Book of the Month - May 2015

This month's book of the month is none other than The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain. If you've been following along with my posts and social media, this really shouldn't come as a surprise. My mom was selected to be a Series Ambassador for Bree Despain's Into the Dark series, and I, as her self-proclaimed junior helper, have taken on the responsibility of promoting this new-found favorite series of mine.

Image courtesy of 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.

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.

Synopsis via Bree Despain's website.

In addition to the fact that I am helping promote the Into the Dark series, I have selected The Shadow Prince as May's book of the month for two other reasons.

• The elements of the book are a good representation of how YA fiction is evolving, which I believe makes it a good book to kick off summer. Instead of the typical, underrated teenage girl who falls in love with the mysterious new guy (who is usually a modern version of the Byronic Hero), The Shadow Prince has Daphne Raines, an independent girl with a plan that doesn't include distractions. Also, the mysterious new guy is more Thor-like than Batman-like.
• Bree Despain has managed to write a retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth without creating a story that's been told a thousand times before. I really enjoy this retelling and I think Bree Despain deserves praise for avoiding falling into cliche territory.

You can read my full review of the book here.

Happy reading!

Molly