Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Standalone
368p.
Publisher: NAL
Published: 2/4/14
Source: From the publisher and Edelweiss for review

In the Houses of Montague and Capulet, there is only one goal: power. The boys are born to fight and die for honor and—if they survive—marry for influence and money, not love. The girls are assets, to be spent wisely. Their wishes are of no import. Their fates are written on the day they are born. 

Benvolio Montague, cousin to Romeo, knows all this. He expects to die for his cousin, for his house, but a spark of rebellion still lives inside him. At night, he is the Prince of Shadows, the greatest thief in Verona—and he risks all as he steals from House Capulet. In doing so, he sets eyes on convent-bound Rosaline, and a terrible curse begins that will claim the lives of many in Verona… 

…And will rewrite all their fates, forever.

My thoughts:
 This is the retelling of Romeo and Juliet and not from their prospectives. It is from Romeo's cousin Benvolio we follow in this tale. All the players are present, but what we get is a more fulfilling version of what may have happened if these two houses actually existed. The prose was there but it didn't overwhelm the tale. It was placed in just enough amounts to enhance the tale and I enjoyed it.

The story we are used to has changed a bit, but really feels as if we are granted a more true telling of what transpired. We get to know the minor characters much better and find out how vengeance and a want of power is what really stirred things into motion. For those that were not a fan of the insta-love with bouts of obsession which plague the original tale, I think you will be surprised and happy with the romance that does develop. Most things follow the play, so if you were hoping for a better outcome for the doomed couple, I'll spare you now and tell you all major parts are played to it's conclusion. It is the newer parts that have it's own tale.

I give this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed this retelling and I really loved how all the major and minor players come together. It is a more intriguing tale than the play and I do like how Rachel Caine mixed it up. I recommend this book to those that are fans of retellings, want a different tale than the one we expect and just wanted a different and more satisfying ending. Also, those that crave a more intelligent heroine will not be disappointed in this version of Verona. :)

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