The Shadow Prince
By Bree Despain
Published on March 11, 2014
Published by Egmont
Source: Edelweiss
Published by Egmont
Source: Edelweiss
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.
So the premise of this book is that it is taking Greek Mythology and plunking it down in a present day storyline. It has been done before, but I say there are never too many Hades/ Persephone stories- so bring it on! The premise in this book seemed pretty awesome. I am totally into anything that has to do with mythology. This book just didn't click with me though. I can't say it was a terrible book, but it wasn't great either- it was just... meh.
I loved all of the mythology that went into this story. I love the idea of gods and goddesses and magic, but I have to say- I think the author took too long to do work building. Even with all of the knowledge I had about Greek mythology- I still felt pretty lost when they referred to a history set in the context of the story. I felt like I should have known things, and things that were hidden to be let out in a "big reveal"- well it was anti-climactic.
Haden and Daphne were interesting characters. Haden seemed to be inspired somewhat by the movie version of Thor- at least in the way he carried himself. Daphne was a little clueless and I felt at times that her "I hate my dad" storyline was a bit forced. I really think they could have done more with side characters- Daphne's parents, CeeCee, and the other side characters.
Don't get me wrong, this was a decent book. It had an interesting plot and the story was enjoyable. But for me, it was pretty forgettable.
