The Burning Shadow(Origin #2) Review

Date Published: October 8, 2019

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Number of pages: 432

Publisher: Tor Teen

First Thoughts:

Eeekkk! I love this series! It's not often a series takes me by surprise like this one does! I remember reading the first book "The darkest Star." I had no experience with this series's world. I wasn't expecting much from it but after reading "The Darkest Star" I was pretty hyped up. What caught me by surprise was, I had forgotten that another book in the series had come out last October. It wasn't until I stepped in Barnes and Noble's for the first time in months, that I had remembered. (Last year was a hard reading year for me.) And just like with the first book, I devoured this one too.

Summary:

Evelyn nicknamed "Evie" thought her life was going to finally get back on track, if only she didn't have gaps in her memory. Add in Luc, an Orgin and her life just becomes even more tangled. 

To make things worse, a mysterious illness/deaths are rising. And guess whose at the wrong end of the stick? Yep, the Luxen. But is it really them that is causing this "flu" like illness? Or is it something much more sinister?

Evie must try and figure out the missing pieces in her memory before the past tries to catch up to her. And things are happening to Evie, things she rather push to the furthest place in her mind. Things no "human" can do. 

Will Evie solve her memory problems? and will the mysterious Luc finally reveal some secrets of his own? 

Plot:

There were some predictable areas in this book and then some surprises! But the ending was a mixture of them both. Not going to spoil it for you but it definitely had a plot twist at the end. I loved that there were moments of comic relief because this book packed a lot of emotions! And not to spoil too much we did have to say goodbye to a few characters...it made me almost cry. But besides the intense emotions there was also some funny moments. Without them I don't think I could've finished this book as fast as I did or finished it period. This book was packed with action so it doesn't bore the reader. And there was some mystery to this book in the form of unexpected occurrences. Like I mentioned above, I could predict what would happen if not exactly then pretty similar. But there's nothing like a surprise. I love being surprised in a book and this book had a few. 

Romance:

There definitely were some heated scenes. Especially from Evie and Luc. I know, I know, anyone could've predicted there would be something between the two of them. It was quite predictable, it was fated in my opinion that they would end up together. Quite honestly I thought they were together in the first book (like an actual couple) but apparently they weren't. Anyways if you don't like some "heavy" breathing romance scenes (no sex), then I would caution you to read this series.

Other than Evie and Luc's budding relationship there were other couples and I enjoyed reading about them. Nothing like seeing young love!

Characters:

Evie is a fun but at times frustrating character to read about. She has this great personality but also at the same time blocks herself from achieving things. But she's still fun to read along with and Luc, honestly can be worse than her. But Evie is a complex character. She sometimes puts roadblocks in front of her when there shouldn't have been any to start with. She definitely tries hard, she honestly doesn't want to harm anyone(well any innocent people or otherwise). But I also think were not seeing all there is to know about Evie. Which I know makes a book so good. (who wants to read a book where we know everything about the main character in the first half of it?!)  

Luc is definitely a firecracker. He likes to rile people up for situations he can't control. He has this dedication to protecting others especially Evie. He thinks he's in control of things when in reality he shouldn't have that control to begin with. But he is definitely fun to read along with as with the other secondary characters.

Transformation of the Character:

Evie is still evolving in this book and I quite honestly believe she will continue to evolve until the end of time. She's complex like I mentioned above and with that comes details we may never find. She still has this problem of facing her problems. She can't seem to push past them, she likes to let it fester like a thorn under the skin. She rather push it to the very back of her mind until she explodes. So she does has some growing up to do.

As for Luc and the others they evolved some, Luc more than the others but he definitely has awhile to go also.

Description:

The detail is very much one of my favorite things about this book. The way a Luxen looks when in it's true form is very well described. And the emotions?! Phew, I sometimes had to step back for a bit because it was so well described that it was powerful. The scenery was well described also, they way she described the characters and surroundings allowed the reader to get a pretty good idea on how the characters interacted with it. Best part by far, is the way she describes things that pipes the readers interest. It's all about the way to draw the reader in, to catch their attention. This is what the author did and excelled at.

Style:

This was written in first person, which allowed the reader to get a better grasp on what was happening and to understand the story line better. This was also written in only Evie's point of view so really, the main focus of the book was on her and the ever-changing things infecting her life.The author's writing is also a big "wow". This author has a way with words that invite the reader in and allow them to be snared, making it hard to put the book down. She is by far one of my favorite authors because of her excellent writing.

Quote of the Book:

""You never struck me as the type to ever be afraid," I said, being honest.

"Usually I'm not, but when it comes to you..." He trailed off, looking away. A muscle flexed along his jaw. He inhaled deeply.

"We'll figure this out.""

Last Thoughts:

Loved this book and hopefully come October I'll remember this time to pick up the next book in this series called, "The Brightest Night." I would totally recommend this book to YA readers, and if you still haven't checked this series out, you so should!!! Thank you's to the author for creating such a creative and thrilling world, till next time....

Rating:

4 Blooms!