Review: The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Book 1)
- Book Junk Hammy
- Jul 29, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 6, 2019
"Hell yeah, Who wouldn't be? I mean, they're like God got confused, you know? He already made horses and sheep, and decided, let's mix that together, and voila - you get a llama."
The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout was the first book I’ve read from this author. She is well-known for her Lux Series, with the first book released back in 2012. I have never read her Lux Series, but I knew bits and pieces of the plot. The Darkest Star is a spinoff to the Lux Series, labelled under the Origin Series, which follows Evie Dasher and Luc’s story. I did some research on the Lux Series and found out that, Luc, being the hero of this book, was previously mentioned in the Lux Series as well. So, if you’ve read the Lux Series, he is no stranger to you 😊
However, not to worry, this book can be read as a standalone even if you have never read the Lux series (like me, haha). The author did a brilliant job in recapping the events from the Lux Series.
Without further ado, here’s the synopsis of the story:
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...
The Plot:
If you have read the Lux Series, you’d know this is a sci-fi book with alien characters “disguising” as humans known as Luxen. They have superpowers and is seen as a threat at the beginning. There are several species of aliens mentioned in this book, namely, the Origins and Arum, too. The plot centres around our heroine named, Evelyn (Evie) Dasher who one night, decided to accompany her friend, Heidi to a night club known as Foretoken. There, she stumbled upon the handsome hero, Luc. Shortly after, a series of unfortunate events took place, which leads to Evie discovering secrets that were long forgotten, of her past and everything around her. In addition, we got to know Luc’s identity as we read on (I won’t give out spoilers here :D ), unless you have read the Lux Series, then you’d know his identity beforehand. There were a few action scenes in the book, which I enjoy, and of course, romance. It’s not the insta-love type of romance, but the developing-as-the-story-progresses type. There were political intrigue element in the plot as well. With the establishment of a secret organisation known as Daedulus, who conduct various experiments on the aliens, as well as the involvement of the government in keeping secrets from the public.
The Characters:
Evie Dasher is your typical YA heroine, whom you can find in an abundance of YA books out there. She is emotionally strong, yet stubborn. Sometimes, I find myself wanting to strangle her, but at the same time rooting for her. She is likeable enough for me to keep going (I’m sorry). She’s not angsty or gloomy, but your regular college girl going through life like almost every other college student. However, I enjoyed her witty perspective and dialogues. Luc, on the other hand, is your too-beautiful, powerful and perfect hero, that every girl dream of. I like how spontaneous and cool he was, and he has reasons for his actions. I enjoyed how his character was portrayed albeit the flawless perfection of his physical characteristics, given the fact that all aliens are portrayed as beautiful and good-looking in the book. And then, we have our fun and quirky supporting characters, Heidi, Zoe, Kent and Grayson. I especially love Kent’s dialogues, which has a playful ring to them. All in all, they are all perfectly written, and I will love to see them appearing in book two, The Burning Shadow.
The World-building:
The story is set in modern-day world, taking place four years after the events in Opposition (Lux Series) ended. After the invasion by Luxen aliens on Earth, the humans have adapted to the changes and, accommodated to the presence of Luxens in their society. I would say the world-building is splendid as it continued from the Luxen series, giving us a clear picture of the human lives and how they adapt and recover from the invasion four years ago.
The Romance:
Being a romance reader myself, I like the romance element in this book. I didn’t like insta-love romances and thanks to the author, this book doesn’t have it. The romance felt more of a long-lost-love, which all the more made me root for Evie and Luc. I like their chemistry and banters, and not to mention, the sexual tension between them. Luc is always there for Evie and have always been since the start of the book, and this makes him all the more charming. I hope we’ll get more of them in book two!
The Writing Style:
The one thing I absolutely like about this book is Jennifer’s writing style! It not only flows seamlessly, but it’s witty and quirky. I often laugh out loud, especially when it came to the dialogues between the characters. I enjoy reading from Evie’s perspectives and her thoughts as well. Jennifer’s writing style is one that I enjoy the most, one that will hook the reader’s attention. It flows beautifully and without realising, I was already at the end of the book. That’s how good of a writer she is!
The Darkest Star is a fun and thrilling read, and I enjoyed the book for the most part. I like how the secrets were uncover little by little. It piques the reader’s interest and can’t wait to discover them. My only complaint about the book is Evie’s character at the beginning of the story. I didn’t like how stubborn she was, and it was her stubbornness that led to trouble. However, as the plot progresses, I quite enjoy Evie’s character as she grew and learn from her mistakes. She is such an emotionally strong female lead and I feel she has so much potential in her as a heroine! I look forward to her character development in book two, The Burning Shadow. After her discoveries in this book, I wonder what more secrets will she uncover in book two.
Overall, this book is worth the read and I will definitely purchase the second book once it’s released to the public in 2020.
Rating: 4/5
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Details of the book can be found on Goodreads:
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