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caitlinobauer 's review for:
And I Darken
by Kiersten White
Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White is a dark, compelling, and rich piece of historical young adult fiction. The princess Lada (who is anything but a princess), and her younger brother Radu are traded to the Ottoman Empire by their father as part of a peace treaty. Lada was unfortunately not graced with beauty, but she is blessed with strength and intelligence. She is the ultimate FIERCE female character.
It’s fascinating to watch a woman like this grow up in enemy territory and begin to understand how she can survive. She is forced to become cruel and aggressive in order to protect not only herself, but the people she loves. She teaches herself to fight and becomes a warrior in spite of the gender norms. Not only that, but she earns the respect of men who likely would have written her off.
There is an interesting love triangle that I actually thought served the story incredibly well. It created numerous layers of conflict amongst the main characters, and drove much of the action. Don’t want to give too much away, so all I can say is: READ THIS BOOK!
I’ve enjoyed White’s writing in the past, but this book really took her work to a new level. Not only is it meticulously researched, but she skillfully covers am array of difficult topics: religion, war, love, violence, sexuality, politics, etc. AND I DARKEN seriously raises the bar for YA fiction.
AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White is a dark, compelling, and rich piece of historical young adult fiction. The princess Lada (who is anything but a princess), and her younger brother Radu are traded to the Ottoman Empire by their father as part of a peace treaty. Lada was unfortunately not graced with beauty, but she is blessed with strength and intelligence. She is the ultimate FIERCE female character.
It’s fascinating to watch a woman like this grow up in enemy territory and begin to understand how she can survive. She is forced to become cruel and aggressive in order to protect not only herself, but the people she loves. She teaches herself to fight and becomes a warrior in spite of the gender norms. Not only that, but she earns the respect of men who likely would have written her off.
There is an interesting love triangle that I actually thought served the story incredibly well. It created numerous layers of conflict amongst the main characters, and drove much of the action. Don’t want to give too much away, so all I can say is: READ THIS BOOK!
I’ve enjoyed White’s writing in the past, but this book really took her work to a new level. Not only is it meticulously researched, but she skillfully covers am array of difficult topics: religion, war, love, violence, sexuality, politics, etc. AND I DARKEN seriously raises the bar for YA fiction.