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leslie_grace's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
ardentlynaomi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
tanya_tate's review against another edition
3.0
Book Stats
Stars: 3.5 Stars
Start Date : 03/18/24
Ending Date: 03/21/24
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Form: Audiobook Arc/ E-Arc
Page Count: 336
Publishing Date: 07/09/24
Point of View: 1st Person
Setting: Victorian England I mean Naxos
My Blog:
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/b1185885-2f5e-4afd-a61d-b5baba1debf5
Thank you MacMillan Audio for the Audiobook Arc exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Edelweiss for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really can't believe I requested this after giving the Shadows between Us a 2.5 but here we go.
Which for the most part I enjoyed this more than Shadows even tho I was so close to DNFED it.
This is set around the same time as the Events of Shadows but can pretty much be read as a Stand Alone or a Companion Piece. If you don't want to be spoiled with some events of Shadows, you can read Shadows first then this but it's not needed to understand this because certain things will get explained. This is not a direct sequel to Shadows.
The Darkness Within Us is dealing with Chrysantha Santos aka Alessandra Sister which if you read Shadows was only mentioned in letters to Alessandra.
Chrysantha played the role of an airhead for seven years to get married to a duke who is actually a smart woman but her perception of her little sister is all wrong.
Chry is married to a duke at 19 which she gained the full Dukedom ( title, land ,and money) when the Duked died but lost it when his “ Grandson” Eryx Demos came back to claim it for him and want her gone.
I almost DNFED this at 13% if it was for the Chry and Eryx interaction at breakfast which saved it for me and made me give it a chance. Before that scene it was looking really shaky for me because I didn’t like Chry at all.
The banter between the two is really the backbone of this book and what keeps this book fun and funny. I saw another reviewer say this but think of The Princess Diaries Two which did give me those vibes. It also surprisingly gives me Beauty and the Beast vibes if you are familiar with the OG BATB story and not the Disney Version.
I didn’t like Chry at first because I felt she was very hypocritical towards her sister but she calls herself out on it towards the middle of the book. I do like the fact she does care about her servants to the point she gave them raises and felt like they were family towards here. Also the fact that she was smart as hell that she was figuring out things way before the private investigator aka the person she paid to figure out things for her.
Eryx Demos for the most part was pretty good for a love interest and a character since his banter was Chry is what kept the book fun. At first he was an asshole then you realized he was a tortured soul like most of them are.
There is still really no World Building like in Shadows. Like I said in Shadows, Naxos is Victorian England. Nothing groundbreaking about it.
The Magical System still doesn’t make no lick of sense.
The plot is simple and nothing convoluted which is why the pacing is pretty fast in this. It also feels rushed towards the end and everything is wrapped up in a nice bow as always.
Some side characters of flat with the expectation of two or three you will care about.
No one really faces any consequences of their actions. I mean it’s a body count but no one seems to care about that at all.
There is feminism in this story like just in Shadows but if I get into the logistics of it this will turn into an essay. It just feels really shallow.
I have to remind myself that Chry and Eryx are 19 and 18 years old because both of them feel like they are in their 20’s just like Alessandra and Kallias did in Shadows. Like this supposed to be upper YA but could have benefited being NA because the Author tightropes the line between YA and NA.
All and All Like this one better than Shadows because I didn't take it as seriously as Shadows.
Recommend this if you want something low stakes, Enemies to Lovers, Witty banter, some feminism, don’t really care about world building ,plot, and magical system, some steam and romantic tension.
Stars: 3.5 Stars
Start Date : 03/18/24
Ending Date: 03/21/24
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Form: Audiobook Arc/ E-Arc
Page Count: 336
Publishing Date: 07/09/24
Point of View: 1st Person
Setting: Victorian England I mean Naxos
My Blog:
StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/b1185885-2f5e-4afd-a61d-b5baba1debf5
Thank you MacMillan Audio for the Audiobook Arc exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Edelweiss for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really can't believe I requested this after giving the Shadows between Us a 2.5 but here we go.
Which for the most part I enjoyed this more than Shadows even tho I was so close to DNFED it.
This is set around the same time as the Events of Shadows but can pretty much be read as a Stand Alone or a Companion Piece. If you don't want to be spoiled with some events of Shadows, you can read Shadows first then this but it's not needed to understand this because certain things will get explained. This is not a direct sequel to Shadows.
The Darkness Within Us is dealing with Chrysantha Santos aka Alessandra Sister which if you read Shadows was only mentioned in letters to Alessandra.
Chrysantha played the role of an airhead for seven years to get married to a duke who is actually a smart woman but her perception of her little sister is all wrong.
Chry is married to a duke at 19 which she gained the full Dukedom ( title, land ,and money) when the Duked died but lost it when his “ Grandson” Eryx Demos came back to claim it for him and want her gone.
I almost DNFED this at 13% if it was for the Chry and Eryx interaction at breakfast which saved it for me and made me give it a chance. Before that scene it was looking really shaky for me because I didn’t like Chry at all.
The banter between the two is really the backbone of this book and what keeps this book fun and funny. I saw another reviewer say this but think of The Princess Diaries Two which did give me those vibes. It also surprisingly gives me Beauty and the Beast vibes if you are familiar with the OG BATB story and not the Disney Version.
I didn’t like Chry at first because I felt she was very hypocritical towards her sister but she calls herself out on it towards the middle of the book. I do like the fact she does care about her servants to the point she gave them raises and felt like they were family towards here. Also the fact that she was smart as hell that she was figuring out things way before the private investigator aka the person she paid to figure out things for her.
Eryx Demos for the most part was pretty good for a love interest and a character since his banter was Chry is what kept the book fun. At first he was an asshole then you realized he was a tortured soul like most of them are.
There is still really no World Building like in Shadows. Like I said in Shadows, Naxos is Victorian England. Nothing groundbreaking about it.
The Magical System still doesn’t make no lick of sense.
The plot is simple and nothing convoluted which is why the pacing is pretty fast in this. It also feels rushed towards the end and everything is wrapped up in a nice bow as always.
Some side characters of flat with the expectation of two or three you will care about.
No one really faces any consequences of their actions. I mean it’s a body count but no one seems to care about that at all.
There is feminism in this story like just in Shadows but if I get into the logistics of it this will turn into an essay. It just feels really shallow.
I have to remind myself that Chry and Eryx are 19 and 18 years old because both of them feel like they are in their 20’s just like Alessandra and Kallias did in Shadows. Like this supposed to be upper YA but could have benefited being NA because the Author tightropes the line between YA and NA.
All and All Like this one better than Shadows because I didn't take it as seriously as Shadows.
Recommend this if you want something low stakes, Enemies to Lovers, Witty banter, some feminism, don’t really care about world building ,plot, and magical system, some steam and romantic tension.
jvlibrarian's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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.
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.
bookish_megeen's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me early access to this audiobook.
I love how Tricia writes her FMCs in this series, I never want it to stop! You can read this as a standalone but I recommend reading in order. This is one I will be buying myself. The narrator is top-notch. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good anti-herione in a historical fantasy read!
This is close door, which is fine but it seemed a bit abrupt to me.
I love how Tricia writes her FMCs in this series, I never want it to stop! You can read this as a standalone but I recommend reading in order. This is one I will be buying myself. The narrator is top-notch. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good anti-herione in a historical fantasy read!
This is close door, which is fine but it seemed a bit abrupt to me.
slewis0819's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
4.75
At first, I was so sad the second book wasn't about Alessandra, but then. BOOM. This book happened. I loved the first book in the series, but that could not have prepared me for how much more I would love this one. This book gave me regency romance mixed with fantasy- complete with the whole female rights issues. It was amazing to see how the duchess played men for years, with the simple skill of acting dumb in order to further her own agenda. Obviously, we still have a ways to go for female equality, and I really enjoyed this take on it for the fictional time period. Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of this audio!
theswordandthesea's review against another edition
4.25
Thanks to Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for the audio ARC. :)
This was even more fun than the first in the series! I haven't enjoyed YA this much in a while, but Tricia Levenseller gets it right. You've heard of grumpy sunshine but have you heard of grumpy grumpy? The enemies-to-lovers vibes are strong - these two loathe each other instantly.
"I don't want love and happiness. I want freedom."
With Chrysantha, I was getting strong Nesta vibes the entire time - she will do whatever it takes to get the power and peace she wants, love reading, & flirts via insult.
"Are you saying you would kill that man for me?"
Then there's Eryx, who arrives grumpy and mysterious but ultimately provides a delightful gender-swapped My Fair Lady moment. My Fair Duke? Chyrsantha making him suitable for public consumption was one of my favorite parts of the book.
This series is very trope-y but in a way that seems intentional and part of the fun. For a young adult audience, it's a perfect introduction to classic romance tropes, while staying appropriate for the age level since the only on-the-page spice is a kissing scene. Everything else is fade-to-black. The narration was seamless, clear, and lovely. Caitlin Davies delivers a great performance.
Basically, this series is pure fun and I hope there will be more of it!
This was even more fun than the first in the series! I haven't enjoyed YA this much in a while, but Tricia Levenseller gets it right. You've heard of grumpy sunshine but have you heard of grumpy grumpy? The enemies-to-lovers vibes are strong - these two loathe each other instantly.
"I don't want love and happiness. I want freedom."
With Chrysantha, I was getting strong Nesta vibes the entire time - she will do whatever it takes to get the power and peace she wants, love reading, & flirts via insult.
"Are you saying you would kill that man for me?"
Then there's Eryx, who arrives grumpy and mysterious but ultimately provides a delightful gender-swapped My Fair Lady moment. My Fair Duke? Chyrsantha making him suitable for public consumption was one of my favorite parts of the book.
This series is very trope-y but in a way that seems intentional and part of the fun. For a young adult audience, it's a perfect introduction to classic romance tropes, while staying appropriate for the age level since the only on-the-page spice is a kissing scene. Everything else is fade-to-black. The narration was seamless, clear, and lovely. Caitlin Davies delivers a great performance.
Basically, this series is pure fun and I hope there will be more of it!
sofiesbooked's review against another edition
5.0
Initial thoughts:
Uh oh I finished it in one day. 4.5⭐️
The audio was great. Romance is the plot. Make it through the first 15% and you’re solid. There is more fantasy ish in this one. Ya and standalone.
Full RTC
Uh oh I finished it in one day. 4.5⭐️
The audio was great. Romance is the plot. Make it through the first 15% and you’re solid. There is more fantasy ish in this one. Ya and standalone.
Full RTC