The Darkest Star: Review + Lux Fan Gift Guide

The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

pub 10/30/18 by Tor Teen
Young Adult - Paranormal
Received ARC from pub

I’ve made no secret of my love of Jennifer L. Armentrout and to this day, Lux remains my favorite series of hers (not to mention, one of faves in general). But I never once considered that she might return to that world. When I heard she would, I couldn’t be more excited and when I found out it would center on Luc, I was surprised but it made sense. There was definitely a story to be told and Armentrout proves that within the first few pages. I was hooked right away. It was the perfect balance of nostalgia (I’d strongly recommend reading the original books first) and introducing something fresh through the eyes of Luc and new heroine Evie Dasher. While I will always love Daemon and Katy best, these two are pretty damn compelling too. We find out what happens in the aftermath of the world discovering that aliens exist and how they’re cohabiting. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t come easy or without prejudices. When Evie is caught at a raid in a club notorious for humans and Luxen mingling freely, she gets her first real glimpse of that and Luc. From there, the book hits the ground running and we learn what Luc has been up to and where Evie fits in it all. I was very much invested, chuckling at Armentrout’s signature banter, swooning at (again) her signature romantic scenes and even gasping out loud as the plot unraveled. This Lux spin-off by far exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait for book 2.

Do I recommend? Yes! Lux fans won’t be disappointed and if you haven’t read Lux yet, fix that ASAP and then pick this up right after.

Lux Fan Gift Guide

The Darkest Star comes out October 30th and because I'm so excited for this upcoming release, I wanted to share a little something special from one Lux fan to another. So, here is my gift guide for anyone who loves the series as much as I do! All my choices are based on details from each of the books, which I'll explain below, but I'm sure you'll the references even without them ☺

1 | When you're a fan of something, obviously you need a t-shirt! The "Hey Kitten" one was a birthday present I received from Alexa and it quickly became one of my favorite sleep shirts. The second is based on a shirt that Katy wears in the books and I've often thought about ordering one. 

2 | Again, I own these Katy and Daemon magnetic bookmarks and they're even cuter in person. I personally find it hard to find Lux fan-made merch, so when I immediately snagged these when I saw them on Etsy. 

3 | I own a Daemon Black candle from The Melting Library which unfortunately isn't sold anymore but luckily for you, FaerieTalesCandles is offering one! (Now to find a Katy candle.)

4 | Katy basically represents us all book nerds and if there's one thing I know she's understand, it's the importance of keeping your books pristine. Which is why a book sleeve felt appropriate to put on this list.

5 | In one of the books, Daemon presents Katy with an alien doll and I couldn't help looking up one to add here. I think the one pictured above is actually pretty cute.

6 | Who can forget the scene were Daemon asks Katy if she wants a cookie? If you love that scene, then you understand why cookies were necessary for my gift guide. My personal favorites are Schmackary's and Milk Bar. (credit)

7 | Katy loves zombie movies and one of my favorite moments in the series is a quiet one between Katy, Daemon and Dawson. It shows both the depth of the romantic relationship between Katy and Daemon but also a better glimpse into the sibling relationship between Daemon and Dawson. Land of the Dead is a movie they specifically mention (but if you ask me, I would pick Zombieland to watch). 

***

Are you a fan of the Lux series?

And if so, what's your favorite item on the gift guide?