Tag Archives: Origin

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

Posted on by
10

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / iTunes / Book Depository

 

Description:
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…

 

Review:

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the first book in her new YA Origin series, which is a spinoff of her wonderful Lux series. I am a huge fan of Armentrout’s Lux series, and was thrilled to find out that she was returning to this world. I totally loved reading The Darkest Star, and so happy to be back home again.

Evie Dasher, our heroine, is convinced to go with her friend Heidi to Foretoken, a notorious club that Luxens and Humans can mix, but at seventeen, Evie is forbidden to go there.  While at the club, the place is raided, and she meets the club’s owner, Luc.  

Luc is extremely handsome, not to mention very powerful.  Much to Evie chagrin, Luc seems to know everything about her, and all she knows is that he is a Luxen.  Luc helps her escape the club, but her life is about the change, as he plans on being a big part of her life going forward.

Evie will find out her mother knows Luc, and as time moves on, other people close to her know him too.  In a short time, Evie finds herself attracted to the beautiful Luc, and meets some of his friends. She learns some of the truths from her mother about who her father really was. Why does Luc know everything about Evie? What are the secrets that some are hiding from her?

What follows is a wonderful story, where a rogue Luxen is killing some students, creating dissention in the school between those against the aliens, and those on their side.  The danger escalates putting Evie in danger, as the villain is someone from the days before the war. 

In time, Evie will learn all the truths and secrets about her life, and about Luc.  Though I understand her refusal to believe the truths, she was a bit stubborn early on, but in time she allows herself to open her heart to Luc, and accept the truth about her past, and forgive those who kept those secrets.

Armentrout does a fantastic job of grabbing our attention early on, and never letting go.  She keeps us on our toes, as she slowly reveals different twists or revelations that catch us by surprise.  The Darkest Star was an exciting, fast paced, intense & intriguing story that was also fun, with a sweet slow build romance between Evie and Luc. Evie will learn and see for herself just how powerful Luc really is.

I loved Evie and Luc, and also was thrilled to get to see some of our old favorites such as Daemon and Archer.  I also like some of the new characters, such as Evie & Luc’s friends.  It was great that we get to learn more about the Origins that was barely hinted in the previous series.

The Darkest Star was fantastic YA thriller, wonderful déjà vu sweet romance, and though the story ended satisfactory, there are so many questions still to be answered.  I cannot wait for the next book, and what Jennifer L. Armentrout has in store for us. Thank you Jennifer for bringing us back to this world.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

Share

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

Posted on by
14

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

Origin Aug 13

Links to order Origin: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Description:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?


Review:

Origin is the 4th book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s fantastic Lux series.  I have loved this series from the start, and love Jennifer’s writing.  Her Obsession novel, which was sort of a spinoff, and a New Adult genre, was super & sexy, and had an awesome hot hero. 

Now let’s start with my review of Origin, which picks up shortly after the end of Opal.  If you remember my review on that book, the ending was a slam bang shocker, and one which I wanted to throw darts at Jennifer.  Waiting a year to find out what happens is pure torture.  Darn…why do they do that to us….

Well anyway, I read Origin and I loved it.  It was a bit different then the earlier books, with more darkness, violence and extremely emotional.  I must say that this is a difficult review to write.  Why?  I don’t want to give spoilers, and no matter what I say about this book, based on the ending of Opal, everything would be a spoiler. However, the Lux series is Daemon & Katy, and if anyone thinks book 4 or 5 will change that, then they know nothing about a continuing series that are based on romantic leading characters.  Of course, if this was a George RR Martin fantasy, then this would be different, as he kills everyone off.

With that being said, this is all about Daemon & Katy, who are truly an awesome young couple.  She is a human and he is an Alien…..You ask, who wants to fall in love with an Alien?  Have you met Daemon Black…obviously not if you ask that question. He is hot hot, hot, did I say hot. 

Origin is non stop action, and some horrific parts, but through it all, Daemon is an awesome hero and Katy herself has toughened up, and learns how to use her new powers. The Daedalus, are the bad guys in this book, but are they really bad? The Arums and even other Luxens could possibly be bad also.  We also learn what Origin means, and now we have an added element to the choices of what is good and bad.

The story is very exciting, as we get to see many of our favorites again, and some heart wrenching moments. In Origin, Jennifer pulls on our emotions throughout, so much more so then in the previous books. Those emotions range from anxiety, worry for our heroes, disgust for some things that happen, sadness, and happiness when seeing Daemon & Katy together.  I needed to relax, and step away, before I attempted to write this review.  Though the ending of Origin is not as shocking or heart shattering as Opal, it is still another one that we have to wait until next year.  The Lux series is a keeper, and Jennifer L. Armentrout is a fantastic writer.  I know that this series has been picked up for a movie, and I personally think this would be a sensational movie series, that rivals Twilight. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

Share