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.

This was one of my highly anticipated books of the year.I was so excited to be back in this world, one of my favorite worlds from Jennifer L Armentrout.I really enjoyed The Darkest Star, it has a brilliant story line and the characters were lovable.

“Sometimes the truth is worse than the lie.”

So many thing happening in this story that you'll never get bored.It's fast paced,funny,sweet and there is a little bit mystery.I was intrigued from the beginning.I like the interactions between Evie and Luc, I just wanted more.

I'm curious and excited at the same time to see what will happen next!

This was one of my highly anticipated books of the year.I was so excited to be back in this world, one of my favorite worlds from Jennifer L Armentrout.I really enjoyed The Darkest Star, it has a brilliant story line and the characters were lovable.

“Sometimes the truth is worse than the lie.”

So many thing happening in this story that you'll never get bored.It's fast paced,funny,sweet and there is a little bit mystery.I was intrigued from the beginning.I like the interactions between Evie and Luc, I just wanted more.

I'm curious and excited at the same time to see what will happen next!

I'd forgotten how much fun Jennifer L. Armentrout books can be. I remember devouring the Lux series a few summers ago (except maybe not the last one?), and the Covenant series a while before that (except, again, I don't think I ever picked up that last book). I was so happy for the time to come back to this to both this author and this universe! 

The Darkest Star is book #1 in the Origin series, and set in the Lux universe, after the events of the Lux series. In what feels like a familiar fashion, Evie meets the boy she shouldn't be involved with after she goes to a bar she knows she shouldn't be in to begin with. From that moment, the book quickly unfolds, becoming an action-, emotion-, secret-, plot-packed drama of a first book, hurtling toward an ending that introduces as many questions as it answers.  

What I really love about Jennifer L. Armentrout novels is just how much story she gets packed into one book. Sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming, a little messy--so many characters and plot points and feelings to navigate through--but it's just so damn engrossing at the same time. You never know what turn is around the corner--also, the love interest is always the hottest guy in the universe. The Darkest Star delivers on all the best promises of an Armentrout novel.

Where do I even begin? This book was absolutely wonderful! It definitely sucks you in right away with all the wonderful characters, both new and old, and with the amazing storyline. I just had a feeling about what the main twist was going to be right away and was hoping for it and then it was confirmed and I was super happy 😄 There were still a few twists and turns along the way that surprised me and kept me dying to know where the story would go next. Luc is the best! He's absolutely hilarious and I still love him. He is so smart, strong, funny, and caring. I loved seeing more to him than just the sarcastic, jokester from the past. He has so many more dimensions to him and it was wonderful to see. Evie is amazing as well. She may not always be observant as she says, but she's sweet and very entertaining as well. It was fun being inside her head. Even though there were a few missing, it made me so happy when old characters popped up, especially Daemon, he had me laughing the whole time 🤣 There were a few things that were left unanswered, but I'm assuming there's gotta be another book and those will be answered in that book. The only thing I was disappointed by was not getting anything from Luc's perspective. I was hoping for at least a chapter in his head. Other than that The Darkest Star was amazing and I'm already dying for more!

-"It still amazes me. The whole thing. Like how all the basic human rights can be stripped away, but because you have a bed, a room, and food on your plate, you don’t even realize you have no rights."

I'm a big JLA fan and I really liked the Lux series so I might be a bit biased when it comes to this but it felt so good being back in that world! We got even more things explained in this book and really liked that.
I was always a fan of Luc so of course I was excited to read his story and I'm happy to say I'm satisfied.
Well, for now. Can't wait to see what's coming next.

I'm not going to spoil anything, all I'm going to say is if you loved the Lux universe and wanted more of it then definitely give this story a chance.

Back a few years ago I discovered the Lux series as the fourth book was coming out. I devoured books 1-4 and eagerly awaited for book 5. When I found out The Darkest Star a spin off/continuation I was beyond excited. The Darkest Star is a fast read and hard to put down.

While it's not critical to read the Lux series first, I strongly suggest it. It's been several years since I read it and I wished I had done a reread as I forgot some things (but don't worry, Armentrout weaves things that happened in the past throughout the book, so if you've read it before it'll come back to you).

Luc is definitely a force to be reckoned with, but he's likeable. Evie is also someone you can easily like, she has a good mix of fearlessness and fear in her. As things started to unfold I really felt bad for Evie. There is a lot going on in The Darkest Star, which I don't want to discuss due to spoilers, but you're in for a wild ride.

This book was absolutely amazing!! I forgot how good it felt to finish a Jennifer L. Armentrout book.

The first time I read about Luc, the mafia kid, I wanted to know more. He was so mysterious and arrogant and powerful and I just knew he had a story to tell. I rember thinking he must have an exciting past and when I heard he would have his own book series I screamed, I patiently waited for the official announcement and I couldn't wait to read it.

So in this book we get to know Evie (I miss the dual point of views, but I unterstand why this book needed only Evie's), she's a normal teenage girl, trying to live, just like everyone else, after the invasion.

I thought it was pretty amazing how we got an explication of how things were handled after the war, but I was really upset about the treatments the Luxen received even though it wasn't a surprise.

Anyway, Evie's friend, Heidi, is meeting a girl she likes in Foretoken, the club Luc owns obviously, and Evie goes with her even though her mother warned her no to go there.

Now I kind of rember hearing about Evie somewhere so I knew she meant something to Luc so I was expecting their first meeting to be totally weird. I was right. He basically tells her she shouldn't be there and that she doesn't belong in there. She's obviously offended and the there's a raid (more suffering for unregistered Luxen) and Luc and Evie hide in this little closet and Luc suddenly kisses her.

After that her phone rings, they get out and she escapes, expecting not to hear about Luc ever again, but she ends up seeing him because of a lot of situations.

I didn't expect Luc to be this sweet cute guy, I expected him to be arrogant but he is actually so much more, like a nice guy trying to help people in this awful post-invasion world.

I missed not knowing what the hell is going on in a book, and feeling the character's frustration at being left in the dark about important things, I mean I knew some of those things because I read Lux, but I still had a lot of doubts.

Evie is trying to put together all of these things while realizing she doesn't know her world and her every-day life that well while discovering secrets that involve everyone around her.

I think she handled all these truths better than I would have, because I honestly would just cry and lock myself up in my room.

Luc and Evie had this weird, cute friendship going on, they had amazing chemistry and I just loved how Luc showed up because he didn't want to stay away anymore and how Evie wanted to stay away from Luc but kept finding excuses to talk to him or just see him. I love how their relationship is still at the I really like you stage, they're still trying to get to know each other and make sense of their lifes.

The mistery in this book, you know besides all the government secrets, is that a few girls have gone missing and that's related to the chaos going on in Evie's life.

Overall, I think it was a great begging to what I'm hoping will be another amazing series of books. I can't wait for the next one.

P. S. We got to see Archer and Daemon and I just completely loved them and that made me want to read Lux again. I wanted a scene with Katy and Dee though, but then again, this is only the begging.

*Spoiler free*

More books in the Lux world! I have to say, I’m not that big of a fan of more books in a world years after the supposed final book came out. I dunno, that’s just me. But, I loved the other Lux books and I love Jennifer Armentrout’s writing style, so though I’d definitely give this one a shot!

This book was interesting, but not in a good way. There was information that was withheld and I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. But there was simply too much avoidance happening. It made it kind of irritating. There never felt like there was a good reason for characters to not GET TO THE POINT. Stuff just dragged on and it grated on my nerves. I think it was supposed to be something like snarky comments and banter is what sidetracked everything, but that didn’t come across at all.

I never liked Luc. I’ll say that outright. I was never sure where people got their love for him from? Anyway, he was supposed to be this ‘hotttttt guy’ and he was, since we was described heavily that way. But that’s where it ends. I found him possessive and even a little creepy. There is some backstory to him, but that is not enough to justify the way he treats Evie.

There was such a weird case of ‘kinda insta-love’. Looking back, it was just kind of bizarre and I think the information given at the end of the book was supposed to explain that, but it… didn’t? The romance simply wasn’t there for me. The enemies-to-lovers was too poorly done.

Also, I think I would have enjoyed this book so much more if I hadn’t read the Lux series. There is too much knowledge and too much knowing where these books usually go. It kinda ruined it for me. There were similar instances in this book that happened in the first Lux book and I’m not sure if they were supposed to be parallels, but it just felt more like a copy than anything else.

There were some parts that I liked! I liked seeing glimpses of old characters. And some parts of the mystery really were interesting! Evie was solid character and I loved seeing her develop through everything.

It should be really interesting to see where this series goes. I think it has the potential to be really good!

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.

Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

I've been waiting for this book since the end of "Opposition"! Surely Jennifer wouldn't leave us without writing about Luc and his past. In "The Darkest Star" the spin-off series of the Lux series, Luc and Evie become tangled in a world after the Invasion of the Luxen, where people are trying to revive the world and try to coexist with the aliens.

Evie, as a heroine wasn't as reliable as I expected. Much trouble could be avoided if she just listened. But, her reaction to Luc, her friends, and her mother redeemed her, since there is a huge secret in this book which I didn't expect to read, but from a point on, I somewhat guessed it. We have cameo appearances of Archer and Daemon and I hope to see them in the next books too.

And there was so much prejudice against the aliens. I do believe that as a species we never learn from our mistakes! I mean, come on what kind of President is that in the book? I don't know if the DOD will also make an appearance in the next book, but Jennifer has managed to create the perfect ground for yet another amazing series of unforgettable characters.

The Delight

When an author writes a spin-off of a favorite series, I am so on it. I didn’t expect her to write this, and I think I might have even squealed out loud when I found out about this book. I don’t squeal as a rule, but I did. Lux readers are so in for a treat.

Review

Back in 2014, I found a young adult series named, Lux. I spent just a few days reading all of them back to back. They were so well written and full of action and romance that I literally could not put them down. I hated to see them end.

Evie is seventeen and lives alone with her widowed mother. Widowed due to the war with the Luxen, four years previously. It’s a whole new world now, one with aliens living among humans. They’ve lived among them for a long time, but now humankind knows about it, when before it was secretive. Of course, the government has known about it for a long time and government being what it is, had been using Luxen for their own nefarious purposes for years. Luc was part of the experiments that were done before the war. Now eighteen, he has come into his own and is more powerful than any other alien. When Evie goes to a nightclub and meets Luc one night, it sets in motion events that will change her life.

Luc was actually a big part of the Lux books, so I was beyond happy that he was going to be in this spin-off series. Back then, he was a young teen, but still someone older than his years. His intelligence is off the charts, as is his many supernatural gifts. Even back then he was dangerous to know or be around. Now on his own and undocumented, he not only owns the nightclub, but also helps other undocumented Luxen. When Evie meets Luc, she really wants nothing to do with him and can’t understand why Luc apparently wants everything to do with her. Evie has secrets inside of her and Luc knows all of them, much to Evie’s dismay. And that’s because Luc knows things that even Evie doesn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed both of the characters. There were important side characters as well, most notably, Heidi, Evie’s best friend, Zoe, another good friend, and her mother, Sylvia.

Yes, this was a romance or truthfully, at least the beginning of one. Since it’s a series, I am looking forward to how it all progresses. This was also a book full of mystery, intrigue, murder and a downright pretty horrible villain. I think it would be more for older young adults as was the Lux series. That being said, some of the book does take place in high school, but not so much that it took away from the heart of the story. The heart being Luc and Evie and all the secrets and lies that surround them. I also loved seeing Daemon from the Lux series show up more than once, but really missed that Kat, while mentioned, didn’t show up in the book. Hopefully, she’ll be in the next one.

This is, of course, science fiction, something that I don’t read much of truthfully. However, since it’s such a good story and the series that came before it was a favorite of mine, I would tell anyone to read it-regardless if it’s a genre not usually read. I would have really missed out if I hadn’t strayed out of my usual go to genres.

Due to spoilers, I don’t want to say much more about the actual story, but I highly recommend this 5 star read! I also recommend the Lux series as well.

Admittedly, this was my first time reading about the Lux. I have yet to read her actual Lux series, but this title intrigued me to want to start.

The beginning starts off with a literal bang-the raid on the seedy club that Evie hesitantly goes to one night. It is at the club that she meets Luc, an attractive and fiery man that seems to not want Evie there at all. But then the raid happens and she is forced to get help from Luc. During the raid Evie realizes that he might not be all human when he is forced to use his abilities to keep them safe. Who is Luc, and what is he?

While Evie is trying to answer these questions, she has more important things to worry about. Girls are going missing, and people are blaming the Lux. But nothing is ever what or who it seems in this book, because it seems like with each new day, Evie learns something new, dangerous, and shocking about the world she lives in.

Considering this was my first book about the Lux, I really enjoyed this story concerning them and leaning how they came to be. It definitely made me want to start the actual Lux series, which I will be doing asap!

Character wise, I liked Lux and Evie, and some of the secondary characters that were present. Luc was a good blend of strong and protective while still being funny and sarcastic. He may have been a huge jerk at the beginning, but he had his reasons. Evie was your typical teenage girl until she found out some really shocking truths. It forced her to question everyone and everything to find out who she truly was. I enjoyed her journey because it felt raw and real. She didn't have a calm reaction like in many YA books.

Villain wise, I was disappointed. I honestly expected something scarier than what was revealed. I enjoyed the suspense leading up the reveal but it just felt "meh." But other than that it was a really good read.

3.5 stars

The Darkest Star was definitely one of my most anticipated Fall releases and I’m so happy I got the opportunity to read it before its official release date.

I read the original Lux series years ago and I completely loved it, so I was very eager to be back in the Lux universe to discover more about Luc’s story and life after the invasion.

The beginning of the book was a little bit chaotic, a lot of things didn’t make sense, especially Luc’s weird behavior towards Evie and all the talk about the “deal”. It was really confusing. Then thankfully things started to make sense and I finally understood where the story was going and also the major spoiler.

The book was very character driven, which is something I don’t mind at all, especially in a book series. I know that we had to get to know these characters before really diving in the story and now that we do I’m really looking forward to the second installment in the series.

The chemistry between the two main characters works pretty well, but I think it’s going to be better in the next books, this was all preparation for their future relationship.

I also very much appreciated the little cameos we got of the characters of the original Lux series and I hope we get more of them in the future.

This book did a very good job in presenting us the characters and creating a solid groundwork for an interesting future plot. Overall it was a pleasant read and I’m looking forward to book two.

A new book in the ever magnificent Lux universe. The Darkest Star brings new light to the world while standing on its own as a magnificent book. The plot focuses on both tragic love but equally on just what are Luxon and are they truly the most dangerous aliens out there.
Evie and Luc bring banter, tension, and laughs as they spend more time together and learn exactly who they could be together.
I absolutely adore this book and am excited that it can be read as a standalone and not as a continuation of the orignial series. If you haven't read Lux it is ok, you will still enjoy this book!