I read this book back in 2020- definitely won over by that description! We also love an Oregon author, so that was a bonus.

I enjoyed my reading experience with this novel, but it wasn't a book that was super memorable. I did appreciate the characterization of Alessandra that didn't shy away from her less than honorable intentions- morally grey characters for the win! But otherwise there was little about this book that really stood out as unique and exciting for me.

Alessandra is allowed to attend social parties now that her older sister is betrothed. She’s cunning and deceptive and, unbeknownst to her father, has already dated several young men. They keep their flings with her secret because she blackmails them. If people knew she wasn’t purely innocent, she would be shunned from high society and no Royal member would want to marry her. She tells her father the truth after he lets her know it’s time for her to find someone to marry. He wants her to marry someone rich because he’s becoming poor and in danger of losing his lands. Alessandra and her father attend the Royal Ball. The Shadow King seems interested in Alessandra and makes a deal with her to be friends so he can look like he’s wed and so can she, then they’ll both be happy. Alessandra is thrilled with this proposition and she works on her plan to poison him once they’re wed. Instead of continuing with her plan, Alessandra starts to truly care for Kallias, the Shadow King. He develops feelings for her too, which surprises them both. Attempts have been taken to kill the king and he ends up unsure who he can trust and when poison is found in Alessandra’s room, everything falls apart. The selfish intentions of the main characters make this a unique story that’s refreshing because it’s out of the norm, 4 stars!

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller is like nothing I have ever read before. Alessandra is a conniving, manipulating, shellfish murderer with no remorse. It took a while for me to get into this story because Alessandra is such an anti-hero and it was really hard to root for her (considering her main goal was to marry the king so she can kill him and take over his kingdom). She does anything and everything to achieve her goal of becoming queen and having power, so she is not really a likable character. That being said, the story was interesting and her relationship with the Shadow King was a very slow burn romance. Her character does become more likable as the story progresses, but she is an anti-hero throughout the book. Her personality and bitterness come from her father’s lack of love and attention. Her older sister is the favorite and Alessandra hates her and her father for ignoring her. She feels empowered when she does what she wants and doesn’t take orders from anyone. She could care less if her actions are not “lady-like.”

The King has a hard time trusting people, and for some reason he trusts Alessandra. She is good at getting men to fall for her. Despite her character flaws, she never lies to the king. I think that’s what appeals to him the most. She is very up front and honest with anything he asks her, which is refreshing to him since he cannot trust anyone at his court until he finds the person or people responsible for his parents’ deaths. There are some twists I didn’t see coming at the end and it wraps up nicely in the final chapter.

Overall, this is a very unique story that was definitely an experience to read. If you like a strong-minded female MC, who slept around a lot (prior to being courted by the king), and would kill you if you got in her way then this one could be for you. The writing was well done and keeps you interested in seeing what happens to Alessandra as her plot to kill the king unravels.

I liked the concept of this book, the plot was engaging from the first page. However the characters struggled to deliver on the story being told.

I wanted to love this soooo bad! I absolutely loved the premise and the idea of such a badass unapologetic heroine but the execution was really lacking. It felt a little bland and the characters weren't super fleshed out,

I may be biased as I have loved all of Tricia Levenseller’s work that I’ve read so far, but I really enjoyed this book. And while it may be predictable at times, I still could not put it down! This was a very fast-paced and fun read with all the scheming and witty banter.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The primary reason we will be purchasing this title is because Levenseller is an established author. However, I am unsure of the book's content and how appropriate it is for lower YA. While I did not personally enjoy this work, I feel it is probably only suitable for upper YA.

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 hell.

This anti hero story is one that I so wished there was a book two. This stand alone tore out my heart and soul in the best possible way. I cried, I laughed, and at the start I didn't know who or what to root for. But as the story progressed I fell in love with Alessandra and the Shadow King so hard that when the ending came I broke down into tears. When this one started we learn that Alessandra has already had a taste for murder and it really made me wonder if I should be rooting for her to woo the king and rule the world. Or should I root for the Shadow King and hope that he figures out what she is planning before she can kill him. In the end I found myself rooting for Alessandra so much that when the story ended I needed more. I didn't want it to end.

The pacing in this one is a lot slower than what I am used to but it really worked out for this one. I fell so in love with it. That the pacing was just perfect. As for Alessandra she was so powerful right at the start of the story. She set her eyes on a goal and off she went. She didn't let anyone stop her and when her plans changed she changed with them.

This was a perfect story to get lost in.

My Review: (100% SPOILER-FREE)
***5/5 STARS***
To start off this review, I just wanted to say that I had never read a book by Tricia Levenseller. Now? I want to read everything she has ever written…. immediately. I was blown away and this instantly became a new favorite.
There are a few aspects that really made this book stand out to me, and I think I’m going to format my review around them. Those aspects are: characters, political intrigue, romance, and originality.
Characters: The absolute Slytherin ruthlessness of these characters was….. *chef’s kiss* So good! The ambition of the Shadow King and Alessandra was unmatched and they were so unapologetic about it. They would talk about wanting to murder and conquer like it was just the simplest thing and I couldn’t help but love it. Why? Because that wasn’t all. They weren’t simply evil. These characters had beautiful friendships, romances, etc. that made me laugh, cry, and swoon. Interactions between the characters were so entertaining and their complex views and morals only made them better. Overall, the characters in The Shadows Between Us were very complex and I need more of them IMMEDIATELY.
Political Intrigue/Murder Mystery: This book is also set in a palace within the Shadow King’s court, where he is trying to root out an assassin. All of the court politics were so interesting and the murder mystery kept me guessing! Again, there were just so many characters with so many different titles and motives that it was genuinely fun to try to solve the mystery as the story progressed. Who could gain the most from killing the king? Who is working with who? Can they truly protect the Shadow King forever? So many questions that kept me hooked!
Romance: AAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! VILLAIN ROMANCE!!!!!!!!! SLYTHERIN ROMANCE!!!!!!!!!!
………Okay. Now that I got that out, I just have to say that I now have a new favorite couple. We start off with unapologetic, sexually empowered Alessandra. She is going to kill the king, and no one is going to stop her. He is apparently very evil, but guess what? She’s worse.
Right? WRONG! Our Shadow King is very daunting and powerful, yes. But guess what? He is also so lonely and pure. He has been concealing himself from an assassin for so long that he has shut everyone out and has not been touched by another person in over a year. Until Alessandra changes everything.
Guys….. Their chemistry is out of this world. The romance was a giant star for me with this book; I could not get enough of the electric chemistry and hilarious banter. I was rooting for them so hard and at the end I was dying from the suspense/drama. The relationship truly just worked so well, especially since they both fought so hard against their feelings. In the end, no matter how tough or evil you are, love pulls through.
Originality: I loved how original the premise was. I’ve read a lot of books with settings in castles/royal courts, but never quite like this. I mean, Alessandra is not an assassin. She is literally just an ambitious girl who wants power. Look at that synopsis! “1. Woo the Shadow King 2. Marry him 3. Kill him” WOW!! I have personally never read anything like this....

Levenseller's best novel yet. Quite fun and very readable. Entertaining enough to compensate for flimsy worldbuilding & an ending that’s just a shade too simple. Excellent Slytherin romance vibes from a cutthroat schemer & a powerful and power hungry king. I want a sequel if it keeps this same energy -- very engaging and easy to sink into.

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Edelweiss for a digital copy of this book.

This was a fun ride with enough interest in the characters to keep me going. While I loved Warrior of the Wild and recommend it all the time, the Shadows Between Us was much heavier on the romance with a less impressive storyline. That being said I still really enjoyed the fluff and look forward to reading more by Levenseller!

I loved Levenseller's Pirate Daughter duology, so I had high hopes for this. However, it did not live up to my expectations. It had the potential but I just think the story went too quickly. This was definitely a Slytherin romance but I liked them as a couple. I would have loved it if the author took more time to actually development the relationship. Overall, I would recommend her Pirate Daughter series over this.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Someone described this as a Slytherin romance and I think that is a pretty accurate description. I really liked the sex positivity in this story too. Very well done.

Where should I begin with this one? I suppose I’ll start at the very beginning of the book… which is the book cover! That’s right, we’re going to get another mini book cover review in this post because I’m an absolute sucker for a good book cover, and as a (*fingers crossed*) future book cover designer, I’m always analyzing book covers for what makes them successful!

I’ll keep it brief today, but I just love how intricate the book cover’s design is! The cool-toned red, black, and silver all work to give a sinister and slightly seductive vibe, which is fitting considering the book itself. I love the way that the dagger turned out, with the red rubies on the handle! It looks very ornate and very fitting of our heroine Alessandra, who details a murder she committed on the very first page. I also really just love the typeface used for the title! It’s different than what’s used for most fantasy novels, and I think the choice works well! It’s striking but not overwhelming.

Now let’s get into the actual book review!

I don’t want to spoil anything, as this is a book that you should really read for yourself, but I will start by saying to prepare yourself for a large cast of characters. While many of them are just supporting side characters, as Alessandra settles into life in the Shadow King’s court, so many nobles are name dropped so casually. At one point while reading the book, I set it down for a few days to work on school projects, and when I came back to it, I had to review the names again, so be wary of this.

That being said, I’d say that The Shadows Between Us is actually a fairly quick read, mainly due to the fact that once you start reading, it’s quite hard to put down. From the very first pages, we’re met with an incredibly witty and cunning main character, who’s intensely self-aware of her actions and the actions of those around her. She’s a girl on a mission who has to manipulate, anticipate, and react to what other people around her are doing in order to get what she wants. Her outermost desires conflict with what she really wants inside, but she’s aware of it, and it makes this story so interesting. Alessandra, as our POV character, really rules the narrative in this story. I love that she’s so certain in her sexuality, talented in her dressmaking, and that she’s just genuinely smart! All of the other character’s really pale in comparison to her, but don’t worry, I still enjoyed the others as well.

Plotwise, I felt that it was a bit slow at the start, and there were some interactions (like between Myron and Alessandra) that I wish had been more drawn out, but nonetheless, I still enjoyed the story greatly and was flipping pages (digitally, on my kindle) relentlessly until I finished the book.

I would give this one 4.5 stars, and would recommend it to people who love morally gray characters and great, twisted political schemes. I’d recommend it for fans of The Give the Dark my Love duology by Beth Revis (For the morally gray and poltical aspects), Serpent and Dove (because of the wit and humor), and The Cruel Prince trilogy (For another morally grey character, political intrique, and another badass heroine).

A very fun bodice-ripping romance. The protagonists were more on the devilish side, so they weren't ones you'd want to be besties with necessarily, but you did want them to end up with each other in the end. It had enough action and suspense to keep me turning pages. I'd recommend this to students who were looking for this type of light read in my library.

I love myself a good YA fantasy book and Levenseller is on my top list of authors to read. Unfortunately, The Shadows Between Us just did not do it for me. I struggled to make it through the first half the book and almost gave up but it definitely picked up enough for me to become intrigued enough to stick it out. It was too predictable for me and I just could not connect with Alessandra as much as I wanted too. I gave it 3 stars because it has so much potential that maybe I just read it at the wrong time (clearly after a binge of a series and was on a bit of a book hangover from that.) Will try again eventually and see if my opinions change.

This was a great fantasy story! I really enjoyed the world and character development. I hope there will be a sequel!

"They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.
And they never will."

This is a world where cunning, ambition, and villainy are rewarded. Alessandra is the overlooked second daughter. Because she cannot get married until her older sister does, she has been kept at home, unable to go to parties, so she's found ways to entertain herself (seduce boys, get expensive presents from them) while plotting to appeal herself to the Shadow King (whom she plans to kill after they're married, so she can seize power).

While the Shadow King is also known for his ruthlessness, Alessandra wins the prize for villainy. The Shadow King has struggled to work with his Council, which holds the true power until the king comes of age. In comparison, Alessandra is an expert at grasping people's weaknesses and manipulating people. She also solves with ease problems that the king has been struggling to solve. What brings them together, besides their shared ambitions and lack of hesitation to crush their enemies, is their growing ability, over the course of the novel, to confide in each other and trust each other to speak truthfully.

The woman shine in this book. While romance is a large plot in this book (and what gets events moving), just as much time is spent on Alessandra's growing friendship with other women in court. More specifically, on the issues women face: the double standard of sex and gender roles, marital conventions, proper ways of courting, insecurity and low self-esteem. While women do search for a husband in this book, I never felt like it was about the romance, but rather about women learning to be themselves and accept themselves.

While this is set in a fantasy world (with castles and royalty and nobles), it's set during a modern period. About midway through the book, guns and electricity come up. Furthermore, Alessandra and the Shadow King discuss changes to give women more power.

This is a book where the villains win. They look down on charitable deeds and pursue their own self interests. If even their own family members get in their way, they do not hesitate to cut off their family. The characters are flat and stay within their assigned roles. While Alessandra faces obstacles to her goal, other than her growing feelings for the Shadow King, she doesn't face complexities that force her to change inside or to view people with whom she disagrees in a new light. As a result, while she learns to love and trust again, she remains a villain to the end.

This fits with the theme of women accepting themselves and being themselves (something she's known from the beginning of the novel), and it's interesting to read a book from the perspective of a villainous character. But many of Alessandra's actions are self-serving. She gets away with murder; she manipulates and ruins people who did nothing to her because she has something to gain by doing so (and she didn't like these people anyways); she would have killed the Shadow King if she hadn't fallen in love with him. She doesn't struggle with the morality of such actions, or regret them. So, while this is an entertaining read, it's not a book that I would read again or purchase for a friend.

Additional facts:
- The story is told from in first person, present tense.
- Content: language, kissing, violence/killing, suggested sex scenes, talk of sex, nudity.