The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark #1)Author: Bree Despain
Publisher: Egmont, 512 pages
Publication Date: March 22, 2014
From Goodreads:
Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.
Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.
Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.
Review:
I really enjoyed this one and here's why:
1. Loved the Greek mythology. Great development of mythology and plot. Well thought out.
2. Loved Daphne and Haden and the slow progression of their relationship. Daphne is a great heroine who has goals and doesn't lose who she is just because of some guy. And unlike other girls in YA fiction, she thinks it's creepy that he's stalking her.
Haden…he grew on me. He's selfish and unfeeling at first, which makes sense given he lived in the Underrealm his whole life, but living in the mortal world brings out his humanity. There were some humorous moments as Haden navigated the human world…he was pretty clueless at first. He and Daphne spend quite a bit of time together so it felt like their relationship progressed in a natural way. No insta-love.
3. Great secondary characters. Dax, Tobin, and even Lexie and Garrick…they were well fleshed out with back stories. Even Lexie, the typical mean girl at first, has some depth to her. And I loved Brim, the cat!
The books ends where there is no immediate danger so no huge cliffhanger, but there's a lot of revelations at the end that make me really excited for the next one. Definitely recommend it!
Posted by: Pam
Yes! I really enjoyed this one too! The mythology was so well-thought out and so well explained. I also loved that she thought Haden's stalker tendencies were creepy and not endearing and I just loved how that whole relationship developed. I'm very excited for the next one although I'll probably need a recap because I'm already really fuzzy on the details. Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun read. I might have to add this to my TBR! Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't even heard of this one before, but it sounds so good. I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for this one.
ReplyDeleteThis one has been on my list for FOREVER!! I meant to read it before it released and then soon after... Now it's been several months. Hopefully I'll get to it this year. So glad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this one before! In an effort to be selective, how unique is this one. I'm only asking because it sounds like something that has been done before and I am not reading as fast as I am adding books to my TBR. But I am curious... And I am glad to see that Daphne doesn't immediately fall in love with Haden!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read too many Greek mythology books so I'm not sure how unique the book is. To be honest, I don't think many books are unique, but I was impressed with the plot and the way Greek mythology is used. Not sure if that helps! ~Pam
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