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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I wanted so badly for this to be a 5-star book! Everything about the blurb—"no one expects a princess to be brutal" and "bodies will be impaled" gripped me and I was wholly prepared to love it. Ultimately, I think the problem was that I expected And I Darken to be something it wasn't.
I expected more "brutal"; I expected a brilliant, cruel, bloodthirsty anti-hero of a heroine, who would make everyone around her rue the day they dared dismiss her based on her sex alone. Which, to be fair, I got—but it was drowned out by a love triangle that didn't really grow on me. I didn't warm to the character of Mehmed, and it seems like a large amount of both Lada's and Radu's inner monologues were about Mehmed and wanting Mehmed (or wanting Mehmed but also wanting to kill him). I also feel like there was too much skipping through time; and when that did happen, I'd be reading the next section, wondering exactly what had happened since the last one, waiting for it to be explained. I don't expect a book to hold my hand and tell me straight-away "X character died, this happened, now this is happening", but some scenes did feel more like vignettes.
That aside, I did really like both Lada and Radu. I liked Lada slightly more when she was young and, quite frankly, feral, but I enjoyed her complexity, her conflict, her bone-deep feelings of resentment and underlying fury, and her struggle to find herself in a world that has strictly-defined boundaries between what a man can do and what a woman can do. I liked how kind but calculating Radu could be; how he showed there was more to war and tactics than physical strength, and how words could be used to change one's position.
I docked stars mainly for the romance that didn't work for me, and for a few issues with pacing. A large portion of the book was devoted to watching Lada and Radu grow, so it feels more like a set-up for the next book. I think I would still read Now I Rise, the sequel, because I do want to see where Lada and Radu end up next!
I expected more "brutal"; I expected a brilliant, cruel, bloodthirsty anti-hero of a heroine, who would make everyone around her rue the day they dared dismiss her based on her sex alone. Which, to be fair, I got—but it was drowned out by a love triangle that didn't really grow on me. I didn't warm to the character of Mehmed, and it seems like a large amount of both Lada's and Radu's inner monologues were about Mehmed and wanting Mehmed (or wanting Mehmed but also wanting to kill him). I also feel like there was too much skipping through time; and when that did happen, I'd be reading the next section, wondering exactly what had happened since the last one, waiting for it to be explained. I don't expect a book to hold my hand and tell me straight-away "X character died, this happened, now this is happening", but some scenes did feel more like vignettes.
That aside, I did really like both Lada and Radu. I liked Lada slightly more when she was young and, quite frankly, feral, but I enjoyed her complexity, her conflict, her bone-deep feelings of resentment and underlying fury, and her struggle to find herself in a world that has strictly-defined boundaries between what a man can do and what a woman can do. I liked how kind but calculating Radu could be; how he showed there was more to war and tactics than physical strength, and how words could be used to change one's position.
I docked stars mainly for the romance that didn't work for me, and for a few issues with pacing. A large portion of the book was devoted to watching Lada and Radu grow, so it feels more like a set-up for the next book. I think I would still read Now I Rise, the sequel, because I do want to see where Lada and Radu end up next!
Good book, stressed me the hell out while reading and made my heart hurt on multiple page. Recommend if you are looking for a dark read with complex, flawed characters.
i love lada and radu sm its actually FOUL. worst love triangle in the world😭😭
good refresher!!!
good refresher!!!
Great novel with a strong female lead and interesting, complex characters. I was very invested in the plot, which deftly navigates the global and individual scale of events (I usually care little for the former) and offers a refreshing take on some of the most iconic historical figures of the 15th century. I really enjoyed the journey of Lada, her brother and Mehmed, feeling their anguish, joy and a whole range of emotions their plight (and difficult decisions) evoke. Looking forward to reading the next volume!
I loved this book this kind of Historical based on History Fantasy are the type of Historical books I like best. I really liked the characters especially Lada, Radu, and Mehmut they were so very well written I liked Lada's fierceness and how she is not the typical Heroine. I liked Radu in how he is the gentler side from what you see of Lada. I enjoyed the story very much I enjoyed these kind of stories very much it was well written and thought out. So overall I enjoyed this book and will be continuing the series.
I’ve read this maybe 3 times and it’s still an absolute favorite. This trilogy will ALWAYS be one of the best, darkest, bloodiest, most beautiful YA fantasies ever.
I struggled with this book. I guess I’m not a historical reimagining type of reader. I was torn between just losing myself in the story and trying to research what really happened. The last few pages were probably the best. I think the message I got from this was people in power usually have a lack of empathy and compassion, that’s how they got there. Lada is cruel and brutal, like I would imagine Vlad the Impaler to have been, but she gets out of marriage arrangements and trains with male guards instead of going into the Harem. I am stunned she was able to do that. She didn’t even want to marry for power. I understand she was supposed to be a genderflipped Vlad the Impaler, but I don’t know how she wasn’t punished severely. If she had been in a Christian society while doing this, she’d have been put in a convent and trapped there, but alas, she was in a Muslim society through this book. I get anxious about a white Christian writer writing a story set in a Muslim country like Turkey, alas, I am a white a Christian woman too, and I would not feel comfortable writing a story that had a lot of Islam in it due to fear of cultural appropriation, although White’s husband is a scholar on Vlad the Impaler, so he shad some expertise there. I think the best thing about this book shows that women had to be brutal and intelligent, even secretly, to survive, that was my biggest takeaway.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5 stars
Reread this February 2021, about 6 months after my first read. I'm raising my rating to 5 stars.
My first time around I enjoyed it via audiobook. Then halfway through the sequel, I wasn't paying much attention, I got bored, and I never finished. It kept bothering me, so I decided to start the series again, this time with the hard copy books.
I found out there is so much that I missed/forgot in the first book. I recall the pacing being slow and boring at points to where I would just zone out. But in this read, everything was happening so quickly. Time flew by. Even the politics were much more interesting since I could recall names and dynamics. The plot itself was still a little lacking as we didn't necessary have a clear direction with the story, but it didn't matter with such strong characters.
Which brings me to how much more I loved the characters this time through. I really think Lada is such a unique character to capture that no narrator can perfectly nail it. It's very difficult to make her come across so cruel without accidentally sounding like a bratty little girl. While I was tolerant of Lada in the audiobook, I adored her as I was reading the physical book. I even loved Radu this time around, even though his emotions are taxing after awhile. Mehmed is still… meh.
I think I've finally come to terms that for fantasy/sci-fi series, I need to read them and save audiobooks for other genres.
TL;DR
▌5.0 —One of the best I've ever read. Will be burned into my brain. Couldn't care less about weaknesses (if any). Would recommend to everyone and their mother.
4.5 —Loved this read. Will remember it fondly. Few weaknesses. Would recommend to anyone.
4.0 —Enjoyed this read. Will remember it fondly. Minor weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Might be memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.0 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Not very memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —Neutral or Underwhelming read. Not very memorable. Significant weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —Underwhelming or unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Significant weaknesses. Might recommend to people who like similar books.
1.5 —Unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for bad reasons. Major weaknesses. Probably wouldn't recommend.
1.0 —Awful read. Memorable for bad reasons. No significantly redeeming qualities. Would never recommend.
0.5 —I wish I never wasted minutes of my life on this trash. I would go out of my way to convince others not to read it.
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Original Review 2/28/20
I couldn't decide what to feel as I read this book, and I loved that. It's a complex story of friendship and family and love triangles and politics. This book seemed to defy norms in fantasy writing. The female protagonist ( if you can consider her that) is vile and beautiful and mean and terrible. Her brother is sensitive but also depressing. The prince is enticing but also stupid.
It took me a while to get used to the very slow pace of this book. I didn't really grasp what the plot was until the end (or close to it) when I looked back over the long arch of the story. However, the writing was amazing and the characters were so interesting that it didn't really matter that the plot was lacking to me.
Reread this February 2021, about 6 months after my first read. I'm raising my rating to 5 stars.
My first time around I enjoyed it via audiobook. Then halfway through the sequel, I wasn't paying much attention, I got bored, and I never finished. It kept bothering me, so I decided to start the series again, this time with the hard copy books.
I found out there is so much that I missed/forgot in the first book. I recall the pacing being slow and boring at points to where I would just zone out. But in this read, everything was happening so quickly. Time flew by. Even the politics were much more interesting since I could recall names and dynamics. The plot itself was still a little lacking as we didn't necessary have a clear direction with the story, but it didn't matter with such strong characters.
Which brings me to how much more I loved the characters this time through. I really think Lada is such a unique character to capture that no narrator can perfectly nail it. It's very difficult to make her come across so cruel without accidentally sounding like a bratty little girl. While I was tolerant of Lada in the audiobook, I adored her as I was reading the physical book. I even loved Radu this time around, even though his emotions are taxing after awhile. Mehmed is still… meh.
I think I've finally come to terms that for fantasy/sci-fi series, I need to read them and save audiobooks for other genres.
TL;DR
▌5.0 —One of the best I've ever read. Will be burned into my brain. Couldn't care less about weaknesses (if any). Would recommend to everyone and their mother.
4.5 —Loved this read. Will remember it fondly. Few weaknesses. Would recommend to anyone.
4.0 —Enjoyed this read. Will remember it fondly. Minor weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Might be memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.0 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Not very memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —Neutral or Underwhelming read. Not very memorable. Significant weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —Underwhelming or unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Significant weaknesses. Might recommend to people who like similar books.
1.5 —Unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for bad reasons. Major weaknesses. Probably wouldn't recommend.
1.0 —Awful read. Memorable for bad reasons. No significantly redeeming qualities. Would never recommend.
0.5 —I wish I never wasted minutes of my life on this trash. I would go out of my way to convince others not to read it.
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Original Review 2/28/20
I couldn't decide what to feel as I read this book, and I loved that. It's a complex story of friendship and family and love triangles and politics. This book seemed to defy norms in fantasy writing. The female protagonist ( if you can consider her that) is vile and beautiful and mean and terrible. Her brother is sensitive but also depressing. The prince is enticing but also stupid.
It took me a while to get used to the very slow pace of this book. I didn't really grasp what the plot was until the end (or close to it) when I looked back over the long arch of the story. However, the writing was amazing and the characters were so interesting that it didn't really matter that the plot was lacking to me.
I wanted/expected to love this, but it just never grabbed me. Three were long stretches that i found so boring i had to force myself to continue. I did like our unconventional hero Kada and i mostly liked the unique setting of the Ottoman Empire (wish the glossary was in the front, I struggled with the unfamiliar words,only to find that AFTER I finished.) Probably won't continue the series, although the final couple of chapters did make me more curious about the sequel than i was previously...