Romance. Assassins. Murder. Lavish, elegant balls. LGBTQ+ representation. And a cunning protagonist who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. This book has it all.
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller is a YA fantasy romance novel. The protagonist, Alessandra Stathos, has a plan for her future with three simple steps: 1) Woo the Shadow King, 2) marry the Shadow King, and 3) kill the Shadow King and take his kingdom for hers. But his mysterious shadow powers force him to keep her at a distance, complicating her plan—as does the fact that she's not the only one wishing for the king's death. Her quest for power now must include keeping the king alive long enough to marry him—but will she be able to keep her heart as well?
Tricia Levenseller is easily one of my favorite authors. She has such a lovely way of writing that pulls me in and delivers enough suspense to keep the plot moving and allow me to draw my own conclusions, all while weaving an irresistible web of romance. Alessandra is ruthless, confident, and unapologetic. She challenges everything she comes across that doesn't fit with her desires in such a way that the Shadow King has no choice but to agree with her. She reminds me a bit of Kaz Brekker from Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.
It was so exciting to see Alessandra do the things she did. While the novel is set in a medieval fantasy period with kings, queens, nobles, horse-drawn carriages, and balls, Alessandra doesn't let that stop her from doing things we would consider improper for that time period. She has multiple lovers and doesn't believe a woman must be celibate before marriage. She isn't afraid to dirty her hands and get down to business. She creates her own clothing that shows more skin than other ladies approve of. She encourages her friends to go after what—or whom—they want without caring about societal customs and classes. (Another thing Levenseller does that I love is include LGBTQ+ characters in her books as naturally as heteronormative characters, despite the "conservative" setting.)
The only thing I would change is that I wish this book were longer. I forced myself to slow down while reading it because I wanted it to last longer. I loved watching Alessandra and Kallias's (the Shadow King) relationship bloom, and all her cunning plans come to fruition. While there is another book in the works centering around Alessandra's sister, I would happily read more about Alessandra and Kallias if Levenseller ever wrote another book for them.
I have no hesitation in rating The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller 5/5 stars. Maybe I'll finally branch out and find a new author to devour next. (It's unlikely. Levenseller has one more book I haven't read yet.)
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