The Shadows Between Us: A decadently romantic standalone fantasy novel from bestselling author and TikTok sensation Tricia Levenseller

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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.” You cannot imagine how happy I'm when I go to see the second round of the Goodreads Choice Awards and The Shadows Between Us are nominated in the Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller | Pushkin Press

But we’re so happy together,” he says. “I will cherish you every day. Give you everything you deserve. I will treat you like a princess.” Myron freezes with his hand outstretched toward me, and my father, Sergios Stathos, Lord Masis, looks down at what he can see of our naked bodies. I want a life with you, Alessandra, one without the shadows between us. And I don’t care about being vulnerable.” My ambition. My cunning. My achievements. The guards heeding my commands are proof enough of what I’ve been trying to explain to my father for weeks.

A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

The Shadows Between Us Series by Tricia Levenseller - Goodreads

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. Two men are run through with swords. Another stabbed who dies of his wounds. Magical healing after bullet to the chest and poisoning. Boxing matches with bloody injuries. A broken nose. Mentions of hangings, a stabbing death, insurgents rounded up and killed. Many mentions of a man stabbed and buried in secret, and assassinated monarchs. I don’t want to hate on this, I don’t like to hate on things in general, but I must signal some not-so-pleasant aspects about it. I want to put into words what I felt after giving The Shadows Between Us a shot. Father levels a glare at me. “She will not wed Myron. Chrysantha will be a duchess. I’ve already made arrangements with the Duke of Pholios. He’s an aging man who wants a pretty girl on his arm. It’s done. That means it’s your turn.” EDIT: Wow, I have to say that I was quite surprised that I did not see this book nominated in Young Adult Fantasy for the Goodreads Choice Awards. So, let's see if there is some power in the write-in option.

The Shadows Between Us

Yes, the Shadows Between Us has fantasy elements, though they are not in-your-face present. Thus, if you aren’t a huge fan of fantasy, this story might just get you into the genre. Is there romance in The Shadows Between Us? 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. I do have a few minor problems with this book. The dialogue can be a bit stilted, but that's not a huge issue. Additionally, Kallias is a pretty soft villain. He's supposed to be a conqueror but we never see him do any conquering. The reason I didn't care was because this isn't his story. It's Alessandra's.