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Between Sun and Shadow
Hades and Persephone reimagined on a tidally locked planet, for fans of queer romance, mutant superpowers, eccentric robots, and speculative tech.
Featuring fun and stylish case art beneath the hardcover dust jacket!
Sixteen-year-old Kori struggles to be a dutiful heiress to the Daylands, a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain memory. With a strict routine and an overly cautious mother, Kori has only one friend, Aspect—an industrial robot she’s repurposed. Determined to awaken sentience in her metal companion, Kori crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might do the trick.
Ravaged by radiation from a meteorite, the citizens of the Shadowlands have evolved into beast-like creatures with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has wrested control of the Shadowlands from her bloodthirsty parents—but not everyone is so willing to embrace her leadership. What better way to instill confidence in her court than by capturing a foreign princess and demanding ransom?
However, what began as a political maneuver transforms into a potent attraction as Kori’s longing for relationship echoes Adria’s own. Granted free rein of Adria’s fortress, Kori stumbles upon a startling revelation that could upend the Daylands entirely. As rebellion grows and Adria’s precarious hold on her throne wavers, Adria and Kori must join forces to avert all-out war. Does a queen of shadows really stand a chance with a princess of sunlight? Or has the chasm between their nations grown too wide?
A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning.
Featuring fun and stylish case art beneath the hardcover dust jacket!
Sixteen-year-old Kori struggles to be a dutiful heiress to the Daylands, a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain memory. With a strict routine and an overly cautious mother, Kori has only one friend, Aspect—an industrial robot she’s repurposed. Determined to awaken sentience in her metal companion, Kori crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might do the trick.
Ravaged by radiation from a meteorite, the citizens of the Shadowlands have evolved into beast-like creatures with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has wrested control of the Shadowlands from her bloodthirsty parents—but not everyone is so willing to embrace her leadership. What better way to instill confidence in her court than by capturing a foreign princess and demanding ransom?
However, what began as a political maneuver transforms into a potent attraction as Kori’s longing for relationship echoes Adria’s own. Granted free rein of Adria’s fortress, Kori stumbles upon a startling revelation that could upend the Daylands entirely. As rebellion grows and Adria’s precarious hold on her throne wavers, Adria and Kori must join forces to avert all-out war. Does a queen of shadows really stand a chance with a princess of sunlight? Or has the chasm between their nations grown too wide?
A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Laura Genn
1 book36 followersLaura Genn writes about queer teens confronting fantastical challenges. She graduated with a BS in strategic communication and enjoys building with LEGO® bricks, having TV marathons, and playing competitive Street Fighter. She lives with her girlfriend and three goofy rescue cats somewhere in New Jersey, surrounded by an ever-growing collection of dragon tchotchkes. Follow her on Instagram and Threads @lauragennauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 11, 2026
This was a fun YA retelling. I enjoyed the sci-fi and fantasy elements and world building! I enjoyed Adira’s character and her flaws, having to make tough choices to fight what she believed was right. I enjoyed how different Kori was and the relationship and banter they both had. This book definitely touched on some hard themes, but does it well. I loved Aspect, definitely my favorite character! My only gripe was this was a bit long. If you enjoy YA books with sapphic romance, science fantasy settings, with dystopian type political themes and hard family relationships, I’d recommend!
January 10, 2026
A big thanks to YABC for providing a physical ARC, and NetGalley and Edelweiss for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning." I can't have better described this book, than this.
Between Sun and Shadow by Laura Genn is a YA science fantasy novel that gives Gideon the Ninth, with Hades and Persephone coded characters and robots instead of necromancers. Hades and Persephone reimagined on a tidally locked planet, for fans of queer romance, mutant superpowers, eccentric robots, and speculative tech—featuring fun and stylish case art beneath the hardcover dust jacket! Sixteen-year-old Kori struggles to be a dutiful heiress to the Daylands, a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain memory. With a strict routine and an overly cautious mother, Kori has only one friend, Aspect—an industrial robot she’s repurposed. Determined to awaken sentience in her metal companion, Kori crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might do the trick. Ravaged by radiation from a meteorite, the citizens of the Shadowlands have evolved into beast-like creatures with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has wrested control of the Shadowlands from her bloodthirsty parents—but not everyone is so willing to embrace her leadership. What better way to instill confidence in her court than by capturing a foreign princess and demanding ransom? However, what began as a political maneuver transforms into a potent attraction as Kori’s longing for relationship echoes Adria’s own. Granted free rein of Adria’s fortress, Kori stumbles upon a startling revelation that could upend the Daylands entirely. As rebellion grows and Adria’s precarious hold on her throne wavers, Adria and Kori must join forces to avert all-out war. Does a queen of shadows really stand a chance with a princess of sunlight? Or has the chasm between their nations grown too wide? A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning.
Between Sun and Shadow is one those books that best read without any initial context. Much like Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series, which this book reminded quite a lot of. Regardless, I really liked this book as it provided a breath of fresh air in terms of its romance and plot and unique worldbuilding. As I get older, I find most of the YA genre is filled with the same old story and character, rehashed time and time again. But Between Sun and Shadow is one that provides it's audience both a familiar story with it's ties to Hades and Persephone, and a novel one with its colorful cast of characters.
One thing that I didn't quite like about Between Sun and Shadow, is the general chaos that radiates from the plot. In that it was hard to keep up at some points, and at other times make it out to be quite unreliable. But this was not a major fault of the book, but more so mine. As it's quite hard to wrap my mind around novels that present items from different genres, ie. monstrous beasts that resemble Cerberus and robot companions.
Regardless, Between Sun and Shadow is a novel designed to be fun and engaging with twists and turns that most readers won't expect. While also being a familiar narrative and a novel one. I recommend it to anyone looking for something to fill the void of having to wait for Alecto the Ninth's eventual release.
"A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning." I can't have better described this book, than this.
Between Sun and Shadow by Laura Genn is a YA science fantasy novel that gives Gideon the Ninth, with Hades and Persephone coded characters and robots instead of necromancers. Hades and Persephone reimagined on a tidally locked planet, for fans of queer romance, mutant superpowers, eccentric robots, and speculative tech—featuring fun and stylish case art beneath the hardcover dust jacket! Sixteen-year-old Kori struggles to be a dutiful heiress to the Daylands, a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain memory. With a strict routine and an overly cautious mother, Kori has only one friend, Aspect—an industrial robot she’s repurposed. Determined to awaken sentience in her metal companion, Kori crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might do the trick. Ravaged by radiation from a meteorite, the citizens of the Shadowlands have evolved into beast-like creatures with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has wrested control of the Shadowlands from her bloodthirsty parents—but not everyone is so willing to embrace her leadership. What better way to instill confidence in her court than by capturing a foreign princess and demanding ransom? However, what began as a political maneuver transforms into a potent attraction as Kori’s longing for relationship echoes Adria’s own. Granted free rein of Adria’s fortress, Kori stumbles upon a startling revelation that could upend the Daylands entirely. As rebellion grows and Adria’s precarious hold on her throne wavers, Adria and Kori must join forces to avert all-out war. Does a queen of shadows really stand a chance with a princess of sunlight? Or has the chasm between their nations grown too wide? A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning.
Between Sun and Shadow is one those books that best read without any initial context. Much like Tamsyn Muir's The Locked Tomb series, which this book reminded quite a lot of. Regardless, I really liked this book as it provided a breath of fresh air in terms of its romance and plot and unique worldbuilding. As I get older, I find most of the YA genre is filled with the same old story and character, rehashed time and time again. But Between Sun and Shadow is one that provides it's audience both a familiar story with it's ties to Hades and Persephone, and a novel one with its colorful cast of characters.
One thing that I didn't quite like about Between Sun and Shadow, is the general chaos that radiates from the plot. In that it was hard to keep up at some points, and at other times make it out to be quite unreliable. But this was not a major fault of the book, but more so mine. As it's quite hard to wrap my mind around novels that present items from different genres, ie. monstrous beasts that resemble Cerberus and robot companions.
Regardless, Between Sun and Shadow is a novel designed to be fun and engaging with twists and turns that most readers won't expect. While also being a familiar narrative and a novel one. I recommend it to anyone looking for something to fill the void of having to wait for Alecto the Ninth's eventual release.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to Peachtree Publishing for the e-ARC of Between Sun and Shadow!
Between Sun and Shadow was an interesting book. I certainly liked it. I wouldn't say I loved it, though.
I was really excited because it was advertised as a Hades and Persephone retelling (I'm a huge Greek mythology nerd and Hades is my favorite Greek god). I did like the little nods to Greek mythology like Kori's ship being named Charon like the ferryman of the Underworld and Russ being a three-headed dog like Cerberus. But I personally didn't really feel the Hades and Persephone aspect all that much. The world building was also really interesting. The differences between the Dayfolk and the Nightfolk was unique. I was very intrigued by the concept that the Dayfolk have very bad memory retention and thus have created a way to store or discard memories as they please. The Nightfolk are much different. Most of them are now more beast than human (even though they descended from the humans who first landed on the planet). The diversity in the bestial attributes were fascinating, though I had a hard time visualizing it. I'm sorry, Adria was not eight foot with the muscles of a body builder so swole and dehydrated a fingernail could cut their carotid. I imagined her with Ilona Maher's body. And while I appreciated the world building, I also found it overwhelming. This book got very info-dumpy at times. There is just so much about this world to know that a lot of it is kind of jumbled up in my mind.
This book was also almost painfully long. The chapters specifically. I had a bit of a hard time getting through it because the chapters seemed to drag. My kindle was estimating them to be sometimes 20-40 minutes long, which is insane. I did find the initial chapters interesting. I started having a hard time getting through them after Kori crash landed in the Shadowlands up until about 50%. It was just incredibly chaotic during these chapters. I didn't feel very grounded in the story. I think this is why I'm not very convinced by Kori and Adria's relationship. I didn't feel the romantic chemistry between them. It was very insta-lovey and like the only thing drawing them to each other was that they were both incredibly lonely and forced proximity. I felt like they hardly knew each other and already they're practically glued at the hip. I also just wasn't the biggest fan of Adria. She was just so angry all the time, and I understand why, but she constantly had a chip on her shoulder and took it out on Kori, verbally and sometimes physically. And because of this, she held Kori at arms length, never letting her get too close so I think that really hindered their relationship for me. It left me feeling like this story would be much the same if they were just friends. I actually think it might have worked better if they were just friends, even though I was initially excited that this was a sapphic sci-fi fantasy.
I did love Aspect. I though they were a great addition to the story. They were such a great source of comic relief when so much of this book was emotionally heavy. I was so excited when they finally formed their own thoughts and feelings! I also kind of predicted the twist. Very early on, I guessed that Kori's body was synthetic. Though, I thought that because of the law preventing Kori from giving Aspect sentience. I thought it was because Kori was exactly that, a robot created by Chloe that had gained sentience. The truth was much more shocking, though. I didn't think that Kori's mom was a synthetic evil eugenicist mastermind. That was really crazy.
Overall, I had a good time with this book, mostly toward the end.
Between Sun and Shadow was an interesting book. I certainly liked it. I wouldn't say I loved it, though.
I was really excited because it was advertised as a Hades and Persephone retelling (I'm a huge Greek mythology nerd and Hades is my favorite Greek god). I did like the little nods to Greek mythology like Kori's ship being named Charon like the ferryman of the Underworld and Russ being a three-headed dog like Cerberus. But I personally didn't really feel the Hades and Persephone aspect all that much. The world building was also really interesting. The differences between the Dayfolk and the Nightfolk was unique. I was very intrigued by the concept that the Dayfolk have very bad memory retention and thus have created a way to store or discard memories as they please. The Nightfolk are much different. Most of them are now more beast than human (even though they descended from the humans who first landed on the planet). The diversity in the bestial attributes were fascinating, though I had a hard time visualizing it. I'm sorry, Adria was not eight foot with the muscles of a body builder so swole and dehydrated a fingernail could cut their carotid. I imagined her with Ilona Maher's body. And while I appreciated the world building, I also found it overwhelming. This book got very info-dumpy at times. There is just so much about this world to know that a lot of it is kind of jumbled up in my mind.
This book was also almost painfully long. The chapters specifically. I had a bit of a hard time getting through it because the chapters seemed to drag. My kindle was estimating them to be sometimes 20-40 minutes long, which is insane. I did find the initial chapters interesting. I started having a hard time getting through them after Kori crash landed in the Shadowlands up until about 50%. It was just incredibly chaotic during these chapters. I didn't feel very grounded in the story. I think this is why I'm not very convinced by Kori and Adria's relationship. I didn't feel the romantic chemistry between them. It was very insta-lovey and like the only thing drawing them to each other was that they were both incredibly lonely and forced proximity. I felt like they hardly knew each other and already they're practically glued at the hip. I also just wasn't the biggest fan of Adria. She was just so angry all the time, and I understand why, but she constantly had a chip on her shoulder and took it out on Kori, verbally and sometimes physically. And because of this, she held Kori at arms length, never letting her get too close so I think that really hindered their relationship for me. It left me feeling like this story would be much the same if they were just friends. I actually think it might have worked better if they were just friends, even though I was initially excited that this was a sapphic sci-fi fantasy.
I did love Aspect. I though they were a great addition to the story. They were such a great source of comic relief when so much of this book was emotionally heavy. I was so excited when they finally formed their own thoughts and feelings! I also kind of predicted the twist. Very early on, I guessed that Kori's body was synthetic. Though, I thought that because of the law preventing Kori from giving Aspect sentience. I thought it was because Kori was exactly that, a robot created by Chloe that had gained sentience. The truth was much more shocking, though. I didn't think that Kori's mom was a synthetic evil eugenicist mastermind. That was really crazy.
Overall, I had a good time with this book, mostly toward the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Read the full review with representation information and trigger warnings on my blog.
Kori and Adria are the heiresses of a planet with no day/night cycle, divided between permanent day and permanent night. When Kori’s attempt to find a memory that will awaken sentience in her robot companion strands her in the middle of the Shadowlands, currently embroiled in a civil war due to Adria’s dethroning of her parents, their worlds collide and they find they have fewer reasons to be enemies than they have been taught.
I will admit that I was interested in this book because I’m a sucker for duality between the two main characters of a book. Shadow and Bone isn’t directly on the list of comp titles for Between Sun and Shadow, but there is plenty to love for fans of it. The author states that Leigh Bardugo was a huge inspiration for her when writing this book, and I can see the inspiration in the book. It’s not a blatant case of filing the serial numbers off of a fanfiction though. There’s some really detailed and interesting worldbuilding done, and I would recommend this book for people who like epic fantasy and space operas and can handle a bit of infodumping. Adria is a morally grey love interest, but still a very good person deep down, and if you like the “touch her and die” trope you’ll find plenty of that in this book. A lot of enemies-to-lovers romances or romances with morally grey characters just end up having uncomfortable degrees of romanticized abuse, which isn’t what happens in this book despite the captive romance element. Kori has more agency than a lot of main characters in captive romances, and there is actually a legitimate reason for her to be a captive in-narrative.
If you like the political intrigue elements of high fantasy, you’ll also find a lot to like in Between Sun and Shadow. I wasn’t completely shocked by some of the plot twists, but they were still well done. If you love books like the A Court of Thorns and Roses for found family reasons but don’t like the politics or the battle scenes, this is not the book for you. If you want detailed worldbuilding that you can lose yourself in, though, it’s definitely the book for you. I honestly could have seen it reasonably being a duology, but it wasn’t too slow-paced or long for me.
Kori’s quest to awaken her mech Aspect is also an important part of the story. They’re basically Kori’s only significant relationship outside of her mother and her doctor, and they’re adorable. I laughed at so many of their lines. The novel also has a science fantasy version of Cerberus as Adria’s guard dog, although I’d say it may be more of a reimagining of Hades and Persephone than strictly a retelling of it. There still is forbidden magical fruit, though, so that’s fun.
There is also a good bit of feminine rage in this novel, and it was satisfying seeing Adria allowed to express it, even though she is ultimately considered a good person. If you don’t like when characters who have murdered people are still considered good guys in the narrative, this book is probably not for you, but if you don’t mind that, enjoy the violence and gore.
Between Sun and Shadow releases May 5 from Peachtree Teen. Thank you to NetGalley, Peachtree Publishers and Laura Genn for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Kori and Adria are the heiresses of a planet with no day/night cycle, divided between permanent day and permanent night. When Kori’s attempt to find a memory that will awaken sentience in her robot companion strands her in the middle of the Shadowlands, currently embroiled in a civil war due to Adria’s dethroning of her parents, their worlds collide and they find they have fewer reasons to be enemies than they have been taught.
I will admit that I was interested in this book because I’m a sucker for duality between the two main characters of a book. Shadow and Bone isn’t directly on the list of comp titles for Between Sun and Shadow, but there is plenty to love for fans of it. The author states that Leigh Bardugo was a huge inspiration for her when writing this book, and I can see the inspiration in the book. It’s not a blatant case of filing the serial numbers off of a fanfiction though. There’s some really detailed and interesting worldbuilding done, and I would recommend this book for people who like epic fantasy and space operas and can handle a bit of infodumping. Adria is a morally grey love interest, but still a very good person deep down, and if you like the “touch her and die” trope you’ll find plenty of that in this book. A lot of enemies-to-lovers romances or romances with morally grey characters just end up having uncomfortable degrees of romanticized abuse, which isn’t what happens in this book despite the captive romance element. Kori has more agency than a lot of main characters in captive romances, and there is actually a legitimate reason for her to be a captive in-narrative.
If you like the political intrigue elements of high fantasy, you’ll also find a lot to like in Between Sun and Shadow. I wasn’t completely shocked by some of the plot twists, but they were still well done. If you love books like the A Court of Thorns and Roses for found family reasons but don’t like the politics or the battle scenes, this is not the book for you. If you want detailed worldbuilding that you can lose yourself in, though, it’s definitely the book for you. I honestly could have seen it reasonably being a duology, but it wasn’t too slow-paced or long for me.
Kori’s quest to awaken her mech Aspect is also an important part of the story. They’re basically Kori’s only significant relationship outside of her mother and her doctor, and they’re adorable. I laughed at so many of their lines. The novel also has a science fantasy version of Cerberus as Adria’s guard dog, although I’d say it may be more of a reimagining of Hades and Persephone than strictly a retelling of it. There still is forbidden magical fruit, though, so that’s fun.
There is also a good bit of feminine rage in this novel, and it was satisfying seeing Adria allowed to express it, even though she is ultimately considered a good person. If you don’t like when characters who have murdered people are still considered good guys in the narrative, this book is probably not for you, but if you don’t mind that, enjoy the violence and gore.
Between Sun and Shadow releases May 5 from Peachtree Teen. Thank you to NetGalley, Peachtree Publishers and Laura Genn for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you, Edelweiss, for allowing me to get advance access to this title.
I want to begin with the fact that I prefer Fantasy over Science Fiction any day of the week. Give me dragons and fairies over robots and the infinity of space. However, the author skillfully blended the two genres in such a way that I think it needs to be its own separate genre. That said, anyone who may have misgivings for that reason, you ought to put them aside now.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the alternating POV, which can make or break a novel. In this case, it was a huge win, because it was an asset in character development, as well as a vehicle for generating suspense. The back and forth between Kori and Adria built anticipation while I tried to figure out how their worlds would end up colliding.
Once the young royals finally met, the story was action-packed with all the excitement I could hope for. Their relationship developed subtly and believably, and included the nuances of their best friends...along with plenty of humor. I will say that about two-thirds of the way through, I began to panic because I could not fathom how the story could fully play out in a single volume. But never fear, for those of you who are afraid of cliffhangers, you are safe!
Nonetheless, Kori and Adria's relationship is far from the major plot point of this story. I found myself mesmerized by Pagonian history and politics. In reality, I could happily enter the Shadowlands' library, and devour all the non-fiction volumes outlining the natural and societal evolution of the planet. In fact, I would be remiss to say that there is still so much unknown in about this world, that the author could continue to tell stories here. I cannot stress enough how unique the setting and characters were.
Overall, I adored this book. It hit all the important targets that I aim to enjoy when I read fiction: action, fantasy, unique world, and quirky relationships. I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait for everyone to be able to read it!
I want to begin with the fact that I prefer Fantasy over Science Fiction any day of the week. Give me dragons and fairies over robots and the infinity of space. However, the author skillfully blended the two genres in such a way that I think it needs to be its own separate genre. That said, anyone who may have misgivings for that reason, you ought to put them aside now.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the alternating POV, which can make or break a novel. In this case, it was a huge win, because it was an asset in character development, as well as a vehicle for generating suspense. The back and forth between Kori and Adria built anticipation while I tried to figure out how their worlds would end up colliding.
Once the young royals finally met, the story was action-packed with all the excitement I could hope for. Their relationship developed subtly and believably, and included the nuances of their best friends...along with plenty of humor. I will say that about two-thirds of the way through, I began to panic because I could not fathom how the story could fully play out in a single volume. But never fear, for those of you who are afraid of cliffhangers, you are safe!
Nonetheless, Kori and Adria's relationship is far from the major plot point of this story. I found myself mesmerized by Pagonian history and politics. In reality, I could happily enter the Shadowlands' library, and devour all the non-fiction volumes outlining the natural and societal evolution of the planet. In fact, I would be remiss to say that there is still so much unknown in about this world, that the author could continue to tell stories here. I cannot stress enough how unique the setting and characters were.
Overall, I adored this book. It hit all the important targets that I aim to enjoy when I read fiction: action, fantasy, unique world, and quirky relationships. I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait for everyone to be able to read it!
May 5, 2026
4.25⭐️
I really enjoyed Between Sun and Shadow. I’m not really knowledgable on the story of Hades and Persephone, so the relationships/retelling part isn’t something that I’m going to be touching on.
This book begins very slowly and has a lot of world building. It takes a bit to really get into the meat of things, which is fine. I liked that while it had romance, it wasn’t super romance heavy. When you read a book about teenagers, even half supernatural ones, you need to remember that they’re still teenagers, and they think like teenagers, even if they’re thrust into difficult and mature situations. It’s still hard not to want to smack Kori and Adria for some of their thought processes and decisions, though. 😂
I liked Laura’s take on what would happen if the world stopped spinning. It was really interesting. There’s like that touch of “yea this probably would happen” mixed into the fantasy. Sides divided and wars. Certain people thinking they’re better than others…. (Really hit a little too close to home on that one. Lol)
I need to add here before I forget, the banter had me giggling almost the entire time. 😂 And Aspect is an absolutely amazing being and deserves nothing but happiness in this world.
Bullet Point Thoughts
- As stated above, Aspect deserves the entire world
- Banter was delightful
- Mental. Health. Rep. 👏
- Obviously LGBTQ+ friendly
- Aspect’s birthday cake. 😭😂
- Certain head twisting descriptions that made my jaw drop all the freaking way to the floor. (Looking at you, FATHER.)
- Woman power! Always love seeing strong women!
- The battle scenes were fantastic
- Idk why, but Alpha having 7 hands was just… Noteworthy. 😂
- Adria trying her freaking best, man.
Final thoughts… I follow Laura Genn on instagram, and this is a story that she had been working on for years. This is a debut novel, and she’s proud of being a published author. Well I want to say that this book is absolutely something to be proud of. I can feel how much love went into it, and I absolutely recommend others check it out.
I really enjoyed Between Sun and Shadow. I’m not really knowledgable on the story of Hades and Persephone, so the relationships/retelling part isn’t something that I’m going to be touching on.
This book begins very slowly and has a lot of world building. It takes a bit to really get into the meat of things, which is fine. I liked that while it had romance, it wasn’t super romance heavy. When you read a book about teenagers, even half supernatural ones, you need to remember that they’re still teenagers, and they think like teenagers, even if they’re thrust into difficult and mature situations. It’s still hard not to want to smack Kori and Adria for some of their thought processes and decisions, though. 😂
I liked Laura’s take on what would happen if the world stopped spinning. It was really interesting. There’s like that touch of “yea this probably would happen” mixed into the fantasy. Sides divided and wars. Certain people thinking they’re better than others…. (Really hit a little too close to home on that one. Lol)
I need to add here before I forget, the banter had me giggling almost the entire time. 😂 And Aspect is an absolutely amazing being and deserves nothing but happiness in this world.
Bullet Point Thoughts
- As stated above, Aspect deserves the entire world
- Banter was delightful
- Mental. Health. Rep. 👏
- Obviously LGBTQ+ friendly
- Aspect’s birthday cake. 😭😂
- Certain head twisting descriptions that made my jaw drop all the freaking way to the floor. (Looking at you, FATHER.)
- Woman power! Always love seeing strong women!
- The battle scenes were fantastic
- Idk why, but Alpha having 7 hands was just… Noteworthy. 😂
- Adria trying her freaking best, man.
Final thoughts… I follow Laura Genn on instagram, and this is a story that she had been working on for years. This is a debut novel, and she’s proud of being a published author. Well I want to say that this book is absolutely something to be proud of. I can feel how much love went into it, and I absolutely recommend others check it out.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.75 stars (Rounded Up)
"There are no gods but what we become."
"Is that how you picture yourself?" I pry, "A god?"
Adria laughs, mirthless. "If I'm the planet's last god, then we're all well and truly damned"
I absolutely adored this book. The cast of characters was so endearing, the magic/sci-fi system was so well developed, and the politics of the two different lands and their inner workings were just chef's kiss!
This is such a unique retelling of Hades and Persephone, not only because most I've seen are fantasy or contemporary romance, and this is sci-fi, but also because the events from the original were used in surprising, different ways. I also adored some of the easter eggs/references to Greek mythology, like the name of Kori's ship (Charon) and the pomegranate seeds. The way all the political conflicts were written kept me absolutely hooked, and the weaving together of the two storylines (political conflict and the romance) was just masterful.
The characters in this book have my whole entire heart. The two main characters each have well-developed families and histories that inform all their choices, and seeing them grow and learn from each other was beautiful. As for side characters, I will always be a sucker for an endearing weirdo (yes, Aspect, that's you) or a furbaby, so to have both of them? I was over the moon. I gave many a squeal or high-pitched "AWWW "s while reading, and that's how you know this found family is written right.
Overall, this book gave me all the feels and delivered an action-packed read, and I will be discussing with anyone who will listen
"There are no gods but what we become."
"Is that how you picture yourself?" I pry, "A god?"
Adria laughs, mirthless. "If I'm the planet's last god, then we're all well and truly damned"
I absolutely adored this book. The cast of characters was so endearing, the magic/sci-fi system was so well developed, and the politics of the two different lands and their inner workings were just chef's kiss!
This is such a unique retelling of Hades and Persephone, not only because most I've seen are fantasy or contemporary romance, and this is sci-fi, but also because the events from the original were used in surprising, different ways. I also adored some of the easter eggs/references to Greek mythology, like the name of Kori's ship (Charon) and the pomegranate seeds. The way all the political conflicts were written kept me absolutely hooked, and the weaving together of the two storylines (political conflict and the romance) was just masterful.
The characters in this book have my whole entire heart. The two main characters each have well-developed families and histories that inform all their choices, and seeing them grow and learn from each other was beautiful. As for side characters, I will always be a sucker for an endearing weirdo (yes, Aspect, that's you) or a furbaby, so to have both of them? I was over the moon. I gave many a squeal or high-pitched "AWWW "s while reading, and that's how you know this found family is written right.
Overall, this book gave me all the feels and delivered an action-packed read, and I will be discussing with anyone who will listen
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Peachtree Publishers | Peachtree Teen for providing an ARC ahead of this review! The following feedback is my own opinion.
BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW is a sapphic reimagining of Hades and Persephone that follows Shadowlands queen Adria and the Daylands heiress Kori as they navigate the complex dynamic between their two worlds and a romance full of delightful yearning. Readers will enjoy the perfect blend of science and magical wonder in this YA science fantasy.
When I first came across BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW, I was blown away by the cover’s unique color scheme and the premise’s retelling told through a diverse lens. I’m always on the hunt for more sapphic fantasy, and it ticked off all the boxes I have when searching for something new to read. The world is absolutely wondrous, spinning several figures and creatures of Greek mythology in a completely new way. For any myth lover, identifying those easter eggs is the greatest joy I find in reading any retelling/reimagining. It stays true to the source material while becoming an exciting adventure that can stand on its own.
Queen of the Shadowlands, Adria, resonated with me the most in the story as she navigates the pressure of being the queen everyone wants her to be, while aspiring to be someone she can be proud to see in the mirror every day. I really enjoyed her banter with Lori and watched as it grew into something more. Each word is written with such care and depth. AND THE YEARNING!! The yearning is so visceral, it left me hungry for more.
BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW is a sapphic reimagining of Hades and Persephone that follows Shadowlands queen Adria and the Daylands heiress Kori as they navigate the complex dynamic between their two worlds and a romance full of delightful yearning. Readers will enjoy the perfect blend of science and magical wonder in this YA science fantasy.
When I first came across BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW, I was blown away by the cover’s unique color scheme and the premise’s retelling told through a diverse lens. I’m always on the hunt for more sapphic fantasy, and it ticked off all the boxes I have when searching for something new to read. The world is absolutely wondrous, spinning several figures and creatures of Greek mythology in a completely new way. For any myth lover, identifying those easter eggs is the greatest joy I find in reading any retelling/reimagining. It stays true to the source material while becoming an exciting adventure that can stand on its own.
Queen of the Shadowlands, Adria, resonated with me the most in the story as she navigates the pressure of being the queen everyone wants her to be, while aspiring to be someone she can be proud to see in the mirror every day. I really enjoyed her banter with Lori and watched as it grew into something more. Each word is written with such care and depth. AND THE YEARNING!! The yearning is so visceral, it left me hungry for more.
May 23, 2026
DNF at 49%
This one hurts a little because the idea of this book sounds exactly like something I should have loved.
Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone, layered with YA LGBTQ+ romance and a blend of fantasy and science fiction? On paper, this felt made for me. Unfortunately, the execution just never emotionally connected for me the way I wanted it to.
The biggest struggle was the pacing. It took me nearly a month to get to the halfway point, and even then I felt like I was forcing myself to continue rather than naturally wanting to pick it back up. The prose itself was objectively strong, but it often felt very technical, almost creatively clinical at times, which made the emotional core feel distant for me personally.
I don’t think the characters were poorly written at all; I just never formed an attachment to them, to their chemistry, or to the emotional stakes of the story. Everything felt slightly out of reach emotionally, despite the beautiful premise underneath it.
I also think I went in expecting something more atmospheric and fantasy-forward, while the science fiction elements and tone were much heavier than I anticipated. That tonal mismatch probably played a large role in why this didn’t fully work for me.
That said, I can absolutely see other readers enjoying this, especially those who prefer slower speculative fiction with a more analytical writing style and subtle romantic development.
Sadly, this just ended up being a case of loving the concept far more than the execution.
This one hurts a little because the idea of this book sounds exactly like something I should have loved.
Beauty and the Beast meets Hades and Persephone, layered with YA LGBTQ+ romance and a blend of fantasy and science fiction? On paper, this felt made for me. Unfortunately, the execution just never emotionally connected for me the way I wanted it to.
The biggest struggle was the pacing. It took me nearly a month to get to the halfway point, and even then I felt like I was forcing myself to continue rather than naturally wanting to pick it back up. The prose itself was objectively strong, but it often felt very technical, almost creatively clinical at times, which made the emotional core feel distant for me personally.
I don’t think the characters were poorly written at all; I just never formed an attachment to them, to their chemistry, or to the emotional stakes of the story. Everything felt slightly out of reach emotionally, despite the beautiful premise underneath it.
I also think I went in expecting something more atmospheric and fantasy-forward, while the science fiction elements and tone were much heavier than I anticipated. That tonal mismatch probably played a large role in why this didn’t fully work for me.
That said, I can absolutely see other readers enjoying this, especially those who prefer slower speculative fiction with a more analytical writing style and subtle romantic development.
Sadly, this just ended up being a case of loving the concept far more than the execution.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There isn't anything inherently wrong with this book, it's just that the part of the blurb that I was most interested in turned out not to be a significant factor of the book. This book is labeled as a genre mashup between fantasy and science fiction. I think it's useful to note that, in my opinion, it's mostly fantasy. I was hoping for more descriptions of the tidally locked planet and the science of what happens on such a planet. Instead, the book leans heavily into the speculative in which the asteroid and the tidal locking causes fantastical mutations and superpowers-- but without an explanation, or a logical 'magic system' of how that happened, if that makes sense. If I could draw a parallel it's like Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider and instead of getting radiation sickness he got superpowers. Because he just did. Don't think about it.
So, what I'm saying is that this is a perfectly fine fantasy book as long as you don't come hoping for science. I would be tempted to market the book as just fantasy and take off the science fiction label. I'm not sure a fun robot and being in space scratches the itch that people who read sci fi are hoping to scratch.
As a fantasy book, though, it's doing just fine. People like Peter Parker and people who show up for Spiderman don't care that it's not a very science-forward way to gain superpowers. I think it's very possible that these characters could spark their own fandom.
So, what I'm saying is that this is a perfectly fine fantasy book as long as you don't come hoping for science. I would be tempted to market the book as just fantasy and take off the science fiction label. I'm not sure a fun robot and being in space scratches the itch that people who read sci fi are hoping to scratch.
As a fantasy book, though, it's doing just fine. People like Peter Parker and people who show up for Spiderman don't care that it's not a very science-forward way to gain superpowers. I think it's very possible that these characters could spark their own fandom.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would first like to start this review by thanking Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think, for me personally, this book was a miss. I also know, for me, this book was a miss because I had different expectations going into it than I was given because of the description. I was expecting a little more sci-fi in the story than I was given. This book was mostly marketed to meet as a queer science fiction retelling of Hades & Persephone. Most of the rest of that marketing is accurate, but this was much more of a science fantasy than a science fiction.
This is also just another personal preference, but I just really couldn’t get into the main characters. For me personally, it felt like they were frequently acted upon rather than acting, and I just have a really difficult time with stories where that feels like the case. So, because of both of these things combined I quickly lost interest in the story and almost didn’t finish reading it. I think, if I related to the characters more and it had been marketed to me as science fantasy, I could have maybe given it a 4 star review.
Overall, I would rate this book a 2 out of 5 star rating for me personally. I think others might enjoy it if they know more about what they are going into.
I think, for me personally, this book was a miss. I also know, for me, this book was a miss because I had different expectations going into it than I was given because of the description. I was expecting a little more sci-fi in the story than I was given. This book was mostly marketed to meet as a queer science fiction retelling of Hades & Persephone. Most of the rest of that marketing is accurate, but this was much more of a science fantasy than a science fiction.
This is also just another personal preference, but I just really couldn’t get into the main characters. For me personally, it felt like they were frequently acted upon rather than acting, and I just have a really difficult time with stories where that feels like the case. So, because of both of these things combined I quickly lost interest in the story and almost didn’t finish reading it. I think, if I related to the characters more and it had been marketed to me as science fantasy, I could have maybe given it a 4 star review.
Overall, I would rate this book a 2 out of 5 star rating for me personally. I think others might enjoy it if they know more about what they are going into.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
thank you to netgalley, peachtree publishers, and the author for giving me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review! i’ll admit that the cover really got me with this one (it’s genuinely stunning), as well as the premise. we’re not dealing with hard sci-fi here and i’m very okay with that because the world that we get is so complex and fun. kori and adria are enjoyable main characters, and i love that we get to see both of their points of view. in this case, the story would feel incomplete without both, but i’m a big fan of multiple points of view. they’re both quite messy in their own ways that feels very authentic to being a teenager, which i also liked. i do think i struggled to get into the book at first because there’s a number of things that have to happen for things to really kick off, but once i got there, i had a ton of fun. between the ever-increasing stakes for kori and adria, their relationship arc, and the comedic relief of aspect, there was a lot to keep me engaged and a lot to enjoy. if anything i’ve said here sounds interesting, between sun and shadow is out may 5!
this review is also available on instagram here!
this review is also available on instagram here!
May 6, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This is a science fantasy story inspired by the Hades and Persephone myth, featuring sixteen-year-old Kori and seventeen-year-old Adria, and touches on themes of xenophobia, isolation, and falling in love while a civil war wages on. And I appreciate that, while the author clearly favors one form of villainy over the other, the people living in the Shadowlands are allowed to be monstrous from page one to the end.
The plot is solid and well written. The world building is creative, and the magic system and its effects feel a bit like a lost opportunity. While the book touches on the xenophobia of the two sides, Kori doesn’t ever react as if this is anything odd or unusual. She doesn’t mind someone with six arms and a tail, doesn’t mind Adria with her eight feet of height. Of the two, it’s Adria who reacts to the danger around them, while Kori simply follows along as though everything is fine, and it’s a bit irksome, especially when the scene is from her point of view.
Still, this is a fun book if you’re interested in something new.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This is a science fantasy story inspired by the Hades and Persephone myth, featuring sixteen-year-old Kori and seventeen-year-old Adria, and touches on themes of xenophobia, isolation, and falling in love while a civil war wages on. And I appreciate that, while the author clearly favors one form of villainy over the other, the people living in the Shadowlands are allowed to be monstrous from page one to the end.
The plot is solid and well written. The world building is creative, and the magic system and its effects feel a bit like a lost opportunity. While the book touches on the xenophobia of the two sides, Kori doesn’t ever react as if this is anything odd or unusual. She doesn’t mind someone with six arms and a tail, doesn’t mind Adria with her eight feet of height. Of the two, it’s Adria who reacts to the danger around them, while Kori simply follows along as though everything is fine, and it’s a bit irksome, especially when the scene is from her point of view.
Still, this is a fun book if you’re interested in something new.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There's a lot to like here: the magic system -- and it feels more like magic than science fiction, for all it's telekinesis, turning walls to glass, manipulating memories -- the world building, and Adria's arc. There are also things I didn't enjoy, such as how boring Kori was and wow, I did not care for Aspect. Either his storyline or his wacky "penguin of doom" moments of humor.
Kori never reacts to anything. Giant snakes? Oh. Six legged woman with a tail? Oh. Her mother's betrayal? Oh. Compare this to Adria who has feelings as well as thoughts, who internalizes her actions and the pain she causes others and Kori suffers in comparison.
The idea of trying to turn Aspect, Kori's mining robot and only friend, into a sapient being felt ... well, not even a B plot. It was just a reason for Kori to get from point A to B, and a wacky sidekick that I didn't enjoy. Well, that's not entirely true. I liked how the author portrayed Aspect talking, in broken sentences. It was novel and well done.
It's a solid book with good moments, just not a great book (for me.)
Kori never reacts to anything. Giant snakes? Oh. Six legged woman with a tail? Oh. Her mother's betrayal? Oh. Compare this to Adria who has feelings as well as thoughts, who internalizes her actions and the pain she causes others and Kori suffers in comparison.
The idea of trying to turn Aspect, Kori's mining robot and only friend, into a sapient being felt ... well, not even a B plot. It was just a reason for Kori to get from point A to B, and a wacky sidekick that I didn't enjoy. Well, that's not entirely true. I liked how the author portrayed Aspect talking, in broken sentences. It was novel and well done.
It's a solid book with good moments, just not a great book (for me.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Between Sun and Shadow by Laura Genn is a Hades and Persephone retelling with an imaginative spin. The setting is a Sci-fi style world split between endless light and permanent shadow. The story is deeply character-driven, with Kori and Adria carrying the weight of leadership, loneliness, and expectation, and their relationship building with a mix of tension, softness, and real emotional pull. The worldbuilding is creative and a little chaotic, it leans heavily on Fantasy and Science Fantasy with world building that focuses on the plot and characters rather than scientific explanations.
**This review is based on an e-ARC generously provided to me through Netgalley**
**This review is based on an e-ARC generously provided to me through Netgalley**
Review of advance copy received from Author
I adored this queer sci-fi with Hades/Persephone vibes--it has fascinating world-building, snappy banter, and deep discussions of consciousness and sentience. So honored to provide a blurb!
“An enthralling, intricately-built, and hopeful sci-fi that feels simultaneously fresh and nostalgic. BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW features characters who’ll steal your heart, explosive political intrigue, and high-chemistry sapphic yearning to swoon for.” 💖
“An enthralling, intricately-built, and hopeful sci-fi that feels simultaneously fresh and nostalgic. BETWEEN SUN AND SHADOW features characters who’ll steal your heart, explosive political intrigue, and high-chemistry sapphic yearning to swoon for.” 💖
May 17, 2026
This is like if gideon the ninth and Star Wars had a giant 8 foot tall mutant baby and gave it the most messed up plot twist of all time and it is 10/10 5 stars chef’s kiss I’m gnawing at the bars going completely feral and need it injected directly into my veins. The narrators are perfect the prose is amazing the characters are incredible. I’m gonna need the the fandom to get started on fanart right away 😤
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Love beauty and the beast / hades Persephone retellings and this one has a really unique twist. Enjoyed the sci fi / fantasy feel and the world building was well done where I can picture it and understand it but is in the background with the focus being on our characters and their relationship. Thanks to Netgalley the author and the publisher for this arc
Did Not Finish
April 22, 2026I was enjoying this book and honestly got most of the way through it, but the plot was getting a little too unbelievable (and overdramatic) for me. I'd say give it a shot regardless if you like dark sapphic fantasy - it is very much that, and like I said, it had me for most of the book.
I received a DRC from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
I received a DRC from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While you are yearning and pining for my sapphic YA book (insert winky face emoji), why not try this Hades and Persephone reimagining out on May 5? The world building is brilliant and it's such an inventive blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Readers who want to watch two girls fall in love and agonize over it for political reasons need to pick this up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I can not emphasize enough how much I loved this book. The storytelling was marvelous, the moments of levity through despite the ever growing conflict through kept it from being completely dark and gloomy, and the romance at the center of the story was well developed and thought out.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Going to be honest, a sapphic science fiction monster-lover retelling of Hades and Persephone was not on my readers' bingo card, but I am so happy it exists. Between Sun and Shadow was a surprise hit for me, and my favourite thing about it is that it does the job of playing homage to the original myth without being a one for one copy. Truth be told, the actual plot of this narrative managed to intrigue me, even if it was a little predictable.
Overall, do I believe that Between Sun and Shadow could exist without being labelled a “retelling”? Absolutely. There is so much that is unique to this narrative and how the conflicts play out that I do believe it could stand on its own without any association to other media. The world building between the two kingdoms and how they have adapted and evolved alone was incredibly amazing. However, the fact it is a retelling is what originally drew me in—so in that regard, it is the perfect type of retelling. One where there is enough imagination to make it not feel derivative.
All that being said, some of the big reveals that were independent of the myth were a little predictable, especially in regards to Kori. I am unsure what made them so. Whether it was because the clues in the story were a little too obvious for me or because I had recently read another book with a similar twist that handled it in the same way. To avoid spoilers I won’t identify what that other book was, but feel free to DM me if you’re curious.
Personally, while this hasn’t unseated Neon Gods by Katee Robert as my favourite of the Hades and Persephone retellings, I will admit it has earned a solid second place. For context, I’ve read around 10-15 as it’s a favourite trope😂. This book was very fun, and a solid alien romance to boot. I’d wholly recommend it, especially if you’re in the mood for something queer or that’s light on steam and heavier on plot.
Overall, do I believe that Between Sun and Shadow could exist without being labelled a “retelling”? Absolutely. There is so much that is unique to this narrative and how the conflicts play out that I do believe it could stand on its own without any association to other media. The world building between the two kingdoms and how they have adapted and evolved alone was incredibly amazing. However, the fact it is a retelling is what originally drew me in—so in that regard, it is the perfect type of retelling. One where there is enough imagination to make it not feel derivative.
All that being said, some of the big reveals that were independent of the myth were a little predictable, especially in regards to Kori. I am unsure what made them so. Whether it was because the clues in the story were a little too obvious for me or because I had recently read another book with a similar twist that handled it in the same way. To avoid spoilers I won’t identify what that other book was, but feel free to DM me if you’re curious.
Personally, while this hasn’t unseated Neon Gods by Katee Robert as my favourite of the Hades and Persephone retellings, I will admit it has earned a solid second place. For context, I’ve read around 10-15 as it’s a favourite trope😂. This book was very fun, and a solid alien romance to boot. I’d wholly recommend it, especially if you’re in the mood for something queer or that’s light on steam and heavier on plot.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a great sci-fantasy YA story, inspired by Hades and Persephone, that handled themes of isolation, xenophobia, and fantastic rep for queer love.
The worldbuilding was so interesting and entertaining. The magic system could have done more, it felt like it was just there. Writing was good and the plot was solid.
Definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What to expect:
Fantastic banter
Mental health rep
LGBTQ+ rep
The worldbuilding was so interesting and entertaining. The magic system could have done more, it felt like it was just there. Writing was good and the plot was solid.
Definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
What to expect:
Fantastic banter
Mental health rep
LGBTQ+ rep
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Between Sun and Shadow is probably the most unique reinvention of the Hades and Persephone myth I’ve ever come across. A planet that has stopped spinning, resulting in half that live in perpetual light and half in perpetual dark, the latter mutated by radiation into something monstrous and supernatural—brilliant! I absolutely adored the world building so much.
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