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bookishreveriess 's review for:
And I Darken
by Kiersten White
*I received a free e-arc of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review
Actual rating: 3.75, almost 4 stars!
Bad news first: It took me more time than I expected to finish this book. I felt like the story started and went on way too slow for my liking, but then I felt like it ended too soon with that intense ending! I also expected this book to be brutal and action packed, but it wasn't. . .at least not as much as I expected it to be. And the romance, oh God, that "toxic triangle" mentioned at the synopsis was real. . .and toxic. . .and even annoying sometimes but oh well, that happens. . .
Now, let's move on to the good news! Even though the pacing was quite slow throughout most of the book, I really enjoyed the story that came to life through Kiersten White's wonderful writing between Radu and Lada''s POVs. I loved how we were able to see and feel what happened around them through two totally different perspectives! While Lada was calculating, a little annoying and ready for anything that came her way, Radu was calm, charming and easy to get along with (and he had his very intelligent reasons to be that way). Another thing that I loved about this was the world building! I found it so easy to imagine Wallachia and the cities Radu and Lada went through around the lands of the Ottoman Empire after their father sold them off to the Sultan.
But, in general, the things that happened around the story were very interesting and intriguing; you never knew who to trust and like or what to expect next. New things happened around every chapter, and the twists that suddenly appeared always made things better! Like I mentioned before, I expected more action around the story, but it was still good and enjoyable.
While Lada, Radu and Mehmed were great and fun main characters that I loved, we also get to meet a handful of other characters that play important parts as the story goes on. Through the story and its different settings, we get to meet characters like Radu and Lada's nana/nurse, their father and mother, their brother Mircea, Bogdan, Lazar, Sultan Murad (Mehmed's father), Halil Pasha, Kumal, Huma (Mehmed's mother), Nicolae and many more! What I loved about all these characters was the fact that each one of them managed to have an impact (either big or small) on Lada, Radu and Mehmed's characters in some point of their lives. They all helped them grow and evolve and become who they were meant to be by the end of the book, and that's something that helped me like this book more!
In the end, And I Darken was nothing like I expected, but it still managed to give me the feels and make me enjoy it! The characters were great and they all manage to make you see and feel how strong the bonds of their friendships were, or how easy they could go from friendship, to love, or betrayal. If you're still wondering if you should give this one a try after reading this well. . .yes, even though the pacing is slow and there isn't much action, you should, you never know! Kiersten White did a very good job with this story and after that ending I can't wait to see what comes next!
Actual rating: 3.75, almost 4 stars!
Bad news first: It took me more time than I expected to finish this book. I felt like the story started and went on way too slow for my liking, but then I felt like it ended too soon with that intense ending! I also expected this book to be brutal and action packed, but it wasn't. . .at least not as much as I expected it to be. And the romance, oh God, that "toxic triangle" mentioned at the synopsis was real. . .and toxic. . .and even annoying sometimes but oh well, that happens. . .
Now, let's move on to the good news! Even though the pacing was quite slow throughout most of the book, I really enjoyed the story that came to life through Kiersten White's wonderful writing between Radu and Lada''s POVs. I loved how we were able to see and feel what happened around them through two totally different perspectives! While Lada was calculating, a little annoying and ready for anything that came her way, Radu was calm, charming and easy to get along with (and he had his very intelligent reasons to be that way). Another thing that I loved about this was the world building! I found it so easy to imagine Wallachia and the cities Radu and Lada went through around the lands of the Ottoman Empire after their father sold them off to the Sultan.
But, in general, the things that happened around the story were very interesting and intriguing; you never knew who to trust and like or what to expect next. New things happened around every chapter, and the twists that suddenly appeared always made things better! Like I mentioned before, I expected more action around the story, but it was still good and enjoyable.
While Lada, Radu and Mehmed were great and fun main characters that I loved, we also get to meet a handful of other characters that play important parts as the story goes on. Through the story and its different settings, we get to meet characters like Radu and Lada's nana/nurse, their father and mother, their brother Mircea, Bogdan, Lazar, Sultan Murad (Mehmed's father), Halil Pasha, Kumal, Huma (Mehmed's mother), Nicolae and many more! What I loved about all these characters was the fact that each one of them managed to have an impact (either big or small) on Lada, Radu and Mehmed's characters in some point of their lives. They all helped them grow and evolve and become who they were meant to be by the end of the book, and that's something that helped me like this book more!
In the end, And I Darken was nothing like I expected, but it still managed to give me the feels and make me enjoy it! The characters were great and they all manage to make you see and feel how strong the bonds of their friendships were, or how easy they could go from friendship, to love, or betrayal. If you're still wondering if you should give this one a try after reading this well. . .yes, even though the pacing is slow and there isn't much action, you should, you never know! Kiersten White did a very good job with this story and after that ending I can't wait to see what comes next!