I read this book ages ago, and I'm not really sure why I never posted a review. Please accept my apologies on this crazy delay!

This was my first Jennifer Armentrout book, so I was unfamiliar with the universe. I may have enjoyed it more if I had read her other books first...so take this with a grain of salt.

I thought the book was OK. I got a bit of background from things that had happened in other books. There was a lot of instant love and beating around the bush here. Many things that would have been cleared up if people JUST TALKED, which is a YA pet peeve of mine. Overall, fun (ish) book, that is likely a better fit for people who've read the other series.

I absolutely ADORE the Lux series and my #1 book boyfriend, Daemon Black, and I was so freaking excited when I found out Luc was getting his own spin-off series! I could NOT wait to see him all grown up. And man—oh man, did Luc grow up… swoooon. I just want a Luc of my own!

That said, The Darkest Star was literally EVERYTHING. It was fast-paced, funny and sweet, emotional and sooo swoony. I loved Luc and Evie. Their interactions and banter were freaking fantastic and I always looked forward to it.

Once I started The Darkest Star, I was totally sucked back into the Lux universe, and I could NOT put it down. I loved every minute of this book and I need mooooore. Being able to see Daemon again was just the icing on the cake!

JLA did an amazing job with the first book in the spin-off series. I’m SO looking forward to seeing what happens next with Luc and Evie!

OH MY GOD, LOVE LOVE LOVE LUC. The whole series of Lux series including this spinoff is beautiful and amazing. Jennifer is just a machine knocking books out like they are nothing to her! READ THIS BOOK!

I know exactly who I am passing this book onto next.

The Lux books are favorite reread of mine, especially the last book, but I was unsure how I would like an entire book dedicated to Luc. If you have any doubt, cast it aside and read this book! I am so glad that some characters from the previous series make an appearance. Ready for the next book!

The Lux series is one of my favorites and Jennifer L Armentrout doesn't disappoint as she throws us back into the Luxen world! I didn't think I could love another alien but Luc definitely gives Daemon a run for his money. Now Evie is thrown into a world she only heard stories about. Be careful falling heas over heals for a guy,he might just be something you didn't bargain for or he could give you the ride of your life. That's if you can survive reality of long kept secrets and a betrayal that might just destroy you. Enter the world of Luxen but be prepared for anything!

Jennifer L Armentrout reprend l’univers de Lux avec un spin off centré sur le personnage de Luc. Ce dernier est sarcastique, mystérieux et très protecteur envers Evie. Je suis contente qu’il ait grandi et ait pris un tour plus hot, parfait pour un book boyfriend ! Il n’est pas tout à fait un Luxen comme Daemon, et on en sait davantage au fur et à mesure du livre. Evie, quant à elle, est l’héroïne typique des romans YA de JLA, à savoir ignorante, fourrant son nez partout même quand on lui dit que c’est dangereux, et dépassée par les évènements.

Les ¾ du livre sont ennuyeux au possible malheureusement, il ne se passe pas grand-chose, si ce n’est des allers-retours d’Evie au club de Luc, avec des révélations qu’on connaissait déjà de la saga originale. Il y a quelques références aux héros de Lux, mais pas trop pour que ceux qui n’aient pas lu Lux se sentent perdus. De nombreux éléments se mettent en place, sans pour autant que cela progresse au fil des pages. La romance entre Evie et Luc n’évolue pas vraiment non plus, même si on sent des étincelles, vite réprimées de la part du garçon d’ailleurs. J’ai bien aimé le fait que Luc lise aussi bien les pensées ou les émotions d’Evie, qui est complètement transparente dans ses réactions.

Le rythme ne s’accélère qu’à la fin, avec des rebondissements intéressants et une intrigue qui avance enfin, mais le livre se termine déjà, et on doit attendre la suite pour avoir davantage de développement.

Initial thoughts: Oh my God. That was incredible. I tried to draw it out, because I really didn't want it to end and... then it ended. And now emptiness. I feel empty. The downside of reviewing ARCs: You have to wait even longer for the sequel. Review to come when I'm less of an emotional mess.

Also, I feel a Lux reread coming soon.

It’s been two weeks and I’m still flabbergasted. Okay, so here’s the thing: I first read the Lux series only a few months after I’d started my blog, and I immediately fell in love with the world and all the characters. Now, multiple rereads later, I’m still in love with this world. I also really loved Luc in that series. So when I heard there would be a spin-off series about him, I’ll admit I screamed a little.

And it lived up to my expectations.

I loved Evie. First of all, she’s a photographer. When she was taking photos, it was like I was reading about me. So that’s a plus. But she’s also really relatable, I think, despite living in a world that now knows about aliens. I liked that, even though she’s terrified of the aliens (for good reason), she could stand up for them and she still thought they deserved to have rights. And she grew a lot throughout the story, which I think is very important.

Luc... oh my God, Luc. I honestly don’t even know what to say about him. He is so much fun to read about, and when I started reading, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to see him as anything other than a fourteen-year-old. It wasn’t a problem. Luc is most definitely not fourteen anymore. And I have to say, I like this older version of him even more. All the sarcasm… and then the swoon… Luc will definitely give Daemon a run for his money.

I really enjoyed the plot. As I mentioned before, I fell in love with the world and world-building in the Lux series, so it was really fun to see how the world turned out after the events in Opposition. Because the world changed after finding out about aliens. And it was pretty much like I imagined it would be. But back to the plot, it was very well-paced and interesting. And while it’s definitely a fantasy, it has some mystery vibes to it. It’s not so much that you will mind it if you don’t like mysteries, but I loved that element in the story. It added to the tension. And there were so many twists and turns that surprised me.

The Darkest Staris such a unique, twisting adventure that you don’t want to miss. With many plot twists that keep surprising you, it will keep you on your toes, and with all the (romantic) tension, it will keep your heart beating fast. It’s amazing!

The Darkest Star is the first book in a companion or spin-off of the popular Lux Series. Even though I haven't read that series yet, I didn't feel lost or confused about the world created by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

The thing I love about this book is the humor. Even in the most serious scenes, it is always present. The pacing is okay, and the writing style is simple and easy to follow. The plot twist is a little bit predictable and expected, but the author did a good job holding the suspense for quite a long time before it was finally revealed.

While reading this, it really gives me Twilight and Vampire Diaries vibes. It has a lot of swooning and action moments. Although I am not so sure if this book is marketed as a YA romance, the romantic element is my least favorite part of this novel. To be honest, I am a huge fan of slow burn romances, so maybe that's why I am not a fan of it. The two main characters instantly hit it off. It lacks development.

Most of the characters are great too: different personalities and diversity are present. Although, just like I said, most of them didn't have any development. Hopefully, I can see that in the following books because I am guessing this will be quite a long series.

Overall, The Darkest Star is a good paranormal romance with a unique world building. I think this book will be more loved my young adult readers.

3.5 stars!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Lux series and was happy to delve back into it with The Darkest Star, which takes place four years after the end of the Lux series. If you haven’t read that series, you don’t have to worry about being able to keep up in this book. Armentrout gives you enough of the history to make you understand, but it also makes you want to go back and read the original series. And I highly recommend that you do so.

This is the story of Luc and Evie. Evie meets Luc at a club. A club that she was not supposed to be at. She sees him and cannot keep her eyes off of him. After the club is raided and she loses her cell phone, she goes back to retrieve it. She doesn’t expect to see Luc again, but she keeps running into him. Questions start coming up that she cannot answer. Luc seems to know the answers.

I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. I liked Luc’s character in the Lux series. He always seemed to shine, even then. I also like that some of the characters we know and love from the Lux series make appearances in this book. It is like a family reunion getting to see what the old characters are up to now. But Luc and Evie are what make this book great and I am excited to see what they are going to be up to in the next book in the series.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

(I thought I'd previously rated and reviewed this title after I read it last year... weird...)

Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Release date: 30th October 2018

My rating: 2.5*

So YA isn't really my thing most of the time, however urban fantasy is one of my favourite sub-genres and 'Lux' is an interesting series given that it's about aliens and that's not very typical of this genre. It makes a refreshing change.
I recommend 'The Darkest Star' to those who are Superfans of the Lux series and need another fix, but for me personally it doesn't really bring anything new to the table like I was hoping it would.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

This was a great read! I never read the series it was continuing from, so it was hard to judge....but I did enjoy it.

OMG!! I am so happy to back in the Lux world! I love seeing how Luc has grown up and to get a little more of his back story. It was amazing to see what the other characters were up to as well as meet new ones! JLA has this alien thing down! You just get fully immersed in the worlds she creates and can totally connect with her characters. I can't wait to read more and see what happens next! If you are a fan of the Lux series, you HAVE to read this. If you haven't read the Lux series yet, what are waiting for? While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the Lux series and Obsession first.

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Origin Book #1
Publisher: Tor Teen

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Tor Teen for the ebook ARC of The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout in exchange for an honest review.

Seventeen year old Evie Dasher gets caught up in a raid at a notorious club known as one of the few places where humans and the surviving Luxen can socialize 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 had only heard about, a world where everything she thought she knew will be turned on its head …

I give this book a rating of 4 stars and I recommend reading it. This is the first book I have read by Jennifer L. Armentrout. It was really good and it kept me wanting to read more. It was a well written YA novel. I can’t wait to read book #2 in the series Origin.

#TheDarkestStar #NetGalley

That cover with such a mysterious title and amazing hype from other bloggers made me so excited to pick up and read The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Thing is, I didn’t know it was part of this huge vast world the author had previously created. I worried if I would be able to like the story and get into it without knowing anything else. Turns out, there was no reason to worry because I absolutely loved it, and now I a) need the sequel and b) need to read everything else in this Lux world!

I want to start by admiring how well Armentrout positioned this book. It is absolutely open to new readers, while at the same time, I feel like there must be characters that fans of her series recognize since you could tell there were a few names mentioned simply to excite. Yet, the majority of the story introduces this world of the Lux to new readers through a character that should’ve known it all. As it takes place on modern day Earth, there’s no real effort on world-building, which didn’t seem out of place or lacking since the focus of the story relied solely on personal relationships.

Speaking of personal relationships, I LOVED how Armentrout wrote the reveal(s) for one of the characters at the climax of the story. It felt so much more real than so many other YA books where characters simply accept what happens ‘gracefully’ and unrealistically. Here? I could feel my heart ache for almost everyone involved and there was no way I could fault anyone. I know this is a good book because days after finishing it, I could still think about the scene and about what I want to see happen next. It almost makes me want to search out fanfic (which I won’t because I don’t want to spoil the actual series for myself either.)

Pacing was great, build-up was steady. There was one major fault, which I don’t know what to make of. The main antagonist of the story and ultimately the ‘resolution’ to the antagonist. This was such a major letdown and done so quickly and almost sloppily that it felt like an afterthought. I don’t know if this was simply introduced as a way to introduce something that will happen next in the series, or if this was a nod to her previous works. It just didn’t work and felt lackluster. The interpersonal drama would have been more than enough to drive the story through the climax to the resolution.

If you like YA, and you like YA romance, and you like lite or soft sci-fi? The Darkest Star by Jennifer L Armentrout is a MUST READ PICK UP! Hell, if you like even TWO out of the three, I definitely think you’ll enjoy this novel. Just an absolute great character-driven story.

It took me a bit to get into this book because at first I did not really like Luc and Evie. As more of the background came to light it became a very good read like all JLA books and I’m excitied for the next one.

I absolutely loved this book! The character development really sold the book for me! There were many moments where I could barely see past the page because I was so enthralled in the story.

Okay, okay….Phew…Breathe in, Breathe out……*hyperventilating*


Sheldon hyperventilating Big Bang Theory

I think I am okay now…My brain is all fuzzled after reading this book…I am having major trouble gathering my thoughts…..


I am ok

We all adore Daemon Black, well Luc could honestly give him a run for his money…and a little secret…we get small glimpses of our favorite alien in this book too!!!! *squeeeee*


Girl fan crying

Evie is a great character…but, she reminds me a little of all the other characters…stupid! Every time Luc told her to do something, what do you think she did? Yup, she did the exact opposite! And of course, got herself into trouble at which she needed saving. *sigh, will they ever learn?*


Going to bed thinking it is Monday again

I loved getting back into this world and I loved Luc! I wasn’t sure if I would because my heart is with Daemon but JLA knows how to write those smexy men that we all know and love, so yeah, I was able to fall head over heels for him straight away!


Bruno Mars Winking

I must admit that I felt that the book dragged a wee bit.#sorrynotsorry But I kept on plugging along. Hence the 4 star rating but, I am a firm believer that the first book in a series is always like this because the author needs to explain the world and what not, so yeah, I am sure the next book will be even better!

Even though I thought the pacing was a bit slow, I still adored the book! The ending was amazing and full of action! The way everything pieced together was awesome and we are left with a wee bit cliffhanger…of course.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series and seriously, if you are a fan of The Lux Series, than you need this book in your arsenal! You will not be disappointed! Then please come back and chat with me about it…BECAUSE I AM DYING TO TALK TO SOMEONE!!!!!!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
#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. A girl pulled into in a world she doesn't 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...
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
4.5 star rating!

I think this is a clear example of author’s writing evolving over time. It is by far the best book I have read by Armentrout and I will preorder it. I cannot wait for the next book!

The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my all-time favorite series. While I don’t read much science fiction, the combination of the storyline and the characters of Kat and Daemon made this series unlike anything I had ever read before. It was refreshing and exciting and incredibly addictive, ensuring I was a loyal fan throughout the series. Getting to return to the world of the Luxen several years later with a new hero and heroine at the helm therefore made The Darkest Star one of my most anticipated reads of the year. And once again, Jennifer L. Armentrout does not disappoint, delivering an action-packed thrill-ride. With so many secrets, so many unknown threats, and so much mystery surrounding protagonists, Luc and Evie, The Darkest Star is riveting page-turner from start to finish.

For those that read the Lux Series, The Darkest Star picks up four years after the Luxen invasion. Not only is the existence of alien life common knowledge, but the government is regulating the Luxen to eliminate potential threats. As seventeen-year-old Evie Dasher soon discovers, there are beings too powerful to be controlled or contained. It’s when Evie meets Luc, a handsome and mysterious young man, that her world is turned upside down, making her question everything and everyone she’s known. Though Evie and Luc clash from their first meeting, there’s an undeniable connection between them that keeps bringing them together.

Between Evie’s interactions with Luc, rising tensions between Luxen and humans, and Evie’s discovery that she’s far from the ordinary girl she believed herself to be, The Darkest Star is filled to bursting with drama, action, and suspense. The narrative starts off at full speed ahead and only increases in momentum with each chapter, leading to a jaw-dropping finale. And let’s not forget the potential romance between Luc and Evie, which will set your pulse racing in an entirely different way. Their snarky-filled, flirtatious banter and reluctant attraction provides endless entertainment as well as comic relief. Like Evie, I was both intrigued and perplexed by Luc’s enigmatic persona and veered between swooning over him and wanting to strangle him. There’s really no in between. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

At the end of The Darkest Star, I was left shell-shocked and wanting more. While some of my questions were answered and part of my curiosity was satisfied, I have a feeling that things are only going to get more complicated. If this is just the beginning of the Origin Series, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Evie and Luc.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review