The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark) - Softcover

Bree Despain is the author of The Dark Divine trilogy and the Into the Dark trilogy. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and two sons. Visit her online at www.breedespain.com.

"This new young adult series offers a twist on the tale of Persephone and Hades and will have fans clamoring for more. An intriguing cast includes strong main characters; Daphne, a songstress with miraculous capabilities and Haden, underworld lord, tell the tale from their perspectives in alternating chapters. Supporting characters will feel familiar to those who know the myth, as will Olympus Hills, the setting for special teens. Despain's descriptions however, and the introduction of the bloodthirsty Keres set the tale apart from other mythological fiction currently available. Add me to Despain's fans; I am looking forward to the remainder of the Into the Dark series. Recommended." ―Library Media Connection

"In this nod to the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, a prince from the Underrealm must somehow convince a modern girl to come with him willingly to the underworld. Enter teens Haden and Daphne, who can't deny their immediate attraction, even while Haden tries to remember his mission and Daphne juggles a new school, a drunken rock-star dad (whom she only recently moved in with in order to attend a better music program), and her musical ambitions. Destinies, mysteries, and real and mythological difficulties all arise, but at the core this story is best when it is pure romance, even if it is a slightly unsettling one. The novel almost pulls off the elaborate plot, but ultimately, neither Daphne nor Haden feel like realistic individuals: Haden adapts almost instantly to contemporary life after spending his childhood as a disgraced prince in the Underworld, and Daphne is simply too perfect as an innately talented musical genius who never truly struggles for anything. In addition, their love story, while passionate, is rushed, and it's more than a little creepy given the fact that he knows she is doomed in the underworld (like his own mother was) and she knows that he has her full name tattooed on his arm before he ever meets her. Even so, a smoking-hot romance and plenty of unresolved plot threads should be enough to keep readers looking out for the next installment." ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books