Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

56 reviews

kylieqrada's review

Go to review page

dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

OK but this was hella cute though. Tricia Levenseller can write a dark romance, mmkay?? Very pleasantly surprised by the strong characterization and rejection of stereotyping and gender roles in this one. 👏 We stan a powerful, assertive queen! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sayvilahsiav's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Contents

Why I picked it up?


I have been reading many series, but I wanted to read a standalone but not a contemporary one. I wanted to read a fantasy or Sci-Fi standalone. So I landed up with The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller. Now you might say there are other maybe better Standalones and yes I believe there are but this had relatively fewer pages. It's a short book with around 300 pages only. What's more? It's actually a very easy and quick read for such a dark synopsis. Which is why I'm quite disappointed. But not entirely.

Why I liked it?


I have given this book an overall of 4 stars. Let's see how:

The book opens with a promise of a Slytherin romance, oh yes, and a quote from Damon Salvatore. Tricia Levenseller is a Vampire Diaries Fan?! I have very high expectations now. Now it wasn't exactly my favourite Damon Salvatore quote but duh, it's Damon, what's not likeable? I imagined either of the main characters will have a similar personality but ouch!

Enemies to Lovers trope


Oh yeah, I love it! I'm a total fan because ooh the tension they have throughout the story and ah the slow burn. But well, in Tricia's The Shadows Between Us, it was more like Friends to Potential Enemies to Lovers kinda thing which is weird... But I'm all for non-clichés as much as for clichés so yay. I loved how they were instant friends and not instantly in love. Friends, at first sight, is a yes-yes. It's allowed. It's legal, it's a goodie. They get along quite well. For the former half of their friendship, the Shadow King is quite distant but after a certain adventure Alessandra has with a certain someone, the Shadawww King gets jelly, I guess and things start getting better.

What I love the most about their relationship is how honest they are with each other. I know this was supposed to be a dark mysterious book but for once, there's no weird unexplainable romantic cliché moments and practices where when either of the couples is mad at the other, they leave the other to guess it rather than speaking up and expecting them to be human and not God who can read minds. So here, Tricia, a star for this.

Sex Positivity


Some would say that The Shadows Between Us is sexualized but bruh, sex is just like food. You consume (or consummate) for pleasuring either or all of your senses. Just get over it already. What I love about Alessandra and the Shadow King is that despite being in a Monarchy, they don't go with olden times cliché thinking that women don't deserve the same sexual rights as men. If men are allowed to have partners before marriage... All men and women and other genders, as well as all sexual orientations (This Book Has Healthy LGBTQ+ Scenes!), deserve equal rights, even sexual. I like that Shadow King so easily was in favour of it. It was unexpected and I liked that surprise. So another star for you, Tricia.

“Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgement either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn‘t do in the bedroom.”
Alessandra Stathos, The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

Modernish Period


Okay, I know at one glance that doesn't make sense but lemme elaborate on that. So it's kinda a period drama. You know what I mean by the 'period' in a 'period drama', right? I mean that it's historical. Of a different period. The Shadows Between Us is a period drama but it's Modernish if that makes sense to you. (It doesn't to me.) It gives the feel of a changing time. (Or does it?) Some people say that it's a poorly written period drama but maybe Tricia Levenseller intended to add Modernish elements in a period drama to make it a tad different than the usual ones?

You can understand that from how there's electricity and chocolate and éclairs and women wearing pants and there's boxing and even birth control and club's and despite being a patriarchal monarchy, Alessandra's father's only disgusted and doesn't really ban Alessandra's bedtime activities... Maybe I'm not well-read on history, but it feels like those things aren't common in period dramas... They're not completely absent, just rare. I liked this modernisation of the period. It's completely ridiculous and that's the fun part of it. It does feel a bit weird to get used to but then it's a fantasy world so dream on!

Dark Grey Characters


The characters of The Shadows Between Us are so confusingly morally grey and that just adds to the joy of the book. Let's start with Alessandra.

Alessandra Stathos


When they say that she's not like other girls, it's true. She's different. Funny. All characters are so funny. She's just so bad... she's bad like Damon Salvatore. She's good to only people she likes who are her friends and rest everyone, she won't think twice before killing them if need be. She's not driven by positive emotions. She's fierce and passionate. Whether it's love or hate, she is intense about it. I like that about her. She's not shallow nor blunt, only honest, despite her seemingly despicable character. (On a side note, the author failed to make her as dark as intended. Nevertheless, I enjoyed her character.)

“Aren't we all drawn to friends in the beginning by trifling things? True bonds develop afterward, when character is revealed.”
Alessandra Stathos, The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

I love that she sews. I enjoy sewing myself (up to no good!). I loved the way Alessandra would take inspiration from things around her and sew her own dresses. Some would say that that's not something you expect from a sinister heroine planning to take over the world, but I'm reminded of a quote by Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries/The Originals, “Painting is a metaphor for control. Every choice is mine. The canvas, the colour. As a child, I had neither a sense of the world nor my place in it but art taught me that one’s vision can be achieved with the sheer force of will. The same is true of life, provided one refuses to let anything stand in one’s way.” For Alessandra, sewing her own dresses is a metaphor for control over her own life. She may be wishing to command people but she's not lazy and dependent. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty to do her own work. Her independence along with her desire to rule over the world is what made her a great potential dark queen. I expected and would have loved to see her actually own the throne (while she decides not to kill the king and just traps him to toy with him and eventually falls in love and rules the kingdom with him happily ever after.)

That's what I'm talking about! There was so much build-up around her taking over the kingdoms and I kept expecting to see some actually dark drama but I never got it! I'm unsatisfied. Hence losing a star here.

Despite all of that, I loved her: she was unapologetically herself, was ruthless but still kind. She's just a fun person to be around. Like the Shadow King wears Shadows around him, Alessandra wears Confidence

Kallias Maheras - The Shadow King


“My little hellion. Quite the force to be reckoned with, aren't you? Oh, say you'll marry me, Alessandra!”
The Shadow King, The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller


Contrary to his name, he was too much of a softie. From the very beginning. I expected him to be dark and brooding and intimidating but he was just impeccably a pile of sweetness engulfed in shadows. So how it primarily went wrong?

Here's what happened: the no-touching rule was created for slow-burn romance but it only made the king look like a lost puppy in desperate need of human touch and love. This made him look so vulnerable.

Here's what could have happened: If the romance was actually dark, then there wouldn't be the need for the no-touching rule. The king would have been more unreachable if he wasn't that desperate for Alessandra's friendship. She'd have to try harder playing more sinister tricks (like murdering some mistress(es), the king would play with despite playing the ruse to court a noble lady.) You get me, right? I wouldn't even try to be a writer and rewrite the entire book but there's an idea.

Since that didn't happen, we ended up with two fluffy doggos in the book: The King and his pet dog.

In order to avoid getting hurt, his exceptional abilities prevent him from having normal human contact. This has resulted in tremendous loneliness and an unspoken need for affection. He can't be the ruthless leader he wants to be, in all honesty, if he's vulnerable like that. In no way can I imagine him in such a way. This fundamental flaw of his stands in his way to magnanimity. Underneath the shadows, he's a hopeless romantic.

“He swallows the bite in his mouth. “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?”
The Shadow King, The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller


Other Characters

Rhoda - Rhoda was the only lady in the court (except Alessandra herself) who was not copying other ladies just to woo the king. She is not conventional and open-minded. I like how she quite easily accepts Galen, her manservant, as her love interest. I like how she's not obsessed with boy-talk like every other lady in court. She's a daring and admiring woman.

Hestia - Hestia is typical court lady in the beginning. She copies Alessandra because she doesn't believe she can be herself and still be enough. But through the course of her friendship with Alessandra, and with her influence, she changes drastically and for the better. One time she even says, “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.” I so agree with her.

Leandros/Xanthos - Despite his charming demeanour, I always suspected Leandros. What I did not expect was what I found out. I also secretly dreaded that Alessandra might kill the Shadow King and end up with Leandros. I liked how sweet he was but I was there for forbidden romance and not some cheesy cliché again. Nevertheless, he was an important character and served his purpose fully by the end.

Orrin, Lady Zervas, Alessandra's Father, Alessandra's Sister, as well as Lord Vasco, Rhouben and Petros also were greatly written chracters serving some purpose however little it was. There were surpise elements around many and unless I'm dumb, they actually were surpising to me.

Final Thoughts

The Shadows Between Us has a great synopsis and I do judge books by their synopsis. The whole idea of a Slytherin romance was alluring. The build-up from the synopsis was quite much but it didn't stand up to it. Regardless the book turned out to be very entertaining.

The plot had a lot of potentials. At every step of the book, there was the opportunity for something sinister but Tricia Levenseller simply ignored it. The book lacks mystery. It lacks subtlety. It lacks depth. While I liked the romance in the book as it was not as cheesy as many romances in fiction and fantasy books, I cannot help but feel unsatisfied. I wanted more, a lot more. Something which would bond the characters even more. To say it, maybe the book was too realistic about the romance? I wouldn't say I hated it but I would have liked to see it more developed and darker. Dark, that's my point.

The Shadows Between Us doesn't exactly justify the primary theme of the book which is a dark forbidden romance between two morally grey characters. It has much more humour than acceptable for a dark setting. There's also the poor world-building which is not entirely broken, just pretty humour. There is development in characters but I feel like even if this was a duology, we could have seen much more enhancements in the personalities of the characters.

The whole scene about Hektor could also have been more developed. She said nobody could find out until they do(we knew that would happen). But what is funny is that it turns out to be not a serious matter. It's unexpected but funny, how The Shadow King doesn't react in the way I thought he might. There are unexpectedly surprising (#TVD) but not mysterious elements throughout the book that saved it from losing another half-star and kept the book entertaining enough for me to finish it within a week or so (I'm a slow reader so that's a lot).

“Kallias laughs so loudly and abruptly, I nearly topple out of the armchair. He has his hands on his knees while his whole body shakes from the force of the laughter. What the devils?
Did I break the king?”
Alessandra Stathos, The Shadows Between Us - Tricia Levenseller

The book is more dialogue-heavy and that also adds to the lack of depth and darkness. I'd have liked to read more of the psychology behind the scenes than just the scenes. It lacked commentary.

So that's where it loses the One star: it was good but not what I expected.

The book was original and/or unlike any I've read. I would love to read more of Tricia Levenseller's, in the hopes that this time she delivers what she intends. Tell me what do you think of the book. I welcome similar recommendations and your thoughts even if they don't align with mine.

Thank you for reading, have a good day!

This book is available as a hardcover. However, I'd highly recommend listening to the audiobook as it has great narration. You can get it from here to support me: https://amzn.to/3CB66O4 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

anasc007's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

aus_1521's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

madarauchiha's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜  my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️

I... didn't expect to like this so much. It was a potato chip: delicious, not that filling, but if you like the flavor then it brightens your life while it lasts. It's nothing I'd gush over to friends per se, the plot was interesting and the MC was funny and I enjoyed watching her antics.

It does suffer from a white author trying to write Black characters or characters of color. I've noticed that the characters are essentially white. They just happen to have darker skin tones. By that I mean they don't have culture or specific link to a race or ethnicity.

▪ Hestia’s coloring is a rich umber with yellow undertones. She wears her hair short, only about an inch from her scalp, the strands wrapping in tight coils. The lack of length shows off her gorgeous earrings, a pair of garnets encased in complicated brasswork.

▪ The strands are the same color as my black hair, but her skin is a bit darker, more amber than my dark beige.

So the MC and a few other characters are technically characters of color. But again, they have no culture, no generational traditions passed from person to person, no communal links to each other. Beyond descriptions there's not really personalized touches, like you'd expect if a black character / character of color was portrayed as actually black / of color. 

Have fun, but don't expect much in terms of personal representation if you're a Black reader or Reader of Color.

Content warnings:

minor drugs opium, manipulation, blackmail, torture, murder, 

medium colonization, violence, parent death, orphaning, hanging, NSFW, slut shaming, whorephobic language, 

major dogs, gambling, death, gore, murder, poison, alcohol use, body horror, murder, parental death, gore, anti sex worker sentiment, gun violence, guns, 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

alexiab's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m not sure why I’m surprised I loved every second of this book, but for some reason I am. It started off with a bang, and man it just kept HITTIN.

I absolutely love to see a story focusing around really terrible people and having a good time watching them just... be terrible together. It was so much fun, and I honestly wish more fantasy stories were like this. Fuck honour and nobility and all that jazz, let’s take what we want and fuck up people’s lives and have a GREAT TIME DOING IT. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sunsetcity's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nerdybirdy101's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

So, I have wanted to read this book since it first came out. I have heard some not-good reviews which caused me to put off reading this, but I finally decided to do it. I am glad that I did read it because I ended up enjoying it! From the description, we get that our main character Alessandra wants to woo, marry, and then kill the King for the throne. I liked that and Alessandra is a woman who knows what she wants and will do whatever to accomplish her goals. I liked how we got to see Alessandra be convinced she was going to accomplish her goals without change, but then see her adapt her behavior. I thought it was a nice change. And the romance part of the book was sweet because you had two stubborn people realize they had feelings. I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 because it was better than average (3 stars) and it was good (4 stars) where it falls nicely between the two ratings. I still think you should give this book a chance and read it for yourself. It would make a nice adaptation. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ednam0dewannabe's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

call_me_elle's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings