The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US by TRICIA LEVENSELLER

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Fiewel and Friends
Audiobook Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Rating: 4.5 Stars

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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?

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Disclaimer: First and foremost I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for providing me a finished audiobook copy to listen to. This in no way sways my opinions, all thoughts expressed are my own.

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REVIEW

When I first heard that The Shadows Between Us was a Slytherin romance, I was very intrigued. I have never read a book where the main character is a straight up villain and that’s exactly what we got. I really enjoyed this change of pace. I am so used to stories where the main character is of low status and stumbles upon heroism. Alessandra is not your normal girl. She is cunning, quick witted, and vicious. This is a girl who takes what she wants and never looks back. Along with the Alessandra, we have the Shadow King who is just as unapologetic in is rule.

One of the things I found interesting is that I didn’t need a ton of world building to enjoy this story. As a reader of epic fantasy, I usually rely heavily on the world building in order to draw myself in. This is, in my opinion, a character driven story and I think the author did a phenomenal job in getting me to want to know more with every page.

*SLIGHTLY SPOILERY BELOW*
I also found that by the end, I didn’t think the characters learned anything. They were both still villains. I really appreciated this spin on fantasy stories as we always have a villain that gets redemption. I feel that the characters were still true to themselves, though maybe a bit softer due to love.
*END SPOILERS*

I think the audiobook narrator did a phenomenal job, though sometimes I think she overly pronounced words to sound more sinister and it would throw me out of the story. Overall, I gave it a 4.5 star and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good YA villain story! I read this book in two sittings because it was so hard to stop!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook to listen to! This book is on sale now!

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