The only word to describe this book is delicious. It’s fast-paced and addictive, and ultimately so, so satisfying. I want EVERYONE to pick this up and then fangirl with me! So to convince you, let me just insert the part of the blurb that made me want to get to this immediately:
Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
How can you NOT pick this up now? There’s so much to love about this book. Our protagonist, Alessandra, is a morally grey murderess/schemer with an impeccable sense of style (seriously, just ask everyone in The Shadow King’s court) who is on a mission to become queen. Her plan is absolutely foolproof, she has a heart of stone and The Shadow King’s attention, so what could possibly go wrong? Well, I’m sure you have a guess, by now;)
What I Loved:
- The Writing
I love Tricia’s writing so much! It was so seamless that it kept me turning the pages late into the night. It is so eloquently written and very dialogue heavy, which made it all the better for me. There’s lots of fun banter that I loved! Plus, there were so many lines that made me laugh out loud. Some examples:
“Who in the world would steal and then not keep the riches for themselves? That’s just bad business.”
or,
“Father, Chrysantha couldn’t catch the attention of a rabid dog.”
Also, one thing that was very thoughtful of Tricia was putting in the pronunciation of Kallias’s name in the book, sure made things so much better. Otherwise, I might have ended up pronouncing his name wrong all throughout! Definitely planning on picking up all her other books now:)
2. The Characters
I very obviously love power hungry Alessandra with her questionable morals, she is so refreshing and I absolutely loved how her mind was always planning and plotting and setting up her next ‘game’. She is ruthless, but also kind, and I love that that is mutually inclusive. And I adored Kallias. How can I not, when he’s fifteen out of fifteen? ( read the book for the reference and the scale;)) The side characters are absolutely amazing too, I loved the female friendships and even the trio of guys!
“He swallows the bite in his mouth. “Alessandra Stathos, that’s positively despicable.” He says the words like they’re the highest compliment he can give me. “You are an absolute gem, do you know that?”
3. The Romance
I utterly enjoyed the slow burn enemies- to-lovers romance, it is my favourite trope and it was done super super well in this! Their relationship progressed beautifully and I enjoyed every minute. I loved how they accepted each other even after knowing the darkest of the other’s secrets, maybe even because of them.
“I think that when you care enough for someone, you reach a point where it’s far more painful not to have him at all than to have him and risk losing him. You realize the risk is worth it. Because happiness, however short-lived, is always worth it.”
“All the time in the world is worth nothing if I don’t get to spend it with you.”
4. The Ending
I liked the ending, especially the grovel at the end! That being said, I closed the book wanting so much more, so maybe, given that this is a standalone, an epilogue would’ve been nice.
However, one thing I noticed that while the magic was really cool and something quite different, the world wasn’t sketched out quite as well, which is probably due to the fact that this is a standalone, but a little more detailing would’ve been nice.
I wish this had a sequel, ’cause I am kinda obsessed with the characters;) That being said, it is an excellent standalone, so what are you waiting for?
My rating:
NavyaAtNine 