I really like this one, i don't think you need to have read the first book but if you have it will be more impactful. Almost a beatuy and the beast twisted retelling which i really love!

Tricia Levenseller perfectly brought her character to life. The romance was unbelievably cute, filled with endless banter, clashes, and fiery disagreements—so intense! I didn’t anticipate this book would have such an impact, but it completely exceeded my expectations, and I’m over the moon.

Welcome back to one of my favorite fantasy worlds! This is the sequel to The Shadows Between Us, and while I didn't love it quite as much as the original, I enjoyed this story of Alessandra's sister.

Chrysantha is extremely smart, and uses her cleverness to always get her way in the end. The male lead took some time to grow on me, but then I saw him as the only one who could match Chrysantha. Overall it was fun to see characters from book one and that the sisters finally showed their true selves to each other.

The sequel to "The Shadows Between Us," I went in with certain expectations knowing that I did not enjoy the characterizations of the first book. Regardless, I was still intrigued by what could possibly happen in this story that follows a new character, and if I would warm up to the author's writing style. Unfortunately, nothing really stands out to me in the book, which I suppose was to be expected. I do think that Chrysantha was a more interesting character than her sister from the previous book, even though they both fall under the same 'badass girl who takes no shit' stereotype. She felt a little more fleshed out as an actual person with ambition so I do appreciate that growth from the author. The enemies-to-lovers romance fell flat which was rather disappointing but there's nothing memorable about the male lead.

"The Darkness Within Us" by Tricia Levenseller reminded me how much I enjoy her work. It was light-hearted, fun, and full of banter. This is one of those rare sequels that I enjoyed even more than the original.

Chrysantha and Eryx Demos have such a fun chemistry throughout the book which led to a very engaging read. I would definitely recommend this series to all my bookish friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for gifting me this ARC. I enjoyed it.

I couldn't wait to read this sequel, and got everything I wanted for Chrysantha! It was fantastic, nervy, and beautifully written. I couldn't wait, and am so thankful for the opportunity to read this through NetGalley!!

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. This book was a page turner and I couldn't put it down.

Title: The Shadows Between Us
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Pages: 326
Time Length: 10 Hrs 12M
Dates: 9/5-9/6
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summary: Book Two in the Shadows Between Us series.

Review: This one was almost as good as the first. I still enjoyed the characters and the love interests. It was a slower pace and less action.

Such a great book that was easy and fast to read. It sucked you in and didn't let go! I loved the world and the characters and the way it was written.

Who will back down first?

Chrysantha is a beast. She and her sister Alessandra are in constant competition and their father expects both of them to keep him out of bankruptcy by marrying someone rich. While Alessandra married the Shadow King, Chrysantha married an elderly Duke but she ends him within two months after their marriage. Since the Duke has no heirs, she inherits everything and thoroughly enjoys redecorating the manor and revamping her wardrobe. She also gives the servants raises and shows them appreciation for their hard work. Eryx arrives, claiming he’s the Duke’s grandson and turns life in the manor upside down. Eryx has a secret and Chrysantha isn’t going to let him get away with ruining her plans without finding out what he’s hiding.

Likes/dislikes: The contradictions of Chrysantha’s character and actions are entertaining. Eryx is an interesting character and I enjoyed the unknown that went along with his secret. I liked Chrysantha’s feistiness.
Mature content: PG-13 for kissing and off page sex.
Language: R for 62 swears and 0 F-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Pale ivory, peach, dark beige, ebony skinned, deep obsidian skin tone, golden skin are all mentioned.

I loved getting to re-enter this world. Tricia’s writing is so beautiful and really depicts every moment of her stories. I hope there is more to come from this series in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an eARC of The Darkness Within Us in exchange for my honest review!

As someone who had enjoyed The Shadows Between Us when I read it years ago, I'm glad to say that The Darkness Within Us serves as a good old standalone sequel. Sure, it wasn't absolutely necessary for this to come out, but it remains enjoyable and gets me invested in Chrysantha as an intriguing protagonist who possesses a sharp and conniving gumption. It's funny, because we'd never met her back in Shadows, although the book had referred to her, so it's nice to finally have the spotlight shine on her. I like the solidly clever banter between her and Eryx as well.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Darkness Within Us 3.25 out of 5 stars. I'll continue to keep an eye out for more of Tricia Levenseller's work.

This was the perfect enemies to lovers story. The banter between Eryx and Chrysantha was everything you hope for in a romantasy novel. Their interactions were very amusing. The only reason I didn't rate it higher was because I felt that the ending was a bit rushed. I did find myself enjoying it more than the first novel.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
Nineteen-year-old Chrysantha Stathos has cunningly secured secrets, wealth, and her father's care by posing as a beautiful, air-headed girl. She is just one dying duke away from ultimate freedom and safety. However, her plans are thwarted when her sister Alessandra weds the powerful Shadow King, and a mysterious man, Eryx Demos, claims to be the duke’s heir.

Furious and determined, Chrysantha vows not to let Eryx, despite his allure and mysterious powers, take what she believes is rightfully hers. In the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
✨Slow Burn
✨Angst and tension
✨Secrets and betrayal
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Touch Her and ☠️
✨Morally grey characters

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
📚 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗝𝗠
📚 𝗧𝗼 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
I was not expecting to get this follow up to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝘀, but I’m so glad Tricia Levenseller gave it to us! I honestly enjoyed this sequel so much more than the first book. I am such a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers Romantasy.

I enjoyed Chrysantha so much more than Alessandra, which I think is why I liked this book so much more too. Chrysantha wanted freedom, where Alessandra craved attention. Chrysantha 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 more could you want from an FMC? The romance was also 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿. The constant banter, fighting, arguing with each other- 𝗜 𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽.

I am so glad I gave this book a chance after not loving book one.

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(𝟰/𝟱)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
🌶️🌶️(𝟮/𝟱)

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for the ARC.
I’ve enjoyed this author’s other work, and while I enjoyed this one as well, it wasn’t quite my favorite out of them all. That being said, I’ll still continue to read her books

I enjoyed the first book more than this one, but that isn't to say this isn't worth a read. It moved at a slower pace and took a little more time to really get moving.

This author is an auto read for me. I’ve never not liked a book by her and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

I was worried I wouldn’t like this book as much as the first one because it’s about a different main character and one we don’t really see in the first. However, I really think I liked it better. The slow burn romance was really well down. The main character had her gray areas but also took care of her people. I loved getting to see the relationship between her and her sister get fleshed out some which we didn’t see in the first book.

“The Darkness Within Us” is the captivating sequel to Tricia Levenseller’s “The Shadows Between Us.” Levenseller’s newest novel follows Chrysantha Stathos, a young duchess who has meticulously crafted her life to achieve wealth and freedom. However, her plans are thrown into disarray when her sister, Alessandra, marries the Shadow King, and a mysterious man, Eryx, arrives to claim her inheritance.

Levenseller masterfully blends elements of fantasy and romance, creating a world of intrigue, power struggles, and dark secrets. Chrysantha is a complex and compelling protagonist, whose intelligence and ambition are both her greatest strengths and her most dangerous vulnerabilities. I love that she’s a reader, loves pink, but can still be conniving, vicious, and as morally gray as some of my favorite MMCs. Much like her sister, Chrysantha is determined and fiercely independent. Despite her standoffishness and hermit-like tendencies, Chrysantha cares deeply for the people around her. Her interactions with Eryx are charged with tension and chemistry, making their relationship and banter one of the highlights of the book for me.

The plot is well-paced for the most part, with plenty of twists and turns to intrigue readers. As was the case with this book’s predecessor, Levenseller’s writing is vivid and immersive, bringing the world of Chrysantha and Eryx to life with rich descriptions and dynamic characters. The themes of power, ambition, and the lengths one will go to achieve their goals are explored in depth, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

Overall, “The Darkness Within Us” is a thrilling and enchanting read that will appeal to fans of young adult fantasy and romance. Levenseller’s ability to create strong, multifaceted characters and weave them into a gripping story makes this book a must-read for fantasy lovers everywhere.

The bar was set very high after reading the first one, but this was just as good (if not better)! I loved it from beginning to end and I already know that I will be rereading this in the future. What a delight!

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller is the new spin-off of her 2020 hit, The Shadows Between Us. That being said, I can attest that you can start with this one and still fully understand and enjoy it. Though it would spoil the first book for you.

“My husband is taking too long to die.”

Chrysantha Stathos has hustled and schemed her whole life to achieve freedom in a world dominated by men. Now, married to a dying duke, it’s all finally within reach. That is until Eryx Demos turns up claiming to be her husband’s grandson and heir to her dukedom. His mysterious charm won’t sway her when it comes to prying his claws out of what’s hers, even when she starts to suspect he might have literal claws.


This book is perfect for your laziest reading days. There isn’t much exposition, but the world-building isn’t complex enough for it to be confusing. The magic system in particular isn’t really explained. I can’t speak to what was established in the first book, but having gone into this one blind I initially thought this was a fantasy in the sense of vibes and then was pleasantly surprised by the magical twist. While I believe it’s marketed as YA, this story does contain some more mature themes as far as sexual autonomy. That being said, none of it is explicit on the page and any spiciness is ‘closed door.’


We’re thrown straight into who Chrysantha is and what her stakes are. The story is entirely in her POV, which is a soft, warm center wrapped in a snarky romp of a candy coating. I believe it to be a challenge to write a character who readers will find endearing and root for when she’s actively planning murders for the majority of the book, and I rooted for Chrysantha and every ounce of savageness found in her internal monologue. I also really enjoyed seeing her growing relationship with her sister, Alessandra the FMC from The Shadows Between Us. It was a lovely acknowledgment of how we can coexist in hardship and yet be totally unaware of the allies we have. They’re allowed to see that though they survived their father’s house in different ways, it doesn’t need to come between them.

“Before, I wasn’t a violent person. Before, I’d been patience personified. Now, I’m free. Now, I can be whatever I want.”

This book is the lightest kind of palette cleanser, providing something fun and easy to absolutely inhale. I don’t want to say it’s kind of cozy given the amount of murder plots, but… I wouldn’t not say that. You’re given thoughtful, unique characters who have enough stakes to keep things moving without ever getting particularly suspenseful and just enough romance to make it truly interesting. I’d recommend The Darkness Within Us to anyone looking for something quietly delightful to read in the sunshine. Especially to those who enjoyed The Shadows Between Us, because we love a cameo.