BOOKS | Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Name: The Shadows Between Us
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Date published: February 2020
Genre: Fiction, young adult, romance, fantasy
Pages: 326
Rating: 4/5

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

- From Goodreads.

The Shadows Between Us was exciting, thrilling, and generally just incredibly fun to read. I was intrigued by the mystery and found the final reveal at the end to be satisfying and unexpected. The romance was passionate and I always wanted to read more of the intense interactions between Alessandra and the Shadow King. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read then I would definitely recommend this book.
There were some moments when I felt a little more depth could have been a good addition, where perhaps the author could have taken a little more time to describe a moment and look a little more deeply into Alessandra's character. I also would have been interested to learn a little more about the world the book was set in, and found a few places where a few more details about the setting could have been added. Overall though I found I mostly did not need more depth or worldbuilding and really enjoyed reading the story as it was. I never once found the story confusing or found myself lost, so it was very easy to read.
One part of the world I really liked was that there were different kinds of relationships, men were with men and women were with women, and it was never questioned and Alessandra saw it as completely normal. It was really nice to read a story where there was not even a hint of anyone ever being attacked because of their sexuality and I hope I will read more stories like that in the future.
Alessandra was a really interesting main character. I do not think I have ever before read from the perspective of a character who is so morally grey, who was so certain of herself, who knew what she wanted, how to get it, and knew that she deserved it, who did bad things but did not regret them or wonder if she should not have done them. Although I was not sure I liked her views on the lower classes of her world and how they were treated, and I think I would have perhaps liked to see more development and growth in that facet of her character and in that part of the story, I still found myself liking her and wanting things to end well for her. I really liked the female friendships that developed over the course of the book between Alessandra and a couple of the other characters, and I loved Alessandra's point of view on how women should be able to choose what they do with their bodies, who they love and when they have sex.
The Shadow King was an excellent love interest. I loved how we got to know more about him and his backstory as the novel went on, and his personality just made him a perfect match for Alessandra, so I loved the way their relationship built up.
Overall, while I had a few thoughts on ways the story could be improved, reading it was such an enjoyable experience and I can definitely see myself reading it again. If you're looking for a dark romance with a bit of humour that is fun to read then I would absolutely recommend this book.