Review: The Shadows Between Us

The Shadows Between Us

Tricia Levenseller

Publication Date: February 25, 2020

Hardcover, 326 pages, Feiwel and Friends

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Goodreads

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?

My Review

The Shadows Between Us is basically Shadow and Bone meets The Selection. There’s a character who is super similar to the Darkling, aka the Shadow King, and an evil America Singer. And as long as you don’t go into this story expecting a dynamic and in-depth fantasy world, you’ll be in for a good time.

This was a super quick read for me, but I did expect more from the story. I was hoping for a fearsome assassin-type character who falls for a dark, mysterious king. Instead, I got a society lady who killed one dude for making fun of and dumping her. It was simply a lot shallower than I was anticipating. Still fun, in its own way (much like The Selection), but not something I’m going to dwell on over the coming months.

I think what could have helped make this a five-star read is if the story had been written for a New Adult audience versus a Young Adult one. Especially with the unhealthy relationships going on throughout the book. There’s a lot of murder condoning. A lot.

Like I said earlier, Alessandra is the evil America. She’s shallow, self-centered, and bossy. It was entertaining to read about at times, but her personality meant I could never really love her character. Kallias, the Shadow King, was okay. His powers seemed to be useless besides his immortality, and I wish we could’ve seen him actually rule and conquer.

Basically, this was a dark, YA version of Pride & Prejudice. There was no substance beyond marriage and dancing at balls. It’s super entertaining and very easy to read, but I just wanted more bada$$ery, goshdarnit.

*Note: I received a copy of this book as a gift. This in no way affected my opinion/review.