The Shadows Between Us
Ratings139
Average rating3.6
I was all set for this to be a deliciously wicked 5-star read with some wickedly clever characters, but just a few chapters in and I was already disappointed. The characters were not clever but contrived and cliche and just so boringly common ... and the worst part is that they believe they are the smartest people in the room. You know who's simultaneously the smartest and so-naive-as-to-get-tricked people in the room are? Us readers, who figured out exactly who was behind the assassination plot as soon as those characters were introduced – and who got this book in the first place thinking we were going to get something so much better. I cry for us all.
Plot was way too predictable and I hated the protagonist. She was a “not like other girls” girl and that's annoying as hell.
This was a fun ride!
We follow Alessandra, the second daughter of a vicount, i think. So she's determined to make her own way by seducing and killing the king. As these things go, it's not smooth sailing.
We follow her very slithering perspective and it's really entertaining finding out how she tackles every obstacle.
The romance is great, because it's not your typical dark and brooding character seduces a pure and do-gooder. Nope, these two are slitherings through and through.
Overall a fun and easy read with cool story, fun characters and a romance to weirdly root for.
Contains spoilers
On the one hand, the story had potential, and apart from a bad taste in women, Kallias is a nice guy. But the female protagonist is a real piece of work. She thinks she's all sneaky and smart, but in fact she's just an arrogant diva who's lucky because she finds rich friends. She has no respect for the working class at all and only thinks about her own happiness. And just when you think she's grown a little and learned to love someone, her first solution is to kill him because things aren't going well. What? What's wrong with a good conversation?
For good measure, I tear my sister's note to pieces before tossing the paper to the floor for someone else to clean up.
GRRAAAAA! The rage I felt🤬 Is it the author's intention to make troelala as unlikeable as possible?
This review would have been a lot more positive if she got what was coming to her at the end. Apparently Charlie N. Holmberg was a feedback partner during the writing, so now I'm worried about Holmberg's books on my TBR.
It was a pain to read, I cringed so bad. This is book meant for teenagers and not adults and as an adult, I won't look at this book or series ever again.
I'm sorry to say this wasn't it for me. Thought about DNFing this book several times to be honest. I just didn't like the main character at all (and it's not because she's morally grey, i just could not sympathise with her at all). I liked the idea but not the execution of this book, it felt a bit like a (not so well written) fanfiction. I will say that I liked the last 100 pages a lot betterbecause it picked up a little speed then.
This book... It made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. I'm so glad I read it when I did, it had everything I needed in the moment and for once the fmc didn't irritate me.
Re-read: I don't regret my re-read at all. Kallias is amazing and that is all I have to say
THERE WERE SOME MOMENTS WHERE I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK, but honestly 4,75⭐️
I absolutely loved it!!
Alessandra carried this book.
It is my opinion that she is single-handedly the best fl I have ever crossed paths with. Reading her POV was a genuine delight and I, thankfully, did not want to end my mental suffering after reading an entire book in her perspective, as I do with most other female leads.
This book is a guilty pleasure read though because everything else was mid. But her? She is my queen (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ).
Do yourself a favour and read this book just to see the funny shit she pulls. The way she treats her father & that opening with her POV of her little affair with Helikopter is absolutely hilarious.
lovely use of my time :DD
I've been wanting to read this book since a year and I finally came around to do so. I found this right after reading Shadow and Bone and the idea of reading about another shadow king who is morally gray in character. However, Kallias wasn't as brutal or tough as my dearest Darkling was. He was rather sweet, adorable like a puppy and this is actually a love story rather than rivalry.
Fantasy grasps my attention very rarely but this one was very soft and easy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
3.5 stars
the build up was SO interesting and i really wanted the story to go a different way then where it went but i'm content with what i got
I found the characters to be pretty dislikable, not a whole lot of redeeming qualities for the main character, nor do I think they were suppose to be all that likeable. I did enjoy the story overall but I don't think I'll be reading a sequel.
3.5/5 stars
I surprisingly enjoyed this a lot.
Although, the world building was a bit lackluster and the ending felt a bit rushed.
However, I still had a wonderful time reading this.
Why didn't anyone tell me this had morally gray characters acting on their own selfish desires? My favorite thing in books??? I would have read this a long time ago. I'm pissed at all of you.
I enjoyed how both the characters were kind of evil and willing to kill, although the ending turned into a sappy cringefest.
Personally I really enjoyed this book. Lately, I have be wanting more morally grey characters rather than good guys, and this book sure delivered on that aspect.
I also loved the romance between the main characters. The fact that for almost all of the book they weren't actually romantic (traditionally) was a bit refreshing to watch play out, because they became ‘best friends' and then told each other they were in love.
I did not see that ending twist coming and for that I applaud it, but I found it almost underwhelming and also leaving me wondering if ANYONE could have guessed it because there were not hints at all.
Although there were a couple things I thought were lacking in the book, maybe it was the writing, but I'm not 100% what was missing from this book. That is why I would give it 4 stars, but this book was a great standalone overall!
This book was everything I expected from it. An easy read, court plots and great romance.
Gave me gossip girl vibe from another decade.
4.50 stars
Pretty predictable but I still loved it. Engrossed, from the very first page!
08/26/2024 - I still loved it after all this time.
Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Morally Grey Characters, Friends to Lovers, Vengeful, Lies & Betrayals, Power Seeking, Seduce the Shadow King, Close Door Romance.
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08/18/2020 - I started reading this book on a kindle edition, immediately falling in love with it that I had to purchase a physical copy.
This book was a little different from other fantasies I've read; liking how the heroine of the story (Alessandra) wasn't such an innocent, quick lovable character. She was tough, straightforward, ambitious in fighting for what she wanted, and also having skeletons in her closet most men would say clear from. Deep down inside all she wanted was someone to see her for who she truly was.
Then there's the Shadow King: ruthless, handsome, kind, and lonely. He's determined to find out the truth about his parents and wont let anything or anyone stop him...until Alessandra changes everything.
I loved the dynamic of these characters, their friendship, their slow burn romance, and how they helped each other even through all their flaws. I know this is a stand alone story but I would love to see this world keep growing.
