Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Pushkin Children's Books (2023), 336 pages
Description
Fantasy. Romance. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: "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 Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King, is back with an epic YA tale of ambition and love in The Shadows Between Us..."They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will." 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? A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends "Tricia Levenseller's latest, The Shadows Between Us, is a decadent and wickedly addictive fantasy, full of schemes and court intrigue, and delightful descriptions of food, which I am always a fan of." �??Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
You would think that at age 43, one would stop fangirling over smexy young adult couples. That seems to not be the case, however. As long as authors like Tricia Levenseller keep writing novels like The Shadows Between Us, I will keep fangirling and gushing and devouring such books as the book candy
The Shadows Between Us truly is book candy. Not only did I fly through the story, but I finished it crushing on both Kallias and Alessandra. Kallias smolders with the best of them, and his vulnerability makes you want to comfort him. Meanwhile, Alessandra is my favorite type of heroine. She does not play by the rules. She lives the way she wants without apologies. Once again I’m left to wonder where such characters were when I was a teenager.
I also adore the feminist nature of the story. Alessandra spends the entire novel flouting the patriarchal rules, and we all need more examples of girls and women just not giving a fuck anymore about such rules. The only note of discord I found in the novel is the fact that while the story is very much all about equal rights between men and women, it is not very egalitarian. There exists a hierarchical society that Alessandra sees no need to change. After all, when one of the main characters is a king, there is bound to be class distinctions, and Alessandra wants to be queen not to get rid of servants but to get rid of harsh constraints against women and their rights.
I love The Shadows Between Us and its tremendous powers of escapism and diversion at a time when we so desperately need them. Alessandra is a formidable character; think Scarlett O’Hara without her inability to read people and without her selfishness. Kallias is mysterious and sensitive and all sorts of sexy. When they are together, the pages practically ignite. If this is an example of Ms. Levenseller’s other novels, I need to read her backlist immediately.
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they are.The Shadows Between Us truly is book candy. Not only did I fly through the story, but I finished it crushing on both Kallias and Alessandra. Kallias smolders with the best of them, and his vulnerability makes you want to comfort him. Meanwhile, Alessandra is my favorite type of heroine. She does not play by the rules. She lives the way she wants without apologies. Once again I’m left to wonder where such characters were when I was a teenager.
I also adore the feminist nature of the story. Alessandra spends the entire novel flouting the patriarchal rules, and we all need more examples of girls and women just not giving a fuck anymore about such rules. The only note of discord I found in the novel is the fact that while the story is very much all about equal rights between men and women, it is not very egalitarian. There exists a hierarchical society that Alessandra sees no need to change. After all, when one of the main characters is a king, there is bound to be class distinctions, and Alessandra wants to be queen not to get rid of servants but to get rid of harsh constraints against women and their rights.
I love The Shadows Between Us and its tremendous powers of escapism and diversion at a time when we so desperately need them. Alessandra is a formidable character; think Scarlett O’Hara without her inability to read people and without her selfishness. Kallias is mysterious and sensitive and all sorts of sexy. When they are together, the pages practically ignite. If this is an example of Ms. Levenseller’s other novels, I need to read her backlist immediately.
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LibraryThing member BDartnall
Mythical kingdom with lots of political intrigue, competing courtiers who all serve the "Shadow King", the prince whose father had mysteriously died, now destined to live hundreds of years if he remains free from human touch - his powers emanate with swirling shadows that magically circle his form,
Lots of teen friendly girl chats, kingdom balls, etc and twists/turns to Allesandra's carefully laid plan - fun read, much in the spirit of her Daughter of a Pirate King duology.
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receding and expanding, changing color as his mood and intent dictate. Enter our gorgeous, defiant and ultra confident protagonist: Allesandra, second born daughter of a lesser nobleman, strapped for funds and eager to marry her off to a wealthy duke. Allesandra has her own plan - join the King's court, capture his affections, marry and kill him - so she can rule as Queen instead.Lots of teen friendly girl chats, kingdom balls, etc and twists/turns to Allesandra's carefully laid plan - fun read, much in the spirit of her Daughter of a Pirate King duology.
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LibraryThing member TheYodamom
Audiobook excellent narration
Not your typical young women looking to marry the rich and powerful. Oh she's looking to marry rich and powerful but will not conform to do it. She's no virgin, no shrinking violet, doesn't know how to keep quiet, and she's conniving. I loved her.
The King is not what
This is a romance, with lies, manipulations, snark, backstabbing, political warfare and more.
Fun and tense, a nice escape
Not your typical young women looking to marry the rich and powerful. Oh she's looking to marry rich and powerful but will not conform to do it. She's no virgin, no shrinking violet, doesn't know how to keep quiet, and she's conniving. I loved her.
The King is not what
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you'd expect either, or what she expected. He's dark, dangerous, murderous, and so much more. He loves his dog, so you know he's got my vote :DThis is a romance, with lies, manipulations, snark, backstabbing, political warfare and more.
Fun and tense, a nice escape
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LibraryThing member sennebec
Twisty, devious, great cast and darn hard to put down. I've loved all of her books and this was no exception. She's the kind of author I automatically pre-order because I know I'm in for a great escape.
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: I bought this book for Kindle. This is a stand alone fantasy novel.
Story (4/5): The plot for this book is not all that original but I enjoyed it all the same. This is a theme I enjoy. It’s basically an intrigue driven plot where our main protagonist, Alessandra, ends up
Characters (4/5): I really enjoyed the characters here even if neither of them are particularly likable. Alessandra is obsessed with having power and the ability to control her own fate and doesn’t really much care who she steps on. The Shadow King is concerned about his kingdom and its stability but doesn’t seem overly concerned about the actual welfare of his people. Both of them are using each other and honest about it. I enjoyed the frankness of these characters and their wittiness and manipulation of each other; even if I didn’t really like them much. The side characters are a bit underdeveloped throughout.
Setting (3/5): The setting is a pretty typical fantasy kingdom style setting. We hear a bit about the agglomeration of kingdoms that the Shadow King rules but this is very much in the background. This is definitely more of a character driven story and could have taken place in any generic fantasy kingdom.
Writing Style (4/5): This story was engaging and well written. It was very easy to read and full of fun, witty dialogue and scenes. It’s a fairly simple story but very entertaining. While this is definitely not Levenseller’s strongest book it was still a fun diversion. It had a good balance of fun characters, humor, intrigue, action, and romance.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was an entertaining read that was sweet and a bit edgy. You are getting exactly what you expect from the synopis; a story about two people who make an arrangement to use each other accidentally falling in love. There are some politics and action to keep things exciting but at its core this story is definitely a combative romance. I enjoyed it and am glad I read it; it was fun and made me smile.
Story (4/5): The plot for this book is not all that original but I enjoyed it all the same. This is a theme I enjoy. It’s basically an intrigue driven plot where our main protagonist, Alessandra, ends up
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falling in love with the very person she is trying to make a power grab from. While the story is a lot of political intrigue, there is also an lot of action in the form of assassination attempts. It is fun to watch the Shadow King and Alessandra try to manipulate each other, while finding out that they are more and more well matched. While there is a story about bandits in the outside kingdom, this ended up being a rather minor plot point and wasn’t woven into the story all that well. This is at its heart an intrigue-filled romance.Characters (4/5): I really enjoyed the characters here even if neither of them are particularly likable. Alessandra is obsessed with having power and the ability to control her own fate and doesn’t really much care who she steps on. The Shadow King is concerned about his kingdom and its stability but doesn’t seem overly concerned about the actual welfare of his people. Both of them are using each other and honest about it. I enjoyed the frankness of these characters and their wittiness and manipulation of each other; even if I didn’t really like them much. The side characters are a bit underdeveloped throughout.
Setting (3/5): The setting is a pretty typical fantasy kingdom style setting. We hear a bit about the agglomeration of kingdoms that the Shadow King rules but this is very much in the background. This is definitely more of a character driven story and could have taken place in any generic fantasy kingdom.
Writing Style (4/5): This story was engaging and well written. It was very easy to read and full of fun, witty dialogue and scenes. It’s a fairly simple story but very entertaining. While this is definitely not Levenseller’s strongest book it was still a fun diversion. It had a good balance of fun characters, humor, intrigue, action, and romance.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was an entertaining read that was sweet and a bit edgy. You are getting exactly what you expect from the synopis; a story about two people who make an arrangement to use each other accidentally falling in love. There are some politics and action to keep things exciting but at its core this story is definitely a combative romance. I enjoyed it and am glad I read it; it was fun and made me smile.
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LibraryThing member Lulu0917
Three words: Best. Standalone. Ever.
I stayed up hours after midnight lost in the pages of this book, and I do not regret going about my day half-asleep. Definitely a must-read for all those young adults out there. If you haven't yet read this book, what are you doing? Go read it!
I stayed up hours after midnight lost in the pages of this book, and I do not regret going about my day half-asleep. Definitely a must-read for all those young adults out there. If you haven't yet read this book, what are you doing? Go read it!
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
Okay, this book had like zero depth, and the magic system and curse or whatever on the male love interest was not even a little interesting, but the complete lack of conscience or concern and just the general sense of evil joie de vivre on the part of the main character, Allessandra, was fun as
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hell. Show Less
LibraryThing member thinktink93
"I'm a sexually empowered woman, and there is nothing wrong with that."
Alessandra is a stone cold badass, and I very much want to be her friend (if only so I can ensure I don't end up killed by her).
Alessandra is a stone cold badass, and I very much want to be her friend (if only so I can ensure I don't end up killed by her).
LibraryThing member choirchik
This was an ok book. It has absolutely glowing reviews, but it was just ok. So many people liken it to the From Blood and Ash series, but I don't see it. They aren't alike at all. I was constantly waiting for something to happen here, and when it finally did, I was disappointed with how little
Of the 2 twists one was meh and one was unexpected but good, but, it was like 3 pages of content. I don't put spoilers in my reviews, so I won't name the people that were involved. The first incident was cheesy af and they didn't even make an effort to stop the thing from happening!!! Lame! The second incident, I knew there was something sus about the person involved part way through the book, but didn't have an inkling that it could be anything close to this. I definitely didn't see this one coming. Sad that she dedicated so few pages to it, it was a real let down, because I feel like she could have gone deeper.
All of the characters were very one dimensional, except Alessandra. The author spent so much wasted time telling us about her clothes when she could have helped us get to know the other characters better. I literally know nothing else about other characters but I know details about almost every outfit Alessandra wore throughout her time at the palace. IMO it shouldn't be like this.
Even though I came away knowing basically nothing about Kallias, since again, the only person we got to know is Alessandra, I do like the fact that the author made him look different. It seems like all the male characters nowadays have black/dark brown hair with black or almost black eyes. When I read that he at least had green eyes I was like thank you baby Jesus, something different.
I've definitely read worse books, and this wasn't a bad book, but with all of the hype, I was expecting more and was just let down.
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content there was.Of the 2 twists one was meh and one was unexpected but good, but, it was like 3 pages of content. I don't put spoilers in my reviews, so I won't name the people that were involved. The first incident was cheesy af and they didn't even make an effort to stop the thing from happening!!! Lame! The second incident, I knew there was something sus about the person involved part way through the book, but didn't have an inkling that it could be anything close to this. I definitely didn't see this one coming. Sad that she dedicated so few pages to it, it was a real let down, because I feel like she could have gone deeper.
All of the characters were very one dimensional, except Alessandra. The author spent so much wasted time telling us about her clothes when she could have helped us get to know the other characters better. I literally know nothing else about other characters but I know details about almost every outfit Alessandra wore throughout her time at the palace. IMO it shouldn't be like this.
Even though I came away knowing basically nothing about Kallias, since again, the only person we got to know is Alessandra, I do like the fact that the author made him look different. It seems like all the male characters nowadays have black/dark brown hair with black or almost black eyes. When I read that he at least had green eyes I was like thank you baby Jesus, something different.
I've definitely read worse books, and this wasn't a bad book, but with all of the hype, I was expecting more and was just let down.
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
A very compelling, well-developed fantasy that can easily stand alone.
LibraryThing member funstm
This was amazing. A true Slytherin romance. It was just perfect.
Alessandra is totally badass. She's a manipulative scheming bitch and it's perfection. I loved her so much. She's probably one of my favourite heroines now. She was just fantastic - she's badass and mean and cruel but she's also nice
The other characters were just as interesting. I loved Rhouben and Petros. Rhouben who cares about his wardrobe and wears daring fashion choices. And Petros who is openly gay. (Which does beg the question of why one can be openly gay but not openly not a virgin but anyway.) Rhoda was highly amusing and incredibly perceptive. I loved the friendship between Rhonda and Hestia and Alessandra. Although they don't posess a long friendship, the friendship they do have is incredibly honest and open and supportive. There isn't even a question of not inviting Alessandra to join or be nice to her. They just are. They aren't critical or mean or passive agressive, just cheering her on in her goals. I mean my favourite line is this;
Rhoda bends over my shoulder to give the trinket a proper look. “My, my,” she says. “The king must be head over heels for you.” Quieter, she adds, “Well done, Alessandra.”
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 71). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
No jealousy, just admiration and support. And I adored every time any of the characters stood up against society. I loved the focus on dressmaking and the skill in which Alessandra possesses to get what she wants. She may be driven but she's also dedicated and works hard to make it happen.
I loved the ideas on feminism and what a woman should be. I loved the idea that women should be themselves and a man should want them for that, not for some perceived ideal - and the fact that no woman should settle for anything less than a man who wants you for you. I loved the idea that relationships weren't discarded and a woman can be both strong and married/partnered. I loved Alessandra's sexuality. The idea that a woman shouldn't have to be a virgin and should explore her own sexuality is perfect and I wish we had more of these ideas depicted in young adult books. I loved that Kallias supports this idea. There were so many favourite empowering lines but I'm rather fond of this one;
“Has he pressured you?” I ask, suddenly growing protective of my friend. “Oh, no. He’s been wonderful about it. You might think I’m silly, but I just want to wait until I’m his wife.” I take her hand in mine. “There is nothing silly about waiting until you want to. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. It is your body to do with as you will.” She smiles at me then, and I worry that I might be the first person to tell her that. Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgment either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn’t do in the bedroom.
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 301). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
Leandros Rhouben Petros
The plot was incredible. I didn't see the twists coming. I mean I sort of thought Leandros was the guilty party but I didn't see any of the whole it's Kallias' brother back from the dead plot.
I did feel disappointed by Alessandra using the trunk to bury Hektor. I mean it had her initials! I felt let down by that oversight. But then we wouldn't have got to see the King laugh his ass off and pardon her so...
And I didn't love that her blackmail on Myron or Nestor wasn't as airtight as the other guy she's got on smuggling. But then if her blackmail was, we wouldn't get to see her brilliant plan to break up Rhouben and Melita and use the money she gets from doing that to buy his debt and then call it.
Like she did stupid things but only so she could pull off amazing plans/revenge - so it's hard to hate it.
And I LOVE that she's the one to figure out the plot and then kill Leandros. It was nice to see the female save the day. And so brutally too. I mean this;
“If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me. I think we both know you don’t have it in you.” When he tries to move, I let the tip of the sword break his skin, sliding in until it hits the wall. Xanthos’s eyes widen in surprise, as a choking noise comes out of his throat. Where blood oozes from his airway. “You didn’t really know me,” I say. “If you had, you’d know I’ve already killed for love once before.” And then he slumps forward, tacked to the wall like some macabre tapestry. Dead.
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 318). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
It's pure perfection. I would've loved to see more of Alessandra/Kallias scheming. And more interaction of Alessandra with the Council but overall this book was fantastic. My only real complaint is that's it's standalone. Like the standalone aspect was a huge draw for me but now I've read it and I'm wrecked - I want a whole series! Hopefully, there's more Slytherin romances on the way. 5 stars.
Alessandra is totally badass. She's a manipulative scheming bitch and it's perfection. I loved her so much. She's probably one of my favourite heroines now. She was just fantastic - she's badass and mean and cruel but she's also nice
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and generous and kind when she wants to be. She "woo's" the Shadow King but she's also honest and real with him. And he's just as cruel and manipulative but also kind and sensitive and honest. They were fantastic. The romance between them was slow burn and it was swoonworthy. They were both ambitious and driven and it was nice to see them not give an inch when it comes to getting what they want. The other characters were just as interesting. I loved Rhouben and Petros. Rhouben who cares about his wardrobe and wears daring fashion choices. And Petros who is openly gay. (Which does beg the question of why one can be openly gay but not openly not a virgin but anyway.) Rhoda was highly amusing and incredibly perceptive. I loved the friendship between Rhonda and Hestia and Alessandra. Although they don't posess a long friendship, the friendship they do have is incredibly honest and open and supportive. There isn't even a question of not inviting Alessandra to join or be nice to her. They just are. They aren't critical or mean or passive agressive, just cheering her on in her goals. I mean my favourite line is this;
Rhoda bends over my shoulder to give the trinket a proper look. “My, my,” she says. “The king must be head over heels for you.” Quieter, she adds, “Well done, Alessandra.”
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 71). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
No jealousy, just admiration and support. And I adored every time any of the characters stood up against society. I loved the focus on dressmaking and the skill in which Alessandra possesses to get what she wants. She may be driven but she's also dedicated and works hard to make it happen.
I loved the ideas on feminism and what a woman should be. I loved the idea that women should be themselves and a man should want them for that, not for some perceived ideal - and the fact that no woman should settle for anything less than a man who wants you for you. I loved the idea that relationships weren't discarded and a woman can be both strong and married/partnered. I loved Alessandra's sexuality. The idea that a woman shouldn't have to be a virgin and should explore her own sexuality is perfect and I wish we had more of these ideas depicted in young adult books. I loved that Kallias supports this idea. There were so many favourite empowering lines but I'm rather fond of this one;
“Has he pressured you?” I ask, suddenly growing protective of my friend. “Oh, no. He’s been wonderful about it. You might think I’m silly, but I just want to wait until I’m his wife.” I take her hand in mine. “There is nothing silly about waiting until you want to. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. It is your body to do with as you will.” She smiles at me then, and I worry that I might be the first person to tell her that. Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgment either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn’t do in the bedroom.
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 301). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
Leandros Rhouben Petros
The plot was incredible. I didn't see the twists coming.
I did feel disappointed by Alessandra using the trunk to bury Hektor. I mean it had her initials! I felt let down by that oversight. But then we wouldn't have got to see the King laugh his ass off and pardon her so...
And I didn't love that her blackmail on Myron or Nestor wasn't as airtight as the other guy she's got on smuggling. But then if her blackmail was, we wouldn't get to see her brilliant plan to break up Rhouben and Melita and use the money she gets from doing that to buy his debt and then call it.
Like she did stupid things but only so she could pull off amazing plans/revenge - so it's hard to hate it.
And I LOVE that she's the one to figure out the plot and then kill Leandros. It was nice to see the female save the day. And so brutally too. I mean this;
“If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me. I think we both know you don’t have it in you.” When he tries to move, I let the tip of the sword break his skin, sliding in until it hits the wall. Xanthos’s eyes widen in surprise, as a choking noise comes out of his throat. Where blood oozes from his airway. “You didn’t really know me,” I say. “If you had, you’d know I’ve already killed for love once before.” And then he slumps forward, tacked to the wall like some macabre tapestry. Dead.
Levenseller, Tricia. The Shadows Between Us (p. 318). Feiwel & Friends. Kindle Edition.
It's pure perfection.
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LibraryThing member Danielle.Desrochers
I really liked this! It was very reminiscent of other fantasy romances, but I still loved it. I can't wait to continue with the series!
Awards
Association for Mormon Letters Award (Finalist — Young Adult Novel — 2020)
South Carolina Book Awards (Winner — Young Adult Book Award — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-02-25
ISBN
1782693726 / 9781782693727
Local notes
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.
Other editions
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller (Hardcover)