The Darkest Star: Origin Series, Book 1

Talk about a fun, frenetic read! I finished the story wanting to dive into the next book. While being a typical girl-meets-possible-alien sort of YA story, it’s not that at all. Behind the wit and the fun, some serious social issues rear their heads. But to start: The Darkest Star has a true-to-life teenager vibe. Everyone knows that teens have a voice all their own and too many authors translate that into unlikeable snark. Not so for Jennifer L. Armentrout; her teens are funny, vibrant, likeable, and imminently relatable. Indeed, her heroine has a voice so self-analytical that it almost breaks the fourth wall on multiple occasions. From the moment she starts talking, Evie hits it home with unexpected commentary, such as “…she was eyeing Heidi like I eyed tacos on most days. That was what I wanted at some point in my life, for someone to look at me like I looked at tacos.” And “That made me feel a little better, knowing I hadn’t been kissed by a killer alien from outer space. It was the small things that made one’s crappy life choices easier to deal with.” When you hit Evie’s comments in situ, they really pop. Just make sure you aren’t drinking anything you can snort out your nose!As the story starts, Evie allows herself to be talked into visiting a club using fake IDs by a bestie and that’s when things really start to get strange for her and our mystery is off and running. There are plenty of aliens and hot guys at this club, but Evie’s caught up in a raid even as she meets an enigmatic stranger who seems to know more about her than just her real name. Why do people seem to know her? Who is killing girls that look like her? Who is Luc?The Darkest Star is not your typical YA scifi romance; it’s elevated by nuanced writing, believable characterization, and unique world-building. Behind the teenage romance and mystery, there’s commentary on police states, racism, loyalty, family, and what it means to be human, all woven expertly into an enjoyable story that entertains mightily, even while it opens the door for some really deep conversations. The characters aren’t perfect and their flaws are believable. Major storylines are wrapped up satisfactorily, with no irritating cliffhangers.From comments that I’ve seen, The Darkest Star takes place in a world that the author has already written books about; I’ll have to take their word for it. That said, I haven’t read any other books by this author and am not familiar with any of the characters. This book is quite able to stand alone with nothing detracted. I will, however, be seeking out the author’s other books because I enjoyed this one so completely.Highly recommended. I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

4 stars"Sometimes the truth is worse than a lie."Evie is a teenage girl who follows her friend to a club called Forsaken, a club where anyone is welcome, including other species like the Luxen. When the club is raided, Evie finds herself in the hands of Luc, a mysterious not quite human, not quite Luxen man. The more she gets to know him, the more secrets are revealed to her, ones she never expected to find out."This was how I figured most horror films started out, but in for a penny, in for a pound..."This is a wonderful spinoff series of the Lux series starring Luc, our favorite Origin. You can tell this is a book made with love, and one done for the fans of the series and I think Jennifer did a fantastic job. I've been having trouble getting sucked away into books recently, and picking up a new book from JLA was like returning home. I fell effortlessly into the pages and read it from beginning to end all in one day. There's something about her writing that I connect with easily, it's like picking up with an old friend right away after not having seen them for a long time.I really enjoyed the story, I thought it was very compelling, even if somewhat predictable. Luc is basically Daemon Jr and many fans will love that. I didn't give 5 stars because it isn't perfect, but I think it's a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to read the other books and see the future development of this world and these characters. I wish there had also been a tad more angst, but I'm hoping it will come later."Sometimes the truth is hidden as a form of protection."

I absolutely loved this book. It goes along with the Lux series. When I say your typical alien meets teen story it is just that. Goes to a club meets the alien falls in love with the alien type stuff. However, there are twists and turns and issues at hand that are well written into the story that keeps you hooked and going. They are working together to conquer said issues and the plot is amazing! I loved the Lux series as well and at first was like oh it's just going to be another boring side story but it actually wasn't and I ended up purchasing the rest of this series! She definitely takes the time to write her characters stories and makes it fun and entertaining. Highly recommend!!!!

Coinvolgente !

I LOVE THE STORY!!! Everything written by Jen is amazing. I fell inlove with Luc and Evie! 100 % recommended

I was so exited to read this book after I've read Lux series. Its definetly a thrilling spin-off. I loved Luc, and I think I even love him more now that I know his story.You should definetly buy this, you'll enjoy it.

The Darkest Star is the first book of the Origin saga and take place 5 years after Opposition. I have to warn you, the world is no longer the same, the Luxen invasion changed everything and now we live in a world where aliens and humans coexist in a very fragile peace. The Luxen that remained on earth are monitored and controlled but a lot of people are full of hatred and distrust towards them.The main characters are Luc, an original, that we already met in the Lux series and Evie, a human whose father was a military man and died during the Luxen invasion. That fragile peace is disturbed when disappearances begin and the Luxen are blamed when bodies start to show up. This is the moment when Evie begins to realize that her mother keeps many secrets and when her path meets Luc's, her whole world turns upside down. Nothing is as she thought and everything she thinks she knows is not what it seems.This novel is (as usual with Jen) a rollercoaster of surprises. It has an incredible rhythm and it’s pretty much impossible to stop reading. Luc is amazing and now that he’s older we can legally drool over him. Luc kept is very dry and dark sense of humor which is probably one of the things I liked the most about the book. As for Evie, she’s strong willed, cheeky and is not afraid of going toe to toe with Luc. Their chemistry is undeniable, and you can feel the tension between as soon as they met the first time.That book definitely took a turn to the dark side and I wasn’t expecting to the storyline to go on a darker side in the first book and i couldn’t have imagined half the stuff happening in the book, you’re in for a ride, that’s for sure!If you liked the Lux saga and you are as much a fan of Jen as I am, you can’t miss this spin-off. I always thought you couldn’t top the Lux saga in my heart but that one come very close! Now I’ll have to pout and wait for the next book in a year…sigh…

The Darkest Star is the first book in the Origin series and tells the story of Evie and Luc. Origin is a spin-off series of the Lux series, but you don’t have to read the Lux series to be able to read the Origin series.I’ve had The Darkest Star on my TBR for a few months, and I’m so angry at myself for not reading it sooner. I loved the Lux series so it’s no surprise that I loved The Darkest Star. Jennifer L. Armentrout is such an amazing author and I love that she created her own kind of aliens.Evie is such a fun character. I loved reading in her perspective, she’s just so amazing! When I read the Lux series, I didn’t really know what to think of Luc. He was so weird but now I love him. He’s so funny and annoying. Now, he’s one of my favourite book boyfriends!I’m so happy that Jennifer L. Armentrout decided to write a spin-off series because I loved the Lux series and it was amazing to read bits about the characters from the Lux series! The Darkest Star was such a well-written and addictive read. I cannot wait to read the sequel, The Burning Shadow!