“Nobody knows the truth about the Shadow King’s power. Some say he can make the shadows that swirl around him do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the hidden thoughts of his enemies. One thing’s for sure: his kingdom is vast, and ruthlessly ambitious Alessandra wants it for herself. Her plan? Woo the Shadow King, marry him, then kill him and take over his domain. But Alessandra’s not the only one attempting to kill the king. As he dodges assassination attempts, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough to become his queen – all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, what better match for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?”
What is the book about?
Alessandra doesn’t know much about the Shadow King, but, in reality, no one knows the truth about him and why there is a law against anyone touching him or getting too near him or why he has shadows that swirl around him wherever he goes. There are rumours about what they are for. Some say that the shadows protect him from attack; others say that they do his bidding, and some even say that they speak to him and are able to read the minds of his enemies and tell him everything they are thinking about. But Alessandra does know one thing: she is sick of being overlooked just because she is the second born daughter and she is going to change that. Her plan is simple and has only 3 steps. First, she must catch the attention of the Shadow King. Next, she has to get him to marry her. And lastly, the most important part, she must kill him and take his kingdom for herself. This will allow her to take control and she will have all the power she could ever want. However, she soon realises that her plan is easier said than done and, although she may be able to get through the first 2 phases of the plan, the third step might appear tougher than she initially though. What if she doesn’t want to kill him? What if Alessandra is falling in love with the king? After all, she may have found her perfect match – a man as cunning and as ruthless as her…
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I have wanted to read this book for years ever since I first heard about it from my reader friend who also had it on her book wish list. I didn’t buy the book for several years from the moment I learnt about it, mainly because it was way more expensive than any other book I could buy, so I chose to wait and now I regret the time I spent without reading it. Once I finally purchased it I had the book gathering dust on my bookshelf for only a couple of months (which I am quite proud of as usually the books I buy spend no less than a year on the shelf until I decide to read them) and having it there made me want to read it even more because I knew I had it in my possession. I had read the blurb and admired the cover for so long and when I finally decided to start reading I was so scared that I expected too much from it and that the build-up wouldn’t be worth it. I was absolutely terrified but once I started to read I forgot all about my worries and completely devoured the book. The first sentence is perfect and immediately hooks its audience and leaves you reading until the end of the chapter and by that point you are so lost in the story that there is no hope for you to ever escape (not that you’d want to).
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character of this book would probably have to be Alessandra. I really admired her because of how she acted like a woman should act. She was so strong and ruthless and never let a man have the higher ground. I loved the way she was so ambitious and that she -had the self-confidence to be able to pursue her ambitions because she knew that her beauty and talents were enough to get her where she needed to be. I also loved how she wasn’t ashamed of herself and the things she had done that might’ve made some men desire her less. However, my favourite thing about her was her intelligence and her feminist ways. She wanted to use the power she would get from the king in order to change the law on women and change the way that they were treated. I loved seeing the way that she was able to implement tiny changes when the king allowed her to sit in on his meetings and I knew that, if she did kill the king to get total control, she would be an amazing ruler. Maybe she is a bit to cunning and cut-throat, however those qualities allow her to lead and take control and show that she means business in the things she means to change. Alessandra was such a strong, powerful character and I strive to have that kind of confidence and ability to get what I want when I want it.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
As soon as I finished the book I immediately rushed to answer this question because, for once, I knew the answer. My favourite part of The Shadows Between Us was when the Shadow King finally realised that he wanted Alessandra for more than just a fake relationship. The scene in her bathroom was pure perfection. The way the Shadow King cared for Alessandra and carried her to the bathroom and massaged her as she washed her feet, which were in pain from the earlier events, made me want someone to care for me that way. And then what he did next left me in pure shock, even though I knew it had been a long time coming. To have a man love you so much that he is willing to give up immortality and all the power in the world just so he can grow old with you and love you in ways that he wouldn’t be able to if he kept the power he had, that is the most amazing feeling in the world and it made me so jealous of Alessandra, who was receiving this love. The events that came in love left me feeling even more jealous and I specifically liked how the scene was descriptive, but didn’t go as far as some of the newer books go. I just loved this whole part, specifically the bathroom scene, and it still leaves me in tears knowing that he loved her that much. It was amazing.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, The Shadows Between Us was an incredible book and I know now that I should have read it earlier but I do think that the wait was worth it because I think it made me love the book more. One thing I really loved about the book was the romance. I know that a lot of people would probably say that the romance wasn’t good enough because there wasn’t enough spice, however that was the reason I loved it. I know that this is an unpopular opinion but I hate spice. I don’t need a detailed description of something as private as the physical relationship between the characters, all I need is a strong romance and some cute sweet moments and some moments where the guy does really thoughtful things for the girl. Personally I think that authors that resort to using spice in order to get more people to read their book know that their plot isn’t good enough and just need to add something to attract to a bigger audience. The romance in The Shadows Between Us had some low level spicy moments, however the majority of the parts that I loved were moments when you could really see that the Shadow King loved Alessandra and that he wanted her more than anything in the world. Those moments left me wishing I could have that and I know that I will never get what they had, but at least I can imagine I have (honestly I’m living vicariously through the characters in my books). Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was the first person perspective. Over the last couple of years I have gotten used to third person storytelling, however first person is the viewpoint that I always used to prefer as a child and this book was written so tell that I did enjoy it being told from this point of view and it did make me think of the books that I used to love when I was little. Honestly I think that the fact that the book was told from the first person made it easier for me to forget that I was reading because I could put myself in Alessandra’s shoes a lot easier. One last thing I wanted to mention about the book was how the plot was so well thought out and the story flowed so easily. I loved the whole plot and how all Alessandra wanted was for the king to fall in love with her so she could get the power she always wanted. However, as the book goes on she starts to change her mind until she realises that she actually ended up falling in love with him. The plot was so well written and, even though I knew that this was going to happen (because it was a little predictable), I loved it and enjoyed seeing the shock and confusion Alessandra went through when she started to realise that seeing the king made her react in a way that it really shouldn’t if she was supposed to continue on with her plan. The Shadows Between Us was amazing and I really want to read other books by this author (which I have done before when I read Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen, but I want to read more because I have loved all her books). It was so easy to read and I literally read it in only a couple of days as I was so desperate to finish it.
Would you recommend this book?
This is a book that I will always recommend because it is such an easy read and is perfect in every way. I particularly recommend it for readers who are at least 16 years old and enjoy fantasy and romance, but I am sure others will also enjoy it if they give it a try.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A magical, gripping tale of high fantasy and a romance that will leave you wishing you could also have that.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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