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The Shadows Between Us

Written by: Tricia Levenseller
Narrated by: Caitlin Davies
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Publisher's Summary

"Few audiobooks warrant turning off all distractions, closing one's eyes, and simply listening to the story unfold. Narrator Caitlin Davies creates just that experience as she passionately guides listeners through this gripping story of ambition, love, and desire." (AudioFile Magazine)

Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King, is back with an epic YA tale of ambition and love in The Shadows Between Us....

"They’ve never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart. And they never will."

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?

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends

"Tricia Levenseller’s latest, The Shadows Between Us, is a decadent and wickedly addictive fantasy, full of schemes and court intrigue, and delightful descriptions of food, which I am always a fan of." (Kendare Blake, number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Three Dark Crowns series)

©2020 Tricia Levenseller (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about The Shadows Between Us

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Fun and Refreshing

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, right from the very beginning. The inner monologue of the main character is so unique from other YA novels, she’s clever, witty, and so sassy, her thoughts and interactions with the other characters had me grinning constantly. I read some other reviews before starting and there were a couple that suggested there wasn’t much romance in this story and I simply disagree! The romance is constant, it’s a slow burn and if you’re looking for constant steam you won’t find it here, but I enjoyed the romance thoroughly all the same. In my opinion, this book is a perfect palate cleanser between series. It was so refreshing not to be left with a cliffhanger at the end; stand-alone books are so uncommon and I really appreciate the way the story unfolded. It was performed very well, Caitlin has a lovely voice and animates each character so well. I highly recommend!

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A deliciously satisfying listen

I ate this up in a matter of days, and was so pleased with how brilliantly it was performed.

The book is well paced and evenly seasoned with bits of romance, mystery, and adventure.

4/5 reccomend for sure!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Brigerton meets magic meets mystery

The story leaps into the start the heroine’s bold plan to capture the king’s heart and doesn’t stop. It’s got plenty of surprises to keep it unpredictable, but enough angst to keep the “will they/won’t they” interesting.

Part mystery where the heroine plays the sleuth and part Brigerton social climbing socialite (with a touch of ruthlessness to her) keeps it interesting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

Couldn't stop listening. Nicely written and very interesting with refreshing characters. Will easily listen again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Satisfied

This is the first book I purchased and all I can say is that it was WORTH IT!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I liked this book AND I didn’t…

I like the odd anti-hero book…but the main character is so not nice. She’s all about power and getting it however see can. I kinda start to like her just past midway through. It’s just not my favourite.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • H.A
  • 2021-11-22

Enjoyable weekend reading.

So worth it. Fun, interesting, strong heroine. Loved her inner conversations and witty character. Great plot with interesting characters & a good twist at the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So relatable, but predicatable

Loved it. Was always ready to pick up the story again. Full of intrigue, suspense, tension, and the antihero is so fallible and flawed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow.

I was completely amazed! The story line is the perfect “I hate you -> I love you”. I love all the little twists in the story. Narration was executed well.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

a nice romcom

I enjoyed this story a lot, I didn't fall head over heels in love with it but it was enjoyable, it's nice for a stand alone book it has the right amount of intrigue, fun characters and romance. Could it have been better? yes, it definetly could have been better, but it was a good one day read_listen. I do recommend it. The narrator was pretty amazing I loved all the voices she maid and the emotion behind her lecture

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  • English Teacher
  • 2020-03-04

Excellent and Unique

This story was so different from the usual fantasy/adventure/romance hybrid. First, the protagonist is an anti-hero(ine). At first, she seems more like the villain - and she sort of is. But as she is developed, we come to understand that she is just a girl in a world that has made her, except without any of the conventional glossy edges. I won't say more, because I don't want to spoil the story, but I did love it and it made me want to read others by this author which, up until now, I have not wanted to do. I hope to see more like this one. Oh! And the other thing I really liked about it - the whole story in JUST ONE BOOK. YAY! I get really tired of waiting to read books that look interesting to me until the entire series is finished. I have to do that because I read so much that, if I don't, they all run together and I forget what happened before. Nothing dampens the interest like forgetting what happened a year ago! Anyway, this one is worth the price, folks.

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37 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Caleigh Tyler
  • 2020-11-23

If I was 15 I would’ve liked this book

They talk about women empowerment throughout this book but constantly talked about how she needs male attention the whole book. She’s annoyingly needy, like if she’s going to be a villain make her a villain.
The chemistry between the two characters in nonexistent, it was so annoying.
The author loved to talk about how much she constantly is so empowered through sex but never goes into detail about how badass she is?
*Also spoiler*
He doesn’t recognize his OWN BROTHER because he died his HAIR?!!!
What? Like I get this is a fantasy book but this chemistry between the two characters is so unrealistic. Super bummed out for wasting so much time on this, I kept telling myself to stop reading it but I couldn’t because I just kept helping it would get better. No good twist, the world they lived in was bland, and their chemistry was weird.
Definitely don’t waste the money.

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16 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Sierra
  • 2020-05-13

Not what I expected

And no, I don’t mean the title in a good way. The overall performance of the book is the only reason I finished it (and because I paid for it). The story was bland, the main character ridiculous, the love connection unrealistic. The ending was excruciatingly obvious, and I’m not going to lie. This is one of those books that I was rooting for the main character and/or love interest to die when facing conflict.


Spoilers:

There is no reason that the Shadow King should even have shadows! Why did it not go into a history of why those powers exist and why, apparently, the patriarchal monarchy are the only ones who possess it—-other than Zanthos, or however you spell his name? Also, why didn’t he have it? There was no explanation! The funniest part is when the protagonist says she doesn’t understand what being humble means, because oh my gosh, I don’t want to hear any more about how perfect everything works for her, or her “sage advice”. Or how she coincidentally “solves all the problems of the kingdom.” Honestly, she’s a terrible woman to admire in any way. She’s bland and flakey, and even though I don’t like the king, he deserves better.

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12 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Aly P
  • 2020-03-10

Okay read

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I did like that Alessandra wasn't a good person and had her own agenda. She wanted to kill the king for power, not revenge or anything that could be considered noble. It's nice to have a main character who's kind of the villain. I also enjoyed the sex positive pieces, telling women that they own their bodies and should do what they want.
I felt like Kallias was one dimensional and needed more depth to him. He was kind of just there. The world building also lacked, I have no idea if other people have magic or just Kallias and exactly what time period are we going for?
The ending was okay. Part of it I saw coming but another part I didn't and I think it was a huge suspension of belief.
Fairly predictable but had some good moments. I liked the sub plot with the bandit and Alessandra helping Ruben with his engagement.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Boss
  • 2020-07-07

Awesome!

The book was a bit slow to start and focused so much on appearance but it is definitely worth the read. I haven’t read in a long time because nothing holds my interest anymore yet I couldn’t put the book down after I had gotten a few chapters in. I wish there was a sequel, not that it could be anywhere near as good because of how this one ended. I 100% recommend. I did give 4 stars but that is because it took a while for the “good stuff” to start happening. The voice was perfect for this book too, normally I prefer to read myself but her voice was the perfect Lady Stathos and Kallias in my mind.

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  • Gerad
  • 2020-06-20

Dark and a bit unconventional

An unconventional heroine, a bit of a plot twist, and the slowest of burns.
Now, I'll be honest, I did not like the main character at first. She's conniving and cruel and manipulative. BUT she's also interesting. So I kept going.
There was a plot twist that I (for once) didn't see coming. Partly because I forgot a detail of backstory, but I'll take it.
As for the romance... THE SLOWEST OF BURNS. And I love a good slow burn romance.

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  • Ashley Casey
  • 2020-04-12

A fun fantasy romance

I really loved the main character and all her quirkinesses. A Slytherin romance is the perfect way to describe this. The Shadow King doesn’t quite satisfy as much as The Darkling in intrigue, but then again he isn’t a megalomaniac either.

If you’re in the mood for a well preformed romance fantasy — buy this one.

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  • Sarah
  • 2021-11-12

Pleasantly surprised

I know there are a lot of bad reviews, but I really liked this book. Just a refreshing quick read. The narrator was great. Awesome twists in the story. Well worth the time to listen to.
The male character kind of reminds me of Azriel in ACOTAR and the girl reminds me of Celena Sardothien in A Throne of Glass.

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  • Amanda
  • 2021-07-10

AWESOME Narrater

Caitlin did an awesome job! Book was great as well, easy novel. Love the strong female lead.

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  • Megan Carlin
  • 2021-03-04

Ok the narration made this 100x better

I’m sure I would’ve like this book enough if I read it (I’m a sucker for YA fantasy enemies to not enemies books). The narration sample intrigued me and I just really enjoyed Caitlin Davies’ interpretation. Some of my YA friends didn’t love this book but I’m telling you, if you’re on the fence about listening to it, do it!

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  • sriffette
  • 2020-10-28

A vilain's love story

Alessandra was wickedly difficult to like at first. 8 hours in she became likeable.

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  • Shiyamalee Rajapaksha
  • 2020-05-03

Simply bewitching

This story is a tangle of dark romance and dramatic intrigue. Words can not describe how amazed I am of the storyline. We follow an unusual main character, different from the typical YA standard, Alessandra is confident, fierce, and empowered. She knows what she wants and thrives to obtain it.
The story follows her quest in seducing the shadow king, a mysterious young man that keeps people at bay, never approaching anyone; this all changes when he encounters Alessandra.
I highly recommend this story for a pleasurful read.

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