Review: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

THE BURNING SHADOW
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: October 8, 2019
Series: Origin #2
Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Tor Teen and Edelweiss
4.5 Stars

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

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.

M Y   T H O U G H T S

It’s always tricky to review any book beyond the first in a series. You want to reveal enough to share what’s happening but not so much that you spoil anything from the previous book. The Darkest Star, last year’s start to the Origin series, was full of twists and turns and big reveals. The Burning Shadow dropped even more bombs. So I’m going to tread carefully.

In The Burning Shadow, Evie continues to struggle with her identity, trying to reconcile who she was with who she is now. And then there’s the problem of her memory loss and a gap of time she has no recollection of. Where was she and what was she doing during that time? Adding to her confusion is Luc – the super-hot, super-cocky, and super-powerful Origin that seemingly knows all. But when a virus begins to infect and kill humans, and the government blames the Luxen, Luc doesn’t have all the answers. 

We were all dark stars, but Luc was the darkest.

I loved this second installment of the Origin series. Everything was taken up a notch (or ten): more action, more questions, more twists, more romance, more revelations, and more cameos from the characters in the original Lux series. And I ate it up. With every page I was sucked deeper and deeper back into the world I’d missed and the characters I’ve come to love.

Evie continued to impress me, with her ability to take in what was happening around her and deal with it (because I would probably curl up in a ball and hope for it all to go away), along with her loyalty to her friends and her willingness to stand up for them. And then there’s Luc – truly one of my favorite fictional characters ever. In the Lux series he was a total enigma. A strangely young yet incredibly intelligent and powerful character whose background and motivations were a mystery. Much more is now known about Luc, including a surprising vulnerability that only makes me love him more. His arrogance and humor and hilarious non sequiturs are still in full effect but now there’s a softer side that sometimes shows and I was so there for it.

Luc rested his forearms on the roof of the car. "How can someone not like me? I'm awesome. Actually, I'm adorable and well-loved by the masses."

There was so much to enjoy in The Burning Shadow. Evie continued to push for answers about her identity as well as what was done to her and why. Despite getting answers there always seemed to be more questions and more secrets. There were the sparks of an anti-Luxen movement and the government was fanning the flames, which paralleled real-life situations. Evie and Luc’s relationship strengthened and grew deeper. The story surpassed the bounds of Evie’s town as the danger increased and the action ramped up, along with the specter of an old enemy. I loved the diversity of the characters within Luc’s inner circle and the inclusion of so many familiar faces from the Lux series did my heart good and had me about to burst from happiness.

One of these days you're going to realize that I've never left and I never will.

I’ll leave you with this: If you’re already a fan of the Lux and Origin series, run-don’t-walk and get a copy of The Burning Shadow now! You won’t be disappointed.

4.5/5 STARS

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

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About the Author

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author JENNIFER ARMENTROUT lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Border Jack Apollo. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more. She is also the creator and sole financier of the annual Write Your Way To RT Book Convention, a contest that gives aspiring authors a chance to win a fully paid trip to RT Book Reviews.

Website: https://jenniferlarmentrout.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_l_armentrout/ 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout 
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout