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babwans's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Child abuse
maiishigami's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-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
3.75
it was a book that brough a good change of pace, especially an evil minded heroine, although some of it were predictable towards the end I enjoyed it but it did take me a while to finish.
Not much world-building, I did hope we could get more information about their world but the setting was mostly inside the palace with a trip inside a carriage here and there.
Though I must say, The Shadows Between Us is literally Shadow and Bone if the heroine went with the darkling.
Not much world-building, I did hope we could get more information about their world but the setting was mostly inside the palace with a trip inside a carriage here and there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
emilylovesgoodbooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
katvou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Slavery, Child death, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Sexism
extrafolklore's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
kimmag92's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book would have been better had the author wrote it as adult fantasy romance. You could tell that they wanted to write the sex but couldn’t because it’s a YA book. I found much of the plot rushed and have a lot of questions about how the world works. Overall, the book was fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Alessandra's father wants to marry off both his daughters, but since his firstborn, Chrysantha, has been rejected by the Shadow King, he has married her off to a rich, older titled man & plans to do the same for Alessandra. Alessandra has other plans though & has set her sights on marrying the King, killing him, & taking over the kingdom for herself. She's no stranger to murder having killed her first love, the man who crushed her heart by rejecting her for another.
Alessandra travels to the court with her father & manages to catch the King's attention & learns that he is practically immortal but that his power comes from the shadows which swirl around him, but if he touches anyone then his power is neutralised whilst they are nearby - only then is he vulnerable. Much as she tries, Alessandra doesn't seem to be able to break through the King's reticence to grow closer, until she unthinkingly puts herself in harm's way to foil an assassin. Was it because Alessandra is determined that she will be the one to kill the King & he won't die until she is ready, or is there now another reason that she wants him to live?
The first half of the book is entertaining & it has a killer opening line - it really sets up Alessandra's character as a woman who is not afraid to have ambition & who has broken all society's rules by taking lovers before marriage. When one of her former paramours threatens to tell all & disgrace her to the court, she's not about to let him ruin her plans & so schemes a way to get rid of the threat. Got to love a woman who doesn't pull her punches! As for the second half, well let's just say I've not been this disappointed since I read Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.
If you're going to lure me in with a villainous cunning protagonist, then give me that for the entire book. After the first half set up, I was expecting a duel of wits & minds between Alessandra & Kallias (the Shadow King), even that maybe he was going to pull some kind of double-cross on her, but the story trajectory became entirely too predictable. Shame as it started out so well as something different but then became pedestrian. Overall, it was a game of two halves as they say. I really liked the first half & wish the second half had lived up to that promise. It was still kind of enjoyable though & I like the cover.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pushkin Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Alessandra travels to the court with her father & manages to catch the King's attention & learns that he is practically immortal but that his power comes from the shadows which swirl around him, but if he touches anyone then his power is neutralised whilst they are nearby - only then is he vulnerable. Much as she tries, Alessandra doesn't seem to be able to break through the King's reticence to grow closer, until she unthinkingly puts herself in harm's way to foil an assassin. Was it because Alessandra is determined that she will be the one to kill the King & he won't die until she is ready, or is there now another reason that she wants him to live?
The first half of the book is entertaining & it has a killer opening line - it really sets up Alessandra's character as a woman who is not afraid to have ambition & who has broken all society's rules by taking lovers before marriage. When one of her former paramours threatens to tell all & disgrace her to the court, she's not about to let him ruin her plans & so schemes a way to get rid of the threat. Got to love a woman who doesn't pull her punches! As for the second half, well let's just say I've not been this disappointed since I read Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake.
If you're going to lure me in with a villainous cunning protagonist, then give me that for the entire book. After the first half set up, I was expecting a duel of wits & minds between Alessandra & Kallias (the Shadow King), even that maybe he was going to pull some kind of double-cross on her, but the story trajectory became entirely too predictable. Shame as it started out so well as something different but then became pedestrian. Overall, it was a game of two halves as they say. I really liked the first half & wish the second half had lived up to that promise. It was still kind of enjoyable though & I like the cover.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pushkin Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
headinthepages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I so enjoyed reading about Allessandra - a fiery independent murdress, and a shadow king brought together.
I loved the story and loved the romance and could happily read an entire series about these characters!
I loved the story and loved the romance and could happily read an entire series about these characters!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Body horror, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
kccool12255's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is the SLOWEST slow-burn romance I think I've ever read in my LIFE. For that reason, it's also my favorite. The SEXUAL TENSION in this book is PERFECTION. It took them SO LONG TO KISS AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT. The plot twists were pretty good, I liked the characters a lot, they dealt really well with Kallias's faults and his flaws as a character, which is good. Dealing with Hektor's murder was also really well dealt with, I thought it would just be a passing mention, but it actually plays into the plot. Leandros plot twist is also nice, I mean it was a bit predictable but it was pretty good. I definitely didn't see it coming. The one criticism I have is that this book tries a little bit too hard just in being a YA novel. The dog's name is Demodocus, and there's a character named Hestia. Like, why the Greek mythology? It's just a little bit too superfluous. But overall, it was AMAZING, I couldn't put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Cursing, Blood, Sexual content, and Death
twiglt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: War