I caught something else in his depthless eyes. 
 There are some places it's best not to look, I thought. 
 Some places look back. 
 3.5 stars. Consider Dark Star as leaning more to the paranormal side than the sci-fi side of the genre spectrum. True, there are "technically" superhero types of people, but not in the traditional sense. So much of the way this story flowed reminded me of Hex Hall, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe the snark wasn't quite as in-your-face as it was in HH, but I kept seeing miniscule tidbits of plot which reminded me of Sophie's magic-school world and band of misfit friends (without the school). 
 Here is where I should be breaking down my feelings about the plot, the world-building, and overall feel of the story. Uh...sorry, guys. You're out of luck. I might be sort of in the mood to ditch the logical breakdown of Dark Star in favor of a little gushing. I am so sorry to all of my less-girly fans who really want to know more about how techie or action-y this book is. I can say this : stuff did happen! The first few chapters almost had me pulling a DNF because it started out sort of young and uninteresting...but after I stuck out the first few chapters, I was happily surprised to find that there was "stuff" happening in this world. Action-y stuff, super-power-y stuff, and conflict-y stuff (those are all REAL words. I *cough* swear). 
 I was beginning to feel a little unhinged, and sitting in the parlor with my superhero mother, her sidekick, and my precalculus teacher was not very good for my sanity. And that was without adding demons into the mix. 
 But enough about "stuff." If you want to read a real review, there's several on the book's review page. I'm sorry to break tradition here and gush over a guy in a non-romance book but I have to. 
 I know, it's so wrong to kick the plot to the curb when we're dealing with a book about superheroes and superpowers. I feel like such a jerk for even contemplating it. But I don't have a choice. 
 Why, you ask? Because I was having embarrassingly swoon-like flashback moments of Dimitri Belikov - my fictional long-lost soulmate. 
 Okay, so Leon isn't quite nearly as epic as Dimka (the name Leon alone doesn't fit my image of badass...sorry to anyone named Leon out there!), but he's an older protective guardian type - complete with a big heart and a stern, disciplining attitude. He started out as this unassuming guy in dress slacks, but then he became this epic guy who came from out of nowhere. Btw, he can teleport, which is just awesome. Sigh. I guess my heart was ready to find love again... 
 He smelled like soap, not frosting, which meant he was once again lacking in baked goods. I glowered back up at him. "Did you need something?" 
 He didn't move. "Where are you going?" 
 "To plot your downfall," I snapped. 
 Leon was in his usual slacks and button-down shirt, his tie crisp and neat. I wasn't certain how he fought crime at all. With a cookie in his mouth and his wet hair sticking straight up, he looked about as menacing as a day-old puppy. It was a shame I couldn't just stick him in a kennel. 
 I gazed across the darkness at him. In the slice of moonlight, his blue eyes were black, his dark hair tipped with stars. 
 His eyes burned down on me. His voice was cool, quiet. "No, I don't fight fair," he said. "What makes you think a demon will?" 
 I turned toward him. His voice was low and controlled, his blue eyes focused. There was no hint of playfulness now, or even of the stubborn, argumentative sidekick. This was Leon the Guardian. 
 "You were looking out for me?" 
 Leon's gaze was unwavering. "I'm always looking out for you." 
 He jumped back, graceful and confident in motion. His arm shot out, parrying. His hair was mussed, his face damp with sweat, and I heard the heaviness of his breath, but the world about him seemed to shine, light clinging to him. 
 It's been a while since I've found a protective-type guy to get a little giddy for...the kind who is strong, stern and badass, but not a total controlling d-bag like so many alpha males are. 
 Should I even talk about the other characters? Nah, I think I won't. There's a wide cast of players here, all with something unique to bring to the table. There are definitely baddies at work, so I fully expect even more action and conflict to come in the future of this series. 
 I'll end this review with at least one little mention about the protag of these books, a stubborn girl named Audrey who is living in the shadow of her famous mother - the superhero dubbed "Morning Star." I mentioned nods to Vampire Academy and Hex Hall, so it's probably fitting that Audrey reminds me a little of both Rose and Sophie from those respective series. 
 "I can't resist a damsel in distress. Especially one as eager for trouble as our little dark star here."