- Twitter summary: The perfect COVID-19 pandemic physical distancing book because Kallias, the Shadow King, must stay at a distance to not accidentally touch anyone.*
- The good: This was sold to me as a Slytherin (because the “good” girls shouldn’t always be the winners) YA fantasy/romance story and the best part is that it’s a standalone novel! No duology, trilogy book series here! Yes! This book did not disappoint; there was an oblivious older sister, greedy father, vindictive former lover, sketchy uncle, even sketchier cousin and a number of stereotypical characters. I also appreciated Alessandra’s character development (see below for an exception) as she begins to realize love is not heartbreak.
- The bad: I completely missed when Alessandra actually fell in love with Kallias. All of a sudden, it went from “I have a poison,” to bam, “I love him and must protect him.” What? When? How? Why? I wish this aspect of the plot was better developed.
- Recommendation: Yes.
- Overall rating: 4/5 skinny dips
- Goodreads link
*I’m not kidding. In one chapter, Kallias sits down on a bench two feet apart from Alessandra. Is it sad that I giggled shamelessly?
amongthecrowd reads 