Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen
Demon Princess #1
Release Date: September 29th, 2009
Published by Walker Books for Young Readers
Format: Paperback, 274 pages
Source: Library
SUMMARY (from Goodreads): As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon king of the Shadowlands-the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious-and surprisingly cute- messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and he wants her to assume the throne. To complicate matters, a war is brewing between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, her half-demon qualities are manifesting, and her growing feelings for Michael are completely forbidden. Ruling a kingdom, navigating a secret crush, and still making it home by curfew- what's a teenage demon princess to do?
REVIEW:
To be honest, I was very disappointed at the cover for this book. It wasn't good, appealing, eye-catching enough for a thrilling, exciting, fun, kept-you-off-your-seat read. I almost skipped this book and put it back on the shelves if it weren't for the summary. I am SO glad that I didn't move on to another book. Even at the beginning, things started to get interesting. I never wanted to put the book down! A book full of action, adventure, fantasy, mythical creatures, cute boys, betrayal, and forbidden love? Yes please!
Nikki finds out that she's a demon princess. Her father is the king of the Shadowlands, a land where there are dragons, and right beside it is the fairy realms...with unicorns. Nikki's reaction to the news was definitely one everyone would've felt. If Michael was to be following me in the middle of the night, and told me I was a demon princess, I would've thought he was crazy and ran away. But then again, after letting the news sink in, and seeing the Shadowlands with my own eyes, I would've thought it would be pretty awesome to be a demon princess. It was a pity that Michael and Nikki's relationship was forbidden, with a capital F. They made such a great couple. I can't wait to see how their relationship plays out in the next book.
I loved Nikki's personality. Brave, courageous, witty, smart, bold. She's definitely one of my favorite female lead characters. Reading this story from her point of view was definitely fun. She was caught between making two choices. One for her freedom but she forgets everything about her father and that she's a demon princess or becoming queen and never being able to step foot on the human world again. In the end, she chose to do what she thought was right, even if it meant regretting it. When Nikki transformed into her Darkling self, it was like I was right in front of her watching her change. The details of what she looked like were described so realistically.
This book taught me the power of love, and finding your happy ending isn't something that'll happen right away. After reading such a spectacular start of an exciting sequel, I'm very curious to find out what happens next in the second book!
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 4/10
Character(s) I liked: Nikki, Michael
Character(s) I disliked: Elizabeth, Chris, Dax, Robert
First Sentence: "That guy is staring at you."
