Review: The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Burning Shadow

Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Origin #2)

Publication Date: October 8, 2019

Hardcover, 432 pages, Tor Teen

Genres: YA, Paranormal, Sci-Fi

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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 Review

Oh man. This review is such a mix of emotions. There’s good and there’s bad. It’s one of my least favorite JLA books, even though I still enjoyed most of the story. There’s just one character I. Do. Not. Like.

The Burning Shadow picks up pretty close to where The Darkest Star left off. More Evie questioning her life and more Luc being a manipulative, abusive, obnoxious a$$. I have never not liked a Jennifer L. Armentrout male love interest. Never. So this series is tough for me, especially since JLA’s books are 80% romance, 20% plot. I have to be honest though, I didn’t like Luc in the original Lux series either. He’s so controlling and overprotective. He’s also ridiculously overpowered, which frustrates me considering this makes characters like Daemon and Dawson look pathetic. I LOVE the characters in the original series, and it seems like Luc is being favored over the others. Strongly dislike. And Luc postures like a peacock whenever his masculinity or Evie is threatened. It’s annoying and his fragile ego takes up way too much time. 

Alright, I got that rant off my chest. Whew! Despite how much I dislike Luc, he did have a few cute moments. There was a pet rock and a Halloween candy story that made me smile. Luc quickly made those fun feelings disappear with his nonsense, though. BUT, as much as I dislike Luc, every other character in this series is awesome! Evie’s friends, Zoe, Heidi, and James, are so cute! They’re such a fun little pack of friends, and I wish we’d had more time with them during this sequel. I hope we see more of them in book three. They talk about issues beyond the main romance, so those friend dynamics always make me happy in YA literature.

As for the plot of the book, I have to be honest again, I’m reading this trilogy primarily for Daemon and Katy content. (I heard there’s going to be a baby story for a pre-order incentive with book three. YASSS!) However, I actually enjoyed this book’s plot more than The Darkest Star’s. The human-alien rights issues were relevant, and it was great to see Evie stand up to her friends. Evie’s missing memory dilemma was a little boring for a while, but it picked up about halfway through, and JLA managed to spin it well. Oh, and there was also one of the best car chase scenes I’ve ever read in any story ever. It was so much fun!

Thankfully, the plot turned into a good action/adventure towards the last half instead of the angsty teen drama it started off as, which definitely helped bump up the star rating for me. I was getting tired of the Evie-Luc relationship, but JLA really knows how to write her plots. Though, I will say the ending was abrupt and a tad underwhelming. Additionally, the plot can be somewhat confusing at times if you’re not refreshed on the Lux world.

All in all, if Luc wasn’t the male love interest of this book, I think it’d be a solid four stars. But with him, The Burning Shadow suffers from having a manipulative love interest taking over the story.