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This book and new series is set in the world of a previous series of the author’s about the Luxen, alien beings who invaded Earth and began a war that killed millions of people.
The war is over, Earth’s population barely won, and peaceful Luxen who just want to live their lives are being monitored and their powers controlled.
When Evie meets Luc, a strikingly handsome young man, at a club her friend enjoys going to (illicitly, as they’re 17 and the club is definitely for 21 and up), she’s sure he’s a Luxen. He has many of the characteristics that set them apart. But he insists he’s not. He turns out to be even more powerful than the aliens — and ridiculously obnoxious. He gives her every reason to hate him. At the same time, she is attracted to him, to his looks, to his charisma, to something about him she just can’t explain.
Meanwhile, people are being killed gruesomely, including two teens at Evie’s school. There’s something going on, and the culprits are not just rogue Luxen who have managed to escape having their powers put in check. Despite all warnings to stay away from Luc, Evie can’t help but keep going back to him, and she is drawn into a great deal of danger.
Having never read any of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s books, including the Lux series, I can say that it doesn’t matter; this book stood well enough on its own. I also can say with a good amount of certainty that most of her other books are probably much like this one: standard fantasy romantic YA with a perfect-looking hero who has supernatural powers, is dangerous, should be avoided, but heroine can’t help falling for him despite the danger … blah blah blah. And Armentrout doesn’t do much more than play out the trope. I don’t mind some of those elements, but I’d prefer having some fantastic writing or a cool, interesting (I don’t hope for truly unique) twist to make it shine and make it worth my time. This is just another book that I’ll have forgotten in a day or two. Meh.
Rated: Moderate. There’s one use of strong language and occasional uses of mild and moderate language. There are a few sex-related scenes, including one where both the hero and heroine are shirtless and stop just short of having sex. There’s a number of references to the physical perfection of the hero’s body. Violence is moderate, with a few scenes of lots of damage done to people, and a few descriptions of murdered people.
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* I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
