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artistandthecity 's review for:
This is the book I needed in high school. Back before I was a feminist and back when I didn’t give a shit about anything but myself. If I had had this book when I was in high school and was forced to read it for class or something, I hoped it would have opened my eyes to feminism and what sorts of power a woman could have.
I absolutely love this book and the characters. Kiersten White has such a way with creating a cast. I found that the beginning was a bit of a struggle for me to get through but it was the right way to introduce us to the three main characters. Lada, Radu, and Mehmed. Lada and Radu are the perfect example of how to form full and dynamic characters. I was blown away by them, the themes that follow their characters, and their interactions with others and each other. Best brother and sister relationship I’ve read.
As for Lada. The themes that surround her character are so important. Power. Masculinity and Femininity. Being a woman in the patriarch. I think the most important relationship, the one that really shapes Lada, is her relationship with Mehmed’s mother, Huma, who teachers her about how a woman can gain power in so many different ways than just strength and violence. I am so tired of stories that demonstrate “strong female characters” as women who bear only masculine traits or who deny femininity. I don’t think that is a good message to send. But this story explores that with both Huma, Lada, and a concubine that Lada meets named Mara. A woman can be feminine and still hold power. A woman can be intelligent and still hold power. A woman can be like Lada, fierce and powerful and violent, and still hold power. The different woman all represent a different sort of strong female character that I believe is truly important.
The LBTGQ+ themes also were a high light of the book. Radu’s ache for Mehmed is tragic and I am dying to see what happens between the two characters once we get the sequel next year. Gosh, I don’t know how I can wait that long. But I found the representation important and I’m not so secretly rooting for Radu and Mehmed.
I did have a few issues with the book. I wasn’t too big a fan of Lada and Mehmed together but I didn’t hate it. There were some pacing issues at the end I felt, and sometimes the writing felt choppy. But that really didn’t deter from how much I loved these characters, the setting, and the themes presented in this novel. I loved it. So far, this is my favorite read of 2016. Can’t wait for the sequel.