The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout Book 2 in The Origin Series is available today!
Blurb:
#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with The Burning Shadow, the steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.
When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux―only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.
Because the Luxen aren’t the only ones with a hidden past. There’s a gap in Evie’s memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can’t remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is―and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.
Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He’s powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can’t help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.
And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.
My Thoughts:
If you thought The Darkest Star was great, then you’re in for a treat with this one! The Burning Shadow starts off right where the last book ended. I mean RIGHT where it ended, so make sure you’ve read The Darkest Star before you dive into this one. Now, I know y’all are tired of hearing me say this but it holds true again…The Origin Series is a spinoff and can be read as a standalone. Armentrout does an amazing job recapping and bringing you into the Lux universe but I’m telling you it’s SO MUCH BETTER when you’ve read The Lux series first. Stepping back into this world is like coming home. Some of my favorite characters showed up and were just as snarky and awesome as ever. Luc is swoony as hell. It was fantastic! I devoured this book. It had everything I love mystery, swoon, and some really great twists!
Evie is still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is not really Evie Dasher, but actually Nadia Holiday -the girl Luc loved and did everything to save in the Lux series. Nadia had cancer, and Luc made a deal that cured her using a serum with alien DNA. The kicker is she doesn’t remember her life as Nadia. Luc loves her regardless and does everything he can to ease her worries that he loves her for her not just because she was the girl he used to love. Let me just say Luc is everything I’ve come to expect from a JLA book boyfriend! I love him. He’s right up there with Daemon! Honestly swoon worthy!
You would think that the budding romance and search for Evie’s true identity would be enough to keep you sucked into the story, but there is so much more going on! There’s a life threatening disease that’s sweeping the nation and many people are blaming the Luxen. Can Luc, Evie, and their group prove that’s not the case? Will Evie learn more about her past? Does her mother know? There were so many questions I wanted answered while I was reading, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! I could not put this book down. The mystery behind the virus and how Evie was connected kept me at the edge of my seat. Armentrout did an amazing job keeping the suspense high while also piecing everything together, and I mean EVERYTHING.
Luc and Evie were perfect together. I loved their connection and seeing how swoony Luc was. I loved the cameos of all our favorite Luxen, and have a sneaky suspicion we’ll see more of them in the next book. The Burning Shadow was fabulous from start to finish and it has me dying for the next book!
Grade: A
