Um wow. I am still reeling from this amazing story. I was completely hooked from the first sentence.

The story starts out with our MC, Alessandra, talking about murdering her first boyfriend when she was only 15 because he didn't love her. Um crazy right???!

Sorry not sorry but I have a weak spot for morally grey characters and hoo doggy this story did not disappoint. Alessandra is an ambitious, intelligent woman who knows what she wants and how to do it. She was fierce and funny and I loved her as a main character. I felt the plot was quick paced and everything was well fleshed out. I found myself totally wrapped up in this world and I didn't want the book to end.

Overall, I devoured this book in one sitting and recommend for fans of dark fantasy! 😈I will definitely be reading more from Tricia.


Favorite Quotes
"His last word was my name . His last thought was of me. I won."

"Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business. Someone that stupid must surely be caught soon."

“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?”

"I know when I’ve been beaten, and I have barely even started."

"I handled Hektor as I have handled everything else in my life: alone and with the utmost thoroughness.""

ARC from Netgalley and Edelweiss

DNF @ 31%, so no rating. (Except on Netgalley, where I am compelled to give one if I want credit for reading it.)

I was so excited when my wish was granted for this on Netgalley that I feel bad for not liking it. But it's just not working for me.

There's nothing I like about this heroine, which isn't always a deal breaker with me if the story is compelling enough. Unfortunately, this one is not. Even though the words don't appear on the page, this story screams 'I'm not like other girls' louder than any book I've ever read. For a society where women are so oppressed and guarded, this young woman seems to be left to her own devices quite often and gets up to some very shady things. Also, simple ideas that she has are received by the king to be practically genius. And I'm confused as to why, after the king has befriended and confided in her, she's still set on killing him. (I don't think that's how it will end, but I feel like at this point in the story, there's no basis for her train of thought.)

Wow, this book was a great read! I was hooked after reading the first sentence. It was fun reading about a scheming, conniving woman and actually liking her instead of despising her. Alessandra was confident and comfortable with who she was and didn’t care about the opinions of anybody else. This was my first time reading something by Tricia Levenseller and I look forward to reading more of her work.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller was a perfectly orchestrated dance where readers are courted by Lady Alessandra Stathos, an ambitious woman who intends to have a crown on her head, and the mysterious Shadow King who hides his emotions behind the swirling darkness that blesses - and curses - his family. Levenseller's storytelling weaves enchanting notes where readers strain themselves to immerse themselves in Alessandra and the Shadow King's cutting exchanges, and growing love, in the midst of a treacherous court that threatens the king's life.


I was absolutely enthralled by Alessandra's commanding character and how she owns her identity to the fullest extent and challenges the societal and gender norms of her kingdom. She's a truly unique blend of being villainous and being the hero of her own story. While some actions can be seen as nefarious, Alessandra is always honest with her intentions in the midst of the most intense exchanges. Throughout the story, I found myself rooting for her as she carried out her plans to seize the throne...and capture the king's heart.


The Shadow King himself was an intriguing figure that Levenseller surrounded by the power of darkness. As the story progressed, it was warming to see the Shadow King's transition into Kallias Maheras, the man he was before he was forced to ascend the throne after his parents were murdered. His character shows that, despite how powerful he is due to his shadow abilities, he is the embodiment of inner struggles and insecurities. Through his verbal sparring with Alessandra, readers get to see past his shadows of turmoil and gain an insight into Kallias and his life before the fateful night that changed his life.


A word that I'd use to describe The Shadows Between Us would be: unconventional. It's a words that I write in the highest degree because of how Levenseller guided us through Alessandra's brilliant mind and spun readers in accordance to the unexpected waltz of the court where the Shadow King watches from atop his throne. Before you know it, Alessandra is able to call upon Kallias and readers can see a perfect partnership in the works; that is if one person can see beyond the threats of love and the other can take their hand off their hidden dagger.

OK. I'm going to come at this from the angle that everyone (except Rhoda, Hestia, and Leandros' two friends) were absolutely abominable people and therefore it was a bit like watching a fantasy mystery romance with characters from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

That doesn't really make sense, but that's how I felt. Maybe the Gang could be considered Slytherins.

Alessandra and Kallias are some pretty terrible people. As the author herself said, these characters have "questionable" morals and aren't exactly heroes. However, watching these two awful people fall in love and kind of learn to be a teensy bit "better" was fun. I enjoyed the ride, and found myself rooting for Alessandra and Kallias despite the shitty things they had planned for other people. Frankly, I thought it was hilarious when Alessandra is finally accused of murdering her first boyfriend, and after sending the police away, Kallias laughs his ass off and says she's perfect for him.

So overall this was a good read. Nothing mind-blowing, and honestly for all the talk about sex and being liberated it seriously missed the opportunity to put in a couple hot sex scenes, but I guess we can't win all the time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. My opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Feiwel and Friends for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Seriously, that first line seriously got me shook and I was immediately pulled in. I was honestly trying to figure out how many favorite bad girl characters I could have on my list because I legit immediately added Alessandra to that list from that one line. Oh man, I would not want to be on her bad side, seriously.

Another thing was that I could not imagine why Alessandra would be overlooked because she seriously is a force to be reckoned with. Could you imagine ruining her heart and then never being found again because she killed your ass and hid your body so nobody could ever find out what happened to you? Of course, it makes sense that nobody would know that because then maybe she wouldn’t be able to do what she needs to do with the Shadow King, but man if only they knew… if only they knew.

This was such an interesting novel, and I know that Levenseller is known for making these pretty bad ass books. I’m so glad that this was the first one that I read from her, because I don’t have to wait so long for a sequel. But that’s also my downfall because I need more of Alessandra in my life! I don’t even know how else to bring her into someone’s world or what kind of book would be about her but I just need Levenseller to write more books about Alessandra! And maybe the Shadow King… maybe. Alessandra was way more my cup of tea, and I’m not even gonna be ashamed of that.

We received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are our own and do not reflect the thoughts or beliefs of the publisher or author.

In this YA romantic, standalone fantasy Alessandra seeks to execute a very clear plan: seduce the shadow king, kill him, and take his kingdom for herself. But entering the king’s court and getting close to him has its own perils, most notably the fact that anyone who touches Kallias is instantly put to death. Not to mention that Alessandra has her own secrets that have the potential to destroy her before she can carry out her plans.

I have read all of Tricia’s other books and I can honestly say that this one was my favorite. Alessandra is strong, independent and capable heroine that knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to do whatever is required to meet her goals. The characters that she meets along her journey of courting the Shadow King are fun, interesting and memorable

The pacing was perfect and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing (and reading) through the whole thing. My favorite part was definitely the way that Alessandra and Kallias’ relationship develops over time when it is decided that they can be mutually beneficial to one another (any other forced-proximity trope fans out there?) It is always nice to see a healthy relationship in YA books. Basically, Alessandra had no problem letting Kallias know that some times he was kind of a jerk and I was 100% here for it.

While some might think the plot predictable generally, it was everything I am looking from a YA romance with fantasy elements: tons of chemistry, witty banter, and beautiful, concise prose

There are a lot of good messages in this book and I think the author did a fantastic job with what she was trying to convey. Alessandra is a champion of bodily autonomy and being your own person irregardless of other’s opinions. There is also extensive discussion surrounding clothing and fashion and I found the conversation between the character’s about different clothing choices and style preferences extremely interesting.

Ultimately I give it 5/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who loves the works of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Kristin Perez.

This book had intrigued with the description but the execution fell flat. Alessandra's morally grey attitude was entertaining at times but the roots of why she wanted to do certain things had no basis. There were so many plot holes and a lack of rationale where i.t. was needed in this novel. The Shadow King was every brooding main male MC stereotype put together to create this undeveloped, blank MC that didn't resonate with me. The dialogue, worldbuilding, flat characters, plot holes weighed this book down in faults that I couldn't see past. The pacing was off as well, going way too fast and lacking the description for the reader to process the situation and truly empathize and process the events. This was a consistent problem that I had with the novel. One of my biggest issues was the "not like other girls" attitude of Alessandra's and a trope in YA that I despise. A few pros of the book: the "not like other girls" trope dialed back towards the end, Alessandra's passion for her craft (sewing) was really nice to see. Overall, this was a let down for me, but I hope to read more of this author's work in the future.

This book was a rollercoaster ride full of my favorite tropes, and I loved it from beginning to end.

Alessandra is a badass Lady who is sick of the patriarchy keeping her from power or any meaningful freedom (and honestly, who isn't?) and decides to take matters into her own hands. Now that her older sister has been married off, she's free to seek her own union and she's set her cap for the King. She plans to seduce him into marriage, and then kill him off shortly after their marriage night and seize the crown, and the power that comes with it, for herself. All seems to be going to plan after she manages to get herself an invite to stay at court, but then it turns out someone else is already out for the King's blood and now Alessandra finds herself trying to keep the King alive long enough to get him to the altar.

If you love palace intrigue, enemies-to-lovers stories, and anti-heroes, or you've been sorted into Slytherin, this is the book for you!

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US is the highly devourable YA fantasy I have been searching for! This is an enthralling story with fantastic character building that will keep you up at night saying "just one more chapter." Alessandra is a second daughter in a kingdom where women have little rights- and thus little value except for their potential bride price. She was sheltered, as is essentially legally mandated, since she cannot go in public until her older sister is wed.

Alessandra found out the hard way that love is tough, when the boy she gave her heart and body to unceremoniously dumped her for someone else. Alessandra learned to harden her heart, became sexually empowered, and now has a new goal- ruling the kingdom and creating her own rules. As such, she sets out to marry (and, soon after, kill) the Shadow King, so called for the shadows that swirl around him and give him some kind of magical ability.

However, the Shadow King is disinterested in the women who are frequently paraded in front of him. Alessandra knows how to get a man's attention, and she begins to do just that. However, Alessandra will learn more about herself and her desires in the process, much to her surprise.

This book has the perfect amount of intrigue, twists, and surprises to keep the reader completely hooked. I absolutely devoured this delicious read, which I loved from start to finish. Alessandra is a bit of a villain whom the reader can easily get behind; she's so persuasive that it is not hard to imagine why she has so many suitors. I loved her, the plot, the world-building, and all of it.

If you are in a reading slump or just looking for a unputdownable and completely enthralling YA fantasy, this book is an excellent choice. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy, romance, villains, and delightfully twisty plots.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This definitely was a "Slytherin" romance, so if murderous heroines and actual bad-boy romances are your thing, you'll have a lot of fun reading this book! The protagonist is comfortable with her body and sex which was very refreshing. Even though she's not a good person, I was happy to see some sex-positive rep.

The prose could be a bit clunky at times but if you look past that, you'll be left with a fun book and a wild ride.

This book is so wickedly delicious that I devoured it in two days. I absolutely loved the two main characters, who are unabashedly devious and wicked. The plot was very entertaining, although a little weak on the world building and the ending was rushed and arguably unsatisfying. But overall a wonderful book to spend a weekend with. It is too bad it comes out after Valentines Day, as it would be a wonderful choice.

Alessandra is a very strong female character who takes no shite from anyone, including the King. She is quite calculating, cunning and at times cruel, but to her own surprise she is able to form healthy friendships with others she meets at court. She even offers very good advice to some of them which ends up making them stronger. She is also unabashedly sexually free, and doesn’t let her past stop her from her goals. It was wonderful watching her with the King who is definitely her equal. Even though I knew that she was probably going to fall in love with him, it was still fun to watch it unfold and to listen to her try to convince herself that she wasn’t falling for him.

Kallias, the Shadow King, was also just as cunning and cruel, but also pretty ruthless. He gave no mercy to any one that he felt wronged him. He was most definitely a tyrant, but given the fact that people were trying to kill him, I almost couldn’t blame him. I don’t want to spoil things by explaining why he is called the Shadow King, but it was the most interesting thing about him and was pretty integral to the plot.

The world building was a bit of a mess. It was a strange mix of modern and medieval like trappings. For example, they rode horses, drove carriages and carried swords, but the palace had electricity and the guards carried guns. The women still wore dresses that covered most of their bodies, but also wore pants under them. Also, while same sex relationships were accepted, there was an emphasis that women should be virgins when they got married, which it seemed like people kind of ignored at the same time? But this was a story that was more about the characters and their relationships, so that these issues sort of took a back seat and just became interesting points in the story.

The plot was marvelous up until the end, which was kind of weak. While I wasn’t all that surprised who was behind the plots to kill Kallias, the reason made no sense and was very weak. Can’t say more than that without giving it away. Perhaps this will be fixed in the final product, one can only hope. The writing style certainly made up for any shortcomings in the world building and the plot. The author’s descriptions of what people were wearing and eating were marvelous. The dialogue was also quite well done and at times quite witty.

Overall a great story with interesting characters and plot. It is a shame that this is a stand alone as I think it would make a wonderful series. This is the first book by this author that I have read, but I will be picking up her other books soon.

I'm a big fan of YA and this did not disappoint. While some of the characters could have been more original, I really didn't see the twist coming. I knew what the end result would be from the beginning, but the story was engaging enough to see it through how it came to me. I would recommend this to my teens who enjoy Victoria Aveyard.

Just such a fun read. While it seemed to forget the whole dark murderous girl plot pretty fast the characters were so compelling that it honestly didn't matter. I just enjoyed the ride.

ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR NOW!

giphy-2

First: This is a standalone! You know how I love stand-alone YA fantasy/romance/not contemporary books. They are rare, but I feel so much less stressed out when I’m enjoying a good standalone and I know that I don’t have to commit to a series or forget all of what I’m reading next year when I’m reading the sequel. Standalone books are amazing.

In the dedication, the author calls this book a Slytherin romance. As a Slytherin, I can say it totally was and it hit me right in the feels in all of the best ways. It was dark, full of ambitious characters, but also full of great friendships and the characters weren’t evil, just mysterious and driven to succeed.

giphy-1

giphy-3

I absolutely loved this book. Alessandra was such a fierce and unique main character. Despite her ambitions, she wasn’t extremely arrogant or hard to like. She was nice, friendly, and refused to fit into molds that society or other people made for her. Her friendships at court were genuine and I loved see female friendships in a YA fantasy that weren’t layered with jealousy or backstabbing.

The Shadow King was a great character, especially if you like dark and mysterious love interests. I feel like this was made for us Darkling fans but without the whole I guess Alina should just be evil conflict. The whole set up for Alessandra and the Shadow King kind of reminded me a little of The Wrath and the Dawn mixed with a little of Shadow and Bone. But best of all was a genuine respect for one another, friendship, and despite Alessandra’s ultimate goal of taking the king out herself, I loved that she was basically protecting him like “ONLY I CAN KILL HIM! Y’all other assassins can GTFO.”

I cannot gush enough about this book! I loved it! I’m sad that it’s over, but I’m still so totally happy that it wasn’t a series because now I can just reread it or think about what will happen next without commitment and drawn out plots being shoved in my face. I absolutely recommend this book and had such a fun time reading it. I don’t give out 5 stars very often, but I could not help myself this time. I will DEFINITELY be rereading this one

ow, I was happily surprised by this one! I’ve had issues in the past with this author’s writing but the premise of this one sounded good enough to try again. I’m so glad I did! These characters are unapologetically ambitious, confident, and always true to themselves, even if their methods and goals are selfish. I had so much fun watching these characters dance literally and figuratively around each other as everyone fought for what they wanted: power. These descriptions of the clothes were gorgeous and I could see the court life so well. Read this if you enjoy court politics, tension filled romance, scheming, and the best Slytherin vibes ever. I could put down this story and the twist ending surprised me. Highly recommend you read this when it comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Tricia hinted at this novel back in 2019 when Words & Whimsy had the pleasure of chatting with her. I knew then and there I needed it. I was so excited to get this ARC. I was even more excited when I read the first line:
"They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart.
And they never will."

Omg, guys. That first line, for me, ranks up there with the first line for Nevernight. I was instantly pulled in and wanted to put everything on hold to read this book, Work, sleep, cleaning. I didn't want any of it. I just had to know about Alessandra's journey.

Alessandra's goal in simple. Make the king fall in love with her, like so many men have done. Marry the king. Kill the king and take the country as her own. Simple, right? It was, at first. Until these nasty things called feelings got involved.

I loved seeing how Alessandra and Kallias' story and relationship progressed. I love an enemies to lovers story and this delivered! There were even sexy bits! There were twists and turns right up until the end.

5/5 stars for this murder-y Slytherin love story.

The first sentence of The Shadow Between Us is, “They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will.” From there, readers are introduced to Tricia Levenseller’s Alessandra. Alessandra is cunning, cruel and calculated. She’s not what I’d call likeable, but she’s infinitely interesting. No one is more surprised that Alessandra herself that her ability to care for others evolves over time.

While I never came to fully like Levenseller’s main character I appreciated her. The same can be said for the Shadow King who is ruthless in his own right. He actually became the more sympathetic of the two characters. The two are a good match that have to be exactly who they are for the book to work.

And The Shadows Between Us does work. Levenseller is a fantastic world builder, and her descriptions of fashion and food are particularly vivid.

I wouldn’t recommend The Shadows Between Us for younger YA, but readers 14 and up will certainly enjoy it. As will adult readers. I was a huge fan of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King, and I can’t wait to see what else she has to offer.

(link goes live 2/11/20)

If this is a standalone, bravo; if it's the start to a series, that's ok too. Alessandra's rather cold-hearted plans for her future and her willingness to buck societal norms make her a strong, sexually free woman who could be a good(ish) role model for female readers. That she's intelligent and not interested in hiding it as well as comfortable in her own skin is a huge point in her favor. Kallais' ability to see through her behavior to the friendship/partnership they could have is a plus as well. However, all the balls, the over-the-top plotting between characters and the rushed ending all made me want an editor to step in.

eARC provided by publisher.

Wow. I had no idea how much I needed a YA fantasy filled with court intrigue and romance to fill the void left by Sarah Maas and her Court of Thorns and Roses series, but this really did it for me.

When I started the book and Alessandra was plotting a way to get close to the Shadow King to later kill him, I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to relate to her and her "questionable morals" (per Tricia Levenseller). The way the Shadow King (aka Kallias) initially kept her and everyone else at a distance also made me question how well I'd be able to relate to him. Ultimately, however, both characters kept their unapologetically rebellious and devious streaks while also getting me (and likely other readers) to fall in love with them. The development of their relationship had an unexpected depth and tenderness amidst the murder plots, and I really enjoyed the other friendships (like Hestia and Rhoda) that kept Alessandra grounded throughout the story.

Also, if you're worried about waiting for the next book, this one is a standalone--binge away!