The Burning Shadow (Origin #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: 2019
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Amazon
My Rating: 
Rated T for teen angst, lusty turmoil, and truths that only lead to more questions. But, you’re addicted by this point, aren’t you?
A girl Luc had loved and lost—a girl he still loved.
A girl who used to be me.
A girl I couldn’t remember no matter how hard I tried. (p. 46)
Evelyn “Evie” Dasher is at a crossroads. After discovering that she’s really Nadia Holliday, Luc’s best friend and more, Luc who is an Origin that owns the nightclub: Fortoken, her head is spinning. Even more, she’s got holes in her memory and knows something happened. Flashes of words in her head leave her more confused than anything Every answer she discovers only leads to more questions.
As she hunts for answers about herself that nobody else is coughing up answers to, she grows closer to Luc. Arrogant, funny, and inhumanly gorgeous, he keeps her grounded, but he’s looking for answers too.
Amid searching for answers, the world is going crazy as people protest Luxen, demanding they leave, and kids are getting sick and dying, which people think is the Luxen’s doing. Evie and Luc know this is only leading to something much worse and dangerous. War. And, it may be one they can’t win.
Macmillian
I was so pumped to get this book and it wasn’t a letdown! Just as much of an adrenaline rush as The Darkest Star if not more. Non-stop from one moment to the next. Evie’s struggles really pulled at my heart. I can’t imagine what it’s like to deal with losing your identity and then be stricken about who you are and were and whoo you’ll be. I certainly don’t envy her for it. Not to mention dealing with alien problems on top of that and discovering you may be more dangerous than let on. But seriously, being as in the dark as her is rough! You’re killing me here and I have to wait for the next book? Gahhh! The struggle…But I can’t wait, especially after discovering that Evie is pretty special on a level that even Luxen and Origins are nervous. Super excited to see what comes next.
Giphy
Luc + Evie F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! The way they play around each other and bounce off one another is intense yet sweet. It got me blushing a few times and not because it was hot and heavy, though there were a few moments. I was just blown away by how adorable Luc was with her. At times, it felt like he was desperate to get the girl he once knew back, but I about melted with the way he reassured Evie just how much he cared about who she is now. It really complimented how he shared about Nadia with her, showing her special moments that he’d shared with her, knowing how important it was for Evie to understand who she once was.
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The danger isn’t even close to over. It’s intensified greatly and now Evie is a part of it. JLA rose up and up and up and even by the end I know she still hasn’t come down. The big peak of action and climax hasn’t even happened yet. April coming out of the woodwork as a serious enemy was nothing, just one drop in a hurricane. The losses were heavy though, putting into perspective that nobody is safe. Not loved ones, friends, past acquaintances, possibly not even Evie and Luc, which makes me shiver.
I was surprised with the political and social justice connections made. Thought-provoking and bold in the way JLA maneuvered today’s issues into the book, just through what’s happening in this book’s world. She took it to a universal scale. Bravo!
Overall
I had to jog my own memory for a good second before catching up to where Evie and Luc’s story was at. After that, I was hooked. Old characters made a cameo, making me squeal incessantly. Daemon has not lost his charm.
Quotables:
“You were all my good memories.” (Evie, p. 34)
“Oh my, holy llama babies everywhere…” (Evie, p. 129)
“Just be yourself. Or be a unicorn. One of the two.” (Luc to Evie, p.222)
More to come soon…
-K.
P.S. Song today? In the Shadows by The Rasmus.
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