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This book follows a girl named Theodosia, the heir to the throne of a conquered kingdom. The Kaiser conquered her kingdom and killed the rest of her family. They killed many of her people but chose to keep her alive to use her against her people. If her people try to rebel or have riots, they publicly whip her. When we first meet our main character, she’s a very broken individual. She has had her own identity essentially beaten out of her. In addition, she’s extremely submissive to the Kaiser because she wants to avoid punishment. The second remarkable achievement of The Shadows Between Us is its romance and friendships—more specifically in how it shouts to the the world that no, a person does not have to change their personality, or cease to be the villain of a poor hero’s story, to be able to have healthy relationships; say, a Slytherin doesn’t have to become a Hufflepuff to love and care and be loved and cared for, only develope to better versions of themselves, with better understanding and acceptance without throwing their defining traits into the trash. Few audiobooks warrant turning off all distractions, closing one’s eyes, and simply listening to the story unfold. Narrator Caitlin Davies creates just that experience as she passionately guides listeners through this gripping story of ambition, love, and desire.” ( AudioFile Magazine )
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller | Goodreads
beyond the sex positivity & surface level female empowerment this was just... meh. i mean don't get me wrong i appreciated the aforementioned feminism but this story was just. odd. And maybe I was willing to close an eye at the weak world if the characters were consistent. But, to my surprise, they were very interestingly contoured at the beginning but that was the peak. They just disappointed me by the end. Kallias I simply adored and I don't know if I'll ever find another book couple I loved more than he and Alessandra. Do I recommend it? Undoubtedly. Just remember what to expect going in—not a ground breaking vengeance story about a girl who seeks to rule the world, but an enjoyable fantasy lite ride that’s all about da love between morally grey characters, and some clever, hilarious, and devious schemes.
Don’t you think you will forget how to be human if you push away all the mortals in your life?” Conclusion Alessandra Stathos, this cunning second daughter of a bankrupt noble who has had to be hidden from society, waiting for her elder sister to marry so she, too, might be sold to noble for her bride-price, is tired of being overlooked. Never fear, she always has a plan, and this time it has three simple steps to get her the power and attention she deserves: The world building was non existent, there is just a shadow king with little details about his kingdom or shadows. But considering it's a YA romantasy, the sole focus was romance. I have seen a lot of people call this a villain x villain romance, I disagree. The only villain was the FMC, surely I must have read a different book cause I did not see a single instance of the MMC acting cruel or villainous.
The Shadows Between Us: A decadently romantic standalone
The protagonist Alessandra was such a queen! That badass bitch, though most of the time she wanted to murder half of the people. She is a murderer, schemer, liar, and I really liked her. 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? Kallias and Xanthos launch into a fight. Alessandra steps in, sure that Xanthos will kill his brother given the chance.Overall, this book has many, many flaws. There were times when I couldn’t overlook or ignore some things that I had an issue with. That said, I still greatly enjoyed this book. If you like to see two morally questionable people falling in love and don’t mind some vague worldbuilding, this might be the book for you! With that being said, the romance also felt so bland. There was no chemistry, not until the end. Not that it felt forced, but it also didn't feel real. It got to the point where I felt Alessandra more connected with Leandros, and that also bothered me. Seriously, when will YA authors stop bringing in another male lead to interfere with the female lead and the male lead's relationship? It gets annoying and frustrating. The characters were likeable. Even Allesandra. When I found out about this book and that the female lead would be the ‘unapologetically ambitious’ kind, I was ecstatic!! Hestia is not very confident in herself and often mimics Alessandra’s outfits to appear favorable. She also knows most of the gossip going around especially about Alessandra making her a useful asset. Also, this is described as a villain x villain romance, but here is another problem I found. Kallias is such a lonely heartthrob. I felt him to be nothing of what a villain is.
The Shadows Between Us Quotes by Tricia Levenseller - Goodreads The Shadows Between Us Quotes by Tricia Levenseller - Goodreads
Not to worry though, they are both very witty and the tension is definitely there. The banter is so much fun, and the characters are a bit villainous you could say. Is The Shadows Between Us sad? Spoiler alert: they did, actually, and it didn't matter. Because nothing in this book makes any sense. The poets can say whatever they damned like. A woman's worth is not decided by what's between her legs but by what is in her mind. These stories will captivate you if you enjoy plots filled with court politics, power struggles, and strategic maneuverings. Many such books have strong, ambitious female protagonists who defy societal norms, inspiring and empowering readers. 10 Books Like The Shadows Between Us (Magical Romance) Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business.”CLOSED* Guys, SHADOWS is a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist! If you enjoyed the book, I'd love for you to vote on it! Link here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward... Thanks so much to everyone who has already gotten it this far! You guys are the best! First thing I noted was the simplicity of the writing. Not every book has to be elaborately written, but when the plot is quite literally being laid out on a plate in front of you with zero room for doubt or interpretation, there's no space left for guessing or intrigue. You're just told everything, and move on with a simple "oh ok". What's more, I didn't really understand the need to almost obsessively describe the clothing. It seemed the author wanted to portray a sense of decadence in the court (understandably) and show the main character as having an interest in clothing, but the book just mentioned clothing constantly. Yes it can make a statement, but there were so many scenes of the main character designing dresses...when nothing really came of it? She simply became a trendsetter, moving on. Apart from we didn't move on, because not once could her legs be mentioned without it specifying she's wearing pants. "he touched my pant-clad leg"/"my pant-clad legs" and details to that effect were mentioned again and again, even when her outfit was literally just mentioned and there was no need for further reiteration. A petty thing to point out, but it just seemed to drive you towards a belief that her clothing will be central to the plot somehow when it just...wasn't, really.
The Shadows Between Us: a decadently romantic standalone The Shadows Between Us: a decadently romantic standalone
Yeah, I was hyped when I started this book, and the beginning was so good, I had problems to remember to breathe, and then I was close to hyperventilating. It was everything my Slytherin heart wanted. First of all, there is basically no world-building. There are some vague terms thrown at us on various occasions, but apart from that I have no idea how this world is supposed to look like. I mean, if we talk about a mighty kingdom that extended its boundaries by conquering other kingdoms, at least give me a damn sketch if you can’t pull off a whole map. Thankfully, Alessandra doesn't become a Mary Sue heroine. If she did turn into one, one of my favorite scenes in the book would have been so different.A thousand years after that, we follow Eliana, a bounty hunter working for the Empire, which is the evil government in place now. Her story takes place a thousand years after Rachel’s story, so the real story is this fairy tale, and that world doesn’t feel real to Eliana. So she’s been working for the Empire to keep her family safe, even though she knows and recognizes that the Empire and the people who work for her are not good people. This book has been described as a Slytherin romance, and honestly? There’s no better way to describe it. Alessandra has a goal: marry the Shadow King, then kill him and take his kingdom. The challenge? She isn’t the only one who wants him dead, and she must keep him alive long enough to make it to the author. Kallias is very private and careful. He seems a bit cold but he is truly a good person towards those he cares about the most. Dethroned Royalty, Captive Princess, Court Politics, Revenge Plot, Love Triangle, Resistance Movement, Hidden Identity, Cruel Rulers, Psychological Torture, Forbidden Romance, Betrayal and Loyalty, Rebellion, Colonialism Allegory, Cultural Erasure, Morally Grey Characters, Power Dynamics, Rituals and Traditions, Underestimated Protagonist, Personal Growth, Inner Strength.
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