So thank you, Tricia, for giving the big eff you to the more popular theme of changing morally grey characters to white flags of peace and generosity. There is no smut in the Shadows Between Us. There are a couple of scenes where the sexual tension between the couple is very prominent but the scenes are not described in detail. Kallias and Xanthos launch into a fight. Alessandra steps in, sure that Xanthos will kill his brother given the chance.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller | Waterstones

As for Kallias aka the shadow king, he was such a freaking sweetheart! A man full of secrets. His shadow powers are VERY fascinating! I honestly don't know why people think this is a love story between villains, because Kallias is like the sweetest person! I mean there is nothing villainous about murdering a few people or not caring about casualties in fights...rightttttt?????? The concept is really interesting. Like, that synopsis sold me the book. And the beginning was very promising.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.” I think that when you care enough for someone, you reach a point where it’s far more painful not to have him at all than to have him and risk losing him. You realize the risk is worth it. Because happiness, however short-lived, is always worth it.”

The Shadows Between Us | Book Obsession Wiki | Fandom The Shadows Between Us | Book Obsession Wiki | Fandom

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. Here is what happened, Leandros turns out to be Kallias's brother, and that was revealed in the dullest way possible but This book really showed me just how much our first impression of anyone influences how we react to their actions in any given situation. Alessandra, introduced as a vicious, scheming woman with no loyalties, but, honestly, captivating in her intelligence, held my suspicion for so long, nearly forgetting that she too must have feelings, a reason deep down for why she needs to be so in control of everything around her and her expressing it in the only way she could. that Alessandra would fall in love immediately and forget all her plans to kill Kallias, or that she wouldn't be the merciless, manipulative genius the synopsis promised. 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.

Alessandra Stathos, that’s positively despicable.” He says the words like they’re the highest compliment he can give me. “You are an absolute gem, do you know that?"

The Shadows Between Us Book Review | Common Sense Media

It is quite difficult to pinpoint when exactly this book takes place, but I would say around the early 1900s. Where does The Shadows Between Us take place? Another thing is that there is electricity in this world but no other form of modern technology. Everyone has swords, but randomly there are guns? When does this take place? What fictional time period is this??? I couldn’t build a proper image of the world in my head, probably because as I said, THIS BOOK HAS NO WORLD BUILDING!!!! It could take place in a void for all that it cares to explain. However, it seems that Alessandra is not the only one trying to kill the king. She finds herself struggling to keep him alive long enough for her to marry him–all the while trying to keep her heart intact. 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?Initially, I thought with how arrogant and awful Alessandra sometimes was, she would find no genuine friendship. But the female friendship in this book is actually pretty RAD. I loved her friendliness with the other three male supporting characters as well. She’s the kind of person who would go out of her ways to help you when you needed it even though she’s got an ulterior motive for doing it. I will discuss 10 fantasy romance books similar to The Shadows Between Us. These novels offer beautiful, atmospheric writing that can transport you to different worlds, immersing the reading experience. Let’s go! Name

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

We soon find out that Leandros Vasco is a handsome and quite flirty courtier. He grew up with the king but they have since grown apart despite Leandros still residing in his court. 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.

The romance was bland and felt like a dynamic I’ve read a million times before. Nothing about this was exciting or fun, despite the fact that the romance was the main premise. How you gonna flop on an enemies to lovers trope THAT badly? I was expecting some serious angst, forbidden love, sexual tension, etc. None of that was brought to the table. Sure, the author tried, but it didn't work at all. 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. I love how fiercely confident and ambitious she is: she will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She sets herself apart using fashion, creating her own designs that set the court’s trends on its head. Spoiler alert: they did, actually, and it didn't matter. Because nothing in this book makes any sense.