn’t realize how much I had missed it until I started reading. I am SO happy we got a Luc story, and man oh man is that boy the best. He’s the right mix of sarcastic and wry and frustrating and kind and awesome. And abs. Evie was also awesome and I really loved their story. There were moments where I was frustrated with needing to know all of the things and all of the things taking their time coming out, but the author handled the story well and it was paced in a way that kept me turning the pages. In fact, I read this all in one long 5 your sitting. I HAD TO KNOW. I’m going to need the next book like yesterday.