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coco_lolo 's review for:
And I Darken
by Kiersten White
2.5 stars.
In many ways, And I Darken told the story I expected it to. This first installment in White's female reimagining of Vlad the Impaler set the scene for bloodshed and battle, while also focusing on various human relationships and how these are subject to change. There's a lot of history to live up to, and I had hoped that by mixing fact with fiction, the author would weave a thrilling, compelling drama. That is most definitely not what happened, as I ended up finding this pretty average.
There were undoubtedly certain things I enjoyed, one being the complexity of the Draculesti siblings. Lada was unapologetic in her ferocity and refused to let herself be bound by her gender: her determination to be seen as the equal of any man was admirable, especially in today's world. She had a softer, more insecure side that helped balance out her confidence, and I loved how seeing Lada at both her strongest and weakest made her more fleshed out. I didn't really get why she was so feral though, especially as a young child, and her behavior often grated on my nerves. Radu was more intriguing than I'd thought he would be, and what I liked most about him was that he perpetually lay in a gray area: he most definitely had a conscience and was primarily "good," but his cunning and ambition added well needed layers.
And speaking of Mehmed...I honestly don't know if he's written to be disliked, but I could not stand him. The young Mehmed, the child Lada and Radu first meet who is unsure of himself and wanting a friend desperately, was actually likeable. But for the majority of the novel, I really hated him—I wanted something to make me sympathize with him, to make it harder for me to dislike him, but I found him much less compelling than Radu and Lada. I hated how smug he was, how dismissive he could be of his so-called "friends," and my fervent hope is that Mehmed rots in a deep dark pit. And don't get me started on the romance, because
The overall writing—the paragraph structure, the phrasing of sentences and White's visceral imagery—was quite enjoyable and had a nice flow. I thought exclamation points were extremely overused though, which made the story feel a little less polished and the characters overly dramatic. And while the writing itself was good, I had major issues with the novel's overall construction. This was a pretty slow book—it meandered, supplying little substance through its action. What action there was I felt disconnected from because of the way White presented it: a week or month or year would pass without much development of events, so while there were sieges and revolts taking place, it was as if these were written in the most passive way possible. And honestly, I never entirely knew what the overall plot was heading toward, what the climax would be.
Frankly, And I Darken wasn't a poor book, but it did underwhelm me in a way I hadn't anticipated. Because I really thought I was going to love this, I was so excited when I finally picked up my copy from the library, and I was already planning to get the second book whenever I could. Despite my problems with the novel, I would like to read the rest of the trilogy at some point (or at least Now I Rise to see if the series gets any better), but I am in no hurry to do so.
In many ways, And I Darken told the story I expected it to. This first installment in White's female reimagining of Vlad the Impaler set the scene for bloodshed and battle, while also focusing on various human relationships and how these are subject to change. There's a lot of history to live up to, and I had hoped that by mixing fact with fiction, the author would weave a thrilling, compelling drama. That is most definitely not what happened, as I ended up finding this pretty average.
There were undoubtedly certain things I enjoyed, one being the complexity of the Draculesti siblings. Lada was unapologetic in her ferocity and refused to let herself be bound by her gender: her determination to be seen as the equal of any man was admirable, especially in today's world. She had a softer, more insecure side that helped balance out her confidence, and I loved how seeing Lada at both her strongest and weakest made her more fleshed out. I didn't really get why she was so feral though, especially as a young child, and her behavior often grated on my nerves. Radu was more intriguing than I'd thought he would be, and what I liked most about him was that he perpetually lay in a gray area: he most definitely had a conscience and was primarily "good," but his cunning and ambition added well needed layers.
Spoiler
I just wish he wasn't so far gone for Mehmed, because that blind devotion and adoration quickly got old.And speaking of Mehmed...I honestly don't know if he's written to be disliked, but I could not stand him. The young Mehmed, the child Lada and Radu first meet who is unsure of himself and wanting a friend desperately, was actually likeable. But for the majority of the novel, I really hated him—I wanted something to make me sympathize with him, to make it harder for me to dislike him, but I found him much less compelling than Radu and Lada. I hated how smug he was, how dismissive he could be of his so-called "friends," and my fervent hope is that Mehmed rots in a deep dark pit. And don't get me started on the romance, because
Spoiler
I couldn't find any romantic love between Mehmed and Lada. A love of friendship and companionship that began in childhood, yes, but they seemed more lustful than anything. The way Mehmed treated Lada mostly as a source of physical pleasure really pissed me off, but I did like that Lada never made things easy for him.The overall writing—the paragraph structure, the phrasing of sentences and White's visceral imagery—was quite enjoyable and had a nice flow. I thought exclamation points were extremely overused though, which made the story feel a little less polished and the characters overly dramatic. And while the writing itself was good, I had major issues with the novel's overall construction. This was a pretty slow book—it meandered, supplying little substance through its action. What action there was I felt disconnected from because of the way White presented it: a week or month or year would pass without much development of events, so while there were sieges and revolts taking place, it was as if these were written in the most passive way possible. And honestly, I never entirely knew what the overall plot was heading toward, what the climax would be.
Frankly, And I Darken wasn't a poor book, but it did underwhelm me in a way I hadn't anticipated. Because I really thought I was going to love this, I was so excited when I finally picked up my copy from the library, and I was already planning to get the second book whenever I could. Despite my problems with the novel, I would like to read the rest of the trilogy at some point (or at least Now I Rise to see if the series gets any better), but I am in no hurry to do so.