The Shadows Between Us
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Genre: Fantasy, YA,
Publication date: February 25th 2020
Publisher: MacMillain
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
I received a free copy for an honest review. A lot of times (especially recently), more unique or "less-common" works are appreciated. If a work - especially if it's more high profile - gives off even a little bit of cliche or cheesy vibe, that often would become a huge source of controversy among the readers. People these days seem to associate cliche and cheesiness immediately and indefinitely to be flawed. This book reminded me how books - and works in general - could have some cliche (arguably cheesy) moments while being INCREDIBLY enjoyable (and a good book too). I have read so many different books that have the more unique story-lines but still....bored me to death, to the say the least. But although this book could be a little bit stereotypical with the behaviors between the characters (and their lines) in the end, it's not...bad. It did not negatively affect my reading experience (if any at all). If this is causing you to be wary to read this book - please don't. It's really not that bad, and it's not that common. Also, if it makes things better, there's a decent plot-twist at the end that improved the general quality of the plot as well (it was very well-thought-out and not random). Among all these good things, some things stood out not just good but quite exceptional. One thing is the character's nature and personality. Are you sick of reading stereotypical kind-hearted protagonist that always spare the villain because "he's not worth it" or any other things like that? Especially the villain almost always come back to do the same thing? This book would be the anecdote to the absolute frustration from those characters. The logic nature of Alessandria and the Shadow King paved way for the one particular scene near the end which demonstrates how different these two are from stereotypical characters. I can't say much because of spoilers, but do you remember how a lot of times, powerful people in stories would not use their full abilities to solve problems (so the story can be longer and create more "drama")? Yeah, that's all I'm going to say.
Rating: 4.5/5
about the author
Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing and is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, playing OVERWATCH, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.
