bamamelereads 's review for:

And I Darken by Kiersten White

4.25

adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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This was not at all what I expected, but wow did I enjoy it. To be clear, this is not a fantasy book. Theres no magic or vampires. It’s a gender-flipped historical fiction Vlad Dracula retelling, with Lada as our main character. 

Lada and her younger brother Radu are our 2 POV characters. Where Lada is ruthless and ambitious, Radu is sweet. The Ottoman sultan’s son Mehmed is the star they both orbit. This story is really the start of their saga and covers their formative years. It’s a slower paced character study that is just fascinating. These three circle each other, hurt each other, protect each other, and love each other. But the love takes very different forms for each of them. 

I love how unapologetic Lada is at every turn. She refuses to be put into any typical female role. Mehmed loves her, but cannot understand her. Neither does he understand Radu and the love he has. 

I will absolutely be continuing this series. I know this is labeled YA, but it definitely feels like an adult book.