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noirverse's review against another edition
3.0
An overall fitting end to the trilogy. The main plot was worth it, but I admit that I was a little disappointed at All of that being said, I loved how much focus Lada and Radu's relationship received here, and the epilogue was the right amount of bittersweet.
Spoiler
the obvious lack of a true confrontation between Radu, Lada, and Mehmed when everything was over for Lada. I wasn't wild about the pregnancy plot either and wish that it had been left out of the story.dowryofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
She was a dragon.
She was a prince.
She was a woman.
It was the last that scared them most of all.
leafblade's review against another edition
3.0
I was going to give it 2 stars but honestly at this point I don't even fucking know anymore.
So, uh, my issue with this book is that I found myself suddenly hating Lada since chapter 1. Therefore, I hated half of the book. We are made to believe she has goals, but the whole book she's just mad at Mehmed and goes around fighting against him with a whole army, killing and letting people die because she can't sit down with Mehmed and be like "look, fuck you personally, I kinda like you but I don't think you realize how unrespectful you're being, I want to be treated like this instead, is that okay? If not, we can both go our separate ways and never see each other again". Like, your entire point was to genderbend Vlad the Impaler to make him a strong, independent, intelligent woman but she's just a dumb Chad with a vagina!!!! Literally EVERYONE she loves dies because of her stupid relationship problems and she doesn't even own up to it!
Again, this is supposed to be a "feminist retelling", though just writing that phrase makes me cringe. But it's interesting how Kiersten White INSISTS that Lada is either not a woman, or not like other girls. "She's not a woman, SHE'S A DRAGON!!!", "I wanna be PRINCE because PRINCESSES SUCK!!!!", "I don't wear skirts because they make me look WEAK!!!!". Like, throughout the whole book I wasn't even sure if the author wanted us to like Lada or not. An unlikable main character would've been okay, if she hadn't tried to justify her constantly.
Everything that happened in this book (except the end and some deaths, maybe) was extremely forgettable. Radu and/or Mehmed would make some strategy so that Lada's apeshit impulse of the day wouldn't end up in genocide. Lada then commits an even grosser genocide than they expected. She ran away. They went to the place where all the dead bodies were. Mehmed went "I can't believe you've done this!!!", Radu went "I can", someone went "How can a woman do this????", then a different someone went "She's no woman...... she's a DRAGON.......". Then later they would find Lada, manage to kill one of her dear friends, she'd run off hissing "I'LL HAVE MY REVENGE" and repeat.
Radu, on the other hand, has always been my favorite of the two (or three, even, if you count Mehmed, which at this point you shouldn't) and I enjoyed being back in his head. He doesn't take a single bad decision, and karma KNOWS.
Both the ending and the epilogue were perfect, but I don't think the end made sense when compared with the rest of the book.
Honestly what the fuck part two: her having Mehmed's baby??? We established that she hates him, and that she's NO WOMAN and that she doesn't like WOMANLY STUFF and that she'd never be a traditional wife (which, okay, that's believable). And suddenly she's pregnant and goes through nine months of pregnancy unfazed and gifts the child to her brother's wife??? Absolutely out of character, and only used as a plot device to make Nazira and Fatima happy, because they had already tried to tell Radu that they wanted the baby and they couldn't have neither Radu nor Cyprian produce the baby for them because that would be weird (I take that). But, uh, maybe that specific pregnant no-woman wasn't the best recipient of the plot device. Just saying.
Like, I LOVED Radu's last chapter and the epilogue, and how well Theodora fit in that family, it's just that it didn't make sense for Lada to choose to have any baby, let alone that one.
Lada dying in the epilogue made sense, but I just wish she had died within the original timeline. Radu would've found another way to not be king, and we could've seen Mehmed and Radu's reactions to her being killed. Like, Mehmed told Radu he held her dead body right after she was killed and we don't get to see him scream and rock her? After you made me read them not communicating properly for two books? I don't get to see his guilt and regret? Why??? Mehmed was already a ragdoll by the latter half of this book, don't you want me to think he has feelings anymore??? I'm sure he does have them.
So, uh, my issue with this book is that I found myself suddenly hating Lada since chapter 1. Therefore, I hated half of the book. We are made to believe she has goals, but the whole book she's just mad at Mehmed and goes around fighting against him with a whole army, killing and letting people die because she can't sit down with Mehmed and be like "look, fuck you personally, I kinda like you but I don't think you realize how unrespectful you're being, I want to be treated like this instead, is that okay? If not, we can both go our separate ways and never see each other again". Like, your entire point was to genderbend Vlad the Impaler to make him a strong, independent, intelligent woman but she's just a dumb Chad with a vagina!!!! Literally EVERYONE she loves dies because of her stupid relationship problems and she doesn't even own up to it!
Again, this is supposed to be a "feminist retelling", though just writing that phrase makes me cringe. But it's interesting how Kiersten White INSISTS that Lada is either not a woman, or not like other girls. "She's not a woman, SHE'S A DRAGON!!!", "I wanna be PRINCE because PRINCESSES SUCK!!!!", "I don't wear skirts because they make me look WEAK!!!!". Like, throughout the whole book I wasn't even sure if the author wanted us to like Lada or not. An unlikable main character would've been okay, if she hadn't tried to justify her constantly.
Everything that happened in this book (except the end and some deaths, maybe) was extremely forgettable. Radu and/or Mehmed would make some strategy so that Lada's apeshit impulse of the day wouldn't end up in genocide. Lada then commits an even grosser genocide than they expected. She ran away. They went to the place where all the dead bodies were. Mehmed went "I can't believe you've done this!!!", Radu went "I can", someone went "How can a woman do this????", then a different someone went "She's no woman...... she's a DRAGON.......". Then later they would find Lada, manage to kill one of her dear friends, she'd run off hissing "I'LL HAVE MY REVENGE" and repeat.
Radu, on the other hand, has always been my favorite of the two (or three, even, if you count Mehmed, which at this point you shouldn't) and I enjoyed being back in his head. He doesn't take a single bad decision, and karma KNOWS.
Both the ending and the epilogue were perfect, but I don't think the end made sense when compared with the rest of the book.
Spoiler
First, Lada suddenly not wanting to kill Radu and accepting to work with him when they're down in the well. Like, ten chapters ago we saw her kill literally ten armed men with her bare hands, she PROMISED SEVERAL TIMES that she would be the one to kill Radu, and you're telling me that he just took away her knives and now she's defenseless?????? Lada was unbelievable and wronged enough already, but this was it for me. Honestly what the fuck.Honestly what the fuck part two: her having Mehmed's baby??? We established that she hates him, and that she's NO WOMAN and that she doesn't like WOMANLY STUFF and that she'd never be a traditional wife (which, okay, that's believable). And suddenly she's pregnant and goes through nine months of pregnancy unfazed and gifts the child to her brother's wife??? Absolutely out of character, and only used as a plot device to make Nazira and Fatima happy, because they had already tried to tell Radu that they wanted the baby and they couldn't have neither Radu nor Cyprian produce the baby for them because that would be weird (I take that). But, uh, maybe that specific pregnant no-woman wasn't the best recipient of the plot device. Just saying.
Like, I LOVED Radu's last chapter and the epilogue, and how well Theodora fit in that family, it's just that it didn't make sense for Lada to choose to have any baby, let alone that one.
Lada dying in the epilogue made sense, but I just wish she had died within the original timeline. Radu would've found another way to not be king, and we could've seen Mehmed and Radu's reactions to her being killed. Like, Mehmed told Radu he held her dead body right after she was killed and we don't get to see him scream and rock her? After you made me read them not communicating properly for two books? I don't get to see his guilt and regret? Why??? Mehmed was already a ragdoll by the latter half of this book, don't you want me to think he has feelings anymore??? I'm sure he does have them.
fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This has been a roller coaster of emotions; I feel like my heart has been ripped out of chest and repeatedly stomped on - something Kiersten White seems to specialize in. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a consistently solid series - from the beginning up till the very end. It has never failed to disappoint, and this conclusion is no different. If you haven’t picked up this brilliant trilogy, then what are you waiting for? The Conquerer’s Saga is sure to take you on a brutal, bloody journey filled with lots and lots of gore, bloodshed, and backstabbing.
“War made monsters of them all.”
This book kicks off right where [b:Now I Rise|40669906|Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1530288861s/40669906.jpg|42367441] left off - with our two main characters, Lada and Radu, still at odds with each other. Watching these two siblings navigate the world of politics and weather the hardships thrown at them just reminds me of how far they’ve come since the beginning of this series. Their character arcs are truly phenomenal. Radu and Lada have mostly always been polar opposites, but in this book, they are directly pitted against each other on opposite sides of a war. Their differences have never been more glaringly obvious than in this book.
“Lada shaped herself in spite of her environment. Radu shaped himself because of it.”
Speaking of character development, Radu’s is hands down one of the best character arcs out there. In this web of politics and bloodshed, Radu has always struggled doing what’s right. He’s always floundered in this morally gray area - stuck between Mehmed and Lada, between his love and his loyalties, between the man he serves and the man he loves. However, after years of being beaten down by his environment, he finally stands up and says enough. Finally, Radu willingly chooses to be the good guy. He refuses to become a monster. He chooses his family. He chooses Cyprian and Nazira and Fatima. He chooses love. I found this to be one of the most beautiful aspects of this book, and if there’s ever a character more deserving of happiness in this entire series - it’s Radu.
On the other hand, there’s Lada. Whenever I read Lada’s POV, I felt like I wanted to go to war and bathe in the blood of my enemies.
“What sustains you?”
“The blood of my enemies,” she said.
She is such a complex, multifaceted character - a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of watered-down antiheroines. Lada commits a myriad of villainous acts throughout this book, but - somehow - you still can’t help but root for her. Her ruthlessness reaches new heights in this book as she goes on murderous rampages - it was like watching an incoming train wreck! Her singleminded devotion to Wallachia and her urge to kill anyone in its way should have made her unlikable.
“No one could break her heart if all it contained was her country.”
However, as a reader, we are given insight into her increasing feelings of loneliness and vulnerability as she slowly loses all that she holds dear. Watching her mourn all that she’s lost and breakdown sobbing in her brother’s arms was heartbreaking. Still, she never stopped fighting, couldn’t stop fighting, up until the very end. Lada chose Wallachia over and over, even as that choice costs her dearly. Her choice is directly contrasted with Radu choosing love and family. Even though its what she chose, it’s heart-rending to think about what she could have had. Just thinking about it brings a sharp pang to my chest.
Of course, let’s not forget to talk about the purest characters in this book: Cyprian, Nazira, and Fatima. They were just so innately good and pure and soft with each other. Amidst such war and terror, they found each other and formed a family. They may not have been related by blood, but they protected and cared for each other like they were. I’ll forever be emotional about my family of smol beans.
This book offers much in the way of diversity, as well as female empowerment. I love how this book takes society’s expectations women and flips these expectations on their head by introducing characters like Lada (a female version of Vlad the Impaler), Mara, and Daciana.
“She was a dragon.
She was a prince.
She was a woman.
It was the last that scared them most of all.”
So in conclusion, this has been a wild ride from start to finish - literally. At the beginning of this book, I was so afraid of how Kiersten would choose to conclude this series, but I think the ending she chose was absolutely perfect. It struck the perfect balance between tragic, bittersweet, and happy. Kudos to Kiersten White for crafting such a masterfully written trilogy filled with complex characters, epic battles, and a richly built world. I love this series so much, and I’ll forever hold these characters dear to my heart. This review will never come close to doing these wonderful books justice, so all I can say is this: this series will hurt you and emotionally scar you, but it’ll be one of the best things that has ever happened to you.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
“War made monsters of them all.”
This book kicks off right where [b:Now I Rise|40669906|Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2)|Kiersten White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1530288861s/40669906.jpg|42367441] left off - with our two main characters, Lada and Radu, still at odds with each other. Watching these two siblings navigate the world of politics and weather the hardships thrown at them just reminds me of how far they’ve come since the beginning of this series. Their character arcs are truly phenomenal. Radu and Lada have mostly always been polar opposites, but in this book, they are directly pitted against each other on opposite sides of a war. Their differences have never been more glaringly obvious than in this book.
“Lada shaped herself in spite of her environment. Radu shaped himself because of it.”
Speaking of character development, Radu’s is hands down one of the best character arcs out there. In this web of politics and bloodshed, Radu has always struggled doing what’s right. He’s always floundered in this morally gray area - stuck between Mehmed and Lada, between his love and his loyalties, between the man he serves and the man he loves. However, after years of being beaten down by his environment, he finally stands up and says enough. Finally, Radu willingly chooses to be the good guy. He refuses to become a monster. He chooses his family. He chooses Cyprian and Nazira and Fatima. He chooses love. I found this to be one of the most beautiful aspects of this book, and if there’s ever a character more deserving of happiness in this entire series - it’s Radu.
On the other hand, there’s Lada. Whenever I read Lada’s POV, I felt like I wanted to go to war and bathe in the blood of my enemies.
“What sustains you?”
“The blood of my enemies,” she said.
She is such a complex, multifaceted character - a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of watered-down antiheroines. Lada commits a myriad of villainous acts throughout this book, but - somehow - you still can’t help but root for her. Her ruthlessness reaches new heights in this book as she goes on murderous rampages - it was like watching an incoming train wreck! Her singleminded devotion to Wallachia and her urge to kill anyone in its way should have made her unlikable.
“No one could break her heart if all it contained was her country.”
However, as a reader, we are given insight into her increasing feelings of loneliness and vulnerability as she slowly loses all that she holds dear. Watching her mourn all that she’s lost and breakdown sobbing in her brother’s arms was heartbreaking. Still, she never stopped fighting, couldn’t stop fighting, up until the very end. Lada chose Wallachia over and over, even as that choice costs her dearly. Her choice is directly contrasted with Radu choosing love and family. Even though its what she chose, it’s heart-rending to think about what she could have had. Just thinking about it brings a sharp pang to my chest.
Of course, let’s not forget to talk about the purest characters in this book: Cyprian, Nazira, and Fatima. They were just so innately good and pure and soft with each other. Amidst such war and terror, they found each other and formed a family. They may not have been related by blood, but they protected and cared for each other like they were. I’ll forever be emotional about my family of smol beans.
This book offers much in the way of diversity, as well as female empowerment. I love how this book takes society’s expectations women and flips these expectations on their head by introducing characters like Lada (a female version of Vlad the Impaler), Mara, and Daciana.
“She was a dragon.
She was a prince.
She was a woman.
It was the last that scared them most of all.”
So in conclusion, this has been a wild ride from start to finish - literally. At the beginning of this book, I was so afraid of how Kiersten would choose to conclude this series, but I think the ending she chose was absolutely perfect. It struck the perfect balance between tragic, bittersweet, and happy. Kudos to Kiersten White for crafting such a masterfully written trilogy filled with complex characters, epic battles, and a richly built world. I love this series so much, and I’ll forever hold these characters dear to my heart. This review will never come close to doing these wonderful books justice, so all I can say is this: this series will hurt you and emotionally scar you, but it’ll be one of the best things that has ever happened to you.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
mllejoyeuxnoel's review against another edition
4.0
A worthy conclusion to the series. A worthy ending for Lada and Radu, who both deserved the world. Two very different worlds, but a world nonetheless.
ka8g's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
slsj_'s review against another edition
5.0
My dragon-prince Lada and loving charmer Radu will live forever in my heart. This is a series that makes you remember why you love books.
kmadnick90's review against another edition
5.0
Oof what a conclusion.
This may be one of the best series I've read and im not prepared to be emotional about it yet.
Ok im back to review but it was hard because this book feels like one of those break ups where you know it's time for it to be over so you aren't angry you're just kinda sad, because you had such nice times together murdering your enemies and displaying their bodies on stakes and giving birth to the sultans daughter but asking your gay brother and his lesbian wife to raise it instead.
*Talk about out of context spoilers.
God I will never get over missing Nicolae.
This may be one of the best series I've read and im not prepared to be emotional about it yet.
Ok im back to review but it was hard because this book feels like one of those break ups where you know it's time for it to be over so you aren't angry you're just kinda sad, because you had such nice times together murdering your enemies and displaying their bodies on stakes and giving birth to the sultans daughter but asking your gay brother and his lesbian wife to raise it instead.
*Talk about out of context spoilers.
God I will never get over missing Nicolae.
nicholemurphy's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This was my favorite of the entire series!
erawebuilt's review against another edition
5.0
bright we burn? more like bright my fucking heart burns from sheer pain and love for this trilogy. i picked up the first book thinking it would be either mediocre or delightfully cheesy young adult nonsense after my best friend started gawking at it due to the pretty cover. instead, i fell ridiculously in love with the sheer care and depth kiersten white dedicates to her two protagonists. lada and radu dracul have taken up permanent residence in my heart, and i'm so overjoyed they received a finale such absorbing characters deserved.