Scan barcode
A review by tanya_tate
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
3.0
Book Stats
Stars: 2.5 Stars
Start Date : 5/13/20
Ending Date: 5/24/20
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Romance
Form: Digital Arc/ Audiobook
Page Count: 326
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 1st PoV
Setting: Victorian England I mean Naxos
Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. (Spoilers) ! You can also read it on my blog!
"They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will. I buried Hektor Galanis in a hole so deep, even the devils of the earth couldn’t reach him." -Alessandra Chapter 1
The Shadows Between Us probably have the best opening line to a book ever but after that it started to go down hill. This book to me had so much potential to be so damn good but it was just felt mediocre.
A woman in a Victorian England like universe not giving a single fuck about using guys for her sexual pleasure after the dude she loved dump her for someone else?In which she decides to kill and dump his body somewhere? Which her plan now is to make the king fall in love with her, marry her, then kill him on his wedding night to be queen? Who loves fashion?
A king who only ambition is to expand his empire and really don't care who has to step on? Who only courting Alessandra as a ruse to get the council off his back because he can't fully rule until he's 21?
Sign me the fuck up!
But that just it.
A woman who felt scorned by her ex lover to kill him, use other men then blackmail them, who now main goal is to trick the king to fall in love with her in order to kill him so she can be queen with fashion choices.
A king that don't know how to fake dating works but trying to expand his empire that we don't even have a map in the front of the book to know how the hell does it look like....
That's the the only thing with substance because other than that it fell flat. This is the second book I read this year that has trope of " Female trying to make the dude fall in love with her in order to get revenge on him or take something for him" which I spent most of my time trying to not to roll my eyes everytime she said " When I kill the king to become queen." This was a little bit better than Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon but not much. This was my second time reading from this author but my first time finishing a book from her.
The Shadows Between Us is marketed as a Slytherin romance which to me in the beginning Alessandra and Kallias gave me Movie! Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler Vibes( I say movie because I still haven't read the book yet lol). Which to me are the quintessential Slytherin power couple. Scarlett was such the poster child for Slytherin because she gave two fucks who and what she had to step on to get her goal. Which was getting rich, saving her home, sitting in the latest fashion trends in Antebellum South and getting a dude that would marry his own damn cousin than look at her. Marrying her sister 's beau in order to get the money to save Tara? Savage " by Megan The Stallion would be her freaking theme song. Rhett was a good foil for her because he could be as cunning and charming as her but he knew when to pull back while she was full throttle from the beginning ,middle, and end to get what she wanted... They were both on equal playing grounds which made their relationship so fantastic and interesting to watch for three damn hours.
But with Alessandra and Kallias had so more potential to be that and it just fell flat.
The first 40-50% of the book was this.
After that initial interaction,they did have better interaction but it still was kind boring . The only time their interractions become intersting if sexy time was apart of it.In which one of those scenes remind me so much of the Court of NightMares scene in A Court of Mist of Fury if you heard about that book. I hate saying this but Alsandrassa didn't change her mind to kill Kallias and realized she was in love with him until that scene. Which I also hate to say it can be chalked up as her feeling horny since she haven't had none in over a month. I hate saying this because I like the fact Alessandra is a sex positive heroine who have multi lovers but the her transition from killing to him for the majority of the book to finally admit she loved him and not wanting to kill him make me feel that way.
With that being said,kind of wish the author would have made Al and Kall a little bit older. Like at least 23 to 25ish because while I have zero problem with Al having multi lovers and being sex positive but having multi lovers and only being 19... Yeah if she would have made them older his could have been marketed as a NA instead of YA.
Honestly ,She had better chemistry with Leandros which felt more like a Slytherin than Kallais did which was the only really interesting character after Alessandra because as the book went on Kallias, become boring as fuck with the only thing interesting about him was his damn dog ,Demadocus. This dude FAILED at fake courting. How the hell can you fail at fake courting? All he had to do was ask Peter K some damn tips.
The plot
Oh man
You got like different shit going on in here and everyone last one of them got easy solved.
1.Two murder mystery ( Al ex lover who she killed and Who killed Kallias parents)
2. A Robin Hood Type Figure who was stealing from the nobles to give to the poor. ( Which that character was annoying as fuck)
3. BlackMail Lovers
4. A plot to kill the king.
5. Some Court Mess
What tripped me out is how Kallais reacted to finding out that Alessandra killed her ex lover.
He just laughs.
Laughs it off but as soon he finds out that she was trying to do that same to him, he was pissed and wanted her to leave. You got a heads up of what she's capable of! You didn't think she wouldn't do same to you?
About Alessandra's ex lover Father: Now if your son been missing for three damn years, now your ass want to do an investigation? What the hell you think he was for three damn years? Partying and spending the money? Going to War?? That doesn't make any damn sense!
I feel like the fact that she killed her ex-lover because he dumped her for someone else was not utilized as well. It was a plot device to get you interested in Alessandra but the author could have drive way more deeper into Alessandra's Psych as to way she did it. It's obvious that she has abandonment, attachment, and "playing second fiddle" issues that you can really tell on how her relationship between her father and sister.
The world building was not that great in this one as well because Naxos is Victorian England,P egan is Colonized India and the other 4 kingdoms is the CommonWealth. You can tell it was weak world building cause it doesn't even have a damn map in the book! A map in a YA fantasy book has become a trope in itself and this book didn't even have one! Granted Some Digital Arc copies don't have the map in front because it still not the final copy but this is what happens when you wait to read a book until it release and get the epub retail to check. Nope! No Map!
The magical system on the explanation of why Kallais has shadows was weak as well. Just use a greek mythology to explain the shadows and call it a day. I feel like the author wanted her own version of The Darkling and Rhysand so she created a great value version of the two together but one dimensional..
Like I said before Leandros was the only character that was interesting so the twist to his character wasn't not surprising and it made sense since he was charming enough to fool everyone. He was charming and ambitious enough to pull something like that. I'm still trying to figure out how the hell no one recognized him. All he did was dye his damn hair and call it day. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
Alessandra father was annoying as fuck while because he's trying so hard to "save" Alessandra while her sister (who don't even make a physical appearance in the book) was such a goody goody two shoes type bitch. Her relationship with her sister remind me of Helga and Olga's relationship on Hey Arnold. How Olga was the perfect older sister that couldn't do no wrong in her parents eyes, meanwhile Helga always gets overlooked. No wonder she tried so hard to get out of her shadow and feel like people underestimated her.
Alessandra two friends she made in court was interesting but need some more depth to them.
All and All, The Shadows Between Us was just an ok book but it was not worth the hype.
Tanya
Stars: 2.5 Stars
Start Date : 5/13/20
Ending Date: 5/24/20
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Romance
Form: Digital Arc/ Audiobook
Page Count: 326
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 1st PoV
Setting: Victorian England I mean Naxos
Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. (Spoilers) ! You can also read it on my blog!
"They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will. I buried Hektor Galanis in a hole so deep, even the devils of the earth couldn’t reach him." -Alessandra Chapter 1
The Shadows Between Us probably have the best opening line to a book ever but after that it started to go down hill. This book to me had so much potential to be so damn good but it was just felt mediocre.
A woman in a Victorian England like universe not giving a single fuck about using guys for her sexual pleasure after the dude she loved dump her for someone else?In which she decides to kill and dump his body somewhere? Which her plan now is to make the king fall in love with her, marry her, then kill him on his wedding night to be queen? Who loves fashion?
A king who only ambition is to expand his empire and really don't care who has to step on? Who only courting Alessandra as a ruse to get the council off his back because he can't fully rule until he's 21?
Sign me the fuck up!
But that just it.
A woman who felt scorned by her ex lover to kill him, use other men then blackmail them, who now main goal is to trick the king to fall in love with her in order to kill him so she can be queen with fashion choices.
A king that don't know how to fake dating works but trying to expand his empire that we don't even have a map in the front of the book to know how the hell does it look like....
That's the the only thing with substance because other than that it fell flat. This is the second book I read this year that has trope of " Female trying to make the dude fall in love with her in order to get revenge on him or take something for him" which I spent most of my time trying to not to roll my eyes everytime she said " When I kill the king to become queen." This was a little bit better than Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon but not much. This was my second time reading from this author but my first time finishing a book from her.
The Shadows Between Us is marketed as a Slytherin romance which to me in the beginning Alessandra and Kallias gave me Movie! Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler Vibes( I say movie because I still haven't read the book yet lol). Which to me are the quintessential Slytherin power couple. Scarlett was such the poster child for Slytherin because she gave two fucks who and what she had to step on to get her goal. Which was getting rich, saving her home, sitting in the latest fashion trends in Antebellum South and getting a dude that would marry his own damn cousin than look at her. Marrying her sister 's beau in order to get the money to save Tara? Savage " by Megan The Stallion would be her freaking theme song. Rhett was a good foil for her because he could be as cunning and charming as her but he knew when to pull back while she was full throttle from the beginning ,middle, and end to get what she wanted... They were both on equal playing grounds which made their relationship so fantastic and interesting to watch for three damn hours.
But with Alessandra and Kallias had so more potential to be that and it just fell flat.
The first 40-50% of the book was this.
Kallias : So I want to fake date you in order to get the council off my back since I can't fully rule until I'm 21. You are pretty but I'm not going to fall in love with you.
Alessandra: Ok! Cool! But I'm beautiful which you will fall in love with me so I can be queen and kill you on our wedding night
Kall: What was that?
Al: Oh Nothing! Cute dog you got here.
Kall: Ok !Cool! Oh you can't touch me because I have shadows that I don't know why I have them.
Al: So you want to go to this play I was invited to thanks to you?
Kall: Naw ! I got meetings to go to dealing with our own Robin Hood but here's a pretty necklace for you to wear.
Al: Ok! Pretty! So you want to go to this Debutante Ball I was invited to?
Kall: Nope! I got meetings dealing with this land I conquered trying to usurp my rule. Also trying to figure out who killed my parents. You know I can't be dark, broody and sexy without my parents being killed mysteriously.
Al: Ok! So put one of their people on our council to show some kind of peace but just use it a ruse to figure out who is trying to disturb the peace and then stomp them out.( That what I would do if I become queen)
Kall: Nice! I like the way you think Alessandra.
Al: So are planning to doing anything together? Like in order for this to work we got to be seen together since I thought you wanted my friendship. Let me help you to your goal so you can help me to my goal ( Which is killing you and taking over your kingdom)
Kall: No. We not going to be seen together. I got meetings and top of meetings trying to expand my rule over a kingdom that I don't have a map of. I do want your friendship but here some more gifts.
Al: WHAT PART OF FAKE DATING DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?? WE GOT TO BE SEEN TOGETHER! NOT JUST GIVING ME GIFTS AND CALLING IT A DAY! SEESH EVEN MY FATHER THINKS IT'S NOTHING BETWEEN US. HE'S AN IDIOT BUT EVEN HE CAN SEE! (How the hell can I woo you so you can marry me so I can kill you if I don't even spend time with you?)
Kall: So why are went out with my brother I mean friend tonight? I mean I canceled all my plans this evening just to be with you.
Al: DUDE! I'm leaving! You are not letting me close to you. I spend more time with your brother I mean friend than you! In order for this to work we got to be on the same damn page.
Kall: Don't leave! I can't be physically touched because the shadows protect me and turned me immortal. I can't fall in love because the shadows will leave if I'm physically touched in which I will lose my immortality. My dad lived to over 300 years until he fall in love with my mom which the shadows left. But you are right in order for this to work I got to let you in but we just can't touch. I like you but I'm not going to fall in love with you.
Al: oh ok! I like you too. ( But I still want to kill you and become queen even if you are sex in shadows.)
After that initial interaction,they did have better interaction but it still was kind boring . The only time their interractions become intersting if sexy time was apart of it.In which one of those scenes remind me so much of the Court of NightMares scene in A Court of Mist of Fury if you heard about that book. I hate saying this but Alsandrassa didn't change her mind to kill Kallias and realized she was in love with him until that scene. Which I also hate to say it can be chalked up as her feeling horny since she haven't had none in over a month. I hate saying this because I like the fact Alessandra is a sex positive heroine who have multi lovers but the her transition from killing to him for the majority of the book to finally admit she loved him and not wanting to kill him make me feel that way.
With that being said,kind of wish the author would have made Al and Kall a little bit older. Like at least 23 to 25ish because while I have zero problem with Al having multi lovers and being sex positive but having multi lovers and only being 19... Yeah if she would have made them older his could have been marketed as a NA instead of YA.
Honestly ,She had better chemistry with Leandros which felt more like a Slytherin than Kallais did which was the only really interesting character after Alessandra because as the book went on Kallias, become boring as fuck with the only thing interesting about him was his damn dog ,Demadocus. This dude FAILED at fake courting. How the hell can you fail at fake courting? All he had to do was ask Peter K some damn tips.
The plot
Oh man
You got like different shit going on in here and everyone last one of them got easy solved.
1.Two murder mystery ( Al ex lover who she killed and Who killed Kallias parents)
2. A Robin Hood Type Figure who was stealing from the nobles to give to the poor. ( Which that character was annoying as fuck)
3. BlackMail Lovers
4. A plot to kill the king.
5. Some Court Mess
What tripped me out is how Kallais reacted to finding out that Alessandra killed her ex lover.
He just laughs.
Laughs it off but as soon he finds out that she was trying to do that same to him, he was pissed and wanted her to leave. You got a heads up of what she's capable of! You didn't think she wouldn't do same to you?
About Alessandra's ex lover Father: Now if your son been missing for three damn years, now your ass want to do an investigation? What the hell you think he was for three damn years? Partying and spending the money? Going to War?? That doesn't make any damn sense!
I feel like the fact that she killed her ex-lover because he dumped her for someone else was not utilized as well. It was a plot device to get you interested in Alessandra but the author could have drive way more deeper into Alessandra's Psych as to way she did it. It's obvious that she has abandonment, attachment, and "playing second fiddle" issues that you can really tell on how her relationship between her father and sister.
The world building was not that great in this one as well because Naxos is Victorian England,P egan is Colonized India and the other 4 kingdoms is the CommonWealth. You can tell it was weak world building cause it doesn't even have a damn map in the book! A map in a YA fantasy book has become a trope in itself and this book didn't even have one! Granted Some Digital Arc copies don't have the map in front because it still not the final copy but this is what happens when you wait to read a book until it release and get the epub retail to check. Nope! No Map!
The magical system on the explanation of why Kallais has shadows was weak as well. Just use a greek mythology to explain the shadows and call it a day. I feel like the author wanted her own version of The Darkling and Rhysand so she created a great value version of the two together but one dimensional..
Like I said before Leandros was the only character that was interesting so the twist to his character wasn't not surprising and it made sense since he was charming enough to fool everyone. He was charming and ambitious enough to pull something like that. I'm still trying to figure out how the hell no one recognized him. All he did was dye his damn hair and call it day. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
Alessandra father was annoying as fuck while because he's trying so hard to "save" Alessandra while her sister (who don't even make a physical appearance in the book) was such a goody goody two shoes type bitch. Her relationship with her sister remind me of Helga and Olga's relationship on Hey Arnold. How Olga was the perfect older sister that couldn't do no wrong in her parents eyes, meanwhile Helga always gets overlooked. No wonder she tried so hard to get out of her shadow and feel like people underestimated her.
Alessandra two friends she made in court was interesting but need some more depth to them.
All and All, The Shadows Between Us was just an ok book but it was not worth the hype.
Tanya