Is the shadow between us a stand alone?

Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺

I don’t want to hate on this, I don’t like to hate on things in general, but I must signal some not-so-pleasant aspects about it. I want to put into words what I felt after giving The Shadows Between Us a shot.

The concept is really interesting. Like, that synopsis sold me the book. And the beginning was very promising.

First of all, there is basically no world-building. There are some vague terms thrown at us on various occasions, but apart from that I have no idea how this world is supposed to look like. I mean, if we talk about a mighty kingdom that extended its boundaries by conquering other kingdoms, at least give me a damn sketch if you can’t pull off a whole map.

And maybe I was willing to close an eye at the weak world if the characters were consistent. But, to my surprise, they were very interestingly contoured at the beginning but that was the peak. They just disappointed me by the end.

Alessandra is portraited as an antagonist instead of the classical good-hearted protagonist we’re so used to read about. She was supposed to be the anti-example of the all well-mannered heroines. She’s selfish, self-absorbed in the way that she could watch herself in the mirror for hours and still not get bored; she’s murderous and wicked-minded; she has a heart of ice and she’s a bit unstable when she gets a bit upset. But she’s also pretty sure of herself, which is a great thing because it adds to one’s self-care daily routine, I guess.

Her only desire is to marry the young Shadow King, kill him and rule over six kingdoms. She was supposed to be wicked. And at the beginning that’s how she seemed to be. But then, I don’t know what happened, this book started to deflate instead of puffing its chest and show us who’s the boss.

I was promised a Slytherin kind of romance and I didn’t quite get it.

I was expecting Kallias, the Shadow King, to be more intimidating than that. I mean, he supposedly conquered I don’t know how many kingdoms (“fair and square”, I might add) but he somehow does not exude that kind of energy. I cannot picture this almighty, domineering king when I think of Kallias. I just see a shy boy who loves spending time with his fluff of a dog (which, by the way, mild spoiler alert, is the best thing this book has to offer).

His exceptional powers don’t allow him to have normal human contact without getting hurt afterwards, so that led to extreme loneliness and an unspoken desire of affection. He honestly cannot be the ruthless ruler he wants to be. I cannot picture him like that in any way. This inner weakness of his stands in his way to greatness.

(now Adele’s Turning Tables chorus is blasting in my mind SO I WON’T LET YOU CLOSE ENOUGH TO HURT ME – picture that a bit, I’m getting you in the mood)

Alessandra and Kallias do fall in love eventually, but it doesn’t feel quite real.

Nothing really seems real after a while. The plot is too bland to actually be exciting and the situation in which Alessandra and Kallias find themselves are quite bad. I mean, Alessandra wants to be this mastermind behind a kingdom’s council, but her ideas are so bloody common.

And also, can we talk about how bad deeds are laughed at in this book and dismissed like annoying gnats instead of being dealt with? Because this is exactly what it happens.

But somehow I couldn’t help but notice the idea of women seen as sexual beings in a world that is still not flexible in that matter. There were little empowering, undercover feminist speeches scattered from place to place in the whole book. And in my opinion, this is a thing that deserves half a star from me. I saw the intention and I appreciate it.

“The poets can say whatever they damned liked. A woman’s worth is not decided by what’s between her legs but by what is in her mind.”

This book has such a chaotic vibe to it I don’t really know how to explain it. And even though I was expecting better from it, I didn’t feel like hating it. It just left a bitter taste in its wake for me, that’s all. Not entirely pleasant.

But hey, at least I can say that Alessandra is a fashionista all the way and I truly like that about her. That’s a plus on my list too.

(Book-styled)

EDIT:

EDIT: Wow, I have to say that I was quite surprised that I did not see this book nominated in Young Adult Fantasy for the Goodreads Choice Awards. So, let's see if there is some power in the write-in option.

ORIGINAL:
Was this book perfect? No.
Did this book deliver on everything I've expected from it? No.
Do I care? No.
Why? Because it was such a long time since I enjoyed "YA"/fantasy book so much as I did enjoy this one.

As I previously mentioned, I was sold when this book was labelled as "Slytherin".

If only he knew I have my sights set a bit higher than that.

Yeah, I was hyped when I started this book, and the beginning was so good, I had problems to remember to breathe, and then I was close to hyperventilating. It was everything my Slytherin heart wanted.

"People are staring."
"That's the point, isn't it?"

Alessandra was the kind of character I wanted. I'm so over the shocked girls who have no idea why people think that they are pretty or don't want to be in the situation 'cause they just want a nice simple life. Who are shocked by the evil people and don't get it why people are just so mean.
Finally, a character who is very self-aware, has a goal, is ambitious and does not care what it takes to get what they want. Love it, and I need more books like this. I also loved every single time Alessandra chewed up someone or schemed.

What I did not expect was to get more characters like that in the book.

See that all the men who accompanied us on our outing are hanged.

The King is just as ambitious. And at that point, I practically want to propose to this book.

Plus the fact that Alessandra has an obsession with pretty dresses which she creates for herself, (Which made me realise how rare it is for female characters to have hobbies besides reading.) and that the friendships are a surprisingly fun and great addition to the story are not helping to me not being obsessed.

There were several side plots which kept the story moving, so, I never really felt like nothing was happening.

So, where did it go wrong? Because yeah, I love this book, but there are things which irked me, to say the least.

First, the main "villain" (if you do not count Alessandra as the villain of the story) was very obvious. Plus the reason or explanation behind their actions was pretty easy to guess as well. I'm not angry by it, just disappointed.

Second, Alessandra started great, but then I felt like a bit of her disappeared. The part which had a plan and was ready for everything. (view spoiler)[Like, please, if you get poison to kill someone and then change your mind, don't just chuck it somewhere. (hide spoiler)] The dumb move is the season.

Third, I did not really feel like we got a good grasp on the background, on the setting, and sometimes things just felt a bit confusing. But yeah, I get it, it's standalone, and while I may have some grief with the lack of world setting, I love the author for keeping it a standalone.

Fourth, Kallias just sometimes felt a bit too mushy.

And now, fifth and last, the ending. What is it with endings? I hoped for a different ending. More original. (view spoiler)[ It was again way too roses and pink. Everything was well and happy. And I just felt like something had to give. Something bad. Or just some huge power move. Just something which would leave me speechless the moment I would close the book. Only being able to say WOW. But this was a very forgettable ending. Average. (hide spoiler)] And while I had four more issues with this book. The ending is the reason why I took one star away.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Honestly? I'm still sad that I was declined for an ARC. 😥

Because Slytherin romance is all I want (for Christmas?). I cannot wait to read this. Everyone should hope I won't be holding anything at the moment this gets published because I'll be dropping everything to get my hands on this.

Spoiler alert: they did, actually, and it didn't matter. Because nothing in this book makes any sense.

This was so predictable and very disappointing. I’m not sure if I’m outgrowing YA or if I’m just picking up shitty YA books. Either way, I didn’t enjoy The Shadows Between Us at all. It felt extremely formulaic, severely underdeveloped, and wholly uninspiring. I was so bored.

The Shadows Between Us is advertised as a Slytherin-inspired YA fantasy romance. However, the Slytherin "representation" is an excuse to write an unlikable character with very little growth, the "fantasy" element was very clearly shunted in just so the book could break into the YA fantasy market, and the "romance" was the most blegh thing I've read in a long time. I'm not sure what everyone else is seeing in this book that I'm not, but I'm getting real tired of reading books that seem to put in very minimal effort in regards to being unique or engaging.

The author says that the main character is a Slytherin, and that irritates me. Why, you might ask? Because the author pulled a JK Rowling and took every negative quality about Slytherins and made it their only personality trait. This MC was self-serving, self-obsessed, selfish, and manipulative. I’m totally here for anti-heroes and morally gray characters, but this MC brought nothing to the story that was likable or sympathetic to me. Did you know Slytherins are more nuanced beyond just being assholes? What a concept! I guess the argument can be made that our main character is cunning and conniving, but honestly, I wasn't convinced. She just came across like a jerk who sometimes made suggestions that other characters found to be smart. But of course they would, because the author says so. Doesn't mean I believe it.

The romance was bland and felt like a dynamic I’ve read a million times before. Nothing about this was exciting or fun, despite the fact that the romance was the main premise. How you gonna flop on an enemies to lovers trope THAT badly? I was expecting some serious angst, forbidden love, sexual tension, etc. None of that was brought to the table. Sure, the author tried, but it didn't work at all.

I’m also irritated at how the sex positivity is only aimed towards women in this book. Women should have complete autonomy and respect (yes, of course) but female characters are allowed to use, disrespect, or persuade their partners sexually and thats okay? Maybe I’m looking into this too much, but all the sex positivity commentary felt like it was taken right from a vague white feminist Twitter thread.

The plot was also a damn mess. The author tried to weave so many different threads but it was ultimately an awkward execution. It felt like something would be brought up, ignored for fifty pages, and then easily solved once the author remembered she had to do something to tie it up. I'm not sure what the ultimate point of this book was, to be entirely honest. Everything was solved so easily!

In conclusion: this sucked for me. The Shadows Between Us is an unoriginal YA fantasy that rips off every trope and plot point thats been successful in the past; the only sellable difference is that the MC is an asshat who knows shes pretty and uses it to her advantage. Groundbreaking.

11/11/20 *CLOSED* Guys, SHADOWS is a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist! If you enjoyed the book, I'd love for you to vote on it! Link here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward... Thanks so much to everyone who has already gotten it this far! You guys are the best!

3/4/20 SHADOWS has been out for just over a week now, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your support! If you're interested, I'd love for you to add my next novel to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

1/9/20 *CLOSED* The preorder incentive for this book is now live! If you'd like a free signed bookplate and character art prints for preordering the book, visit https://tricialevenseller.com/preorde...

Also, you can now read the first FIVE chapters here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tJS1...

8/8/19 I'm so excited that ARCs have started to circulate for this book! Just wanted to highlight again that I pitch this as my Slytherin romance. My characters have unapologetically questionable morals. Don't expect them to change. It's who they are. And this book is more romance heavy rather than action heavy, like the rest of my books. There's nothing more disappointing than having unfulfilled expectations where an anticipated read is concerned, so I hope this aids in helping readers decide if this is the kind of book for them! If you want to read about bad people getting away with doing bad things while still being likable and maybe falling in love, this might be the book for you! There is still some action and lots of political intrigue. Hope this helps!

5/16/19 At last we have a cover! This Slytherin romance is hitting shelves on February 25th. You can read the first chapter here: https://www.tor.com/2019/05/16/cover-...

3/7/19 I just finished edits on this new standalone fantasy romance! Cannot wait for you all to read it! We should have a cover soonish...

there are so many qualities and aspects to this which make this story so wonderful:

- a female MC who is unapologetically herself. even when her feelings and motives change, she is still true to herself.

- a female MC who is ruthless, as well as kind. usually its one or the other in YA, so its refreshing to see a character so complex.

- enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes and its done really well in this.

- the writing has great pacing, easy to devour language, and such an immersive presence overall.

- i LOVE that this is a standalone. most YA fantasy stories come in the form of a series and sometimes (aka most of the time) i dont want to commit to multiple books (hence the many series i have yet to finish). i love an author who can take a fantasy world and create a well-developed and resolved standalone story with it.

↠ 4.5 stars

"Alessandra Stathos, that's positively despicable." He says the words like they're the highest compliment he can give me.

Alessandra is sick of her life. She has always been pushed to the side while her sister gets the spotlight. But she knows she can do better. She has spent her life learning how to manipulate people to get what she wants. And now she's about to take what she knows is hers. The crown. Alessandra is going to marry the Shadow King, Kallias, and then murder him.

Managing people can be tiresome, but there's still nothing more satisfying than watching people do exactly what I say.

Before I started this book, I was worried about two things:
1) that Alessandra would be not like other girls,
and
2) that Alessandra would fall in love immediately and forget all her plans to kill Kallias, or that she wouldn't be the merciless, manipulative genius the synopsis promised.

Well, neither of those points happened.

Thankfully, Alessandra doesn't become a Mary Sue heroine. If she did turn into one, one of my favorite scenes in the book would have been so different.

Towards the beginning of The Shadows Between Us, she waltzes into the castle where Kallias is seeing potential brides and ignores him. Instead of walking up to him, she makes him walk up to her. If she were not like other girls, she would go to the castle being like I don't need a prince, attract his attention for no real reason, and fall in love immediately. But Alessandra did all of this on purpose. It was all a scheme to attract Kallias's attention. She's not just some "intriguing" bumbling idiot. This is calculated.

I love Alessandra so much. She's smart and she's evil. What more do you need? One thing I love about her is how she has a passion for sewing and fashion, but that doesn't make her any less strong. Nobody makes a big deal out of it. It's just something she loves to do, and something she's really, really good at.

Her character is so consistent. It was truly a pleasure to be in her mind. She's calm, cool, and cultured. There were some little details that really brought her to life, mostly in the way she interacted with Kallias and the characters I call the Merry Thieves because they feel like characters from Chain of Gold--Petros, Rhouben, and Leandros. Speaking of them, I love the side characters. They all have distinct personalities, and it's so sweet how Alessandra slowly opens up to them.

And I look at my two friends. My first real friends. I thought women were always my competitors, people to be jealous of. How wrong I was.

I love Kallias. He and Alessandra are both villains, basically. They don't try to change each other, or make each other "good." They accept one another for how they are. The mutual pining killed me. The suspense is exquisite. The pacing is perfect in their relationship. I savored every moment of their interactions. They clearly respect each other greatly. Kallias lets Alessandra take care of her own business without interfering, and vice versa.

I do have a few minor problems with this book. The dialogue can be a bit stilted, but that's not a huge issue. Additionally, Kallias is a pretty soft villain. He's supposed to be a conqueror but we never see him do any conquering. The reason I didn't care was because this isn't his story. It's Alessandra's.

Also, there is no worldbuilding, but I actually think that did the book a favor. The place where everything happened—the castle—had a beautiful aesthetic and that was all that mattered to me. If there had been extensive worldbuilding, it would have held the book back.

The synopsis makes this book sound like a romance, but it's so much more than that. It's about twisted politics, betrayal, court intrigue, and manipulation, and I loved all of it.

4.5 stars

"I battle with my mind. Not weapons."

____

ALL. THE. STARS.

I adore this book. It's a complex game of manipulation and court intrigue. Alessandra is a compelling, purely evil main character. It was a delight to be in her head.

review to come...

This book so extremely entertaining. It hooks you right from the first line and keeps you reading till the end. The main character, Alessandra, is a vain and wicked girl with a villenous plan. She is a murderer, a schemer, and a liar. But you know what, so is the Shadow King and that’s what makes them great together!

They are two murderous peas in a pod and it's beautiful!

I loved the dynamic between the characters. I loved how neither of them flinched away from the other’s darkest secrets, accepting each other for the messed up people they are. I only wish we could have gotten more interactions of them being their murder prone selves because I loved the mutual scheming.

Another thing I liked was the relationships with the background characters. Alessandra actually had friends, Hestia and Rhoda, and they actually talked about things that mattered to them. Too often we get books where the girls only talk about boys. The male characters were also nice, if a bit underdeveloped.

This brings me to the bad parts of this imperfect novel.

This book has no world-building. Everything happens and is explained only on a superficial level. The world of the novel is only ever vaguely mentioned. The Shadow King rules over 6 conquered kingdoms, one of which is currently rebelling. All mentions of those kingdoms and that rebellion could have been removed and it wouldn’t impact the plot whatsoever. The world outside the castle is never described and it honestly did not matter.

The Shadow King has the power of shadows. This is vaguely explained and just sort of shrugged off at one point. We never go in-depth into his powers or their reason for being. It could have made for really cool mythology, but alas.

Another thing is that there is electricity in this world but no other form of modern technology. Everyone has swords, but randomly there are guns? When does this take place? What fictional time period is this??? I couldn’t build a proper image of the world in my head, probably because as I said, THIS BOOK HAS NO WORLD BUILDING!!!! It could take place in a void for all that it cares to explain.

In the end, I really enjoyed this. I didn’t want it to end. I lowkey wanted it to have a sequel, but alas, it’s standalone. I will have to find my murderous couple fix from elsewhere.

Overall, this book has many, many flaws. There were times when I couldn’t overlook or ignore some things that I had an issue with. That said, I still greatly enjoyed this book. If you like to see two morally questionable people falling in love and don’t mind some vague worldbuilding, this might be the book for you!

I now want to read more of this author’s books!

**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

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The poets can say whatever they damned like. A woman’s worth is not decided by what’s between her legs but by what is in her mind.

And that’s the first of the three whys to me declaring this book as my new fave. So thank you, Tricia, for showing so accurately and immaculately what it actually is to be a Slytherin.

“I know what I’m doing. And I’m going to keep doing whatever I wish, because I am the master of myself.”

So thank you, Tricia, for weaving this truth within these pages with colours and designs bold enough to be unmistakable.

“I lose interest in everything sooner or later. Everything save you. Because in you, I found my match. In you, I found my equal.”

So thank you, Tricia, for giving the big eff you to the more popular theme of changing morally grey characters to white flags of peace and generosity.

“I want the power to change things.”

Make sure to check out my playlist at the end of this review—it simply slayed me and my reading experience!

It’s been a fun game. Learning their secrets. Seducing them. Getting them to shower me with gifts.
But to be honest?
I’m bored with it.
I have a new game in mind.

⑴ Woo the king.
⑵ Marry him.
⑶ Kill him and rule his kingdom.

“To you, Alessandra. May your wit never be used against me.”

Starting from strengths, the flowing dialogue, top notch banter, and easy and hilarious writing that carries the occasional silliness and lightness of the tale as an advantage rather than a failing, are all points I applaud the author on. Plus the smart solutions, plans, and politics laid out throughout the plot which were simply delightful—Tricia Levenseller is all about showing, and that’s what made the cleverness of the characters so tangible. Not to forget the elaborate way in which the the feminism was handled, fighting for women’s right to not be judged as based on what they do in their bedrooms as men aren’t.

However, the book does have its weakness, and that being the reveals and mystery—those are areas that need improvement in their manner of being tackled and I hope the author works more on said aspect to excel in future books.

“Alessandra Stathos, that’s positively despicable.” He says the words like they’re the highest compliment he can give me. “You are an absolute gem, do you know that?”

“When I see something I want, I reach for it without hesitation.”

“I don’t think it’s necessarily about finding the perfect man but finding the perfect man for you. One person may rank a man far differently than another, even if they are both using your ranking system.”

Credit: Melanie Bourgeois

“It was you who reminded me what it is to live.”

See, here’s the thing; there’s not a lot of world building going on in this standalone, and I’m shocked to say that did not bother me in the least—me, who loves this aspect so much she’d read tens of infodump-ish paragraphs explaining a fascinating new world. So how could this miracle possibly happen??? I’ll tell you how. Tricia Levenseller knew what she wanted to do—write a fun and addictive Slytherin romance—and did it with style. She didn’t make unsatisfactory attempts at world building or try to dip a finger into every pie and fail to dig deep enough in each (I’m looking at you, Serpent & Dove) and instead chose to focus on the her chosen elements and breathe wicked life into them.

Tricia Levenseller doesn’t need an expansive world to make her work remarkable without loose ends and unsatisfactory dives. What she gives you, she writes like a pro; what she doesn’t give you...well you don’t need it anyhow. That’s what I call skilled writing.

But a little on what there is in this area:

I’m assuming the author was inspired by the late 19th or early 20th century, as are rifles and piping and electricity in this fantasy world of 9 nine realms—though with less rigid royals. I think what I appreciated most was how, despite applying the usual YA approach to simplify politics, etc, there is still attention paid to things such as existence of proper reasons for the coming of a new fashion (man I loved this). And oh did I relish seeing LGBT+ characters and relationships as the norm in a YA fantasy novel, not a theme to be explored but an accepted and light addition.

The magic (same as the detail on the lands in general) is of course minimum again BUT it’s practically the core of their romance of abstinence, which is all this book is about anyways. I just want to appreciate that (1) while “shadow” powers are too common in YA fantasy and all tend to be nonsensical, I think this book made it what it was supposed to be because its nature of shadows and the ability it brings makes much more sense than, say, the Darkling’s shadows from Shadow and Bone, (2) plus, the title thankfully fits! It shows exactly what the book is about—a romance, with a fantasy element to have the dynamic depend on.

✰ Did I enjoy this book? Immensely. I swallowed it up whole. TSBU is just what I needed at the moment—a fun romance that resonated with me and made laugh so hard and so often.
✰ Do I recommend it? Undoubtedly. Just remember what to expect going in—not a ground breaking vengeance story about a girl who seeks to rule the world, but an enjoyable fantasy lite ride that’s all about da love between morally grey characters, and some clever, hilarious, and devious schemes.

Book playlist:

4.5 Stars

Although I’m too much of a HUFFLEPUFF to be like Alessandra or to even have the guts to do half the things she did in this book, The Shadows Between Us wooed me in all its SLYTHERIN glory.

Tired of being constantly overlooked, Alessandra is determined to prove just how cunning and villainous she can be. The plan is simple:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

What could possibly go wrong? Nothing. Except for one scenario she’s not at all prepared to face.

If that alone is not enough to sway you into reading this book, I don’t know what will! Ah, well, I guess my review will have to do the job. But if you’re still not convinced, I’ll leave it up to fate to match you up with this book.

Selling Points:

The ever so badass queen, Alessandra

“I may be trying to win the heart of a king, but…I’m still being myself.”

My sweet king, Kallias

“You are beautiful,” he continues. “But not so beautiful as to tempt me.”

The slow burn enemies to lovers

“I think that when you care enough for someone, you reach a point where it’s far more painful not to have him at all than to have him and risk losing him. You realize the risk is worth it. Because happiness, however short-lived, is always worth it.”

At first, I wasn’t sure about them because I thought Alessandra bonded better with one of the male side characters. But as I got more and more of her and Kallias together, I shipped them all the way. I loved their back and forth banter, Kallias when he was being honest about his feelings, and ugh that little grovel at the end!

Wonderful side characters

“Aren’t we all drawn to friends in the beginning by trifling things? True bonds develop afterward, when character is revealed.”

Impeccable writing

“Don’t be afraid of who you are. Say what you wish. Be who you wish. Don’t try to be someone else.”

Alas, this book is perfect except for one thing...

How could you end me with only ONE single sentence on the very last page? I COULD REALLY DO WITH SOME EPILOGUE!! That’s not so nice of you. I’m sulky now because I want more SandrAllias! (Ignore my lame attempt at creating a ship name.) Also,

While I agree with these assessment on some level and considering that this is only a standalone, I think this book is extremely BRILLIANT and immensely DELIGHTFUL to read. My only advice would be that you better get to this book before the hype gets to you and pollutes your brain with too high of an expectation. So keep your hopes in check, go grab yourself a copy, and read the book!

Just released my

Worst 2020 Books Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!

It's quite a brilliant and flawless plan.

The only problem? She's starting to like him alive more than she wants to see him dead.

So. Essentially this book didn't work for me.

The beginning is CRAZY intense - like 5/5 stars for me.

I loved the idea that she was just going to woo-and-kill the king and I couldn't wait to see what happens after she achieved her plan.

But then she starts drawing things out.

First she needs to do this, then that, then there's suspicion that needs to be diverted...then more problems...and what was originally very easy and straightforward gets dragged on and on and on. Very frustrating.

Eventually I realized that the author was going for the falling-in-love opposed to falling-in-the-grave angle which was alright...but it was disappointing.

It pulled this book away from a fresh, exciting concept into something more mundane and ordinary YA.

Plus...well... maybe it's just me but I would've loved to see an evil YA heroine...and I was disappointed when she was shuffled to a more ordinary pathway.

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How very Evil Queen of you. I'm always down for that!

i get that it was trying to be a standalone fantasy but it seemed like there was so much here that wasn't explored. i mean the man is called the Shadow King and yet we never get more than a passing understanding of what that means. and the plot was... um. lacking. i dunno i felt uneasy the whole time while reading this (except when they consummated their relationship, that was nice). i was just constantly waiting for the "more" to show up and it never did.

anyway, more thoughts to come in video form.

That’s the point. When a man sees something that several other men want, he can’t help but want it, too.

Is that so?

The Shadows Between Us proved to me once again why I don't rely on Booktok for book recommendations. I take these books as overhyped, and I noticed the pattern it follows is that it relies on recommending very hyped books only. Seriously, the amount of Tik Tok's I have seen with this book made me wonder even more if readers truly enjoy these books or if they're just trying to hop on the bandwagon . . .

The premise of The Shadows Between Us is hardly ever new. Yet, it can still be delivered in its own unique and refreshing way. The problem is that it completely misdelivered it all, unable to execute its own performance and therefore stumble upon the rabbit hole of 'boring'. I wondered how long it would take me to grow tired of the book after really enjoying the first 20 pages, but it wasn't long until my expectations of this book were thrown away. Seriously, how do you start off a book THAT good and let it fall like that?

The Shadows Between Us follows Alessandra who is tired of not being noticed. To change this, she plans on accomplishing three things: Woo the Shadow King, marry him, and then kill him, taking over the six kingdoms he rules in order to have power, be remembered, and have a strong reputation. But of course, things never go as planned. She isn't the only one with an intention of murdering him, and as she becomes closer to him, Alessandra finds herself having difficulty processing her feelings for the Shadow King.

Unique plot? No. New? Definitely not. Did it have the chance to become its own and unique deliverance? Absolutely. Did it do so? Hell no.

There are 3 things about this book I did not like that everyone else seemed to love, and I think these 3 things just capture everything else as well.

⚠️I mention some things that may or may not be considered as spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Let's start with the beginning.

(1) Slytherin romance. This is described as a Slytherin romance from the beginning. The author's dedication is literally that. Was it just that? Sorry to disappoint, but it was not. There were a couple things that bothered me about this so-called enemies to lovers. First, where exactly is the enemies? I feel like I need to say this to get it out of the way. Alessandra and Kallias were never actually enemies. Kallias is actually Alessandra's friend (there's more information on how that happens but I won't dive into it too much), and Alessandra (at first) pretends to go along with it, especially because it helps her with her reputation as being courted by the Shadow King. See, everyone is wondering and curious as to how she was approached by him because the Shadow King is very isolated. He does not touch anyone, cannot touch anyone, due to his shadows (again, there is more backstory about this but I don't want to give too much away). So when the two appear to be friends and hang out, it is a wonder to everyone how it happened.

I expected this to be actual enemies to lovers: starting off with pure hatred for each other, trying to kill each other and take each other down. The yearning and angst between the two rivals start developing in the middle of the pages (not the beginning, because we know we don't like that kind of enemies to lovers). But it was nothing like that. As mentioned, Kallias considers Alessandra his friend. While Alessandra's goal is to kill the king, she first has to woo him and then marry him (which she accomplishes, sort of), but my biggest problem is how Alessandra never actually attempted to kill Kallias. There was never a scene where she tried to kill him, whether it be poison, hiring someone, lying to him, etc. While there was something she had with him to accomplish this, it was never actually done, nor was there ever an attempt.

I am not saying that Slytherin's are incapable of showing love and warmth. I am not saying they cannot show and have development. What I am saying is that I felt as if the whole "evilness" was never even there to begin with.

Also, this is described as a villain x villain romance, but here is another problem I found. Kallias is such a lonely heartthrob. I felt him to be nothing of what a villain is.

He was isolated and lonely (for reasons) and was unable to always communicate with Alessandra, but his feelings were clearly there for her. I appreciated the author for allowing the reader to see more of Kallias and how he reacts, such as how he got nervous at times when he was talking to Alessandra, or how he was expressing his emotions. He tried his hardest to be there for Alessandra, and when he couldn't, he tried making up for his loss with gifts. Although it's clear he doesn't know how to approach Alessandra, I still appreciated how vulnerable and soft he was. And I mean, he's the king of six kingdoms, of course he's going to take over land and be selfish, but I expected him to be more than he was. Booktok just made him seem like this broody and mysterious villain but I thought he was just a generic YA love interest.

Kallias reaches into a pocket of his dress pants and pulls out a folded parchment. “I wrote it on paper.” He opens it, looks at the words, and shakes his head. “I can’t read it aloud. It’s for you to read. Later. Really, I just wanted to prove I could write a better one than Eliades. But I’ll leave it here and go.”

With that being said, the romance also felt so bland. There was no chemistry, not until the end. Not that it felt forced, but it also didn't feel real. It got to the point where I felt Alessandra more connected with Leandros, and that also bothered me. Seriously, when will YA authors stop bringing in another male lead to interfere with the female lead and the male lead's relationship? It gets annoying and frustrating.

I felt as if communication lacked between them. Alessandra found it rude and couldn't stand the fact that Kallias (who is King, need I remind you) couldn't spend time with her, such as taking walks with her, holding her hand, telling each other secrets, etc. It wasn't until she confronted him about this that he somehow managed to reflect on it to the point where his schedule was no longer a conflict between them. Somehow, this happened.

(2) Alessandra. I think the author tried too hard making Alessandra just the type of character we wish she was: unapologetic, confident, strong, and bold. But you know what went wrong? Exactly that. Alessandra is actually your typical YA female snowflake. There is nothing new and unique about her. She is a replica of other female leads, a cliche, an unoriginal. She is confident in knowing she's beautiful, but what is too much confidence? Alessandra knows she's beautiful, and she uses that as her advantage to woo other men. She knows men will be trying to court her and approach her. She knows she has a curves and a beautiful body that men will want. She knows all this. Sound familiar? Her personality reminded me of Eadlyn from The Selection series and how she kept mentioning her plan on taking over the throne. She wasn't even close to The Shadow King, and she was already telling us (for like, the 20th time, that the kingdom would soon be hers, so she might as well get started on acting like their queen).

No one but me is allowed to decide when Kallias Maheras, king of six realms and counting, is going to die.

Okay, so when then?

But my biggest problem lies in how unoriginal Alessandra is. She's first introduced as vicious, a murderer already, and this is something I would have loved to continue seeing. Unfortunately, when her plan of killing the king starts, everything changes as well. She finds herself turning soft towards him (nothing wrong with this, but girly had already been stricken from his features since the beginning, because, ahem, he is also very handsome, aka your typical YA male king). The only good thing I liked about her was her sex positivity, but even this took an unexpected turn. For example, when Myron threatened her with exposing who she was (in terms of sexually active, that is), I thought she would not take shit from it. I thought she would be positive and unshameful about it, but she was . . . scared. I get it, it's normal, but why are you going to make a character like her be the way she is and suddenly become scared for being sexually active?

Another problem is how overly confident she was. Look, I love confident characters. We love to see it! But Alessandra was no exception to what the YA world offers. She KNOWS she is beautiful. But then what happens? Girly starts getting insecure and wonders why men aren't approaching her. She finds it really surprising, because who could ever ignore THE Alessandra Stathos, right?

My blouse laces up the front in a fashion similar to a corset. It will be highly scandalous, and I suspect none of the men at court will be able to keep their eyes off me.

Though somewhat irritated by the rejection, I remain undaunted and try to catch another’s gaze. I find a broad-shouldered blond with a handsome mustache and give him a coy smile. He returns the greeting enthusiastically and turns away from me. What the hell?

I think to start welcoming my guests, but as I take a few steps in one direction, the partygoers … scatter.
What the devils? Perhaps I’ve only imagined it? I head for the refreshment table, thinking to check on the food arrangements. Skirts sway from my path, and a group of gentlemen cut off their conversation midsentence to turn away from me and find somewhere else to stand.
What is the matter with everyone?

Yawn.

Not only that, but she is also so offended when Kallias tells her she isn't beautiful enough to tempt him. She was so upset that she got really angry. I understand WHY you would be upset, but where is the confidence? Where is the "I don't care" attitude? Where is the "Your opinion is irrelevant" mind-set??? Just look at this:

I fume as I walk back to my rooms. Not beautiful enough to tempt him, am I? We’ll see about that. I’m going to make him fall so in love with me, he’ll forget he ever saw another woman. He will be begging for me by the time I’m done with him. And then he’ll beg for his life right before I end him.

*laughter arises*

In my opinion, Alessandra is also not strong. She literally volunteers to fight in a boxing match because "what is important is observation" so she feels like she can take this other female boxer down. While she is able to throw a punch at her in the beginning, not much time passes after when she's knocked out. She also gets a bruise. She doesn't care, and kind of takes it as if it was funny, but we know she's hurting deep down. Some may find this to be strong of her (that's cool), but I just laughed at her and felt second hand embarrassment.

My ambition. My cunning. My achievements. The guards heeding my commands are proof enough of what I’ve been trying to explain to my father for weeks.
I have achieved exactly what I set out to do.

But did you actually?

(3) The plot. It had so much potential, yet was completely downgraded. I'm just so surprised at how the author managed to capture my full attention at the beginning (seriously, if I had to rate the beginning only, I would give it 5 stars.) Starting off with Alessandra killing Hektor and seeing her take no from her Father, telling him what she will do, was amazing. The problem is how little develops after that. As I mentioned before, Alessandra becomes a softie, and she never actually attempts to kill Kallias. She just thinks about it, over and over again, telling herself her plan may not work because "this is getting in the way" and "I need to do this" and "I need to take care of that" and "this is also my responsibility" and just so much other bullshit.

Seriously, the marketing of this book is spot on. It literally mentioned the "touch her and I'll kill you" trope, yet that happened ONLY ONCE!!! I'm just so furious about it being called an enemies to lovers. While I understand why and how, there is none of that angst and forbidden love many of us love to read about. I see it more as a friends to lovers. Even though Alessandra only pretended, she still found herself enjoying his presence and learning more about it. I don't know, it's a tricky situation. While I may not find the book or plot complex, I think the relationship is. Nonetheless, it was not done in the way I thought it would.

All in all, this is your reminder to just approach books with enough caution and expectations necessary, but not too much of both. This is also my reminder to not trust platforms too much for my next read.

It's not really the Shadow King she wants but his kingdom and to be able to rule from his throne.

But first she needs to woo the King, which is made difficult by the fact that no one is allowed to touch him. And protect him from his enemies who threaten his life and intend to take his, soon to be her, kingdom.

The first 20 % of this book was excellent and I was so absorbed and wanting to know just how Allesandra was going to pull off her plan. Plus I was enchanted with the Shadow King as well. But the more I read, it became evident to me that something was missing. It felt messy and I wish we got better world building.

The characters were likeable. Even Allesandra. When I found out about this book and that the female lead would be the ‘unapologetically ambitious’ kind, I was ecstatic!!

I am tired of the same MC who is brave and selfless and honourable *rolls eyes*. Allesandra lived up to her Slytherin reputation! She remined me of Jude Duarte (from The folk in the air series by Holly Black) and Mia Corvere (from Nevernight by Jay Kristoff)

The other characters were great too. While this book is heavy on the dialogue (which is another thing that bothered me) the banter was good 👌

The writing was fast paced and engaging but the problems I had with world building and lack of character depth in some instances outweighed my enjoyment.

The twist at the end was predictable, which isn't exactly a bad thing. The ending felt rushed which is a shame because this is apparently a standalone.

The premise of this book is great,

2.5 stars
• Release date: 25th February 2020 •
‹ ARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ›

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

This gave me all the Cruel Beauty-vibes I've been craving and my favourite 2020 release thus far. I nearly read this WHOLE THING in one sitting with a grin on my face. It was SO GOOD. Morally grey characters who are so unapologetically bad...and I loved it.

Do yourselves a favour and pick it up when it releases in February. This is my first book by Tricia Levenseller and it most certainly shan’t be my last!

“Alessandra Stathos, that’s positively despicable.” He says the words like they’re the highest compliment he can give me. “You are an absolute gem, do you know that?"

This book really showed me just how much our first impression of anyone influences how we react to their actions in any given situation. Alessandra, introduced as a vicious, scheming woman with no loyalties, but, honestly, captivating in her intelligence, held my suspicion for so long, nearly forgetting that she too must have feelings, a reason deep down for why she needs to be so in control of everything around her and her expressing it in the only way she could.

The whole book really holds your attention because of how much thought Alexandra puts into every move she makes and the outcomes and vivid and astounding. Some time revealing her plans quickly and sometimes holding onto her secrets to the very end she keeps the readers on their feet. Her own plots surrounded by the bigger plot of the king’s possible murder weave in and out of each other throughtout the book and overlap seamlessly, even when they begin to diverge.

It’s a marvel how the twists in the story would appear out of nowhere, and it doesn’t even happen when everything is quite as if in the calm before the storm, it happens amidst the chaos of everything else happening as there isn’t a moment in the book where everything is truly settles, every single page is full of tension and the apprehension of what comes next.

I wouldn’t say character development is a big part of the story because no one really changes over the course of the story, it’s more like new facets of their character are revealed as the circumstances change and as they interact with different people. Alessandra and the King don’t change their personalities for each other, no one becomes uncharacteristically docile and cliche, and that’s what makes them so perfect for each other, they never had to change to become a perfect fit.

The entire book was written eloquently and the characters are portrayed beautifully. Tricia Levenseller exploits every situation wonderfully to highlight every character's personality. Every interaction between characters conveys who they are very well, while contributing to the underlying plot. I loved every part of this book and would definitely recommend if you’re looking for drama and plot twists. The fantasy part plays a good part in the role but I wouldn’t say it defines the book, so don’t expect a high fantasy world type narration with magic at the centre.

"Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business."

First thing I noted was the simplicity of the writing. Not every book has to be elaborately written, but when the plot is quite literally being laid out on a plate in front of you with zero room for doubt or interpretation, there's no space left for guessing or intrigue. You're just told everything, and move on with a simple "oh ok". What's more, I didn't really understand the need to almost obsessively describe the clothing. It seemed the author wanted to portray a sense of decadence in the court (understandably) and show the main character as having an interest in clothing, but the book just mentioned clothing constantly. Yes it can make a statement, but there were so many scenes of the main character designing dresses...when nothing really came of it? She simply became a trendsetter, moving on. Apart from we didn't move on, because not once could her legs be mentioned without it specifying she's wearing pants. "he touched my pant-clad leg"/"my pant-clad legs" and details to that effect were mentioned again and again, even when her outfit was literally just mentioned and there was no need for further reiteration. A petty thing to point out, but it just seemed to drive you towards a belief that her clothing will be central to the plot somehow when it just...wasn't, really.

The characters themselves I just didn't believe. Our leading lady walks about claiming she's dangerous and not one to cross, but it didn't really feel that way. Especially not when within the space of a page, she arrives at a new place and immediately makes friends with the first people who talk to her, claiming something along the lines of "well I'll need friends". That may be the case, but it isn't that easy and there was certainly no sign of that friendship growing at all. They were just claimed and that was that. The uneasiness supposedly surrounding the Shadow King didn't feel legit. The threat surrounding him didn't feel dangerous at all. The main's father and sister were just awful for no good reason, her father's reasonings behind the attempts to pull her away from the court just didn't make sense. There was a random Robin-Hood sideline story that popped up out of nowhere?? I am just...confused. So very confused at what this story was trying to do.

And the final straw, so to speak, was the plot twist. It was ridiculous. It made no sense. Literally didn't understand how that could happen and the reasoning behind it was so unsubstantial I just blinked. I don't want to sound this harsh but I just...no. I couldn't do it.

Sadly this book just flopped for me, in every way possible. I know many people enjoy it and for what it's worth, I will say it's a quick and easy read. Probably nice if you want something fun but kind of dark? But unfortunately it's a no from me.

“They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will.”
(This is literally the first line in the book how can you not want to read more?!?!)

// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, Slut Shaming, Murder //

"I know when I've been beaten, and I have barely even started."

Release Date: 2/25/2020
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Page Count: 326
Premise:

This book has been described as a Slytherin romance, and honestly? There’s no better way to describe it. Alessandra has a goal: marry the Shadow King, then kill him and take his kingdom. The challenge? She isn’t the only one who wants him dead, and she must keep him alive long enough to make it to the author.

““You are beautiful,” he continues. “But not so beautiful as to tempt me.””
(Love Kallias, master of the art of complementing someone and insulting them at the same time)

- Writing & Setting -

Tricia Levenseller became one of my favorite authors after Daughter of the Pirate King for a few key reasons, and one of them being her writing style. She writes amazing banter between characters, and she manages to create a fantasy world without ever overwhelming the reader. There is a hint of magic in this world, and it has its explanations and is fully grounded, but other than kingdom politics, not much else of the world is explained. I personally didn’t mind, because everything I needed was explained perfectly, but don’t come into this expected a Game of Thrones level amount of worldbuilding and depth here.

"Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business."
(I mean, she's not wrong)

- Plot -

This book is so fun. The plot has a bit of mystery, plenty of scheming, and of course, an amazing romance. The book is perfectly paced, and had me hooked from page one. The plot twists were a little predictable, however some aspects of them did actually surprise me. This book also tackles themes of misogyny and slut shaming really well!

“Don’t be afraid of who you are. Say what you wish. Be who you wish. Don’t try to be someone else.”

- Characters -

Our main characters are horrible and I love them so much. Let's talk about Alessandra. She’s cunning, ambitious, and has no regrets. She knows what she wants and she will take it, no matter what is in her way. I loved how resourceful and intelligent she is, and I especially loved her interest in fashion. She’s my queen. Kallias didn’t get quite as much development as Alessandra, but I still love him. He’s equally ambitious, and the two of them together are a little villainous but in the best way. Their romance isn’t really enemies-to-lovers, but instead almost sweet, and it was so adorable. I will say, I can see people not liking the main characters- they are not good people- but for me that’s part of the appeal.

There are some great side characters, with an emphasis on friendship between women that I loved! Also, there are some LGBTQ+ side characters, and I really loved how being queer is completely normal in this world.

”I would not allow myself to die in the grave I’d dug.”
(an / i c o n / i love her so much)

- Conclusion -

Pros- Fascinating characters, addicting plot, great writing
Cons- The main characters may not be for you (but they also might!)
Overall- 5/5 stars.
The Shadows Between Us is a fantastic novel, with a fun premise and unique characters, you will fall in love.

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I’ve always found myself drawn to characters with Slytherin traits. They’re much more interesting than your purely good characters (sorry, Jon Snow). This book’s narrator, Alessandra, is a rare one. Legitimately. I’ve NEVER seen a narrator like this who wasn’t the villain.
She’s confident.
She’s unapologetic.
She’s cunning.
She’s observant.
She’s direct.

I didn’t spend one second of this book internally screaming, “COME ON. JUST ASK HIM WHAT HE REALLY MEANS. JUST TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL. ASK HIM TO CLARIFY” because homegirl Alessandra just goes for it. She’s well aware she’s not an angel and never pretends otherwise.

Mad respect.

She legit tells you on page 1 that she killed someone when she was 15. Is she sorry? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Again, mad respect.

She doesn’t need protecting.
She doesn’t need saving.
Just get the fuck out of her way because she’s got this.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The only thing I’m mad about in regards to this book is I spent the entire time reading thinking it was the first book in a series and I would get to spend more time with these characters. But noooooooo. I just had to be illiterate and/or misremember. What a moron.

One final note—I fully support the pro-women, anti-slut shaming stance this book takes. It absolute annihilates that whole idea that “beautiful virgin female MC” is the only way to go. Because, get the smelling salts, Alessandra sleeps with men FOR FUN. BECAUSE SHE LIKES IT. She doesn’t have feelings for them. She just likes to bang. AND THAT’S OKAY. 💕 Her friend in the book IS a beautiful virgin and IS waiting until marriage—AND THAT IS ALSO OKAY! 💕

Just look:

“I’m not a trollop...I’m a sexually empowered woman, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

YAAAASSSSSSSS!

AND THEN:

“There is nothing silly about waiting until you want to. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. It is your body to do with as you will... Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgment either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn’t do in the bedroom.”

I legit thought my heart was going to burst and I was just going to die right there in my sweatpants-and-Christmas-sweatshirt-quarantine-look because THANK. YOU.

STOP THE SLUT SHAMING.

STOP THE SLYTHERIN SHAMING.

And goddammit, if you don’t know what a Slytherin is, please go read Harry Potter.

Otherwise I, a Gryffindor, will have to charge after you and beat you over the head with it (Gryffindors are not subtle) (see: this entire review).

The poets can say whatever they damned like. A woman's worth is not decided by what's between her legs but by what is in her mind.

I couldn't catch a freaking breath while reading this but if I die, at least I die knowing I've found a new favorite book.
The Shadows Between Us is one of the few books that I've read this year that kept me glued to the pages to the point I thought about it even when I was at work, or watching a movie, or doing anything that wasn't reading it.
You never get a dull moment. Some might say the pace was probably too fast, and I would agree, but I enjoyed jumping from a chapter to another, feeling like I was on the run and couldn't stop.
Alessandra is one of the best morally gray characters I've ever encountered. She really does remind me a bit of Jude Duarte, and while she's not as complex and faceted as her Fae Queen counterpart, I can say her character's potential was well developed.
I didn't always related or agreed with her actions and behavior, but I had fun being in her deliciously twisted mind.
Kallias I simply adored and I don't know if I'll ever find another book couple I loved more than he and Alessandra.
The romance left me breathless in more than one occasion, and it's even more fantomatic if you think some of the steamiest scenes weren't even smytty ones.
The sexual tension made me feel things in places I didn't even remember I have.
Plotwise speaking, it was nothing extraordinary, but I didn't care much about twists and intrigues. I was and still am way more than content with the avalanche of feelings this little gem provided.

◾this hashtag is something I self-indulgently created for fun when I decided to thin out my immense tbr list as a new years resolution starting from books I added on GR back in 2017/2018/2019, and since I can't seem to do anything quietly and I'm well known for being an overachiever, I had to go and turn it into an official thing. Feel free to check out the #PenguinOnATBRMission shelf if you don't mind keeping up with this insanely over-hyped adventure I got myself into. Take it as a chance to rediscover some books from a few years ago that might have accidentally flown under your radar, or to simply share with another fellow reader your very own reading experience. Happy reading and stay penguin-y!◾

(The speed at which I finished this book is irrelevant, leave me alone.)

The main character was so infuriating I wanted to stab myself in the eye reading this. Also, the casual queer rep made no sense. If you’re going to do the whole oppressive society, at least commit to it. And why were the only gay people men? Strange.

Alessandra managed to make leaps in logic, but at the same time made stupid nonsensical mistakes for the sake of moving the plot? If you have to double back on your characterization just to keep the story moving, it’s telling of poor writing skills.

Yeah, this book was entertaining, but it was entertaining in the same way that watching a dog chase it’s own tail is. Should you maybe stop it? Probably, but letting it continue is far more interesting.

♣Let's start on a positive note and talk about things that I did like.

For instance, the starting of the book...phenomenal! Such a solid start! And when a book has this as a first-line: They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will...Your expectations rise high. And this book did not let me down for half of it. And the suspense was gripping.

The protagonist Alessandra was such a queen! That badass bitch, though most of the time she wanted to murder half of the people. She is a murderer, schemer, liar, and I really liked her.
As for Kallias aka the shadow king, he was such a freaking sweetheart! A man full of secrets. His shadow powers are VERY fascinating! I honestly don't know why people think this is a love story between villains, because Kallias is like the sweetest person! I mean there is nothing villainous about murdering a few people or not caring about casualties in fights...rightttttt??????
I absolutely loved them together, they are both messed up and they accept each other that way. I mean Kallias's reaction on finding out about Alessandra killing her first love...priceless (Dont even TRY and come after me because this isn't the spoiler goddamnit!)
PLUS, this book had some amazing friendships too!

“Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgment either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn‘t do in the bedroom.”

♣Now coming to the real question as to why am I still disappointed...behold, here comes the ranting,

EVERYONE talks about it but imma talk about it AGAIN, THE WORLDBUILDING! *dhun dhun dunnnnnn*
This book has no freaking worldbuilding...like at all—and don't even come and convince me it does because it doesn't even have a speck of worldbuilding in it.
We establish early on that that The shadow king is the ruler of the six kingdoms and blah blah blah. I expect them to at least brush on the point about how the 6 six kingdoms are different than each other or how they came to be—but nothing and this isn't even the main issue!!!!

The MAIN issue is ELECTRICITY!!
So, here is my mind imagining victorian style palaces and dresses and kings and queens and annual balls, then they tell the soldiers carry guns...but soldiers can have guns right? Maybe this kingdom is advance. So I move on, and people are wearing gowns and there are carriages and then we are informed there is electricity...wait what the fuck! Here I am imagining the victorian era, we are lead to believe this is old times and there are bulbs and lights here all of a sudden...what the heck.
And so as an avid fantasy reader I expect them to explain this to me. Tell me how is everything working here, why is electricity invented but it is still old times but they do nothing about it and I am left standing at the alter!

My next issue, the suspense I told you about led to nothing. ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT HERE and this annoyed the heck out of me people.
The author had all those different storylines and mysteries going on in the background with the main plot in front. So, I am excited about these different mysteries, right? There is suspense and there is drama and then poof...NOTHING...again!
We follow these issues and expect them to end at a note that solves things but instead what I got was a disappointment.
It was like when someone tells me I will get some pizza after 7 days, and every day they tell me how much cheese is on the pizza, how big it is, and everything...and my innocent ass is waiting for 7 days to eat pizza. And on the last day, that motherfucker tells me it was all a joke! THAT IS WHAT I FELT WHILE READING THE BOOK...and thankyouverymuch I know I give good explanations XD

“When a man sees something that several other men want, he can’t help but want it, too.”

Here is another example, for all the people who have read the book: (view spoiler)[ Hektor's death investigation was an ongoing topic for so many chapters. Alessandra was worried and it was made into this whole BIG deal but then it leads to nothing. Kallias found out, he laughed and discarded it...he was like whatever, no big deal. I honestly loved his reaction but bitch if you wanted this whole investigation to be a no big deal then why the fuck was there so much suspense and build-up around it. I was falsely led to believe that something would happen here but it was like...kallias doesn't care and now that story arc is over. WHY THE FUCK WAS THIS STORY ARC EVEN STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THERE WERE NO INTENTIONS OF COMPLETING IT! (hide spoiler)].

Everything was so freaking slow but rushed at the same time. The author started so many story arcs but never cared to finish them.

It just wasn't enough, I feel like one of the main reasons I am still willing to give it a 2.25 is because I loved bits and pieces here and there and I thoroughly enjoyed the different mysteries, although I was infinitely disappointed at the end, I still enjoyed while the mystery was on-going. And at the end I still liked the characters, WITH THAT SAID I DONT THINK I MADE PROPER SENSE LOL XD

Buddy read with Dulcie

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

This was so bland, I need to go bath in salt now, bye

(does get bonus points for the pretty dresses, fake dating, female friendships and that one scene at the club)

Oh god I love this. One of my fav standalones of all times!! The author was right when she stated this is a 'Slytherin romance' The characters are morally black not even grey. They are pure evil and I love them<33

Plotline
Alessandra is the second daughter. Overlooked and ignored...no one thinks about her. But now it's about to change. Alessandra has a simple plan
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
It is easy ain't it? Killing someone isn't new for her. But that's abt to change.
The shadow king. Known for his power over shadows (duh). Everyone is prohibited from coming 5ft towards him. Known for his immense power at a young age, The shadow king will stop at nothing to achieve greatness.
Arriving at the palace, she aims to win his heart while many aim to win hers. Alessandra has to also protect the King from the threats of his own palace all while she resists herself from the inevitable.
What follows is a dark romance with 2 characters that we can help but love!

The world
The world is good. I liked it. It is a simple world and I loved that the author kept it tht way so we can focus more on the characters

Writing
The writing of the story was good. I really liked it. The characterization was splenedid. There were many lines that stuck out to me,

Romance
Oh god! It was awesome. The slow-burn romance was splendid. I was swooning over the entire book. Kallias and Alessandra were made for each other.I ship them soo hard
“He swallows the bite in his mouth. “Alessandra Stathos, that’s positively despicable.” He says the words like they’re the highest compliment he can give me. “You are an absolute gem, do you know that?”
It is indeed!

“But I’m desperate for you all the same. And though I will not have millennia to live, I want to give however many years I have left to you. Because I love you. I love the woman who saved me. And though she doesn’t need me, I want her. Fiercely.
“All the time in the world is worth nothing if I don’t get to spend it with you.”

This was basically me throughout the book!

Lets talk characters

Alessandra
“I'm not a trollop, i announce to the empty room. "i'm a sexually empowered woman, and there is nothing wrong with that.”

She is the coolest MC. I loved that the story from her POV! She is cunning, vile, and murderous. These are her best qualities!! To all the YA protags out there, learns from her!!

Kallias
“My little hellion. Quite the force to be reckoned with, aren’t you? Oh, say you’ll marry me, Alessandra!”

He reminded me of the darkling! Which is good, cause I love the darkling! He's a typical bad boy trope. But I really liked him. His characterization was splendid!

Im late in writing the review...so I don't exactly remember everyone.
But the side characters I loved. Pedro and the other guys, Alessandra's friends nd her sister!

Final thoughts