Title: The Burning Shadow (Origin #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pub. Date: October 8, 2019
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
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.
This will be a spoiler free review.
This was a long book. The ARC clocked in at 649 pages, but somehow the finished hardcover is only going to be 416. Being completely honest, by the time I had 100 pages left, I just wanted the book to be over. It was way too long, and roughly 240 pages in, nothing had really happened.
Overall, the book was good, and if I hadn’t been thoroughly over the book by the ending, I might’ve been shocked. I definitely didn’t see the end coming, though in retrospect it makes perfect sense. I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Darkest Star, but I think that mostly has to deal with the sheer number of pages contained within this book.
Without really getting into it – and this is not an invite for anyone to come on here arguing about it – it kind of annoyed me that this book was too similar to the real world. Yes, I get it, that dialogue should be happening, that real life events should be represented in books, but that doesn’t mean I want 600+ pages of it. I read to escape, and when I read a book that could basically be modern day, I can’t help but be a bit annoyed. Certain aspects of this book (and the previous one) reflect some of the tension and chaos happening in our world right now. No, I won’t specify, read the book if you’re curious.
With that being said, it was still nice to be back with these characters, and in true JLA fashion, they went through some shit in this book. Other that being a bit long winded, the plot of this book was pretty good. I was engaged and rooting for the good guys and falling more in love with Luc. Some old faces were back with more page time and it was nice getting the old gang back together…so to speak.
Like the last book, Luc steals the show. We see more of who he is – an Origin and just what he’s capable of. I’d still happily take Evie’s place.
I kind of just want to rant and talk spoilers about this book, but I won’t. If you read The Darkest Star (my review here) and you’ve been dying to find out what happens next, your wait it’s much longer! So much happens, some of it will shock you, other moments will leave you breathless, and Jen doesn’t disappoint. Evie and Luc’s world isn’t all that it seems, and what comes next could test the limits of their bond and feelings for each other. This is very much a book about self-discovery and learning and you won’t want to miss it.
Writing The Universe 