I love when authors create dark, flawed characters without apology and have them act true to form, rather than changing them too much or too fast and compromising the reader’s trust. Tricia Levenseller does just that with The Shadows Between Us, making for a compulsively enjoyable read.
A synopsis:
Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen―all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?
Levenseller mentions something about a “Slytherin romance” in the book’s dedication, and I definitely see that in Alessandra and Kallias. Both characters are written with appealing complexity; most supporting characters, while not portrayed too deeply, are fun additions to the tableau. I appreciate the feminist position of the book.
Some things about the world didn’t quite connect for me – how Kallias was obviously gifted with magic in a world that otherwise didn’t seem to have any. And the juxtaposition of elements like electricity and revolvers to petticoats and servants in powdered wigs.
I was also hoping for more of a murder mystery, once it’s hinted that the king has kept everyone at the palace in order to suss out his parents’ killers. That thread sort of fizzles, though, in pursuit of more time spent developing relationships in the book and figuring out more about Kallias and his shadows.
So I do feel like some parts of the story and world-building suffer for that, but it’s a fair enough trade to get Alessandra and Kallias together. [ps: bonus points for a single POV and stand-alone YA book!]
BOOK:30 