I absolutely adored both books in The Conqueror Saga and all I want to do is yell at you guys to read them both as soon as possible? I want to tell you to run out and get your hands on a copy of And I Darken and then immediately preorder Now I Rise because they deserve all the love they can possibly get! Why don't I share with you guys what I loved about these two books so far and make you want to read them too?

Reason #1: The Setting

Up until this point in my reading experience I haven't read any books set in the Ottoman Empire and so this was a completely new territory for me and I was a bit worried that I would get lost in the story a little bit and it admittedly happened a couple of times while listening to And I Darken but the story was so much easier to follow in Now I Rise! I loved getting to explore this part of the world and of history especially. I do enjoy learning about historical events but unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to get into historical fiction before. I couldn't be happier that this was my first look into what historical fiction can be!

Reason #2: The Diversity

We all know that I have made it a goal to read more diverse books this year and I was so happy about all of the diversity in this book! We had racial, sexual and religious diversity from the very beginning and I really appreciated it! I really enjoyed Radu's first reaction to partaking in prayer with a Muslim man and his constant struggle with religion and how religion guided him in his life and in his decisions. The story's setting in time and place also means that there are prejudices against various diversities included in this book and we get to see the characters deal with them and it gives them such room for growth and development!

Reason #3: Complex Relationships Between Our Three Main Characters

I think one of the aspects I loved most about these books so far are the complex relationships between our three main characters Lada, Radu and Mehmed. We follow them from the moment they enter this world and we get to see them grow up and develop different relationships with each other that each come with their own difficulties and tests over the years and I loved that so, so much. Seeing Lada and Radu's relationship change over the years was even more interesting as they are always in competition with each other and such polar opposites in a lot of ways.

Reason #4: Lada Dracul

Honestly, this trilogy has given me a new female character to adore and I am so thankful! And while I thought I have been introduced to kickass characters before, I think Lada by far takes the crown! From a very young age, she is ruthless and not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right and even more so for what she believes she deserves and seeing her grow into the person she is by the end of Now I Rise was both awesome and absolutely terrifying. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side - ever. Seriously, I am afraid for the fate of anyone who dares to get in her way in the final book of this trilogy!

Reason #5: There Is Kindness Even In The Most Dark Places

This is something that really stood out to me while reading this book. Even when things are truly bad and there are such horrible things happening Lada and Radu will show kindness to the people they think deserve it. I feel like this was even more so true for Radu during the events of this book. He was surrounded by so much horror and hurt and he still tried to show kindness when he could while still fulfilling his role. But I wouldn't compare Radu's kindness to the one that Lada showed. She is an entirely different person and shows kindness in a different way.

REVIEW: If you enjoyed And I Darken, you won't want to miss Now I Rise. I LOVED this book just as much as I loved the first one! Lada and Radu are so well-drawn as characters, I feel like I know them both. Lada's fierce viciousness contrasts with Radu's heartbreaking quest for peace, and I adore both of them.

This book is not meant for those with a weak stomach. Lada Dracul will ultimately become Vlad the Impaler, and yes, there is plenty of impaling happening in Now I Rise. There is also lots of war violence, as well as rape, concubines, slavery, and plenty of murder. The 1400s were violent times.

Can I just gush about Radu for a minute? I've read reviews where readers complain that Radu is whiny or full of angst. Radu is certainly more sensitive than Lada, but I absolutely adore him. If this book ever becomes a movie, I don't think I will go to see it. I have this certain picture of Radu in my mind that I don't want ruined. He is awesome, as is his clever wife Nazira.

I do have a complaint about the front covers. And I Darken has two front covers: one with a purple flower and one with Lada with war paint on her face. Now I Rise also has two covers: one with an arrow and one with a fierce-looking Lada. The Lada covers are by far my favorite, but it seems those are not available in hardcover. I want those covers for my library, but if I want a durable hardcover, I have to go with the flower and arrow covers. Lada is hardly a flower, and the arrow is just boring compared to the face-painted, hooded Lada. Booooo!

THEMES: Vlad the Impaler, Romania, Ottoman Empire, 15th Century, war, feminism

THE BOTTOM LINE: Now I Rise is thoroughly-researched and features well-drawn characters, particularly in Lada and Radu. A must read for fans of And I Darken.

STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: Oh, we will totally be getting this. Historical fiction, especially 500+ page historical fiction, can be a tough sell in my library, but And I Darken has gotten some checkout. I do promote it, particularly with my stronger readers. I can think of three specific girls who have raved about it and will no doubt read the sequel.

I am honestly speechless. For everyone I recommended the first book to, I can't wait to get this one in their hands. For those who have not yet had the distinct pleasure of meeting Lada, Radu, and Mehmed, I am thrilled to put these books in their hands. Seriously, this series is off and running and it is something wholly new and interesting. You can't help but turn the pages and it deals with a time in history that is utterly fascinating. Kiersten White, it may have taken me a second reading to fully appreciate the wonder that is "And I Darken," but I can honestly say now I'm hooked! Such a great series and I can't wait to see what happens next! I also can't wait to get this into the hands of everyone I know!

I loved the sibling relationship! Even though Lada and Radu do not meet they still have thoughts and worries about each other and I loved that they cared! I absolutely love the time period that this story takes place in and learning about it and picturing it in my head. Even though Lada is still hardcore she is still weak at all time and I love how real that makes her. I really enjoy the diversity in these novels as well I love Radu with all of my heart, he is by far my favorite character like he was in And I Darken! I still don't know how I feel about the romance aspect but Kiersten's writing is again GORGEOUS.

Last year I found the first book in the series, And I Darken, to be extremely intriguing. I loved the idea of Vlad the Impaler being reimagined as a woman. The story was unique, dark and oh so violent. I enjoyed And I Darken but had issues with its pacing and some of the characters. However, the ending, well it did its job and left me wanting more. I didn't think twice when this book was posted on NetGalley. I requested it right away.

Usually, the sequel isn't as good as the first book. I don't know if that's true for everyone, but it is at least for me. But Now I Rise definitely broke this trend and floored me! It built on all of the amazing things featured in its predecessor...it was just AMAZING! Seriously, if you had any doubts about the first book you need to read this one! It's perfectly dark, brutal and historically believable. Ahhh...I loved it!

While the main characters in the first book were well rounded and developed, the side characters felt like plot devices. They would show up for a few pages, cause some trouble and disappear. Here that is totally not the case! In fact, the side characters really got to shine and they new ones are perfect! You just never know what they will do and it kept even the slower parts moving along.

Talking about characters, I actually grew to love Radu. I know, I know. In the first book I found him whiney and slightly irritating but here he's just so precious! He actually stands up and fights for the people he loves. His character development was so well done. I groaned and most definitely grumbled with some of the decisions he made but not everyone is perfect. *shrugs* Lada wasn't as in your face as she was in the first book. Here she's already a blood thirsty soldier. She's cruel, dark and somehow sympathetic. I don't know...she's not a "nice" or "good" character at all. She wouldn't think twice about slicing your throat but I just want her to succeed so badly. Does that even make any sense?

Basically, Now I Rise is one of those rare sequels that are better than their predecessor. If you were on the fence with And I Darken you need to give this book a try. It takes all of the best parts of the first book and further creates an intriguing world of war, politics and betrayal. I can't believe that I'll have to wait another year for the third book!

This series is hard for me review because there is something engrossing about the story, but I don't really like the characters. They are angry, the love/hate each other and they do terrible things. Yet somehow I want to know what happens next and if they will triumph.

Where the first book made more overt links back to the Dracula legends, this book is more about Lada's pursuit of her father's throne, Mehmed's pursuit of Constantinople and Radu's desperate attempts to please Mehmed.

There's a lot of plot and action, but ultimately, there is a big showdown still ahead for the next book in the series.

I was really eager to get my hands on this sequel. I really liked And I Darken and absolutely needed to know what happened next. I was not disappointed. This book told a different story, but one I loved altogether. It just adds a whole other layer to this complex world that White has created. It was vicious and brutal and exactly what I expected from a Vlad the Impaler retelling. I cannot wait to read the next book. I will absolutely be continuing this series!

Kiersten White's spectacular series that spins the tale of Vlad the Impaler with the twist of a strong female protagonist is a MUST READ. Kids who love historical fiction, but also might enjoy suspenseful action adventure, should read this. This is a great recommendation for kids looking to expand their reading horizons from fantasy action adventure and try a new genre.

I received and ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
I absolutely loved the first book in the series, it was something phenomenal and the amazing note it ended on just fired me up even more for this installment. Let me start with the fact that I find cover really beautiful and expressive.
Unfortunately I’m a bit disappointed with the story as a whole. The writing style is still quite good even if not as powerful and outstanding as it was with the first story. With And I darken the writing created an atmosphere that was strange yet perfectly mirrored the depth and the darkness of the storyline, this particular trait I missed from Now I rise. Yes, the writing cleared up a bit which mean it’s easier to read but not as enjoyable, at least for me.
Before I get to the plot and the characters there is one more thing I need to mention. The chapters alternate between Radu and Lada point of views but their timeline doesn’t go parallel so it’s a bit confusing and quite hard to follow. It took me a while to figure out the how and when.

As for the plot, it’s really different from what I expected. Maybe I had high expectations but the way the first book ended with both of the Draculesti siblings ready to take the world I was waiting for more dynamic, action packed and strong story line. I didn’t get it as I hoped but it still has plenty of action and surprises just from different directions. After reading a couple of chapters I started to see the advantages the author created by going this way with her story and even started to like it. However the last quarter of the story took a turn I really didn’t like but mainly because of the characters transformation.
Another thing was the historical references and I know that this is a fiction so probably the author took a lot of liberties while creating the background of her story and there is a lot of accurate fact but some things just struck me in the wrong way. Mainly the way she described Matthias character. Since I’m Hungarian I know a lot about the topic and it bothered me a bit how callous and manipulative she describes him when in Hungarian history he described as one of the biggest and most fair king. I understand that probably her Matthias was the one that served her story the best but it still was strange for me. And this is only going to bother those who are from Hungary.
And finally we arrived to the characters that caused me most of the headaches during reading. Part of my problem was probably the fact that there is a lot of Radu in this book and I really don’t like him. To be fair I tried to give him some leeway because he has some truth about him but I couldn’t like him more like this either. He was quite conflicted about his feelings even in the first book and these just get a finer edge in this story. He is not just conflicted about his emotions toward Mehmed anymore, but bitter about his position and with every new experience he gains during the story makes him even more and more aware of things going on around him he didn’t paid attention previously. He is so blinded by his feelings for Mehmed that he doesn’t see his true self. Yes, Radu is cunning and clever but he only uses his talents when he wants to appeal to the sultan. His infatuation and daydreaming is annoying as hell. He thinks like a stupid little girl with a first crush. What annoyed me the most was whenever he found a semblance of peace or belonging something happened that reminded him of Mehmed and every progress he made went down the toilet. It took him a whole book to see the obvious and realize that his beloved sultan just uses and manipulates him and yet he still stayed hoping once he will see him as more than a friend.
I was a bit disappointed in Lada too and it affected me is a bad way because I started out as a hard core team Lada. Well I sad to say that I lost this during the story. She struck out strong and determined at the end of the first book but in the beginning of Now I rise she already lost her wind, footing. Since she has not one political or diplomatic bone in her body she couldn’t find a lot of allies during her year of petitioning. She lots not only her path but her motivation too. She needs to learn a lot before she can be a good ruler and she started to but before she could get some practice in she lost her patient and returned to her old ways. Which are aggression, brutality and ruthlessness? She also gets a couple of bitter realizations regarding Mehmed and her position which leads to a more aggressive front. I didn’t like how she resorted to unnecessary ruthlessness and acted, punished in more cruel ways than it was needed. I didn’t like what she became and her power hungry and impatient self started to take her personality over.
So yeah I’m not only disappointed in the way the plot progressed but with the character development too. Yes there are a lot of enjoyable scenes in the story but not nearly enough to balance out the missing parts. Also I don’t see any kind of happy ending coming but after seeing what Lada became they deserve what they get. Sorry but that’s my opinion. I’m going to read the next book out of curiosity but I’m not going to wait for it with that much excitement.

Brilliant! The characters are complex, and the storyline pushes you on and makes you crave more. Lana and Radu are flawed, selfish and stubborn, but in their failures theres amazing strenght. They fight for what and who they love, and take on the world doing it. A book that will leave a lasting impression and light a burning for more

Now I Rise had an even stronger plot, and more intricate story line than And I Darken. This is due, in part, to the fact that the characters have aged and are more mature.
I absolutely loved this instalment, Lada is my kind of heroine, even if she is kind of scary, and I can't wait to read more about her.
What happened to the other characters was heart-wrenching, and overall, I found the story and the world building to be very well constructed, entertaining, and quite addictive.

Thanks to the publisher for access to a DRC in return for an honest review.

The Conqueror's Saga continues in book two with Lada leading her army of men, determined to regain her Wallachia. Radu travels to Constantinople on Mehmed's orders to operate as a spy, taking his wife Nazira with him. Through it all, Lada and Radu meet new friends, lose old ones, and struggle both physically and emotionally to live to see another day. Will the Dragon win her country? Or will she forever be seen as a powerless girl? Will Radu find love? All of this and more is revealed in this installment.

Overall, this is a great read. There is so much history and culture mixed into the story. I'm not very familiar with this time period, and I feel like a learned a bit as I read that brought Constantine and this time period to life. At times there was a little too much introspection on Radu's part, but for the most part that was all brought together at the end to make sense. Book three is going to be intense as all of the conflict, both personally and between armies, comes to a head.

And I Darken was one of my favorite books from last year so when I saw digital arc's of the sequel were available I shrieked with excitement and jumped on the chance to read it.

Now I Rise does not disappoint. It jumps right back into the action and sweeps you up into the world of Lada and Radu without hesitation.

The ambitions and the stakes are higher. Our characters are making hard choices and living through intense circumstances. The choices they make are defining and impactful. The weight of it all is ever-present and makes for an intensely satisfying story.

I love that we still have so much character growth. These people are young and I love that there are very human, realistic moments that reflect that. They have lost their innocence but certainly not all of their inexperience and I enjoyed having the large political stakes humbled by the smaller narratives of people having to live their lives. Brilliantly written!

Lada is amazing. I should be repelled by her, but I am so riveted and completely rooting for her. She is the mascot of my feminist heart. You tell em, girl.

I did find some of the character interactions slightly unsatisfying. They weren't missing at all but sometimes things felt rushed, and I wasn't as invested as I would have liked to be. I don't want to give specifics because I don't want to spoil anything. And I don't mean to say that this was a huge issue, it wasn't. It was just something that I noticed because it was a huge strength of the first book. There is still a satisfying amount of slow-burning developing relationships and angst to keep those pages turning!

I unfortunately did find myself skimming some of the battle scenes as well. That's not the book's fault or due to any flaw in the writing. It's just my personal preferences, I struggle with reading a lot of action. But it did impact my enjoyment of this story so I wanted to point that out.

Amazing. Intense. Beautifully and masterfully written. This book was everything I wanted it to be and I am eagerly awaiting release day so I can hold my own copy in my hands. Is it June 27th yet?

So much better than book 1! I didn't struggle as much and waltzed through the pages quickly!

Now I Rise was more than a worthy sequel to And I Darken. Things were definitely way more intense in this one, I must say. But the story was just magnificent. I absolutely loved it!

There's something I want to say first before getting around to the rest of my review. I know a lot of people think these books are fantasy. It is definitely not. It does not have a single fantasy element. To remind everyone, it's about a gender-swapped Vlad the Impaler and it's (mostly) set in the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century with events happening that actually took place.

So let's be honest, Lada is one of the most brilliant main characters out there right now. She is terrible and terrifying and I absolutely love her for that. In this book she was quite brutal in how she would do anything to secure the Wallachian throne, which is exactly what she did. A lot of the things she did were really questionable but I wouldn't expect any less from her.

Radu was probably my favorite character this time around. I felt like he was in the spotlight a lot more in this book than his sister. His part mostly takes plays in Constanstinople where Mehmhed has send him to be a spy. His wife Nazira comes along with him, which I thought was a very good idea. Although their relationship is purely platonic, I love their dynamic. But it sure wasn't easy everything he went through in Constanstinople and playing a double agent.

A lot of the secondary characters were really great to read about as well. I already mentioned Nazira but I also liked the new character of Cyprian who ended up being friends with Radu and ultimately they both broke my heart... With Lada I really liked that Bogdan remained so loyal to her. I actually really like all of Lada's men who follow her. Their loyalty was something Lada really needed. Mehmhed wasn't a lot around in this book because the most part took place away from him so I don't actually have a lot to say about him.

Overall, Now I Rise was every bit as amazing as And I Darken Was. Maybe even a little bit more so. I have said it before and I will say it again, these books are Kiersten White's best work so far. I can't wait for the next book!

This review might contain spoilers if you haven't read 'And I Darken'. :)



In 'Now I Rise' the sequel to 'And I Darken' by Kiersten White the story around Lada, Radu and Mehmed gets told onwards and starts right where it ended in 'And I Darken'.

Lada left Mehmed and Radu, to claim her heritage Wallachia while Mehmed follows his own plans...


The cover is really pretty, like the cover from 'And I Darken'. It's simple and makes again a big impact with the colors and the expressive motive. Here I like the UK Version much better, too. It shows Lada which looks really terrific. I'm hoping for an hardcover release with the UK cover.


The style of writing again is amazingly strong. It's a good and fluid read, creating an amazing and dark atmosphere. Kiersten Whites is really good in playing with words and obviously likes doing it. I liked it a lot!


What attracted my attention positive in 'Now I Rise' was again the terrific character development. It reads so good and you really feel the vibes and the whole story.

Kiersten Whites characters are just incredible.

My absolute favourite is Lada, which developes sooo amazingly. I liked her senseless and brutal what was really varied, but right now she is so incredible. I like her even more.

Lada stands with what she beliefs in and gives you a hell of a plot twist.

Radu in the other hand was a character I hoped so much more or well just a different direction for the character development. It really annoys me how obsessed he is with Mehmed. Come on...I hope and I think this will change...

Mehmed... well what can I say... see it for yourself! Whit that I won't spoiler too much and will leave you with surprises. Mehmed himself will give you a lot of them...


The plot in 'Now I Rise' stays exciting from the start till the end. It is really great written and thrilling.


I gave this book 4 strong stars and I can recommend it to everyone who can take an anti-heroine.

4 to 4,5 stars

ARC kindly given by Random House Children Delacorte Press via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest opinion

I fell maddly in love with “And I Darken”. I think Lada is a strong and very unconventional heroine that could inspire many little girls. I loved Radu and Mehmet as well even if I had some reservation about Mehmet (go see my review of “And I Darken”).
So I was beyond thrilled when Random House Children chose to grant my wish!

Now I can honestly say that I did not want to stop reading but I also don’t know what I should wish for the third book. This is very unusual as I always know what I want or hope to find in a sequel!

But her… her I’m puzzled as granting Mehmed and Lada some of their wishes is not what I thought it would be. I won’t give spoilers because you don’t spoil others fun but let’s just say that happiness does not always come from what you wanted most.

The book seemed to drag sometimes but that was just because I wanted to already know if they would have their wish come true. We alternate between Lada and Radu’s point of view. Both will do their best to reach their goal but it will take time! We’ll have the siege of Constantinople and a siege is a lasting affair! Especially when a city has such formidable walls. So of course we wait and wait and wait….Even if events happened during the siege I became impatient. I just wanted it to be over and see if Mehmed would succeed in his crazy move. Maybe he would just crash and burn?

Lada is headed to Wallachia with Mehmet‘s seal of approval. Much good it will do her! She has her men only. No one wants to ally with her. Her men aside no one takes her seriously because she is a woman.
“What, then, was left to her? She had no allies. She had no throne. She had no Mehmed, no Radu. She had only these sharp men and sharp knives and sharp dreams, and no way to make use of any of them. “

Countless times she’ll make an alliance or hope to just to be rebuffed or mocked. Here again time was passing by. I was all : “ Damn girl, kick their behind and prove them wrong already! Take the throne and rise!”

BUT
It made me realize that Lada and Mehmet are really alike. Both live for their dream. Both would sacrifice people to reach their goal. Both wants to lead and not just be a consort. Their ambitions known no limit. It’s a huge driving force.

Lada is resilient beyond anything and strongly determined to conquer HER land. She is still the Dracul, a dragon. She is not a lady. She is not a princess. She’ll never be someone’s wife and live in his shadow. She is Lada and she is enough.

“She showed all her small teeth in a vicious smile. “I will make you proud. No one will be more brutal than me. No one will be more ruthless. And I will never stop fighting.”

I really, really admired her determination and strength. She knows what she wants and who she is.
It gave some fun moments as well when she was confronted with some feminine matters and was horrified by something most women relish in.

This sequel cemented my resentment and dislike for Mehmet. I know many feminine readers love Mehmet but I don’t. I think he is selfish and a manipulator. Lada can also manipulate people but it’s clumsier or even unconscious. Mehmet is a master manipulator. He would do anything to quench his thirst even sacrifice his most trusted friend.

Results: now I don’t wish Lada would end with Mehmet. And yet they’re not happy separate either. So I’m really puzzled.

Radu is playing a greater role in this second book. He will grow and question his dreams and wishes. As much as I dislike Mehmet I love Radu. I want him to find his happiness. And yet countless time I wanted to shake some sense in his handsome skull when I realized Mehmet was using him. Foolish Radu didn’t see it! He was naïve and devoted. Radu has a heart so big he could never lower himself to commit such atrocities as Mehmet and even Lada to some extent committed in this sequel.
For the first time in his life he’ll deny Lada’s unexpected call for help.
“And though she had never asked for Radu’s help growing up, he had helped her. He had worn away her edges, talked their way out of trouble she would have welcomed. Maybe … maybe she had always needed him. And he always chose Mehmed. Someone shouted his name, and he hurried back to his duties. His duties to his God. His duties to the Ottoman Empire. His duties to Mehmed. Lada would have to figure it out on her own. He owed her nothing. But the promise of the guilt he would carry if she died without his help clung to his skin like a shadow.”


Radu will be used, abused and betrayed. He will suffer great anguish torn in his loyalties for Mehmet for Lada for Constantine and his people. He thinks he owes Lada nothing and yet if she died when he rebuked he would never forgive himself. Lada and Mehmet never seem to carry much guilt for their past actions but Radu is plowing under guilt’s weight. He really is a good soul to his core.
From rather weak character he’ll grow up by the end of the book. He won’t know who he is anymore. He won’t know what to wish for.

Here are the lessons I learned reading this sequel:
-ambition won’t warm your bed neither your heart;
-it’s sometimes better to keep your dream a fantasy than to accomplish it whatever the cost;
-you’re enough. You don’t have to be someone else or play a role in your life. If you’re a girl in a men’s world you’re as worthy as they are (it’s now a common knowledge but not at the time of the book). If you’re gay you’re not a monster. You love “someone” not a gender. Again it’s now easier now in many countries than it was at the time of the story.
-you don’t buy loyalty or respect you earn it. Lada earned her men’s loyalty by her actions. And Mehmet lost loyalty by his actions too.
-as much as I don’t know where I want this story headed to (unusual for me) I know that I want Lada and Radu reunited.

So would I recommend this book? A thousand times yes! And I’ll wait for the third one with great curiosity as I really don’t know what choice Mrs White will make for her characters and her plot!

.5 stars in truth, rounded up to 4 due to the fact I still have a girl crush on Lada

When we last left Lada and Radu, the brother and sister Dracul had split up. Lada went home to reclaim the throne of Whamalamadingdong (aka Wallachia) and Radu stayed with his wife (and her girlfriend) in the Ottoman empire so he could continue crushing on the sultan (who, is in turn, in love with Lada. Oh, and Lada loves the sultan. Best love triangle ever.).

I adored the first book and was very eager to dive into this one. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed. It was almost as fucked up as the first one.

Each chapter alternates between the siblings, which makes for great balanced story telling. Both Lada and Radu are on their own journeys and, for the most part, both of them learn something about themselves and the people around them on their journeys.

I still adore Lada and her badass ruthlessness. She makes a goal and achieves it, no matter who or what stands in her way. Don't you ever tell her a girl can't be a prince. She will cut your intestines out and make you eat them. Radu, while not my favorite character, grew on me during this book. He learns a lot about himself in this novel, as well as learning about the people he chooses to love. However, both siblings continue to make the same mistakes, which can get kind of grating after 300+ pages. Especially when they acknowledge that they've made this mistake before and then do the equivalent of shrugging and saying "oh, fuck it, let's do the same thing again! Maybe something different will happen."

I adore this book (and the series) for its positive look on both religions (Christianity and Islam) as well as LGBT relationships. It is also greatly researched. It's a beautifully written book that offers a lot of different perspectives and character trope flips for this time in history (the 1400s).

Unfortunately, much like the first book, the middle section of the book gets very slow and a little skim-worthy. The beginning and the ends are fabulous, though, and will suck in you completely and make you forgive the author for the slow pace.

If you enjoyed the first novel, definitely pick this up. If you're a fan of historical fiction, you should pick this up. If you love kickass heroines, you need this.

The much-awaited sequel of 'And I darken' (Review). I was so excited when I got approved for this because I had already waited so long for this. I loved the characters in book one. our strong Lada, my beautiful Radu, complicated Mehmed and to say that there is such a huge character-development in this book would be an understatement. I loved Book 1 but this sequel takes the story to another level. Everything is better. The story is more intense and complicated which I enjoy because the only complaint I had with the previous book is that I found the plot to be a little weak. Well this book amazed me.

This was literally me during the book. *screams of frustration *punching pillows *repeating character name again and again *yelling at my phone (since ebook) *closing my eyes and just letting myself feel the agony

It was so beautiful though. I love when I fully immerse in a book so much that every little thing affects me. This book started right where the first book ended. Lada has left Mehmed and Radu behind to claim her throne. Radu is still in love with Mehmed. Mehmed is still in love with Lada. The war on empire of Constantinople is still in progress.

I have to say I loved Radu more than ever in this book. For me, he is the highlight of this series. yes, he may be naive when it comes to some situations. He also makes despicable choices and yet my heart bleeds for him.

But the promise of the guilt he would carry if she died without his help clung to his skin like a shadow.
And Lada, she is strong, fearless, ruthless and brutal as always. Any sane person would like her fierceness but despise her actions but I never claimed to be sane. She does what she does for her dream of Wallachia. She will do anything to prove her worth.

Push out so no one can push in. A dealer of Death. that was what Tohin had said one must become. Deal enough death elsewhere to keep it away from your own home.
Where Lada was bringing me hope during this book, Radu was breaking my heart. And Mehmed. From the beginning of this book, I sensed something wrong with him and that hunch turned out to be right. How much he has changed! like I said, HUGE character-development. But one thing remained the same.

I thought they would kill you and break Radu's heart.
Because in the end, this sentence is what defines these two characters. Because Lada has a warrior's soul. She is always putting herself in danger. And My beautiful Radu has a golden heart and he always gets hurt.

Apart from the characters ( though they are the main highlight of this book), the plot is gripping. I finished it in one sitting because I was hooked. One hand there is lada, dealing with fights, politics, trying to win her throne. And on the other hand, Radu and Mehmed are planning to take over Constantinople. The intenseness and intricacies of war and politics make this an entertaining read but what I also can't help myself from mentioning is the writing.

It just flows in a way that it is both strong yet lyrical. The dialogues, the descriptions, the emotions, nothing would've reached me if the writing hadn't been this good. this has to be my best read of 2017 so far and trust me, I have read some pretty amazing books this year.

Now all that is left is waiting for the sequel. My heart sinks at the thought. I am very impatient.