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bluejaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
I’m of two minds about this book. On one hand, I learned a lot about the Ottoman Empire, found the characters well developed, and the plot enjoyable. On the other hand, it feels odd to me when authors write novels about real people and the story felt abrupt. Part of my problem with the ending stems from me believing this book to be a standalone when it isn’t, but I still felt the ending was sudden.
harleyrae's review against another edition
DNF at 25%
I think I’m just gonna call it quits on this one. I have absolutely no desire to keep reading it. Was it bad? No, it just wasn’t for me. This is a book I’ve been contemplating getting rid of for awhile anyway, so I just think it’s time.
I think I’m just gonna call it quits on this one. I have absolutely no desire to keep reading it. Was it bad? No, it just wasn’t for me. This is a book I’ve been contemplating getting rid of for awhile anyway, so I just think it’s time.
leafblade's review against another edition
4.0
This was surprisingly good????? I didn't even have it in my tbr shelf before starting it, but DUDE??????
I have mixed feelings about Lada, but I definitely don't hate her so there's that. I appreciated her in the end because tbh same. Who needs men.
I don't know if I want to read the second one yet but I also don't want my last knowledge of Radu be that he's miserable do u feel me
I have mixed feelings about Lada, but I definitely don't hate her so there's that. I appreciated her in the end because tbh same. Who needs men.
I don't know if I want to read the second one yet but I also don't want my last knowledge of Radu be that he's miserable do u feel me
fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Alright, so, I've been wanting to write this review ever since I finished the book at 5:30 a.m., but unfortunately, I had to go to sleep. Ugh, life necessities. I don’t know if I can properly articulate what I feel about this book, but I sure as hell will try my hardest!
Now this is a book that is unlike any that I have ever read. From the get-go, we are introduced to the book's dark and gritty atmosphere. The synopsis compares it to Game of Thrones, but I've only watched 5 episodes of that so I can't really judge. What I can tell you, however, is that this book is going to sink its claws into you from the beginning until the very end. There's this suspense and darkness about it that keeps you flipping page after page after page. Trust me when I say, you will devour this book.
This story has elements of fantasy incorporated into an alternate historical universe set during the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire's success. Although not very historically accurate, the book does an excellent job of depicting various religions and politics in an objective way, which I loved. The story itself is also very unconventional, for sure -- with its unconventional setting and unconventional heroine and unconventional atmosphere. This all makes it so unique and original.
However, the main driving force of the story is the complex, dimensional characters. Our protagonist is the fierce Lada, short for Ladislav, and she is basically the alternate female version of Vlad the Impaler. Lada is the epitome of fierce anti-princess. Her wickedness & sinisterness are very palpable things in the book. I might even dare call her psychotic. However, her POV makes us sympathize with and feel empathy for her, framing her in a slightly humane manner. Lada defies everything a woman should be in the 1400s. She despises being a woman and does everything in her power in order to not be seen as one. Later on, she learns that women themselves are weapons, binding their time and then striking. I really admire Lada's character - she's wild and shrewd and cruel and calculating. A force to be reckoned with!
In contrast, we have Lada's brother Radu. He is pretty and delicate and sensitive, pretty much the polar opposite of Lada. He's usually the one that needs protecting, in the physical sense. However, later on, we learn that Radu is better at defending himself in other ways: through charming smiles and insincere speech and praise-filled assurances. ‘Kill 'em with kindness’ is probably his motto. What Radu lacked in substance, he more than made up for in charm & kindness.
Lada and Radu's sibling dynamic is an intriguing one for sure. They are practically the embodiment of yin and yang. Their relationship is tainted with frustration, misunderstanding, and jealousy, yet they both manage to put each other first. It's quite unlike anything I've seen in YA. In this book, their relationship is merely a thread in the web of other complicated relationships in this book.
Contrary to what you might believe, there’s no love triangle in this book, although it may seem like one. Mehmed and Lada’s slow development of their relationship was nice, but I don’t think Mehmed is a good match for Lada. I feel like he holds her back from her true potential, as it is so often subtly hinted at in the book by others. *cough* Mara, Bogdan, Nicolae. *cough* In the first half of the book, Lada is as wild as ever, but in the middle of the second half, she kind of stops fighting. She’s content with what she has, which was all given to her by Mehmed. I remember thinking, “I thought you didn’t want to be tied to what a man gave you? I thought you were going to take what is yours and not have it given to you?!”
Moreover, let's talk about the compelling, captivating plot, shall we? It literally made my head explode! (In a good way) The plot is so fast-paced from the very start, and there's never a dull moment in this book. Hold your horses. I don't mean fast-paced as in sword-fighting, arrow-shooting, knife-stabbing action, although there is plenty of that to go around. I meant the political intrigue that's so abundant in this book. There are so many mind-blowing machinations and jaw-dropping twists & turns! The complexity of all that, in addition to the author's eloquent writing style, makes for an unputdownable read.
To briefly sum it up, And I Darken has complex dynamics that are all tangled in a dark web of betrayal and frustration. That's not all, though. The attention to detail, the intricately woven setting & plot, the meticulous characterization, and the portrayal of history & its religions... These all make for a truly phenomenal page-turner of a book. A perfect read if you're looking for something dark, unconventional, and unputdownable!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way impacted my views & opinions above.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Now this is a book that is unlike any that I have ever read. From the get-go, we are introduced to the book's dark and gritty atmosphere. The synopsis compares it to Game of Thrones, but I've only watched 5 episodes of that so I can't really judge. What I can tell you, however, is that this book is going to sink its claws into you from the beginning until the very end. There's this suspense and darkness about it that keeps you flipping page after page after page. Trust me when I say, you will devour this book.
This story has elements of fantasy incorporated into an alternate historical universe set during the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire's success. Although not very historically accurate, the book does an excellent job of depicting various religions and politics in an objective way, which I loved. The story itself is also very unconventional, for sure -- with its unconventional setting and unconventional heroine and unconventional atmosphere. This all makes it so unique and original.
However, the main driving force of the story is the complex, dimensional characters. Our protagonist is the fierce Lada, short for Ladislav, and she is basically the alternate female version of Vlad the Impaler. Lada is the epitome of fierce anti-princess. Her wickedness & sinisterness are very palpable things in the book. I might even dare call her psychotic. However, her POV makes us sympathize with and feel empathy for her, framing her in a slightly humane manner. Lada defies everything a woman should be in the 1400s. She despises being a woman and does everything in her power in order to not be seen as one. Later on, she learns that women themselves are weapons, binding their time and then striking. I really admire Lada's character - she's wild and shrewd and cruel and calculating. A force to be reckoned with!
In contrast, we have Lada's brother Radu. He is pretty and delicate and sensitive, pretty much the polar opposite of Lada. He's usually the one that needs protecting, in the physical sense. However, later on, we learn that Radu is better at defending himself in other ways: through charming smiles and insincere speech and praise-filled assurances. ‘Kill 'em with kindness’ is probably his motto. What Radu lacked in substance, he more than made up for in charm & kindness.
Lada and Radu's sibling dynamic is an intriguing one for sure. They are practically the embodiment of yin and yang. Their relationship is tainted with frustration, misunderstanding, and jealousy, yet they both manage to put each other first. It's quite unlike anything I've seen in YA. In this book, their relationship is merely a thread in the web of other complicated relationships in this book.
Contrary to what you might believe, there’s no love triangle in this book, although it may seem like one. Mehmed and Lada’s slow development of their relationship was nice, but I don’t think Mehmed is a good match for Lada. I feel like he holds her back from her true potential, as it is so often subtly hinted at in the book by others. *cough* Mara, Bogdan, Nicolae. *cough* In the first half of the book, Lada is as wild as ever, but in the middle of the second half, she kind of stops fighting. She’s content with what she has, which was all given to her by Mehmed. I remember thinking, “I thought you didn’t want to be tied to what a man gave you? I thought you were going to take what is yours and not have it given to you?!”
Moreover, let's talk about the compelling, captivating plot, shall we? It literally made my head explode! (In a good way) The plot is so fast-paced from the very start, and there's never a dull moment in this book. Hold your horses. I don't mean fast-paced as in sword-fighting, arrow-shooting, knife-stabbing action, although there is plenty of that to go around. I meant the political intrigue that's so abundant in this book. There are so many mind-blowing machinations and jaw-dropping twists & turns! The complexity of all that, in addition to the author's eloquent writing style, makes for an unputdownable read.
To briefly sum it up, And I Darken has complex dynamics that are all tangled in a dark web of betrayal and frustration. That's not all, though. The attention to detail, the intricately woven setting & plot, the meticulous characterization, and the portrayal of history & its religions... These all make for a truly phenomenal page-turner of a book. A perfect read if you're looking for something dark, unconventional, and unputdownable!
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way impacted my views & opinions above.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
mllejoyeuxnoel's review against another edition
5.0
I hope this odd sentence makes sense to fellow readers: The EXACT right amount of things happened in this book. The balance of it all was perfect. The arcs of each of the three main characters were seamlessly allowed to develop and flourish alongside all of the action and political plot. I want to be Lada when I grow up. She is a calculating badass who takes no prisoners but manages neither to be manipulative nor truly detestable. The writing was wonderful; I'm not sure if this book is classified as YA, but I did not feel as if I were reading a book meant for teens in the slightest. While I expected some SFF in this book after perusing the description and seeing that this story revolves around the fabled Dracul family, there was none, which I actually found to be a great choice. The story of this family is so spectacularly rich without fantastic embellishment. I had my local bookstore order the second installment for me before I even started reading this one, and I'm very glad I did!
Recommended if you like: boss bitch female leads, queer lead characters, political intrigue, romantic subplots.
Recommended if you like: boss bitch female leads, queer lead characters, political intrigue, romantic subplots.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit, I can't fully remember anymore why I put this book on my wishlist once. I do know that I only wanted it even more once I heard and realized that this was going to be a Vlad the Impaler retelling. Because, I'm not just a superficial vampire girl, I'm a vampire girl who's actually interested in the origin story and the historical context of Dracula. So, when I got this book in my bookswap, I was over the moon and moved it straight to the top of my TBR.
Because of the marketing, as it having loads of Game of Thrones elements, I was already prepared for this book to be mostly build up. This book creates the foundation for the rest of the series, by showing us the long and heavy road Lada Dracul has to go before she can become the Vlad the Impaler we've heard so many stories about. We read how she's born, her father disappointed that she's a girl, we read how she grows up to at least amuse and please him and we read how she learns to use being a strong, brave and fighting woman to her advantage in a world that's dominated, ruled and protected by men.
But, it doesn't only show us her story. We also form a bond with her brother and the son of the sultan. And all three storylines and developments are interesting. Of course, Lada's the one I was mostly interested in, but Radu has a very interesting arc too, especially because of how his storyline is dealt with and played out.
And the entire story is written in a very smooth and easy language that makes it flowing and keeps it interesting, even though it's not spectacular and not very action driven. Normally I can get a little bored and annoyed with books like this, especially if I don't feel like it really pays of at the end of the book (I have high hopes it does at the end of the series), but in this case I wasn't bored for even one second.
I'll for sure try to get my hands on the second book as soon as I can!
Because of the marketing, as it having loads of Game of Thrones elements, I was already prepared for this book to be mostly build up. This book creates the foundation for the rest of the series, by showing us the long and heavy road Lada Dracul has to go before she can become the Vlad the Impaler we've heard so many stories about. We read how she's born, her father disappointed that she's a girl, we read how she grows up to at least amuse and please him and we read how she learns to use being a strong, brave and fighting woman to her advantage in a world that's dominated, ruled and protected by men.
But, it doesn't only show us her story. We also form a bond with her brother and the son of the sultan. And all three storylines and developments are interesting. Of course, Lada's the one I was mostly interested in, but Radu has a very interesting arc too, especially because of how his storyline is dealt with and played out.
And the entire story is written in a very smooth and easy language that makes it flowing and keeps it interesting, even though it's not spectacular and not very action driven. Normally I can get a little bored and annoyed with books like this, especially if I don't feel like it really pays of at the end of the book (I have high hopes it does at the end of the series), but in this case I wasn't bored for even one second.
I'll for sure try to get my hands on the second book as soon as I can!
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
It’s really hard to explain the plot of this book because there are so many different things that make it up. Religion, childhood, politics, love, death, sibling-hood, womanhood, home. There are so many different aspects of this story as we see our two main characters growing up through the years and reaching the point of adulthood.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style is something to get used to because it has a very slow pace. But it’s descriptive and detailed. The world building is excellent, I was very oblivious about this time in history and while some things were confusing, it was very easy to get into the story and the imagery. Things get drawn out because it’s definitely not the story I expected but it’s easy to read.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m still not sure how I feel about the characters of this book. On the one hand, I appreciated how well developed and interesting they were, but it was very hard to connect with them. The first is Lada, who is our female Vlad the Impaler and when I say she’s tough, it’s an understatement. She’s a rough and tumble kind of girl. She’s fierce and intense and violent at a very young age. She has a huge amount of anger issues, but she’s also extremely resilient and I loved her spirit though it was hard to know where she was coming from. Then there is Radu, her younger brother, who is all the delicate his sister never managed to find. He’s really sweet and vulnerable, he cries a lot when he was a kid. He’s quiet and he listens to his surroundings. As he grows up though, he becomes more passionate and angry and he starts to make his own decisions, while still maintaining his sensitivity. Then there’s a main character that while we don’t see his point of view, he is an intricate and important part of the story. i wasn’t the biggest fan of him or the actions and reactions he caused in the main characters. But I do understand why he was needed to move the plot along.
Emotionally
The plot is slow. We follow Lada and Radu, siblings taken from their home to the heart of the Ottoman Empire and we follow their childhood as they try to survive and flourish in a new place. I was expecting an action packed story full of death and violence and battles and that wasn’t exactly what I got. There was death and violence and battles but it was all spread about and not the main driving point of the plot. I kind of got the prequel story to what I was promised in the synopsis. The hows and whys of Lada becoming the inspiration for her creation, Vlad the Impaler. I’ve heard things but I didn’t really know anything about this character or the time period from before reading this book and the entire time I felt like it was something I needed to be able to understand what was going on. It wasn’t until 75% of the book that I managed to look up that information and I think it might have hindered my reading experience. Once I knew everything it was a lot easier to understand the relevance of the plot but by that time, it was too late for me to be completely invested in it. I also didn’t realize how big of a role religion and politics were going to play in the book. I’ve never read a book that delves into the Muslim religion as much as this one does and that was exciting for me because it’s something that I don’t know much about. The quest of the Ottoman Empire was interesting and intriguing and kind of made me want to search out more about it and it’s importance in history. Yet, there were some sections of the book that felt drawn out and were very boring with small parts that had the excitement and tension that I was looking for. Critically speaking, this book is really well written, detailed with an accurate portrayal of history even if in an alternate version and includes well rounded, morally gray characters. It just didn’t make me feel anything. I didn’t connect with it on an emotional level which is crucial for me to enjoy a book to its fullest.
Lada is fierce and very manly. She tends to resent the fact that she was born a woman because it places her as weak in the time period she lives in when she is anything but. She’s a very complex character and sometimes I had a hard time coming to terms with her way of thinking because it’s very strategic and kind of harsh. Yet at the same time, she feels a constant vulnerability because of who she is and she fights it constantly, always working to prove herself to those around her. She has a very hard exterior but I feel like there’s a lot more of her to explore in later books. Hopefully I’ll be able to connect with her more.
Radu is a character who is much easier to understand and feel for. He’s almost the complete opposite of her sister and that attracted me to him and his personality. I feel like in this book he is the one that has the greatest character development. He’s very shy, needy and emotional and the beginning. Unfortunately, the harsh realities of life begin to open up his eyes to the negatives and that starts to shape his character into someone maybe not as cruel as Lada but with still an edge of cunning and strategy that is meant to benefit only himself. I’m looking forward to seeing how this change affects their sibling relationship beyond what it already has done.
I feel like Mehmed had way too much focus in this novel specially considering that he is a side character since we don’t get any narration from him. I understood his need to be in the story but the main characters were too dependent, too focused on him sometimes and that got really annoying really quickly. There are other things going on in the world besides this dude and it felt like they didn’t realize that sometimes. It was frustrating because I didn’t see the great appeal with him. He’s very narcissistic and stubborn and privileged and I feel like he manipulates or tries to manipulate the main character’s sometimes.
Overall, I liked this book alright. Critically, the writing is amazing, the characters while frustrating, kept me interested in their lives and I liked the general development of their personalities. The story was a bit slow but once I knew the history behind it, it made a lot of sense to the story this series is hoping to tell. But I just didn’t feel anything about what was happening. I didn’t get the tension and drama and craziness that I was expecting in this book. But I’m hopeful and looking forward to the next books to see how things develop.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
It’s really hard to explain the plot of this book because there are so many different things that make it up. Religion, childhood, politics, love, death, sibling-hood, womanhood, home. There are so many different aspects of this story as we see our two main characters growing up through the years and reaching the point of adulthood.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style is something to get used to because it has a very slow pace. But it’s descriptive and detailed. The world building is excellent, I was very oblivious about this time in history and while some things were confusing, it was very easy to get into the story and the imagery. Things get drawn out because it’s definitely not the story I expected but it’s easy to read.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m still not sure how I feel about the characters of this book. On the one hand, I appreciated how well developed and interesting they were, but it was very hard to connect with them. The first is Lada, who is our female Vlad the Impaler and when I say she’s tough, it’s an understatement. She’s a rough and tumble kind of girl. She’s fierce and intense and violent at a very young age. She has a huge amount of anger issues, but she’s also extremely resilient and I loved her spirit though it was hard to know where she was coming from. Then there is Radu, her younger brother, who is all the delicate his sister never managed to find. He’s really sweet and vulnerable, he cries a lot when he was a kid. He’s quiet and he listens to his surroundings. As he grows up though, he becomes more passionate and angry and he starts to make his own decisions, while still maintaining his sensitivity. Then there’s a main character that while we don’t see his point of view, he is an intricate and important part of the story. i wasn’t the biggest fan of him or the actions and reactions he caused in the main characters. But I do understand why he was needed to move the plot along.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book from quite a few people that I trust, but I have to say that I was a little disappointed.The plot is slow. We follow Lada and Radu, siblings taken from their home to the heart of the Ottoman Empire and we follow their childhood as they try to survive and flourish in a new place. I was expecting an action packed story full of death and violence and battles and that wasn’t exactly what I got. There was death and violence and battles but it was all spread about and not the main driving point of the plot. I kind of got the prequel story to what I was promised in the synopsis. The hows and whys of Lada becoming the inspiration for her creation, Vlad the Impaler. I’ve heard things but I didn’t really know anything about this character or the time period from before reading this book and the entire time I felt like it was something I needed to be able to understand what was going on. It wasn’t until 75% of the book that I managed to look up that information and I think it might have hindered my reading experience. Once I knew everything it was a lot easier to understand the relevance of the plot but by that time, it was too late for me to be completely invested in it. I also didn’t realize how big of a role religion and politics were going to play in the book. I’ve never read a book that delves into the Muslim religion as much as this one does and that was exciting for me because it’s something that I don’t know much about. The quest of the Ottoman Empire was interesting and intriguing and kind of made me want to search out more about it and it’s importance in history. Yet, there were some sections of the book that felt drawn out and were very boring with small parts that had the excitement and tension that I was looking for. Critically speaking, this book is really well written, detailed with an accurate portrayal of history even if in an alternate version and includes well rounded, morally gray characters. It just didn’t make me feel anything. I didn’t connect with it on an emotional level which is crucial for me to enjoy a book to its fullest.
Lada is fierce and very manly. She tends to resent the fact that she was born a woman because it places her as weak in the time period she lives in when she is anything but. She’s a very complex character and sometimes I had a hard time coming to terms with her way of thinking because it’s very strategic and kind of harsh. Yet at the same time, she feels a constant vulnerability because of who she is and she fights it constantly, always working to prove herself to those around her. She has a very hard exterior but I feel like there’s a lot more of her to explore in later books. Hopefully I’ll be able to connect with her more.
Radu is a character who is much easier to understand and feel for. He’s almost the complete opposite of her sister and that attracted me to him and his personality. I feel like in this book he is the one that has the greatest character development. He’s very shy, needy and emotional and the beginning. Unfortunately, the harsh realities of life begin to open up his eyes to the negatives and that starts to shape his character into someone maybe not as cruel as Lada but with still an edge of cunning and strategy that is meant to benefit only himself. I’m looking forward to seeing how this change affects their sibling relationship beyond what it already has done.
I feel like Mehmed had way too much focus in this novel specially considering that he is a side character since we don’t get any narration from him. I understood his need to be in the story but the main characters were too dependent, too focused on him sometimes and that got really annoying really quickly. There are other things going on in the world besides this dude and it felt like they didn’t realize that sometimes. It was frustrating because I didn’t see the great appeal with him. He’s very narcissistic and stubborn and privileged and I feel like he manipulates or tries to manipulate the main character’s sometimes.
Overall, I liked this book alright. Critically, the writing is amazing, the characters while frustrating, kept me interested in their lives and I liked the general development of their personalities. The story was a bit slow but once I knew the history behind it, it made a lot of sense to the story this series is hoping to tell. But I just didn’t feel anything about what was happening. I didn’t get the tension and drama and craziness that I was expecting in this book. But I’m hopeful and looking forward to the next books to see how things develop.
sushizhan's review against another edition
5.0
Holy shit. This book is amazing. The characters: Lada, Radu, Mehmed --- they are practically flesh; they are so real to me. The dialogue is engaging and very clever and witty. I could not get enough of it. The story is quite brilliant. I cannot wait for the 2nd book to this. Reading this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Highly!!!
teeggzz's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75
Anyone with a love for character driven stories and rich history will absolutely devour this book. For me it was a solid read that had me pretty enraptured through out.
As I mentioned before, the history is done really thoroughly. I don't know anything at all about Vlad the Impaler but the time zone and setting was done really well. The world building was rich and vivid and I found the direct ties to Islam religion really fascinating. Although in saying that, the pacing was AWFULLY slow. At the start of the book we don't really have a clear goal. Lada and Radu have been taken from their home and really it's just about them living their lives in an enemy's court. Majority of the book was character driven which wasn't entirely a bad thing. A lot of the time some action scenes were hinted at but then completely brushed over. It made for at times a dwindling plot. Speaking of the plot, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the ending climax? It was extremely short and not as exciting as I'd hoped. I thought there'd be more at stake but everything worked out almost too conveniently. Like I was almost certain from the very start that Radu was going to be Lada's "sacrifice". As much as I love Radu it would've made for a cool plot twist! And I actually thought that at one point Lada may kill Radu because she kept saying "if anyone's going to kill you it'll be me". I guess I was just hoping there would be a higher price for all that build up. Ultimately the rather underwhelming ending reduced the rating.
But seriously I just KNEW that Lazaar was a spy of some sort. As soon as Radu signed those papers unflinchingly that's when I knew. Radu trusted him so much that he didn't even bother to read the page! Dude, you have no idea what he could've wrote! I also thought it was kinda weird that Lazaar started having romantic feelings for Radu....Like you literally watched him grow up as a boy....But not going to lie, I didn't expect Radu to kill him.
Speaking of Radu, he is such an underrated bean! I loved him from the very start of the book when we saw them grow up as kids. He was just so innocent and really all he needed was love. But literally nobody gives him enough credit. Sure, Lada can swing around a sword but can she fool and scheme her way into the enemies good graces? Radu was so cunning, yet such a sweetie. A true Slytherpuff. But I honestly need to see more sibling dynamics in YA. I loved Lada and Radu's development so much! Seeing how far they'd come and how much they actually relied on one another was so sweet. They were a heart-warming pair and I loved how nice their personalities contrasted. I also really enjoyed seeing the trio grow up together. Radu, Lada and Mehmed all worked so well together and I loved all of their bonding scenes. Another great bond was Nicolae and Lada. I really enjoyed their friendship and the playful banter that came with it. This book (although you wouldn't expect it to) actually had some great humour and some really beautiful moments.
The romance part of it wasn't the strongest. When Lada and Mehmed had their first kiss I thought it was cute and the tension was really building. But as soon as Mehmed became Sultan everything just got weird. He was going off and secretly having babies with other women and ultimately wasn't telling Lada all too much. Although I respected seeing a male character openly show his emotions I can't really say I trust Mehmed or was rooting for his and Lada's relationship.
Over all this was a pretty great read, that I loved mainly for the characters. I can say that I will be picking up the second one.
P.S. Can I just say that that last scene was literally so powerful. That last line left me with chills. Chills. <3
Anyone with a love for character driven stories and rich history will absolutely devour this book. For me it was a solid read that had me pretty enraptured through out.
As I mentioned before, the history is done really thoroughly. I don't know anything at all about Vlad the Impaler but the time zone and setting was done really well. The world building was rich and vivid and I found the direct ties to Islam religion really fascinating. Although in saying that, the pacing was AWFULLY slow. At the start of the book we don't really have a clear goal. Lada and Radu have been taken from their home and really it's just about them living their lives in an enemy's court. Majority of the book was character driven which wasn't entirely a bad thing. A lot of the time some action scenes were hinted at but then completely brushed over. It made for at times a dwindling plot. Speaking of the plot, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the ending climax? It was extremely short and not as exciting as I'd hoped. I thought there'd be more at stake but everything worked out almost too conveniently. Like I was almost certain from the very start that Radu was going to be Lada's "sacrifice". As much as I love Radu it would've made for a cool plot twist! And I actually thought that at one point Lada may kill Radu because she kept saying "if anyone's going to kill you it'll be me". I guess I was just hoping there would be a higher price for all that build up. Ultimately the rather underwhelming ending reduced the rating.
But seriously I just KNEW that Lazaar was a spy of some sort. As soon as Radu signed those papers unflinchingly that's when I knew. Radu trusted him so much that he didn't even bother to read the page! Dude, you have no idea what he could've wrote! I also thought it was kinda weird that Lazaar started having romantic feelings for Radu....Like you literally watched him grow up as a boy....But not going to lie, I didn't expect Radu to kill him.
Speaking of Radu, he is such an underrated bean! I loved him from the very start of the book when we saw them grow up as kids. He was just so innocent and really all he needed was love. But literally nobody gives him enough credit. Sure, Lada can swing around a sword but can she fool and scheme her way into the enemies good graces? Radu was so cunning, yet such a sweetie. A true Slytherpuff. But I honestly need to see more sibling dynamics in YA. I loved Lada and Radu's development so much! Seeing how far they'd come and how much they actually relied on one another was so sweet. They were a heart-warming pair and I loved how nice their personalities contrasted. I also really enjoyed seeing the trio grow up together. Radu, Lada and Mehmed all worked so well together and I loved all of their bonding scenes. Another great bond was Nicolae and Lada. I really enjoyed their friendship and the playful banter that came with it. This book (although you wouldn't expect it to) actually had some great humour and some really beautiful moments.
The romance part of it wasn't the strongest. When Lada and Mehmed had their first kiss I thought it was cute and the tension was really building. But as soon as Mehmed became Sultan everything just got weird. He was going off and secretly having babies with other women and ultimately wasn't telling Lada all too much. Although I respected seeing a male character openly show his emotions I can't really say I trust Mehmed or was rooting for his and Lada's relationship.
Over all this was a pretty great read, that I loved mainly for the characters. I can say that I will be picking up the second one.
P.S. Can I just say that that last scene was literally so powerful. That last line left me with chills. Chills. <3