The Shadows Between Us

January 31, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Lady Alessandra Stathos aims to woo the Shadow King, marry him, and then kill him to take the kingdom for herself. Alessandra is no stranger to murder-in the opening of the book she admits to killing her first love after he rejects her-and shows no remorse for what she has done. She has all the details thought out regarding how she can gain the king's attention, make him fall in love with her, and carry out her plan. However, she does not anticipate enjoying the king's company, helping protect him from assassination attempts, or having to work around the shadows and rules that surround him. Alessandra is hardly likable-she is cunning and deceitful, and she loves to toy with others-yet readers will root for her. The ending ties up a bit too quickly and predictably, but this is a satisfying and engaging tale. VERDICT Hand this fantasy to readers who want a fun read with villains as the stars.-Megan Huenemann, Norris High School, Firth, NE

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Alessandra has been in love before, and it's not a mistake she plans to make again. When the first boy she fell for unceremoniously broke her heart, she murdered him and covered up the crime. Now she collects lovers and leaves behind a string of broken hearts of her own. But she has higher ambitions. While her father works to make an advantageous marriage for her demure older sister, Alessandra schemes to woo the mysterious Shadow King?the enigmatic young leader who commands a host of shadows and won't let anyone touch him. Undaunted and politically savvy, Alessandra plans to win his hand, assassinate him, and then take the throne for herself. But the Shadow King is as cunning as she, and in him, she may have met her match. Though she never makes her dark-hearted heroine too truly villainous, Levenseller (Warrior of the Wild, 2019) deftly examines a woman's choices in a world that, while more progressive than ours, still finds ways to constrain. A viciously satisfying romance featuring two well-matched opponents.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)