Such an exciting read! I truly LOVED the FMC! It was interesting to watch her character development throughout the story. I was also super intrigued by the new mysterious MMC. So many twists and turns. The author truly has a beautiful way with world building and making the words seem together flawlessly. I felt like I was on an entire adventure in a new world the entire time. Definitely worth reading! And that ending 🤌 All around a great read. Plus the narrator was SUPERB with storytelling and truly embodying the female main character's personality. I feel the audiobook made it even better of an experience for me!

I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

This duology is a guilty pleasure read for me. My favorite characters always tend to be the ones that are "unlikable" on paper, so this was something I knew I was going to enjoy--plus I was excited to hear this story after listening to Alessandra's. The narrator did a great job and I'll miss this world and these characters!

I enjoyed this! It gave folk of the air vibes mixed with heartless. Chrys just wanted to be her own person and I can respect that. Was she a bit overly selfish? Yes. Was Eryx kind of dumb and self centered? Yes. Were they both completely toxic and homicidal? Yes.

This was an entertaining slow burn, enemies to lovers that didn’t actually focus on romance.

The narrator did a fantastic job and I enjoyed the energy she brought to the story. Solid 4⭐️

I loved this book! I read the shadows between us first and enjoyed it but this one was my favorite! I feel like I connected with the characters more in this one and loved getting the background for them! I hope we see a third book in the future showing how everyone’s lives turned out and explaining more of the magic!!! I can not wait for my special editions of both to come in they are already on pre order!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me the The Darkness Within Us Audio ARC by Tricia Levenseller in exchange for my honest review.

Initially I had a hard time getting into this Audio book. I didn’t enjoy how the narrator voiced the FMC Chrysanta, and I remember not loving her in The Ex Hex. However I’m glad I stuck with it.
This is the second book in the The Shadows Between Series. It’s not required to read the first to follow the story, but it would be very helpful to fully enjoy. I did not read The Shadows Between Us, and look forward to reading it and more books by Tricia Levenseller.

Chrysanta has schemed for years to gain her financial independence and just when she had it within her gasps, it is taken away by a mysterious Eryx Demos. This is truly a YA Romantasy with Morally Grey characters. I loved the push and pull between Chrysanta and Eryx. The story flowed so well, and had me laughing at times. The Feminist story line was a nicely done, and didn't feel over the top. This was a great book, and only loses a start because it was so hard to get into initially.

I somehow missed this was the second in a series, and stopped about a third of the way through to go back and read the first. Im glad I did, as I don't know that the second book would have made a lot of sense without that background.

The interesting party of it all is that I liked the second book more before I read the first book. That's primarily because the first book was so much better. I had a harder time connecting with the FMC in The Darkness Within Us, and the MMC was less compelling than the Shadow King from the first book.

All of that said, the series as a whole is definitely worth reading. It's accessible fantasy with morally gray characters. There isn't a lot of world building or complex magic systems to wrap your head around. It's a love story with tinges of feminism, and just enough angst and intrigue to keep you turning pages, but not enough to stress you out.

I found the FMC (in this and the first book) to be somewhat unique in the fantasy genre (as least what I've read of it), in that they were pretty ruthless and out for themselves. These are women who know what they want, and have no qualms about killing to get it.

I listened to the audiobook of this and the narrator was very good. She infused the perfect amount of emotion and was great at distinguishing the voices for each character.

Overall, I'd give this a 3.5, rounding up to a 4 since I can't give fractions here.

After listening to the audiobook of The Shadows Between Us and really liking how original and unique it was in the YA fantasy genre, I was super intrigued to discover this sequel with Alessandra's questionable sister Chrysantha. Just like the first book, Chrysantha is a morally grey MC that you kind of want to hate, but then for purposes of the story, she's exactly what the author was aiming for. I did like learning where she was coming from and the motivation driving her actions which was consistent throughout the story. She's wicked and dark, but you can't help cheer for her to figure out what love is and make the choice in the end. I mean, I was cheering for her while simultaneously screaming at her in my head the whole time, but I was happy with the ending I got so that was satisfying.
The narrator did a great job with bringing both Chrysantha and the side characters to life. It was a book that I was really intrigued with where the author was taking things and I would say I haven't read anything like it before.
If you're looking for a dark romantasy, with MCs who are really more like villains, but you can't help but want to find love and some sort of happiness, then look no further than this book.
Content: there are a lot of mature themes in this story that I wouldn't recommend to a younger audience; I'd say 18+ personally. It's closed door, but there is a lot of implied initmacy outside of marriage. Nothing descriptive, but still vaguely aware.
Thank you Macmillian Audio for the advance listening copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadows Between Us, so when I saw a sequel was announced I wasn't sure how I felt about it - especially once seeing it followed Chrysantha, a character I was not fond of in the first book.

But I was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed this book! Seeing Chryantha's story from her perspective absolutely humanized her and endeared the reader to her. The two sisters are some of the most murderous, plotting siblings I've read - both with the goal of female autonomy in a man's world but both achieved through different means.

The Darkness Within Us truly encapsulates the enemies-to-lovers trope; the MMC is a detestable character when introduced but slowly charms both the reader and FMC as the story progresses.

I listened to the audiobook and though I'm not usually a big fan of audiobooks I enjoyed Caitlin Davies' narration. Her diction is distinct for characters without being irritating (for the most part - a couple more-pompous character voices were a bit grating but I think that may have been the intent).

I adore Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King trilogy and The Shadows Between Us, so I jumped on the opportunity to request this audiobook when I saw that it was available on Netgalley.

This book was very fun and entertaining. I love the way Tricia keeps the readers' interest and attention with her characters and plots, but also keeps the content appropriate for new adults. I can't wait to see if she will keep going with this series and expand more on this world!

This is the second book in The Shadows Between Us series where we are following Chrysantha, who is the sister to Alessandra. Although she is an interesting character to follow, Eryx was the star of the book for me. The patience that man showed Chrysantha was unbelievable, and who doesn't love a male love interest that would kill to protect the woman he loves?

The romance was a little too slow for me. I was slightly frustrated with how stubborn Chrysantha was and would have liked to see them come together sooner in the book.

I also didn't enjoy the potential second romance situation. I am not a fan of love triangles, and I felt very sorry for the 'third wheel' character. I believe the book would have been stronger, for me, if Chrysantha and Eryx got together a little sooner and the 'third wheel' character could have found a little love interest of his own.

I am quickly becoming a Tricia Levenseller fan and find myself looking forward to seeing what fantastic world she will create for us next!

I absolutely loved the narration of this story. Not only was her voice entertaining but switching between the characters was wonderfully executed. I was not a fan of audiobooks but am so happy I was approved for this story!!

Now on to the story....it was FABULOUS!!! I haven't read (or heard) a story so entertaining. The flow of her transition from frustrated wife to fabulous widow was wonderful to see. And to see how Chrysantha is now being recognized for the genius, granted manipulative as well, that she is was very nice to see. The constant struggles between Chrysantha and Eryx was very entertaining but got a tad bit much at times. Overall, this was fabulous and I love the storyline and the narration!!

Thank you #NetGalley for the free audiobook!!

This book was short and sweet, with an overall well-developed hate-to-love romance, a Victorian ambiance, and a strong-willed female protagonist.

After years of scheming and pretending to be a simpleton and demure woman, Chrysantha Stathos is about to finally get the freedom she dreams of. Now that her husband finally died, she will inherit the manor and the money and will be able to go on with her life as a dowager duchess, without even remarrying, or depending on a man ever again. But her carefully laid out plan falls apart when a young man arrives at the manor, claiming to be the grandson and true heir of the Duke, and taking everything away from Chrysantha.

While I am empathetic to Chysantha’s problems, the fact that she is the dowager duchess means that she can’t be kicked out of the manor, and so her main issue in the book was the fact that she didn’t have access to all the money she needed for her grand projects and that she was robbed of what she felt was hers by right. I am not saying that she was not right to feel this way, but I kept thinking to myself while reading this book, that if all she wanted was a quiet and peaceful life, she could very well just live happily ever after at the manor as the dowager, never remarry, and have a simpler life if she had less money than she usually planned. It was not her ideally planned life, but it was not that bad of a situation either.

If you are like me, you read The Shadows Between Us 4 years ago when it was released, and besides the fact that you liked Kallias and Alessandra, you might not remember much of the book. Rest assured that you can read this sequel even if you don’t remember most of the first book. You just need to know who Alessandra and the King are, because there are a few scenes with them, including their wedding!

I have to say that Chrysantha's need to compete with her sister for every single thing annoyed me at first, but it also left room for the author to make Chrysantha grow and mature in this book, and to have her realize that it was stupid and pointless, and that her sister was worth more than any silly jealousy or envy that could ever be between them. I would have loved to see more of them building their relationship back, but the hints we got to see in the last few chapters are promising a nice and happy future for the sisters.

Chrysantha is clever, cunning, calculated, and fierce. She knows what she wants, and will stop at nothing to get it. I like Chrysantha’s scheming, and how she pretended to be a simpleton so the men around her would underestimate her, allowing her to manipulate and undermine them later. That being said, at some point, she tended to put all the men in the same “bad guy” category. I understand that this is a patriarchal and misogynistic society, but not all the men around her were out to abuse women or were okay with the way women were treated and Chrusantha often just assumed the worst of every men.

Eryx is very secretive, and it’s obvious that he’s hiding things about his identity and his connection to the late duke. Still, the stakes didn’t feel that high. (view spoiler)

The romance in this book is a true hate to love. Chrysantha hates Eriks with every fiber of her being when she is forced to live with him, especially considering that he now holds the power in the manor, despite all that Chrysantha had to sacrifice to finally be free to live her life as she intended to. Overall, I enjoyed Eryx and Chrysantha’s romance, but I do think that the ending was a little bit rushed. I wouldn’t have minded a few more chapters just to wrap it up nicely and have this final stretch of their romance be more developed. I do think that both of them complete each other perfectly though, and that they have a good chemistry. There was also some well done sexual tension, but like the final development of the romance, it was dealt with quickly and in a slightly unsatisfying manner.

Chrysantha is the naïve, do-gooder elder sister of Alessandra. She plays her role quite well and is within moments of having everything she ever wanted with her feeble, duke of a husband at death's door. Only everything she's worked hard for is yanked out of her grasp and she will not stand for it.
I read The Shadows Between Us years ago and loved the stabby heroine with a power trip. I got exactly the same vibes from this sequel. Chrysantha and Alessandra walk a similar path initially. I liked seeing again a girl plot and use her intelligence to force people to underestimate her.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

I never added a book to my TBR so fast in my life. After falling in love with The Shadows Between Us and Alessandra's story, I just knew that Chrysantha's story would not disappoint. Her character setup was absolute gold: play the part of a simple woman who can't fend for herself when, in all actuality, she is the polar opposite. Every bit like her sister, Chrysantha is razor sharp, vindictive, witty, seductive, and *not* to be underestimated in any way.

She wants power but, more importantly, she wants freedom to live her life the way *she* wants to live it in a society that favors men. When she's finally faced with an opportunity to take control of her freedom, she seizes it without regret and begins to steer her life in the direction she wants it to go. That is, until the MMC shows up to take what Chrysantha has newly claimed.

The banter between Chrysantha and Eryx is pure gold, as is their enemies-to-lovers romance and everything in between. It felt like a very slow-burn between the FMC and the MMC, which I absolutely loved since it was set at a perfect pace. The only part of the book that felt a bit rushed was the climax and ending of the story, but I'm not mad at it. There was certainly enough deception, banter, and rivalry between characters along the way that I am left feeling very happy with this book. It was such a good story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Let me say, I loved the Shadows Between Us. I had loved the intrigue, the romance, the Shadow King... it was just perfection. And then I read the Darkness Within Us. If there was a rating higher than 5, I would 100% give it to this gem.

Chrysantha Stathos. I didn't think I'd care to read about Alessandra's airhead sister, and I'm glad I was wrong. She's just as cunning and conniving as her younger sister, and she doesn't let anyone or anything stop her. Then she meets Eryx Demos.

The tensions between these two was just absolutely delicious. They are enemies through and through, and it was fantastic to see their characters grow. The magic was excellent. The plotting, the scheming... all top notch. The ending was perfect. This was just a fantastic book from start to end.

The audiobook was phenomenal. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. And I loved that there was a bonus/deleted scene included at the end. Overall, I highly recommend these books.

This book gives a pride and prejudice with sexy Bridgerton vibes! Absolutely couldn’t put this book down and loved every page of it! I cannot wait to read more of it!!

In this companion book to The Shadows Between Us, Chrysantha becomes the main character. Rather than being the naive, innocent, and somewhat dumb character that the previous book made her out to be, in this story she is cunning, deceptive, and on a mission. She has spent the past seven years playing a part so that she can become a wealthy independent duchess, however her whole plan is shattered when an unknown man steps in to take away her inheritance, title, and independence. For 3/4ths of the book, I was entertained and loving the strong female character, however towards the end, it lost me. Still, if you enjoyed the first book, you’ll more than likely enjoy this one as well.

5 ⭐️
0.5 🌶️


The Darkness Within Us is a YA fantasy novel set in the same world as The Shadows Between Us. I listened to the audio of TSBU & TDWU back to back to refresh my memory on the world, however, you do not need to read TSBU prior to jumping into this. At most, I would consider it a companion novel, but can be read as a fully standalone.

The Darkness Within Us follows Chrysantha a young girl stuck in a marriage with an old, dying Duke. However, she is no damsel in distress; Chrysantha is a brilliant, scheming young woman on a mission, while hiding her true intentions under her air-headed demeanor. Her mission is freedom. When her husband finally passes away, she thinks everything is finally going her way. Her only dilemma is her lecherous late husband's estranged grandson coming to claim her estate and inheritance.

I will admit, I was a bit skeptical about a novel following Chrysantha due to how she and her sister interacted in The Shadows Between Us. Call me pleasantly surprised because I loved this so much more than the first one. I really loved that this was a true enemies to lovers situation! Eryx has his own secrets and I tries hard to guard them and keep Chrysantha away, but our girl is stubborn, fierce and when she wants something she is going to get it.

Narrated by Caitlin Davies - the narration was fantastic. Definitely enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. I binged it in a day. I felt the tension and build up as the two bickered. Just make it through the first 15%, the rest is a win from me.


💟 YA fantasy, but on the borderline of NA
💟 Enemies to Lovers
💟 Bridgerton but make it fantasy
💟 Witty banter
💟 Light magic/fantasy
💟 Romantic tension
💟 Scheming and plotting
💟 Beauty & the Beast vibes
💟 (view spoiler)

The Darkness Within Us releases July 9, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley, Feiwel and Friends and MacMillian Audio for the ALC of The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller.

This audiobook was absolutely delightful! The narrator couldn't have been more perfect. She's wonderfully wicked in the best way.

At first... I thought this story was going to 100% a villain arc. It starts with a scandal and a murder and gets darker from there; however, the more I read, the more I like Chrysantha for who she is and for sticking by her own moral compass. I like how both her and her sister up heave social norms and traditions. I like how progress they both are. Alessandra and Chyrsantha complement each other in the best ways.

Chrysantha played the role of a dumb, pretty girl in order to score a wealthy WAY older husband of high rank. She just has to hold out until he dies to have everything she wants: freedom, money and a HUGE house. What could go wrong with her plans. you ask? An unexpected heir to her fortune who shows up magically out of the blue... and no one has heard of or known of... except for her sketchy lawyer? Plot twist, I think yes. Eryx Demos winds up becoming her arch nemesis and shenanigans ensue. But shadows lurk around Eryx.. will Chrysantha be able to conquer this new challenger to her happiness? Read on to find out!

What I loved most: how petty both sister were to each other, but how in the end; they still were there for each other, Chrsantha wears white to her sister's wedding to mess with her, but Alessandra wears black; the games Eryx and Chrysantha play with each other; the butler; the book club Chrysantha starts with her servants, Eryx's two best friends/body guards.

I think it might be helpful to have a disclaimer to check trigger warnings. Even though, the triggering scenes are mainly in the beginning and not carry throughout the story. I truly enjoyed every minute of this audiobook. I was invested in character development and growth. I struggled to put the audiobook down. I need to reread this once it comes out! I loved the narrator.

This was really entertaining for the most part. I always love a good enemies to lovers. I loved seeing their banter through out the novel . Towards the end I decided to DNF it sadly . It was because of one character being half demon . Which as a Christian I didn’t feel like finishing the book .