Review: The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark, #1) by Bree Despain

The Shadow Prince (Into the Dark, #1) by Bree Despain
Publisher: Egmont
Expected Publication Date: March 11, 2014
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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.

My Thoughts...

Bree Despain takes her readers on a stunning mythological joyride, and into the lives of Haden Lord and Daphne Raines. The Shadow Prince is told from multiple POVs and a wonderful addition to YA. As a fan of mythology, Bree Despain does not disappoint!

Daphne was quite the protagonist. The story of her life up until she moved to Olympus Hills, was simple but frustrating. Her mother was overprotective and wouldn't allow Daphne leave their small community. Then swoops in Joe, her rockstar father, who had been pretty much been nonexistent since she was young, presents a court order of guardianship and takes Daphne away to Olympus Hills. This scenario seemed ideal for the story, however, wasn't very realistic as her mother didn't fight to keep her there. And how did he get guardianship over a child he never spent time with!? I think this could have been worked out a little differently so it made more sense.

Daphne (who is a beautiful singer) is thrust into a new lavish lifestyle in Olympus Hills, and is presented with an opportunity to try out for the high school choir. Of course she breezes into the top spot, stealing it from cranky pants, mean girl, Lexie.  She meets another student, Tobin Winters. He had been kind and befriended Daphne right away.

In the Underrealm a Champion is chosen to enter into the mortal realm and has one year to convince their "boon" to agree to follow them back to the underrealm. Sounds pretty simple, but not when it comes to Daphne. She's a smart cookie and isn't going to fall for anyone's shenanigans, even the gorgeous Haden Lord.


"You might be from Hades and all, but you haven't experienced torment quite like high school before."


There's a serious supply of secondary characters and I really liked them all. They range from mean girl, nice guy, to mystery. Their supporting roles equally contributed to the smooth flow of the story.
Woven with lots of mythology, mystery, and romance, The Shadow Prince was an enjoyable and lengthy read!