The Darkness Within Us

The Shadows Between Us #2

by Tricia Levenseller, Caitlin Davies (Narrator)

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Listening Length: 9 hours and 35 minutes.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, Fiction

10 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 9, 2024

About the author

Initially from a small town in Oregon, Tricia now lives next to the Rocky Mountains with her bossy dog, Rosy. She received her degree in English Language and editing and is thrilled that she never has to read a textbook again. When she’s not writing or reading, Tricia enjoys putting together jigsaw puzzles, playing volleyball, playing OVERWATCH, and watching shows while eating extra-buttered popcorn.

Reviews

[Tricia Levenseller]

7/17/24 WE HIT #1 ON THE NEW YORK TIMES!!! Thank you so much everyone for supporting this book!

10/19/23 THE COVER IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4/23/23 We have a book description up now! I’m so close to finishing this one. It will release next year! I hope you are all excited to meet the real Chrysantha.

11/23/21 My friends, I'm sorry to say that the sales team has made changes to my publication schedule, and this book is being pushed back to 2024. The good news is you are getting another pirate book from me in 2023 instead. Be sure to check out VENGEANCE OF THE PIRATE QUEEN (shorturl.at/jrMRZ) on Goodreads. My new publishing schedule for those interested:

Summer 2022: Master of Iron
Summer 2023: Vengeance of the Pirate Queen
Summer 2024: The Darkness within Us
Summer 2025: Trilogy book 1
Winter 2026: Trilogy book 2
Summer 2026: Trilogy book 3

7/25/21 So excited this deal announcement is finally live! I have 30,000 words written on this project so far. Let me just say that I cannot wait for you all to meet the real Chrysantha.

Some FAQs:

Is this a sequel to The Shadows Between Us?
—No, it is a companion novel. Same world; different couple. It will also be a standalone.

Will Alessandra and Kallias be in the book?
—They might have a quick cameo appearance, but they are by no means the focus of the story.

So who is the focus of the book, then?
—That would be Alessandra’s older sister, Chrysantha, who we never saw in SHADOWS, just heard about through Alessandra’s POV. It’s safe to say that her opinion of her sister might be wrong…

Will this book be another dark romance?
—YAS

Why is this book coming out all the way in 2023?
—Because Master of Iron releases in 2022. You’re still getting a book a year from me as usual. Though you’ll get the books from my upcoming trilogy even faster than that!

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ this was actually so fun for a little romantasy standalone!! I haven’t read book 1 🫣 but I did immeditaley order it to read asap because I must go back now!!

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

was putting out this companion novel 4 years after the original standalone book was released really necessary? no, probably not. but im so glad it was because this is an utter delight.

i dont know how to describe it other than it perfectly hit the spot and im walking away feeling very satisfied. it makes me remember just why i was so obsessed with the first book. the angst, the passion, the hatred, the magic. everything works together so well that i didnt want to put this down. its a great enemies to lovers that had me engaged every minute.

i will say that even though this was amazing at giving me what i didnt even know i wanted or even asked for, the last chapter of the book completely threw me off from a writing/pacing standpoint. following the three-act structure of storytelling, the entire final and third act takes place in the last chapter. so it feels very rushed and packed. its a short book, so a few more chapters to introduce the conflict/miscommunication and really develop the resolution would have been better.

but other than that, this was a fun and super enjoyable read! 

↠ 4.5 stars (10/12)

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I didn't expect this to be much better! I laughed so much while reading it, and this one is definitely the perfect enemies-to-lovers story. I thought Chrysantha's story would be a letdown, but it turned out to be amazing!

While Alessandra craved attention, Chrysantha always wanted freedom. She finally got a taste of it after killing her abusive husband. But then, just when she thought she was free, the fake duke showed up (or was he really fake? 😭).

⋆˚࿔ characters 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

꩜ — “If I shoot you, Duchess, it will not be an accident.”

The banter between Eryx and her was so freaking good! Their interactions were quite amusing, and Chrysantha was a total baddie. Book 1 didn't have this level of sass. She kept insulting him, and the way he'd barely hold back his temper lmao, i was living for it!

I seriously loved Chrysantha's cunning nature and unshakable confidence. Her blackmailing schemes, her sharp povs, and how she kept Eryx on his toes while bargaining for money. 😭

꩜ — “I love you. I fought loving you, but it was as inevitable as the sun rising every day.”

besides, their relationship was much better than KalliasAlessandra, in terms of development. They both actually spent a lot of time together. I do know that the ending was rushed but the attraction was always there. nvm she also poisoned him and tried to kill him/get him killed but, she realized in the end... 😗

ngl, this would've been 5 stars automatically, but his whole beast form really made me laugh and cringe a little. He had horns ffs, and a tail (Cardan Greenbriar, anyone?). Safe to say I ignored that, but then she would grab his horns and pull his face down 💀

The sisters' relationship, was complex and problematic. It would be unrealistic to assume that Chrysantha's jealousy would automatically vanish after acquiring freedom. She had her moments, but I'm glad she apologized for neglecting her younger sister, being envious of her, and actually tried to bond with her. Alessandra, being the cutest she is, agreed. Like UGH, I LOVE THESE SISTERS! 💕😭

• The Shadows Between Us – 4.5 stars

[spring ~♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I ask for this book?
- No
Am I still gonna read it?
- Hell Yesss!!

edit:
well i read it!!! and it was so fun!! obviously this wasn't a necessary addition but it sure as hell wasn't a bad one.
Chrysantha is so easy to love. she is fun, loves pink, sarcastic, loves reading, vicious, manipulative, has a mean streak, and is ready to kill a man or two when they get in her way. what's there not to like?
Tricia Levenseller absolutely did her character justice.
The romance was so unbearably adorable too.
constant banter, fighting, arguing with each other. HOT. sign me up anytime.
I did not think this book would serve this hard but it did and no one is happier than me right now.

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I love you. I fought loving you, but it was as inevitable as the sun rising every day. For you are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest."

I'm slowly getting back into romantasies and this was an enjoyable one. We have a mysterious MMC who is giving shadow daddy. And an FMC who is a badass with her rhetoric and wit.

I would say my biggest complaint is the length, so the pacing was off for me. If this was a little longer, more of the storyline could have been fleshed out and the relationship would have developed a little more naturally, but all that aside I really enjoyed the dynamic between Eryx and Chrysantha. She never once took his crap and gave as much as she got.

And I would have loved to have seen this as dual POV. That's what happens when you have these really great, mysterious MMCs that you just want to know more about them in whatever way you can.

But overall, this was was nice, fast read that I would absolutely recommend 🩷

[Cindy ✩☽♔]

Since this book is about Chrysantha I pray that she is not as naive and innocent as people made her out to be in the first book. I hope she has a fire of her own that she conceals well.

Unlike Taryn from The Folk of the Air, whose novella I simply refused to read, I don't yet have a strong impression of Chrys so I'm going into this with an open mind.

[Maeghan 🦋 HIATUS on & off · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5✨
I’m very conflicted with this one. It was difficult to set myself on a rating but I’ll leave it at that for now.

1. The sibling relationship between Alessandra & Chrysantha was very problematic to me. Especially considering that the eldest sibling is supposed to protect the youngest but Chrysantha completely abandoned Alessandra and was always shitting on her success.

2. The way laws were handled were very unrealistic. Everyone can get away with murder if the king and queen likes them lmao… I’m surprised there weren’t any successful rebellions or murder attempts.

3. Unfortunately, there was a lack of romance. I couldn’t get on with those 2. I couldn’t feel the chemistry and the third act breakup slapped me in the face at the end.

4. The characters were extremely immature for 18-19yo. Not only immaturity but extreme emotional immaturity as well.

5. I loathed both Eryx & Chrysantha. I don’t remember the last time I disliked MC’s so much.

The things I liked can be summed up very quickly : feminism was well portrayed. The power men hold in the world was well portrayed. Feminine rage was well portrayed. Kyros and Nico were absolute cuties.

I had high expectations after loving the first book so much 🥺

—-•
Pre read : I would read Tricia Levenseller’s groceries list

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

I was captivated by Chrysantha's character. Despite her initial appearance of naivety, her hidden cunning and independence made her a compelling protagonist. The witty and fun banter between the two main characters was entertaining, and the expansion of the shadow's history was a welcome addition. Surprisingly, I found this book even more enjoyable than the first novel!

***Thank you to NetGalley, Tricia Levenseller, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/ 5⭐
4/5 🌶️

Absolutely devoured this.

💜 YA fantasy, but on the borderline of NA
💜 Enemies to Lovers
💜 Witty banter
💜 Romantic tension

…………………………………………:.:::::……………………..


7 more days!! 7 more days!!7 more days!!


💜💜💜 Only 5 more months to go!!! 💜💜💜
.................................

2024 is so far away 😢

I want this book now!!!

[*•MJ•* · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I love you. I fought loving you, but it was inevitable as the sun rising everyday. For you are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest.”

Chrysantha was a bit much at times but Eryx handles her just fine ☺️

[Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guess who is an arc girly now?? 🤭 First arc!!

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review! I’m incredibly grateful!

3.75 Stars

“I think we are a good match.” “If you think fire and oil are a good match.” “Exactly. Together we could burn the world down if we wanted to.” “What if I don’t want to burn down the world? What if all I want is my quiet country life?” “Then I’ll burn anyone who tries to take it away from you.”

Keeping this short, sweet, to the point and fun just like this book.

In the beautiful words by Taylor Swift in ‘All Too Well 10 Minute Version’ also known as the only version to me (and by many many before and after her)… “F*ck The Patriarchy”!


TL’s fmcs are always unapologetic and real! I didn’t know how I would feel about Chrysantha in the beginning. It seems like other readers were set to not like her at all based on the brief mention of her in book one, but I held out hope and was not disappointed. She proved herself more and more, and in my opinion gives off the Slytherin cunning-feels more than her sister did. Honestly book 2 gave me more of what I was looking for in every aspect. Swoon worthy? Check. Trope Heaven? Check. Morally grey? Check. “Devilishly” handsome man with a “monster-ish” temper and smirk that makes you tingle? …check check check!


I crushed this in a day because of how consumed by it I was. There are a few downsides to this that lowered my rating, and that is because it had lulls where I would space out some. The plot lost itself at times. It became too clique and predictable every now and then. Put that all aside and you’re in for a good ol’ time still. Book one set up my expectations so if you enjoyed it, then you’ll get an even bigger kick with butterflies in the stomach from its accompanying book, “The Darkness Within Us”.


“I never hated you— well, maybe a little. Mostly I hated how easily you got under my skin.”


*Trigger Warnings*:
Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexism, Classism, Injury, Gaslighting, Poisoning, etc.

[Zaynab · Rating 3 out of 5]

For you are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest.

Lavenseller takes us back to the dark world of Naxos in this sequel to The Shadows Between Us. This enemies to lovers YA fantasy can be read as a standalone. The story proves to be bleaker with a devil may care attitude exuding from anti heroine Crysantha. Unlike her younger sister Alessandra, the protagonist from the previous book, she failed to grow on me - selfish, murderous and someone who would avail any means necessary for the sake of money and freedom. Swearing off love yet falling for an asinine boor/beast made me question her approach towards her so called figurative extrication from a terrible situation. Also there wasn’t enough chemistry between the leads to rouse my interest. It seemed forced and unromantic- slow burn and then rollercoasting to a rushed finish. Crysantha is adept at poking fun at patriarchal society cliches and conveniently albeit complicatedly getting her way. I feel I lost interest before Crysantha and Alessandra managed to settle their differences; their sworn enemies like behavior was ineptly handled with Crysantha irritatingly and at times unnecessarily competing with her sibling. The storyline was clever and intriguing with dollops of mystery, unplanned blazing romance, rich banter but woefully, I’ve had my fill of the beauties and beasts of Naxos and I didn’t cherish the journey back there.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“My husband is taking too long to die”

Let's see if scheming Chrysantha Stathos can charm and entertain ....

[maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

just giving it five stars because of that someone that decided to give it one star since they "haven't read it" yet lmao

[kia (uni era) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✧.*4 stars
╰┈➤ ❝ “I never hated you— well, maybe a little. Mostly I hated how easily you got under my skin.”
----------♡----------
💌˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ' Fairyloot edition version, it's absolutely stunning
💌˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ standalone
💌˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ Easy light read.
💌˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ NO spice, just a lot of tension.
💌˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ the knife scene, ballroom and way more
----------♡----------
👑YA fantasy, but on the borderline of NA
👑Enemies to Lovers
👑 Witty banter
👑Romantic TENSION. SO MUCH OF IT.
👑 Betrayal
----------♡----------
°•*⁀➷ Strong, fierce and funny female main character (Chrysantha)
°•*⁀➷ Handsome, cold and interesting male man character. (Eryx)
°•*⁀➷ The guy, Eryx, can turn into a beast
°•*⁀➷ Chrysantha is chasing dominance, power and freedom
°•*⁀➷ She loves to have a mistress (male version) ?? I found that pretty weird ngl

the way he uses his words, stop it 🤭
・❥・ ''You. You make me forget all my rules and reasons for everything. You make me want to believe it's possible not to be alone forever. You make me want to claim the whole world and gift it to you on a silver platter. You are unlike anyone I've ever known. And gods, but I love your mouth. The way it smiles. The words that come out of it. How it feels against mine. Just looking at your lips make my mouth water.''

his confession 🤭
・❥・ ''And that leads me to my second confession. One I should have been brave enough to tell yiu in person the moment we were in that boat on the lake. I love you, Chrysantha Stathos Demos. I love your fiery temperament and your wicked mouth. I love your intelligent mind and your love for books. I love that crass sense of humor and your passionate friendship. There is not one part of you that I don't love.''
----------♡----------
╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ *Trigger Warnings*:
Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexism, Classism, Injury, Gaslighting, Poisoning, etc.
----------♡----------
╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Pretty fun book to read, just the scene where he turned into a beast and was fighting the shadow king was quite strange. He growled at her and she growls back. Then she kisses him. He rips open her dress and then
'' And then he claims me.
But more important, I claim him.''
that made me cringe so so much, like what in the omegaverse is this
----------♡----------
The exclusive fairyloot chapter made me realize that she is a dom and he prefers to be a sub. It was not spicy, just very very VERY suggestive.
----------♡----------
Quotes
・❥・"You are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest."
・❥・ ''Women age quicker than men''
・❥・'' So find a man you desire. Flip the tables. Fall in love. Change the game.''
・❥・'' It's those eyes,'' Eryx continues. ''They are so mesmerizing.''
''I imagine her eyes were not all you were admiring from your position spread-eagle atop of her.'' Dyson says.
''Oh piss of.''
・❥・ ''It wasn't Eryx. It wasn't the chase or the way he caught me and held me. It wasn't the way we were touching or even the way he looked at me in the end. As though, for just a moment, his sole objective wasn't to banish me from this estate.''
・❥・ ''I wasn't done with him.''
''You are in a public space.''
''I don't care. He was hurting you.''
・❥・'' Are you saying that you would kill that man for me?''
・❥・ '' No one is going to touch you like that again. I will make sure of it.''
・❥・ ''And yet, amid all that carnage, there is beauty, too.''
・❥・You've been hurt by all the men in your life. I don't want to be another one. I need you to tell me what's okay. I don't know where to touch you or where to kiss you. I don't know what's too hard or too soft, with my extra strength. I don't want to hurt you.''
・❥・ ''I think that we are a good match.
If you think fire and oil are a good match.
Exactly. Together, we could burn the whole world down if we wanted to.''
・❥・'' This is what I care about. This connection. This understanding. You were made for me.''

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 4.5/5 stars

[✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

➳ 2.75 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

╰┈➤ ”for you are my equal in nearly every way and my superior in all the rest."

yeahhh so this wasn’t good. but it also wasn’t…bad?

i really enjoyed the first book and other series by this author but for some reason this book was just more insufferable and cheesy

don’t get me wrong, i was still entertained and it was such a quick read. i loved a couple of the characters (mostly the servants) and i wanted to know what happened

but, this book was also a mess. first of all, i think tricia levenseller has a very twisted view of feminism and female empowerment. that was a little apparent in the first book but this one just cemented that. i think she was trying to make chrysantha this girlboss that we would all love but she was actually just a terrible person? and not in a good way? 🫢

if you want to see this trope done well go read tcp for jude duarte or soc for nina zenik but this mc just made me want to rip my hair out.

secondly, everything felt really convenient and tropey and broke the fourth wall in the weirdest way (like no joke they referenced enemies to lovers in an enemies to lovers book. gotta give her credit for being self aware but like girlie the words ‘mood reader’ didn’t belong in this historical-esque fantasy)

also, eryx. mans didn’t stand a chance bc i couldn’t not picture him like the beast from beauty and the beast so sorry man i couldn’t take you seriously and it’s not your fault. i liked him sometimes, but sometimes the whole ‘he growled, i brought out the beast in him’ thing got old

i usually enjoy tricia’s books but this one was kind of a miss. it was fine if you just want to read a quick fantasy with questionable characters and an easy plot. but this definitely wasn’t my favorite!! 🎀💋

➳ tldr: this book was like bad yet entertaining trashy television


୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆

[Brend · Rating 5 out of 5]

r/AmItheAsshole
Am I the AH for wearing white to my sister's wedding to the shadow king and ratting out my nemesis as a con artist before even cutting the cake?

Fun! Fun! Fun!

“That we are. We are as arrogant as the gods, deciding who gets to live or die.”
“If the gods didn’t want us killing men, then they shouldn’t have allowed them to hurt us so much.”

You get taken out by a pillow?


Horns?


Best boss ever founding a Book club.


Nico on a random Tuesday


Happy couple


The King and Queen waiting till they're done:

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's hard to enjoy a book when I loathe the main character.

[Laine Eidam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I genuinely did not want this one to end!! Let me just start by saying that I absolutely loved ‘The Shadows Between Us’ and was a bit weary of a sequel... BUT, Tricia Levenseller did not let us down!!!

This book follows Chrysantha, Alessandra’s older sister, and takes place around where the first book left off. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we hated Chrysantha, but this book was able to shine a light on to what her life has been like and why she is the way she is. She is such a fierce, determined, ruthless, independent, yet surprisingly kind and lovable character (not so unlike Alessandra herself).

The enemies to lovers trope in this book gave me serious whiplash (in the best way)! I did NOT think that I could ever come to love the MMC, but by the end of the book I was eating my words! This romance was chefs kiss!

This one is a must read. Release date is 7/9/24!!!

[Veronica ☽◯☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

pre-read:
YYAAAAYYYY finally got an arc
can't wait 🤩
_________________________

➸ 4.5 ⭐️

loved this almost as much as The Shadows Between Us !!

"You. You make me forget all my rules and reasons for everything. You make me want to believe it's possible not to be alone forever. You make me want to claim the whole world and gift it to you on a silver platter. You are unlike anyone I've ever known. And gods, but I love your mouth. The way it smiles. The words that come out of it. How it feels against mine. Just looking at your lips makes my mouth water."

As someone who absolutely adored The Shadows Between Us when it first came out, and even now after my reread more than 4 years later, I was super excited to get my hands on this sequel/spin off/companion novel.
It did not disappoint.

I was unsure at first if I'll love Chrysantha as much, because—in the words of our dear Petros—I'm loyal to her sister, but with everything we learn about her and the way she grows, I was helpless to her charms.
Chrysantha is similar to Alessandra, they're sisters after all, but she's still her own person (character?). Even though she has Alessandra's ruthless streak and she's almost as morally grey/villainous as her, Chrysantha is also very different in other ways—she loves to read, she cares about the people around her, she just wants to be left alone in peace—and it didn't feel like I was reading the same story but with a different title.

She smiles. "[. . .] How fortunate that both our men survived us."
"We Stathos sisters are a force to be reckoned with."

The love interest-Eryx-is as mysterious and as interesting as Kallias, I absolutely loved him. I loved the whole knife-to-throat and hidden monstrous side we get in this book. And his banter with Chrysantha is hilarious — there's so much tension from the moment they meet and it's excellent.

"At least it's not pink," he mutters.
"What did the color ever do to you?"
"It's distasteful—and you can close your mouth right now. I don't wish to hear your comment about me being just as distasteful to match."
I close my mouth, almost embarrassed that he predicted my comment perfectly.
"Remind me how long of a ride it is to the palace," he says.
"A few hours."
He massages his temples. "I don't think I'll survive it."

Where TSBU takes place in the palace and there's a lot of court intrigue and machinations, TDWU mostly takes place at Chrysantha's estate, so it gives the story very strong Beauty and the Beast vibes. I couldn't help draw the comparison and it makes a lot of sense given what type of characters Eryx and Chrysantha are. Perhaps this is the main reason why I love TSBU a little bit more — I prefer the palace setting, and I think the plot of TSBU is more entertaining and to a point I even find Alessandra and Kallias more interesting and more fun.
When it comes to the pacing they are both equally fast paced and both books are equally captivating.

The ending felt a little rushed, so much happened in that last chapter, I feel like the story could've been expanded in a few places *sighs*. The bonus epilogue in the Fairyloot edition helped though and the deleted scene was super fun but I'm so happy TL decided to include the wedding instead.

It was SO MUCH FUN coming back this world—I absolutely adore that we get to see Kallias and Alessandra's wedding and what they are up to, I also love that Chrysantha and Alessandra are able to reconnect and hopefully fix their relationship.
I really hope this is not the last we've seen of Chrysantha and Eryx and Alessandra and Kallias.

eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the arc
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication

[°•.Melina°•. · Rating 3 out of 5]

نسبت به باقی فانتزی‌هایی که خوندم ۳.۵
یکم کل کانسپت بیسیکه، قصر و پادشاهی و دوک‌نشینی و اینا ولی خلاقیت‌هایی که نویسنده بهش اضافه میکنه آدمو کنجکاو نگه میداره.
نجات دهنده‌ی ذهن شلوغ این ماهم بود، حداقل اینا باعث میشن آدم یه کتابی رو "تموم" کنه و به طور موقت احساس بی کفایتی نکنه.
یه زنگ تفریح خوب و روونه و این ایده که این جلد از زبون خواهرش بود و ما توقعشو نداشتیم برام جالب بود.
انمیز تو لاورزیش از جلد قبلی بیشتر به تنم چسبید و منطقی تر بود- واقعا ترکیب این دونفرو دلم میخواست تو یه فیلم ببینم.🔥

🔖شهریور ۱۴۰۴

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an exciting read! I truly LOVED the FMC! It was interesting to watch her character development throughout the story. I was also super intrigued by the new mysterious MMC. So many twists and turns. The author truly has a beautiful way with world building and making the words seem together flawlessly. I felt like I was on an entire adventure in a new world the entire time. Definitely worth reading! And that ending 🤌 All around a great read. Plus the narrator was SUPERB with storytelling and truly embodying the female main character's personality. I feel the audiobook made it even better of an experience for me!

I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

[Lillian B (Kaladin Stormblessed version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

-1 star

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A TEENS BOOK.
ITS GROSSS AND INNAPROPRIATE.
IT TALKS ABT SPICE AND THERES LOTS OF OFF PAGE UNMARRIED SPICE SCENES.
SPARE URSLEF AND STEER CLEAR PLZ.

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

''I fought loving you''

Safety warnings:
- H 18 / h 19
- No cheating
- No OW drama
- Slight OM jealousy drama
- Mention of abandonment
- Loss of loved one
- Attempted s*xual assault
- Mention of marital abuse
- Violence/d*ath
- Murder
- Manipulation/blackmail
- HFN (but we know it's HEA)

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

I remember reading The Shadows Between Us when it first came out 4 years ago and wondering a lot about Alessandra's elusive and mysterious older sister who only showed up via letter. We never got to meet her and only knew that she thought Alessandra was a ''trollop''.

Fast forward to now and the book is out!

I should mention that I got a chance to go to a Barnes & Noble’s signing to meet Tricia and get my books signed. She was super fun and sweet.

I don't tend to read YA anymore, it takes a lot for me to dive into one and it all depends on the author alongside the story it is telling but mainly the author.

Knowing I had liked the first book, and this would be another one connected to the first story, I had to get into it so here we are.

Chrysantha has lied to everyone for 7 years about being an airhead and dimwit. She has been plotting her marriage for ages and knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. She manipulated her father into having her marry a 64-year-old man who was dying (and heirless) to become duchess and get all his money and homes. She succeeded but her 2-month long marriage to him was a nightmare, he was abusive and manhandled her anyway he saw fit.

Thankfully she never had to sleep with him even though he would try. She waited and waited for him to die but he never did and so out of sheer anger from his actions she suffocates him using the pillow next to his head and lets the world think it was finally his time.

Being happy for a few months after that with all her riches and dreams coming true, she cannot complain.

You see she has always wanted to be free. Free from men, from society and just live her life happy and in control.

She is extremely kind to every member of her staff and grants them better lives once the duke has died and she is allowed to make the changes she wishes. She was not cruel to anyone and just wanted to achieve her goal and plotted for it.
She loses her virginity to a male companion from the brothel she visits and has a bunch of them as lovers until her happy life is ruined. She does not want to be in love or ever get married again so any inconvenience is going to ruin her future.

Enter Eryx who shows up and tells her that he is the grandson, and he is the rightful heir to the duke and all his riches. She does not believe him, but he is adamant about it, she is cut off from the money and all her control is gone and she is PISSED.

She plans to out his lies and get him to leave her alone and go back to the life she has dreamt of. She will not stop until he leaves, and he refuses to budge.

There is magic in this world and the only one we know about that has it is the Shadow King who is going to be Chrysantha's brother-in-law soon since that wedding is happening in this book. She suspects there is something going on with Eryx as he has moments that are inhuman in her eyes.

We finally get the reveal that he is in fact NOT human, well half human and half something else. He transforms into a demon looking thing that has horns and canines.

She sees this transformation during a dream they both share, which was kind of cool but also not really explained HOW that happens unless I missed that explanation.

She is now more determined to show the world he is a monster and that he does not deserve to be duke, since it has been proven he is the grandson. The duke had a daughter who he disowned after she got pregnant out of wedlock and had an affair with the former Shadow King (the father of the current shadow king - Kallias).

The backstory is explained much later in the book how Eryx became what he is, at first you are led to believe he is related to Kallias but it’s not true. His mother out of spite and vengeance wanted to create something that could hurt her ex-lover after he ended it with her and chose another woman to be his queen.

Eryx's mother is met with the demon who gave the original power to shadow kings’ family and sleeps with him, knowing they will create an offspring. Eryx was only created for revenge and never for love. His mother used him to one day KILL the Shadow king but when he dies earlier than she had hoped, she loses all sense of self and dies with no purpose.

Honestly? It's a sad story. Eryx never knew love or affection. He was only ever used as a weapon.

I should mention this is a SLOW ASS BURN, and I mean SLOW. These two don't even kiss until Chapter 20 - page 240. That's almost the end of the book. There is a lot of angst, tension and wanting but nothing comes from it.

He is scared cause he could lose control of his monster and her hurt, but she knows he would never, but he refuses to allow that to even be a possibly. We find out he has never been with anyone or allowed himself to even KISS.

Sadly, Chrysantha's plan to get rid of him happens after she finds out he lied about being the rightful heir when it's revealed he was erased from the will and later plotted to rewrite it and get everything. She almost has him killed when she reveals his monster identity to the King but stops it after a change of heart and guilt after reading the letter he wrote her confessing everything because he does not want the title but only her.

Thankfully he does not hold it against her as he understands her anger and pain from being lied to and they finally get together but the book ends quickly with no future look into their lives.

It's an abrupt ending and I wished we had gotten a bit more info about what happens after that.

I did like how the two sisters finally came together and moved on from the years of resentment they had towards each other. They finally have a relationship they always wanted but never had.

[Laura Díaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha sorprendido casi tanto como el primero. A la altura y muy bueno. Pensé que no iba a ser para nada tan espectacular como el primero pero la autora combina muy bien cada elemento que escoge para sus historias.

[Ali Mohebianfar · Rating 4 out of 5]

این دوتا خواهر دیوونه ن😂

خب این جلد نسبت به جلد اول بهتر بود و باگ ها و بی منطقی های اونو نداشت. اینجا داستان دو وارثه که بر سر ارث و میراث می جنگن و رازهاشون این وسط لو می ره و...
یه انمیز تو لاورز تموم عیار. معمولا تو کتابایی که در این تروپ قرار می گیرن، صرفا این عنوان یدک کشیده میشه و زوج داستان از همون اول به هم حس دارن و دشمنی خاصی بینشون نیست، اما توی این کتاب به معنای واقعی کلمه دو دشمن عاشق هم میشن.
کتاب انگار یه بریجرتونه که با فانتزی ترکیب شده.
به نظرم فیلم جالبی ازش درمیاد.
یه داستان ساده و عاشقانه کلاسیک با رمز و راز فانتزی.
حجمشم کمه و برای تفریحی خوندن کاملا مناسبه.

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝑼𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂 𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓

Release Date: July 9, 2024

4⭐️2🌶

This book is one of the few occasions where the second book is better than the first. The main characters are more morally grey than morally black like the first book. However, they're only in it for themselves. They kill others more for self protection and for protecting others. This is sort of like a beauty and the beast retelling, but if Beauty already owns the house and the Beast inherits the house and they fight over who has the rights to the properties.


I found this book rather entertaining. The FMC is very strong and doesn't want any male to tell her how to live her life, and I admire that. The MMC is dark and twisted and has delt with his magical powers since he was young.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/17/2021: The Darkness Within Us will be a companion novel to the author's bestselling The Shadows Between Us focusing on Alessandra's sister, and is slated for 2023.
Source: Publishers Weekly

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow that was really bad. Like really bad. And I went in with bar-on-the-floor expectations and it was still somehow worse.

Also Levenseller we need to have a talk about your understanding of feminism because the entire brothel plot…girl.