The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Synopsis:
“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...”
Review:
4 Stars
The Darkest Star can be read without any knowledge from the other Lux books. There are some things that are said that are references to things that had occurred in the other books, but it is like hanging out with new people and them having inside jokes. It may help some people to have the background information of the world of Luxen, but a lot of the important information is told throughout the story.
I was kind of hesitant going into this book because I thought nothing could even compare to the story of Daemon and Katy, but I absolutely love this book! I honestly did not realize how much I missed these characters until I started to see their familiar faces. It is set about four years after the end of the original Lux series, and to see Daemon, Archer, and Luc older is something that many readers often crave in Y.A. books that have been published. This story follows Evie (new character) and Luc (old character). When I saw Daemon within the first few pages, I almost put the book down to reread the Lux series. The transition from the old series to the new part is so smooth, it’s almost like it was planned all along.
When I went into this story, I was like there is no way that Luc (which is pronounced as Luke and not Luck like I have been thinking all of these years) could be any more sarcastic and snarkier than Daemon, but I think he may have Daemon beat by just a little. Luc may be a pain in the butt at times, but he really does a have a pretty good heart because he tries to help unregistered Luxen. Let me tell you Luc is a piece of work (not in a bad way), he should not be allowed to walk around without a shirt *whew*. Then on top of that, his remarks are out of this world. Every time he opened his mouth I either a) wanted to laugh, b) slap him, or c) melt into a puddle of goo.
This book was an emotional roller-coaster, in the early part of the book, I was trying to figure out how Luc was going to fit into Evie’s life along with discovering the registered aliens and people showing up dead. The mystery of trying to figure out who was the murder and the suspense of waiting for Evie to become the next victim had me on the edge of my seat (but obviously she isn’t killed because book two is coming out later this year).
There were several times in the book that made me laugh out loud. From the beginning there was an undeniable attraction between Evie and Luc, but Evie didn’t want to act on it. This causes for some interesting scenes between the two. The story also had me speed reading (although I don’t recommend because this is how little details are missed) because of the plot twists and betrayal.
Playlist
*explanations below after spoilery stuff*
If Walls Could Talk by 5 Seconds of Summer
Love Don’t Die by The Fray
I Won’t Give Up by Jason Marz
Follow Me by Uncle Kracker
She Ain’t You by New Hollow
*Spoilers after here*
The progression and development of this story is amazing. Throughout the story there were little hints here and there about some changes in Evie like her liking Coke and wanting to watch horror movies. There were even small changes in the way she acted. At the time I didn’t think anything of it, but once the big secret was revealed, it all made sense.
Not many things shock me, but when it was revealed that Evie was Nadia, I’ll admit that I was shook. For those who don’t know Nadia was talked about in the original Lux Series. She was Luc’s girlfriend who had a deathly disease. In this world, the Luxen’s DNA has the ability to save human from certain diseases, and everything that Nadia was given didn’t help. Until he was given a deal by Jason Dasher to save her. The cure that Dasher gave Nadia made her forget all about her past life and Dasher’s wife had taken care of Nadia as Evie for the past four years. I just can’t get over that for four years Evie’s adoptive mom had been weaving this intricate lie and making her believe that she was someone else.
But it also makes sense that Evie is Nadia because in the original series, Luc’s main goal is to find a cure to save Nadia. Throughout the story it’s obvious that Luc is interested in Evie, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to anything about it because he was in love with his childhood friend Nadia. There were times in the book when Luc and Evie would get close and I was thinking how in the world is this going to work if Luc is still in love with Evie. But let’s get something straight, Luc realizes that Evie doesn’t act like Nadia and is basically a completely different person, and he accepts them as two different people.
Also, after finding out Zoe and Evie were friends before Evie was Evie was also mind blowing. I’m not sure why it surprised that there were people who knew her from her past life. Even though Zoe didn’t have any relatives, she chose to stay with Evie and had to make a new friendship even though there was the possibility that it might not work.
This book delves into the Origins more so than the other ones. One of the things that really took me by surprised is that the way they age. Because they were created in a government lab to make the perfect fighters, the scientist gave each newborn group a different serum to help with grow and development. Some worked, and some didn’t. I honestly wasn’t sure how the Origins would grow considering they are part Luxen and part mutated human. Luc was given one of the best batches created because he had seemed to like a regular Luxen, the other Origin (the guy that showed up in the high school parking lot) had aged about a decade in a span of four years.
Oh, and let’s not forget that Evie’s adopted mother is a Luxen, yes, a Luxen! That secret was almost as big as Evie being Nadia. To me, that was a huge shocker because Evelyn was a Luxen because I was getting major vibes that she wasn’t fond of them, but hey apparently everyone has secretes.
Playlist
*lyrics belong to appropriate people*
If Walls Could Talk by Seconds of Summer
“Some things are meant to be secret and not to be heard So if I tell you, just keep it and don't say a word Yeah, when the doors are all closing, it's bound to get loud 'Cause all these bodies are hoping to get addicted to sound”
This is basically Luc’s club where Luxen (and humans) could hang out, it’s like Vegas what happened in Foretoken stays in Foretoken.
“Oh, not everything is so primitive Oh, but I'm giving in
If these walls could talk, I'd hope they wouldn't say anything Because they've seen way too many things 'Cause we'd fall from grace, we're falling Yeah, we'd fall from grace”
*cough cough* Evie after being in the secret room behind the wall after Foretoken gets raided in the first part of the story. Then, whenever Luc shows up at her house a few days later, Evie prays that he won’t tell her mom that she was in the club.
Love Don’t Die by The Fray
“You can box it in Bury it in the ground You can close it off and turn it away Try to keep it down, six feet in the ground But love don't die
No matter where we go Or even if we don't And even if they try They'll never take my body from your side”
The first half is for Evie whenever she doesn’t want to admit the feelings she starts to develop, which causes a lot of sarcasm she uses towards Luc. The other half is about Luc and his constant love for Evie even though she isn’t the girl he once remembers.
I Won’t Give Up by Jason Marz
“When I look into your eyes It's like watching the night sky Or a beautiful sunrise Well there's so much they hold And just like them old stars I see that you've come so far To be right where you are How old is your soul? I won't give up on us Even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love I'm still looking up And when you're needing your space To do some navigating I'll be here patiently waiting To see what you find”
I feel like this song captures the ups and downs of Luc and Evie relationship before she was Evie and after. It shows Luc’s determination to protect and stay with Evie, and they willingness to give Evie space after she found out about her identity. Even though he wasn’t with her, he was still watching for her.
“I had to learn what I got, and what I'm not And who I am”
Evie after she found out that she was Nadia: she had to step away from everyone and drive around to decide how she wanted to handle this bomb that was dropped on her.
Follow Me by Uncle Kracker
“You don't know how you met me You don't know why You can't turn around And say goodbye
All you know is when I'm with you I make you free And swim through your veins Like a fish in the sea”
Evie and her undeniable feelings towards Luc. She kept seeing him and even though he annoyed her to no ends, she couldn’t leave.
“You won't find nobody else like me”
Luc, because let’s be honest, he’s one of a kind *hahaha*.
She Ain’t You by New Hollow
“It's been awhile since I saw your face”
Luc whenever Evie showed up at the club that night.
“She's got your hair And she's got your eyes She's got your exact same horoscope sign She may be pretty She's something new But that means nothing She ain't you”
The whole Evie being Nadia at one time, and yet Luc realizes that Evie isn’t Nadia.
If you have read this book, do you think the relationship that Luc and Evie have is toxic? Because I read a post and the person writing the article thought it was because Luc had threatened to kidnap Evie. I personally don’t think they have a toxic relationship, but what do I know *shrugging shoulders*.
Happy reading until next time,
