The Shadow Prince by Bree DeSpain

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark)

by Bree DeSpain

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.
 
A pulsating romance of epic proportions, Bree Despain’s The Shadow Prince will leave her fans breathless for the next book in the Into The Dark series. 

Reviewed by Angie on

4 of 5 stars

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The Shadow Prince is probably one of my favorite modern twists on Greek mythology yet! Haden is an Underlord, meaning he's the son of the current ruler of the Underrealm. No, it's not Hades; he's dead. Anyway, Haden is unexpectedly selected to be the Champion. He's suppose to go to the Overrealm (our world), and he has six months to bring back his Boon, but she must go willingly. Yep, this is essentially a Hades and Persephone retelling (with Orpheus and Eurydice thrown in), but don't think you know what's happening next, because you don't! At least, I didn't.

It did take me a few chapters to warm up to The Shadow Prince. Luckily, it's long though, so there was plenty of good stuff to come! I was a bit confused in the beginning with all of this talk of Oracles, Underlords, Lessers, Champions, and Boons. What does it all mean?! I made some assumptions, which wound up bring correct. But the hows and whys of everything were super interesting! They just come kind of late, but I didn't see any way for all of this information to be revealed earlier without feeling forced. As it is, it is an info-dump as Haden explains everything to Daphne. But it was an interesting info-dump! I loved how the author interpreted the myths and created her world around it. Everything just fits.

Haden is sooo awkward! He wasn't meant to be a Champion, so he has no training. In fact, his father disowned him, because of reasons. So everyone is shocked that the all-knowing Oracle would choose him for the most important Boon seeking mission ever instead of his golden boy brother. Of course, I can't tell you why it's so important, but I can say it involves a war! And creepy things! And destruction! And a twist! But back to Haden. He really has no clue how to be human, so his cousin Dax who was a previous Champion directs him to YouTube. I'm sure you can guess why that's a bad idea.

Other than Haden's mission to get Daphne back to the Underrealm, The Shadow Prince has this kind of missing persons mystery going on. Daphen's friend Tobin's sister has been missing for six years, and he's desperate to find her, not believing she's dead. He's done his research and has managed to figure out that Haden's "family" must be involved somehow. I did figure out part of the twist, but it took me awhile. People are not who they seem! In fact, the entire town where Haden is sent to retrieve Daphne is really off, as is the small town she grew up in. I can't wait to learn more about both of these places!

I really enjoyed The Shadow Prince. At times, it does read like a typical YA Paranormal Romance, but it doesn't end up being one! It actually gets pretty exciting once Daphne learns of her heritage and destiny, and then Haden is conflicted over emotions and duty, and it's kind of a mess. But Daphne isn't some wilting flower and isn't willing to just go along with the plan, and she knows how to punch! And there's a super awesome tiny kitty who you don't want to piss off.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 April, 2015: Finished reading
  • 29 April, 2015: Reviewed