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| The Shadows Between Us |
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Age Group: YA
Source: Book Depository (purchased)
Review
What usually draws my attention to a
book worth reading is a strong female protagonist and character development. Alessandra
Stathos definitely deserves to be a part of this group among other strongly
developed female characters. At first I wasn’t too keen on Alessandra and
her selfish and shallow personality and was concerned about her lack of
potential for development, especially considering her motivations, to kill the
king and become the sole ruler of the kingdom. This example in particular exhibits
Alessandra’s earlier shallowness and why I feared her lack of developmental
potential. This extract shows a scene where a robber has recently been stealing
from the kingdoms nobles and Alessandra’s reaction to it:
‘Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business. Someone that stupid must surely be caught soon. [...] The nobles who were robbed will be paying taxes to me in the future. If Kallias doesn’t solve this problem, it will become mine.’
On a financial level the nobles weren’t
unfortunate but on a human level of concern no one deserves the trauma of being
held captive until they hand over their possessions. Alessandra herself is not
an impoverished woman and her greed for more money didn’t sit well to begin
with and her lack of moral concern for others traumas either. However, as The
Shadows Between Us progressed so did Alessandra’s development and she ultimately
redeemed my personal favour in her. She eventually became less shallow and more
considerate of other people’s emotions and I loved that someone who began
with so little appeal proved me wrong and actually won my adoration!
What always stood
out for me in The Shadows Between Us was its positive approach to female
sexuality and the men’s respect for a woman’s decision and their compliance with
equal consent. For me, that
was ultimately the strength of this book. So, I will leave you with this rather
fitting scene that exemplifies one of the few ways an author can empower a
young woman’s developing exploration and understanding of their sexuality:
“What of you and Lord Paulos?” I ask. “Have you two…?” “No,” she says simply. “I asked him if we could wait until after the wedding.” “Has he pressured you?” I ask, suddenly growing protective of my friend. “Oh, no. He’s been wonderful about it. You might think I’m silly, but I just want to wait until I’m his wife.” I take her hand in mine. “There is nothing silly about waiting until you want to. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. It is your body to do with as you will.” She smiles at me then, and I worry that I might be the first person to tell her that. Waiting. Not waiting. One lover. A hundred lovers. There should be no judgment either way. A woman is not defined by what she does or doesn’t do in the bedroom.’
Synopsis (Goodreads)
Key Quotes
‘I barely remembered grabbing the knife Father had given to me for my fifteenth birthday, three months previous, with its jeweled handle and silver sheen, but I do remember that Hektor’s blood matched the inlaid rubies. [...] Alessandra. His last word was my name. His last thought was of me. I won.’
'No one is allowed to touch the king. To do so is punishable by death. Oh, he is a delightful mystery that I can’t wait to solve.’
'I jabbed the heels into the earth and used them to crawl my way out. My muscles spasmed within my body, and my dress was damp with mud, my nostrils full of dirt. But I would not allow myself to die in the grave I’d dug.’
“Aren’t we all drawn to our friends in the beginning by trifling things? True bonds develop afterward, when character is revealed.”
