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And I Darken
(The Conqueror's Saga #1)
Kiersten White (Goodreads Author)
3.84 · Rating details · 43,852 ratings · 7,857 reviews
No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen swor No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he's made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she's finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point. ...more
Published June 28th 2016 by Delacorte Press
The Conqueror's Saga #1
Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2017), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)
Other Editions (11)
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Popular Answered Questions
Why is this book labelled as Fantasy Fantasy > Dragons Fantasy > High Fantasy Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy there is not a single dragon, no magic, not magical beings. It's a reimagined historical story. It takes place in real parts of the world. It shouldn't be labelled as fantasy of any kind. Perhaps fantastical elements will enter the sequels but as of now it shouldn't have those labels. Why?
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Mallory I can't speak to the dragons part because I haven't read the book, but alternative history fiction is considered a sub-genre of fantasy. …moreI can't speak to the dragons part because I haven't read the book, but alternative history fiction is considered a sub-genre of fantasy. (less)
does it contain mentions of a religion in anyway? (since we are talking about the Ottoman empire)
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Brenda I think that this book did a really good job at presenting religion in an unbiased way. That being said, depending on the CHARACTER that is describing…moreI think that this book did a really good job at presenting religion in an unbiased way. That being said, depending on the CHARACTER that is describing/experiencing the religion, it can be biased in how that character thinks of the religion. But the story itself takes a very unbiased historical view on all of it. It explains what roles the religions play in different situations, but doesn't focus on one being "better" than another.(less)
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Start your review of And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga, #1)
Jan 13, 2015 Emily May rated it it was amazing
Shelves: arc, young-adult, coverly-love, 2016, historical-fiction
"So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let be taken away so that you, too, can have power?"
4 1/2 stars. This book is totally fucked up. In the best possible way.
Well, holy shit. Even with the positive reviews rolling in, that was completely unexpected. How do I begin to explain this vicious little nightmare of a book? All I know is: it's different to anything else I've read.
And I Darken is dark, gritty and compelling. It pulled me into its da
And I Darken is dark, gritty and compelling. It pulled me into its darkness from the very first chapter and I didn't come up for air until I'd finished all 496 pages of it. It's the kind of book that is everything that hooks you, fuelling your rage and your desperate need to turn the page, whilst also being a well-written, highly-original story.
"Fantasy" is a loose term for this book. You won't find any Throne of Glass-esque heroines or magic here. It's more alternate history, set in Transylvania at the height of the Ottoman Empire (based on history, though not historically accurate), and richer, more political than typical YA fantasy. And much nastier.
As the baby latched on with surprising fierceness, the nurse offered her own prayer.
Let her be strong.
Let her be sly.
And let her be ugly.
Lada is a freaking fantastic, psychotic heroine. She is not one of those faux-antiheroines who proclaim their badassery and never do anything other than defeat the bad guys and fall in love. From the moment she is born, she is fierce, resilient and a little bit nuts. As she grows, she becomes ever more cold, cruel and calculating. She quickly recognizes what it means to be a woman in this world and she is not playing along.
"On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied."
In fact, she's furious. And I Darken explores Lada's disdain for women and her own confused feelings over whether she should deny or defend her femininity. But don't worry, this is paired with the revelation that there are many kinds of power and women have their own ways of wielding it, biding their time and eventually getting what they want.
However, though she is fascinating, the book isn't just about Lada. The third person narrative is also about the experiences of her brother - Radu, a beautiful, delicate boy whose weakness both aggravates Lada and draws her protection. They have a complex sibling relationship, once again quite unlike anything we usually see in YA, and it is filled with frustration, jealousy and misunderstanding.
A few other things:
1) I absolutely loved this unconventional setting in Eastern Europe. It's so rare to see novels set here and I thought the author captured it perfectly.
2) I liked how the novel explored different religions and a lack of religion in a way that wasn't preachy - also very refreshing to see a non-judgmental portrayal of Islam.
3) There is no love triangle. There is a complex web of relationships that is guaranteed to get messy, but it is not a love triangle (at least not yet). I thought you might want to know because there are some LT signs early on.
I loved this book. I really did. It's a gory, horrible trek into a place inspired by gory, historical truth. Everything is intricately-woven in perfect detail, from the setting to the characters, and from the relationships to the politics. It is unlike anything Kiersten White has written before. And it is virtually unputdownable.
It's about power, and all the ways it can be gained and used. It's about women, and what it means to be a woman. And it's about fighting, every day, to be what you want.
"The sooner you stop fighting, the easier your life will be. This is what your purpose is."
Lada stood so abruptly she nearly fell backward. "No."
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Andreajanel I agree whole-heartedly with Emily May's review. This is a work of fiction, and the reader needs to set aside modern biases to appreciate its magic. F I agree whole-heartedly with Emily May's review. This is a work of fiction, and the reader needs to set aside modern biases to appreciate its magic. Fiction is meant to transport the reader - this book unequivocally does that. It is important to writers that readers understand and appreciate deeply complex characters and intricate plots. White has accomplished this by creating a dichotomous, unforgettable heroine framed by the brutality of the world in which she lived. 5 stars. ...more
✨Vivi✨ woahhhhh... Emily May gave it 5 STARS!! yeah, i have to read this now.
Jun 21, 2018 Miranda Reads rated it really liked it
Shelves: audiobook
Seven of my favorite Bookish Villains in one BookTube Video!
The Written Review
Rivetingly dark and heartbreakingly human.
the nurse offered her own prayer.
Much like the nurse's prayer, Lada Dragwlya grew up single-minded, cruel and absolutely ruthless. Completely in contrast to her beautiful younger brother, Radu.
"So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let be taken away so that
Lada, and Radu, started life almost entirely isolated. They were occasionally visited by their warlord of a father and were raised by their nurse.
Soon, the siblings were taken from her homeland (Wallachia) at a young age to act as leverage against their father.
Lada decides then and there that she will come back to her people and her country and rule them with the strength and brutal efficiency that her father lacked.
Her spine was steel. Her heart was armor. Her eyes were fire.
But until that day comes, Lada and Radu must navigate the intricacies of the Ottoman Empire - one wrong move could very well mean the end of both their lives.
Wow. Seriously, wow. I love a good, dark antihero book and Lada absolutely delivered.
The way she coldly and efficiently denied the common expectations of the times just blew me away - take her response to a marriage proposal (well, more like she was commanded to marry).
"On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself."
And yet, she never became a caricature of a "strong-independent-woman." Lada had moments of weakness, self-pity and childhood doubt which kept character real in my eyes.
Radu was such a precious child - he never could handle the cruel world that Lada reveled in. His purity and love for Lada and Mehmed (the third son of the Ottoman emperor) provided an excellent backdrop that kept this book from feeling too harsh.
I absolutely loved the ending and cannot get my hands on book 2 fast enough.
Audiobook Comments
Well-read by Fiona Hardingham - she had excellent pacing and tone. Thank goodness I listened to this one - there's quite a few words that I would definitely have pronounced wrong if I had only read them. (i.e. Wallachia is Val-heh-ahh).
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Mar 24, 2015 Wendy Darling rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: 2016-publication, rh, young-adult, june, retellings-and-inspirations, read-2016, heroines-butt-kicking, historical-fiction, to-acquire-hb, 2016-favorites
4.5 stars I didn't believe all the high ratings, and now here I am with them.
A good example of why it's good to try authors again, btw. I'd read a couple of the author's earlier books and found them likable if a bit unmemorable, but there was absolutely no indication that one day she'd write a brutal book--or an uncompromising heroine--like this.
Vlad the Impaler re-imagined as an aggressive girl! Fantastic. 4.5 stars I didn't believe all the high ratings, and now here I am with them.
Vlad the Impaler re-imagined as an aggressive girl! Fantastic. ...more
Sep 27, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This was truly an epic book. There is a twist in this book, and trust me when I say that you will not see it coming.
It has a heroine who flaunts herself as the "anti-princess" and in that sense, the book does not disappoint. Lada - our "female Vlad the Impaler" hooked (impaled?) me from the start. Even as a child in the nursery, she was fierce.
Like her brother, Lada had big eyes, but hers were close-set, with arched bows that made her look perpetually cross. Her hair was a tangled mass, so da
Like her brother, Lada had big eyes, but hers were close-set, with arched bows that made her look perpetually cross. Her hair was a tangled mass, so dark that her pale skin appeared sickly. Her nose was long and hooked, her lips thin, her teeth small and...quite sharp.
She was contrary and vicious and the meanest child the nurse had ever cared for...In Lada she saw a spark, a passionate, fierce glimmer that refused to hide or be dimmed.
I love anti-heroes, and Lada is as bad-ass as they come. This book is unusual because so rarely in YA fiction one gets a female character who is absolutely brutal.
Lada is the daughter of Vlad Dracul. Upon her birth, she was dismissed. Warlords have no use for a daughter, girls being only useful if they're pretty enough to be married off. But surprisingly, as Lada grew, Vlad discovered in his daughter the strength and fierceness he himself admired, the qualities in a leader that was completely missing in his son Radu.
Radu is a year younger than Lada, with all the beauty and grace and gentleness Lada lacks. To Vlad, Radu is, frankly, useless.
He embarrased no one. He remained unnoticed and invisible.
It was, apparently, both the least and the most he could do for his father.
This is the tale of two unwanted children, abandoned and left to fight for their survival in an Ottoman court. It's the story of a girl constrained by her gender, in a time where daughters are little more than chattel, and a young man trying to come out from his sister's shadow.
I like Lada. I feel like she's a little bit too much in her fierceness sometimes. This book compares itself to Game of Thrones. I don't see the comparison at all, but I feel like if I had to pick a character, Lada would be most like Brienne of Tarth. Both are bred for battle, both deny and despise their feminity, both are unattractive, and at times, too severe, trying too hard to deny their emotions. Not the worst thing in the world, considering the number of swoony stupid female heroines out there, but at the same time, a little softness never hurts, a little gentleness would make Lada a more well-wounded character.
She scratched and clawed her way into the world. Since she was a child, she literally fights for everything she has. She is aggressive, angry, short-tempered, intensely intelligent. Her fury is palpable, and she is so angry about so many things. She wants so many things. There is such a hunger in her for life and for what is hers.
I really loved the brother-sister relationship between Radu and Lada. Love and hate is such a fine line. She is more or less his protector, in a stereotypical sense, she has the more masculine spirit, she is a warrior, and he is a poet. Their relationship is very complex, with Radu constantly seeking her approval, feeling (and often being told) that he is inferior to his fierce, strong older sister. An older sister who feels like he is her property.
She sat beside his bed for a long while. Finally, she put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You are mine."
Like her brother, she seeks affirmation. Whereas Radu wants his sister be proud of him, Lada wants her father's approval.
The setting is interesting and well-built. It's history-based, and honestly, I don't know much about the history of the region, but it feels authentic enough! It explores religions like Christianity and Islam (so rare!) without being preachy, only informative.
The romance was not overwhelming, the relationship between Lada and Mehmed was build upon mutual dependency and trust, and not pure blind love and adoration. People are trying to kill them. They have to depend on each other. Lada is no weakling, and Mehmed respects her for who she is.
One of my favorite moments in the book was when Lada had a moment with a lady of the Ottoman court. She learned that there are more subtle ways to wage battle, that women can wield power through means other than fistfights, that everything has a price.
"You see this...as a prison. But you are wrong. This is my court. This is my throne. This is my kingdom. The cost was my freedom and my body...So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let me taken away so that you, too, can have power?"
Overall, this was an intensely satisfying, well-woven tale.
All quotes were taken from an advanced edition subject to change in the final edition. ...more
Jul 25, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing
Shelves: own, fantasy-all, young-adult, favorites
$1.99 on kindle right now! 6-26-17. As far as I know, it's US pricing
Re-Read 2017 I had to read this book again for the new book next week. I love it so freaking much! This time I listened to it on audio from Overdrive (It's now on my audible wishlist) The narrator, Fiona Hardingham did a wonderful job!
It was so nice to be back in Lada's world. She's just so tough but I did feel sorry for her with the love interest but it's extremely complicated. She lets her guard down a little in that area b $1.99 on kindle right now! 6-26-17. As far as I know, it's US pricing
It was so nice to be back in Lada's world. She's just so tough but I did feel sorry for her with the love interest but it's extremely complicated. She lets her guard down a little in that area but she's still a force. Heh! That guy that tried to rape her, that didn't go as planned! I love it =]. Anyway, you can see my old review for excerpts and fun stuff =]
****Older Review****
Vlad Dracul's heavy brow descended like a storm when the doctor informed him that his wife had given birth to a girl.
Oh, little did he know that he would have one of the most brutal, bad@ssed girl known to man!
Lada waved the knife at him in answer to the question she did not understand. Vlad raised an eyebrow. He was wrapped in a fine cloak, an elaborate hat on his head. It had been nearly a year since Lada had seen her father. She did not recognize him.
"Lada!" the nurse whispered. "Come here at once."
Lada stood as tall as her short, stocky legs allowed. "This is my home! I am the Order of the Dragon! I kill infidels!"
I am totally in love with the character of Ladislav Dragwlya (Lada). She is beyond bad. She just doesn't care and she will attack anyone. She wants to be equal with men. She doesn't care to be married off. She doesn't care to do women stuff. She trains to be a soldier, a warrior woman. She bad to the bone from the get go.
Radu had braced for another blow when Aron's shout made him open his eyes. Aron was spinning in a circle, trying desperately to dislodge Lada. She was not supposed to be here, but somehow her presence was unsurprising. She had jumped on the boy's back, clasping her arms around him and pinning his arms to his sides. Radu could not see her face through her tangled drape of hair until Aron twisted to the side, revealing Lada's teeth sunk into his shoulder
I wish I could have been like her with all of the bullies in school :-)
Radu is Lada's younger brother, but she doesn't coddle him or give him comfort like a normal sister. She will take up for him but she will smack him around as well. Although, when they get a little older she's not as bad to him.
I was thinking this was going to be a cool book about the awesome Vlad and his kids but Vlad is like a little sissy compared to his daughter Lada. They sort of switched places.
This book took a lot of time building up to what I'm hoping is going to be an awesome saga. With that ending I do believe so.
Vlad let Halil Pasha take Lada and Radu to the Ottoman Court. He turned them over to an enemy. Although, he wasn't bad to the kids. He gave them schooling and decided to marry Lada off when the time came. Oh and that decision went down well, so she got sent off to another place with one of the sultan's sons to do more schooling with the son, Mehmed and her brother Radu.
Lada spoke with a quiet, clear voice, and the room hushed in surprise. No one expected the girl to speak. She was probably not allowed to. Radu knew Lada would not care either way. "On our wedding night," she said. "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied.
There is no one like her. To be that brutal and not take no sh*t in those times is just beyond coolness!
Lada eventually started training with the Janissaries. They are a form of soldiers that are paid a good wage. She became friends with them when she didn't take crap from them either. She eventually got her wish of becoming one of them, but oh so much more.
"Not very pretty for a whore." The soldier behind her tugged on a strand of her hair. She ducked under his arm, grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back to pin him. It was a trick she learned under the harsh tutelage of Mircea and perfected by practicing on Bogdan and Radu. The soldier shouted angrily and tried to pull away, so she twisted harder, pushing up against the joint. He yelped in pain.
"You are prettier than I." She put more pressure on his arm. "Perhaps you could offer yourself as whore instead."
She's amazing!
Lada, Mehmed and Radu bond, as much as Lada allows herself to bond. I really enjoyed all of that storyline. There are some love interests in the book but they don't really go too far with that because it's more about kicking arse and getting the story set up.
Lada huffed, exasperated. "Very well. What exactly does a friend do?"
"I have never had one. I was hoping you would know."
"Then you are even stupider than you look. Radu is the one who makes friends. I am the one who makes people want to whip me."
"Good. In the spirit of friendship, I must tell you that I am bitterly jealous of the time you spend in the Janisssaries' company. I want you to stop training with them.
"And, in the spirit of friendship, I must tell you that I do not care in the slightest about your petty jealousies. I am late for my training." She hooked her foot behind Mehmed's ankle, then slammed her shoulder into his, tripping him and throwing him to the ground.
At some point Mehmed becomes sultan when his father just decides to retire. There is a whole other story line going on there too, but I don't want to give out spoilers on certain things. Lada does end up saving a bunch of lives and there are more wars and what not.
Either way, I loved this book. I love Lada and I look forward to the rest of the books! Please be good!
"Not Dragwlya," she said. "Lada Dracul. I am not longer the daughter of the dragon." She lifted her chin, sights set on the horizon. "I am the dragon."
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Jul 05, 2016 C.G. Drews rated it really liked it
Shelves: historical-fiction, read-2016, young-adult, read-2017, reread
REREAD: Because when it comes to needing to read a sequel...do I remember the first book? HA. I know nothing, Jon Snow. But this is the kind of book that really grew on me the more I thought about it. Several things still bugged me with my reread, but truuuuly I love this story. <3 It is the finest of historical fiction and the characters have caught my heart.
This news just in: Radu is the most kind and precious and beautiful cinnamon roll of ever and also totally a cunning Slytherin. I call it. REREAD: Because when it comes to needing to read a sequel...do I remember the first book? HA. I know nothing, Jon Snow. But this is the kind of book that really grew on me the more I thought about it. Several things still bugged me with my reread, but truuuuly I love this story. <3 It is the finest of historical fiction and the characters have caught my heart.
This news just in: Radu is the most kind and precious and beautiful cinnamon roll of ever and also totally a cunning Slytherin. I call it.
I really appreciated the world building more this time! And the detail with the historical elements! I listened to an audio so that also helped me focus a lot more. I do think the ending was a teeny bit slow and Mehmed is so frustrating (he is just a spoiled prince tho) and I wish Radu would find someone better to love him as he truly deserves to be loved <3 RADU NEEDS ALL THE LOVE. I also wonder if Lada is possibly asexual? I feel like she liked Mehmed because he treated her as a person, not an object, but I still don't feel like she had any sexual want for him?
OKAY I NEED THE SEQUEL BADLY.I'm so ready for this. Bring on my dragon queen Lada and my slytherin rainbow Radu and hopefully the chance for them to rule the world. I'm just sayin'.
ORIGINALLY READ IN JULY 2016 :
WELL. WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN WITH MY MAMMOTH TEAPOT LOAD OF THOUGHTS??? Because I have many, my fiends. The trouble is this book had an enormous load of potential with all the epic characters and much stabbing -- and yet???? It felt dry. Although at the same time I appreciate how UNIQUE the story is and how amazing all the historical elements are.
So basically I am like so:
Me: This was deadly boring.
Brain: But the characters were precious violent cinnamon rolls.
Me: But I napped.
Brain: But gender-swapped Vlad the Impaler.
Me: ...
Brain: RIGHT???
Me: OK SO TRUE. SO COOL.
(Myself and I have very stimulating conversations btw.)
BUT ONWARDS SINCE I SHOULD PROBABLY REVIEW THIS BEAST TOO. Today I'm going to give you a list of Things This Book Is About: So you know what to expect when you read it! Because I'm sure it would appeal to a LOT of people. But I think you also need to know what you're in for because it ain't your average YA.
7 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK:
•It is NOT fantasy.
Whoever is bopping around the internet saying "Ooh fantasy!" is WRONG and needs to sit down. This is historical fiction. Granted it is gender-swapped, but I don't call that fantasy! I call that a retelling. So it's a sort of historical fiction retelling. But there is zero magic okay? OKAY. I think this needs to be cleared up!!
• It is very very very political.
It almost reminded me of Game of Thrones in that respect? Because basically it is 90% about who is at war with who and who wants to stab and impale who (spoiler: EVERYONE WANTS TO STAB EVERYONE) and alliances and broken alliances and who gets the throne and yadda yadda ya. I mean it was interesting but at the same time it was deathly confusing. I napped. I did. Guilty as charged, Marge.
• Want a spoonful of history? HERE LET ME CRAM IT ALL DOWN YOUR THROAT INSTEAD.
Like this is definitely not a bad thing if you like historical facts. Except (A) not all the facts ARE historical (the author mentions this in her note at the end) so I don't know whether to run around spewing details about this era or not, which is a bummer. And (B) there was too much. It actually drowned the story at times because we were too busy being told all these DETAILS about all these PEOPLE GROUPS who hated each other. Like seriously, please summarise: EVERYONE DISTRUSTS EVERYONE AND THERE'S STABBING. <-- Look I wrote the book in 6 words. I fully admit that it was so plot driven at times that I just felt my brain switching off.
• But the characters were precious murderous darlings.
Often I read books where the book crows "this character is so bad!" and the character, like, sneezes on a puppy and doesn't apologise or whatever. YOU GET NONE OF THAT HERE. Lada is downright CRUEL. She stabs and bites and she's 100% feral and wild and omg, she's amazing. I loved her. She is the most violent thing I've read in a long time. (And, that saying, the book isn't actually written very graphically, so rest your wee hearts in peace.) But BOOYAH! Lada is not the only narrating character. It's actually 50% Lada and 50% Radu. I loved this because Radu was probably my favourite thing ever. He's the "weak" one. He spent his childhood being abused and neglected (chiefly by Lada) and yet they still have this really strong bond? They are the only ones who trust each other. I REALLY LOVED THEIR SIBLING DYNAMICS. I honestly put these 2 characters as some of my favourites of ever. Which is why it pains me that the PLOT WAS SO DAMN BORING.
• Romance? We gotcha romance.
It is a love triangle. But I'm going to call it an Unrequited Oblivious Triangle Wherein No One Expresses Feelings And Everyone Is Somewhat Awful. <--- Much more accurate tbh. You're welcome.
See, there is this young Sultan named MEHMED who is actually a little beast but also a winning little battling hellion. He loves Lada. Lada takes a loooooooooooooooooong time to love him back. Radu? RADU IS SO FREAKING IN LOVE WITH MEHMED THAT RADU BASICALLY PACKS HIMSELF OFF SO HE CAN NEVER SEE MEHMED AGAIN. #logic Mehmed has 0% of an idea that Radu loves him so much. Do you see what I mean??? It ain't your average triangle. Considering most of the parties don't even realise the other parties have feelings.
And tbh, who has real feelings around here???? They're all so insane and stabby. (Except for Radu who is only 16% stabby and the rest of the time he's charming people and manipulating and spying. GO RADU. But I digress.)
• It's 500 pages.
That, in itself, tells you a lot. AKA = it's tooooo loooooooong. Like I said, there is a TEAPOT LOAD of just explanations about political things. Like, I don't even know, mate, I was so bored. Then there are scenes of wars and battles and running for your life and assassination attempts. There is, obviously, impaling. But not as much as I expected. My favourite scenes were the conversations between Mehmed and Lada and Radu. They were such an awesome and complex and dynamic trio. I will squish them. But I honestly wish the book had been half as long and involved MORE ACTION instead of so much telling vs showing. (I want to SEE, not just be told!) Also there were far too many minor characters. I'm talking DOZENS OF 'EM. I don't even know who was who and heaven help me before I can recall any names. There's a grand betrayal at the end and when it happens I'm like "Say who now does what and why?" because I remembered NO ONE.
• It's actually not super graphic.
I thought it might be?? And while sometimes, stylistically, it read like an adult historical fiction....it really kept the murder and mayhem to TELLING you about it rather than showing. I mean, don't get me wrong, we do have scenes where people are impaled. And stabbed. But altogether, I don't think it was really that bloody. (Well, apart from Lada really torturing eveyrone around here, but she didn't kill them. She was a brutal kid.)
ALL IN ALL:
You know what? I'm going to have fond feelings for this book. It wasn't an easy read. It was gritty and brutal and cruel and it was intense and actually kind of emotional?! I FREAKING LOVED THE CHARACTERS SO VERY MUCH. I will definitely read more books because I want to know what happens! Even though I am rather confused about the details! Huzzah confusion! It is my middle name apparently!
Definitely try this one if you like (A) historical fiction, (B) actually brutal characters, (C) stabbing, (D) tragic precious darlings who turn out to be wicked intelligent, and (E) complex worlds.
Although, confession, I'm horribly disappointed it's not Vladette the Impaler. I mean, MISSED OPPORTUNITY THERE. Apparently Ladislav is the female version of Vlad. Which is probably more logical than Vladette, but, ya know. #disappointed ...more
Jul 29, 2016 Nat rated it really liked it
Shelves: arc, diverse-reads
Ever since I read this particular quote taken from And I Darken, I've been enchanted:
"On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied."
And also that beautiful cover didn't hurt.
This review contains *spoilers*.
A Ever since I read this particular quote taken from And I Darken, I've been enchanted:
And I Darken starts out with Lada and Radu's childhood; introducing their vicious father and broken mother.
Can I just say that, for whatever unknown reason, I absolutely loved their mother. I cannot understand why exactly other than that her determination to escape felt so crucial for me.
"I want to go home," she whispered. "Back to Moldavia. Please let me."
Vasilissa's tiny frame trembled. Then she dropped to her knees, lowered her head, and took Vlad's hand in her own. "Please. Please, I beg of you. Let me go home."
Vlad put out his other hand and stroked Vasilissa's lank, greasy hair. Then he grabbed it, wrenching her head to the side. She cried out, but he pulled tighter, forcing her to stand. He placed his lips against her ear. "You are the weakest creature I have ever known. Crawl back to your hole and hide there. Crawl!" He threw her down, and, sobbing, she crawled from the room."
I truly felt for Vasilissa. And I don't know if this is terrible to admit (because she's their mother), but I was extremely glad when Vasilissa managed to escape his cruelty.
In the meanwhile, we skip a few years to learn the complications set in Radu and Lada's relationship.
"He was so tired and so scared, and she had saved him. "Thank you." He stumbled toward her with arms outstretched. When he was hurting, his nurse folded him into herself, sealing him away from the world. He wanted—needed—that now.
Lada hit him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, sinking to his knees. She knelt next to him, grasping him by the ears. "Do not thank me. All I did was teach them to fear me. How does that help you? Next time you hit first, you hit harder, you make certain that your name means fear and pain. I will not be here to save you again."
We slowly learn that Lada does care deeply for her brother, though, in a very particular way i.e scares him away and mocks him, but deep down couldn't bear to leave him in harm's way.
"When she thought he was sleeping, she crept into his room. Radu did not sleep much, always awake and worrying over something. But he lay as still as possible, keeping his breathing even, curious as to what she would do.
She sat beside his bed for a long while. Finally, she put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You are mine."
Radu had been thinking about the way Lada sounded when she told him that Costin had escaped the river. The tone of her voice, the lack of an edge. He was almost certain she had lied. He fell asleep, wrapped in the secure warmth of her next to him and nagged by guilt over how happy the day had made him.
Still made him."
Okay, so this has been on my mind for awhile, but did Costin survive or not? (The answer is crucial for my peace.)
But circling back to the main storyline, complications arise when their father abandons them to be raised in the Ottoman courts for…their education.
"Radu looked to Lada, trying to put together what he was hearing. Lada understood perfectly well what this man was saying. Their lives were valuable only insofar as their father did what he was told. And instead of just taking Radu, Halil Pasha had known what her father valued the most.
All those years working toward her father's love and approval had led her here.
It had made her a prisoner."
And before we move on, I just wanted to mention that Lada and Radu are such phenomenally fleshed-out characters, I'm still in awe.
And also, this book mentions periods, which, finally. I think this is only my second fantasy book that mentions this completely natural process that almost everyone goes through but doesn't talk about in books.
"When her nurse had told her she would not have to worry about marriage until her monthly courses started, it had been a comfort. Until the morning Lada awoke covered in blood, in her enemy's house."
Yes, this is real, this is me.
I know I keep going off course in my review, but it was important to mention the above.
In Edirne, Lada and Radu encounter the son of the devil himself. Mehmed the Second, son of Murad. Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe.
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Make people talk to you. Is it because you are a boy?"
Radu knew she envied him his ability to persuade people to trust him. She looked sharp, contrary, and sly. Hers was the face of a fox raiding the livestock. Radu's was the face of an angel. But it hurt Radu that she thought it was a trick. Did anyone ever truly like him, or was she right? Did his face and tongue merely fool them into thinking they did?"
"People respond to kindness, Lada. They trust a smile more than a promise that you will leave them choking on their own blood."
Lada snorted. "Yes, but my promise is more sincere than your smiles."
She was right, of course. It had been a lifetime since his smile felt like anything more than a desperate and false ploy. He sniffed, trying to keep the mood light, keep his sister calm. "But no one knows that."
"Someday they will, Radu. Someday they will."
But when news arrives that Mehmed's older brothers have died, a twisted turmoil ensues. Mehmed's father gives him the title of sultan under the banner of new peace - with his son being only twelve at the time.
"Mehmed looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "You do not understand. The courts—they will never accept me. I was never supposed to be sultan. They will devour me. I have no allies, no one on my side."
Lada smiled viciously, put on her most mocking voice. "So now you would prove me correct. I thought you had your faith as your greatest strength."
Mehmed's face hardened. "My faith is my strength."
"Then you have your god on your side. What is a court full of sycophants and rivals against that? Wrap yourself in the armor of your faith. Take your throne."
He follows Lada's advice and ascends to the throne.
And so we slowly learn that though Mehmed was sultan, he was not in power. But with the help of Lada and her knowledge on various war tactics, he might just make it out alive on the other side.
"She had to keep them safe from Murad's wrath. She had to turn Mehmed's rule to their advantage, but she did not know how."
We continue to have a few bumps on the road:
• Assassins were after them.
• Lada had killed a man.
• They ran to the harem to hide for the night.
• In the harem, Huma (Mehmed's mother) instructed Radu and Lada to act as if nothing had changed, but to draw no attention to themselves.
• Halil Pasha has his own interpretation of what should and shouldn't happen to Mehmed.
• Lada and Radu betraying Mehmed in order to keep him and his future as sultan safe.
We then have a two-year time jump to Amasya:
Lada, Radu, and Mehmed are a little more grown up and comfortable in their skin.
"Without Radu, she would have gone mad living here. In the two years since they left Edirne, some of the distance between them had closed. They shared blood and secrets enough to know that without each other, they had no one.
It was something.
Mehmed was the third part of their bond. He considered them his truest friends and only allies. The guilt of knowing better made Lada softer, broke down the anger she had kept up for so long.
They were safe here. That was also something."
And a lot of other intense things happened during their adolescence, I mean I'm still trying to come to terms with all that what went down.
But the one that my heart enjoyed the most was: Mehmed and Lada.
When they met up at their secret place, I was overjoyed.
"Did you miss me?" he teased.
Sincerity betrayed her, tumbling out of her mouth in a whisper before she could rein it in. "I did."
He put his hands on her waist, as he had done so many times last summer, pulling her under, pushing her, playing. But this time he left his hands there. They were warm through the thin material of her underclothes. His voice was husky, lower than it had been. "I missed you, too."
Damn you, butterflies.
"He pulled her closer, and Lada warred within herself. Her inclination was to push him away, to cut him with a clever, sharp remark, to find something, anything to do with her hands, her worthless hands that floated uselessly at her sides.
Huma's words echoed in her head. Set him free. Did she truly hold him that way?
Did she want to?
As though heeding her desperation but heedless of the confusion and fear ringing through her like the clash of blades, her hands lifted and grabbed the back of Mehmed's head, tangling in his wet hair. And then her lips, from which nothing but poison had ever dropped, found his and were baptized with sweet fire, reborn into something new and wild. His mouth answered hers, lips parting, his teeth catching hers, her tongue meeting his.
It felt like fighting.
It felt like falling.
It felt like dying.
"Mehmed?" Radu called, his voice muffled and indistinct, as if Lada's head were still underwater. She and Mehmed paused their mouth-to-mouth combat, and Lada realized her legs were wrapped around his waist, his hands around the backs of her thighs, their chests pressed together."
I was really hesitant at first about their romance, but I would be lying if I said that they didn't make me swoon.
But it did feel really painful when we switched POVs to see Radu find out that the person he valued most in the world didn't feel the same.
"He wanted Mehmed to look at him the way he had looked at Lada.
He wanted Mehmed to kiss him the way he had kissed Lada.
He wanted to be Lada.
No, he did not. He wanted to be himself, and he wanted Mehmed to love him for being himself. His question, the question of Mehmed, was finally answered, piercing him and leaving him shaking, silent, on the floor.
He did not want this answer."
Lada and Radu break off after this incident, and many others that occurred over the years... betrayal, defeat, bitterness. And it was damn hard to read.
They have saved each other so many times when no one else would, and it was heartbreaking to see them fall apart from one another.
And then also Lada and Mehmed's honeymoon stage turns a little sour.
"You are staying here!"
Lada peeled off his hand and took a step back. "Why?"
He was suddenly fascinated by the bruised flowers in his hand. "I need to leave someone I trust in charge of the city."
"Anyone can do that! Nothing of value will be left here!"
Mehmed's gaze was heavy when it finally found her. "Nothing of value?"
Understanding hit Lada. She ripped the flowers from his hand and threw them to the ground. "I will not stay behind to watch your brat! I am no nursemaid!"
Mehmed blinked rapidly, then shook his head. "Lada, I was not talking about my son. Do you think he is the only thing here I value?"
"Then what?"
"You! I will not take you into battle! You have no idea what the conditions are like, no idea how many ways there are to die."
"I can handle myself."
"But what about me? What would I do if something happened to you? I have to keep you safe!"
She pushed his chest, sending him stumbling, vase shards crunching beneath his boots. "I am not something to be kept!"
I loved this scene because it reminded me of:
That last line is so damn empowering.
Mehmed leaves Lada for the following months, keeping her furious and, though she won't admit it, in despair. So when she receives a letter with Radu's signature saying that Mehmed has fallen ill, she is ready to leave everyone behind.
"And where is the devil to take me?"
Lada whirled around, heart racing. Mehmed leaned in the doorway, mirth twisting the new form the siege had carved his weary face into. He looked haggard, his cheeks stubbled, dark circles beneath his eyes showing weeks of poor sleep. He crossed the room to her, arms open.
"You died!" She pushed him away, staring at his face. He was changed, but it was him. Alive. Healthy.
"Did I? That is disappointing. I was very much looking forward to being alive for our reunion. Though I feared you would kill me."
Damn, was I reliefed when he showed up.
And I knew without a doubt that Lazar had sent that dreaded letter - for reasons I did not yet understand.
Until I did... and damn, I did not see that ending coming. Everything that happened with Lada, Mehmed, and Radu left me feeling both conflicted and proud. How they had all grown.
"Well, are you ready, Lada Dragwlya, daughter of the dragon?"
Fire burned in her heart, and her wounded soul spread out, casting a shadow like wings across her country. This was hers. Not because of her father. Not because of Mehmed. Because the land itself had claimed her as its own.
"Not Dragwlya," she said. "Lada Dracul. I am no longer the daughter of the dragon." She lifted her chin, sights set on the horizon. "I am the dragon."
I need to know what will happen to this trio because Kiersten White sure knows how to keep me on edge.
I'm only certain of two things for the next book:
It would hurt, and I would need to be strong.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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This review and more can be found on my blog. ...more
Nov 27, 2015 Laura rated it really liked it
Shelves: read-in-2016, historical-fiction, young-adult, arc
Ever heard of Vlad the Impaler? He had a reputation for cruelty throughout Europe. He took pleasure in torturing and killing his enemies with his most preferred method being impalement. He was also the inspiration for Dracula. Imagine an alternate history with Vlad the Impaler as a girl. This is our story.
And I Darken follows Lada's life from the very beginning. We start in 1435 Transylvania with Vlad Dracul taking in the fact that his wife has given birth to a girl. Such a disgrace because sh Ever heard of Vlad the Impaler? He had a reputation for cruelty throughout Europe. He took pleasure in torturing and killing his enemies with his most preferred method being impalement. He was also the inspiration for Dracula. Imagine an alternate history with Vlad the Impaler as a girl. This is our story.
And I Darken follows Lada's life from the very beginning. We start in 1435 Transylvania with Vlad Dracul taking in the fact that his wife has given birth to a girl. Such a disgrace because she cannot be an heir. A girl is of no worth unless you marry her off. A year later her brother Radu is born. We follow Lada through other's eyes in the first few chapters until the book jumps to 1446. From here on forward..the book is set in the dual perspectives of Lada and Radu. It's pretty straight forward.
Lada wants so badly to impress her father Vlad. She wants to prove that even though she is a female, she can be as badass and brutal as the rest of them. In fact, she can be more fierce, dangerous, cruel, strong, etc. than any boy. She's constantly trying to prove her worth to her father. Even after he uses his children as pawns in a treaty sending them off to be raised in the Ottoman Empire bargaining with their lives.
Radu is pretty much the opposite of his sister - not what Vlad would want out of a son. He's sensitive, emotional, delicate, but so so beautiful. He is constantly seeking Lada's love and approval. Lada views him as weak, while she is the strong one. She has this hate for her brother, but also an undeniable love. Lada is torn with her feelings on Radu because she constantly needs to protect him yet can't stand that he can't do it himself. She envies him for being born with a penis, thus naturally having more power than she could ever possibly have. Lada and Radu's sibling relationship is incredibly complex. It is one of my favorite aspects of the novel. I am very curious to see how it plays out in the future.
One of the best things about And I Darken is how the themes of politics, religion, and sexuality are all weaved in throughout the plot. I enjoyed how these played such a large part in not only our story, but the characters. There was such a great deal of character development. Politics do play a much larger role in the story than I was originally expecting, but I think I should re-evaluate those expectations. I mean..this is a story telling an alternate history to a man who lived this sort of life..he and his brother were used as political bargaining chips and held in "captivity." The traumatic experiences built up eventually leading to his ruling of Wallachia as a sadistic leader. How can you tell this story without all the intricate details that led to such an outcome? I am oh so excited to see how Lada continues to become a Vlad the Impaler that we recognize.
The story is completely original and unlike anything I've ever read. The writing is dark and brutal. The setting is beautifully written and historically accurate. I fell in love with the characters and their individual stories. For the first in a series, this was set up so well. My main fault is the story got slow for a good portion of the book. It started off fantastic and picked up at the end. There is a time when Lada and Radu are caught up in the whole Mehmed thing. I understand why it all went the way it did. I just wish it wasn't slow for such a large portion of the story. Though I realize this allowed time for character and story development.
I am very excited to see how things play out for Lada, Radu, Mehmed, and Wallachia in the sequel. I'm curious how close to history Kiersten White plans on keeping The Conquerors Saga. If you like YA books that tell an alternate history and prefer your books on the darker side, I highly recommend you read this! ...more
Mar 18, 2018 lily ☁️ rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, book-series, first-in-series, historical, tolino, reviewed
To résumé my experience with this book in seven words: it put me in a reading slump. I really wanted (and expected) to love it, but, oh well.
Here's a list of all the things I did not do:
・Care about the historical context of this book, which, apparently, is also immensely insulting to the people whose history is being "reimagined"—and while I'm not one of them, the reasoning behind their outrage resonates with me all too well.
・Found the storyline intriguing. Excepting the first 30% of this bo To résumé my experience with this book in seven words: it put me in a reading slump. I really wanted (and expected) to love it, but, oh well.
・Found the storyline intriguing. Excepting the first 30% of this book, I couldn't possibly have cared less about what was happening, and to whom, probably because I ceased to
・Remain emotionally invested in the characters. I loved Radu, and also appreciated Lada for who she was, right away, but somewhere along their coming of age they became two-dimensional characters at best, as they spent most of their time fawning over a love interest. Obviously, I did not
・ Care for the romantic aspect. There was so much swooning over Mehmed (who, incidentally, doesn't have much of a personality). Mehmed, Mehmed, Mehmed. That's (view spoiler)[Lada and Radu (hide spoiler)]'s thought process for what feels like the majority of this book.
I was actually quite taken with And I Darken initially, but I slowly found myself bored (I read it in five days, but it actually sat untouched on my current-reads pile for three of those days), unaffected by its contents, and oftentimes annoyed.
The only saving grace (hence my rating) in this book is the writing.
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Mar 17, 2018 Sana rated it it was ok
Shelves: shawty-so-bad, boring-af, endless-pain, bf, i-dont-get-the-hype, sick-of-this-bitch, literal-garbage, romance, young-adult
its been about three months since I've read this this and despite hating it, I'm still going to read the next book because I want the pain everyone feels reading this series!!! I still hope the next book will be better!!!! the only problem is that I literally remember nothing from this book. it's so forgetful, oops. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I want pain ;) and death ;) and feels ;) and all the good things everyone promises ;) otherwise you might find me attending my own funeral ;) because i'll be dead from the d its been about three months since I've read this this and despite hating it, I'm still going to read the next book because I want the pain everyone feels reading this series!!! I still hope the next book will be better!!!! the only problem is that I literally remember nothing from this book. it's so forgetful, oops. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I want pain ;) and death ;) and feels ;) and all the good things everyone promises ;) otherwise you might find me attending my own funeral ;) because i'll be dead from the disappointment ;) and i can't handle this being a disappointment ;)
anyways,,,, i'm excited.
BR with my favorite type of lube ...more
Oct 25, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it
Shelves: sff-high-fantasy, lgbtq, x-coverporn, favorite-characters, favorite-friendships, she-did-that, favorite-relationships, z-2016read, y-2016releases, author-love
Listen. Listen. I adore this series. I love it in my soul. Buuuuuut this is a great example of a series where book one is a great setup but book two is where the payoff is. Even though I had some issues here, it should be noted that book two, Now I Rise, is one of my all-time favorite books, improving on every one of my issues with this book.. Top five-single-books-ever level. Feel free to drop on over to my review.
I admit that I loved this slightly more while reading it - I think time and medi Listen. Listen. I adore this series. I love it in my soul. Buuuuuut this is a great example of a series where book one is a great setup but book two is where the payoff is. Even though I had some issues here, it should be noted that book two, Now I Rise, is one of my all-time favorite books, improving on every one of my issues with this book.. Top five-single-books-ever level. Feel free to drop on over to my review.
I admit that I loved this slightly more while reading it - I think time and meditation has somewhat dulled my opinion.
♔ The worldbuilding is just beautiful. And I Darken is historical fiction, but it's not like historical fiction that you've read before. Honestly, it reads like excellent fantasy. It's cool that history classes about the Ottoman Empire can spoil you about a book. There's some awesome political intrigue in this one, which I REALLY loved.
"You see this...as a prison. But you are wrong. This is my court. This is my throne. This is my kingdom. The cost was my freedom and my body...So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let be taken away so that you, too, can have power?"
♚ The tension was so palpable. I genuinely felt that these characters could die at any moment. Dramatic tension never faded, and the book is incredibly suspenseful. Yes, there are moments where the plot is slow and the book got boring, but for a 500-page book, this was incredibly engaging. And I Darken truly is very dark, as promised. There is nothing light and fluffy about this book.
♔ I liked that White managed to have a misogynistic, borderline-Islamophobic main character, yet not portray either of those messages as positive. Neither of these traits are romanticized by the narrative. In fact, some of the major characters practice Islam, including Radu and later Nazira, and for them it is a consistent positive. I HAVE seen a few ownvoices reviewers mention they felt otherwise about the rep, so I'd check out some other reviews.
♚ The writing style of this blew me away. It's so engaging, and gorgeous in a very understated way. So kudos for achieving that balance!
MY MIXED FEELINGS ON THE CHARACTER WORK
Now, here's my real complaint. Lada, Radu, and Mehmed are... sort of well developed... but none of them are all that sympathetic, and they fall into archetypes more than I'd like.
♔ Lada is definitely a morally ambiguous and badass character. She's purposefully written as both hatable and sympathetic. She believes she's not like other girls and there's a religious taint to her dislike for the Ottoman Empire. Her dislikability is honestly one of the reasons I am so impressed with her character. Because I should hate her, but somehow, she's my favorite; she's just got a sympathetic edge to her. I did have a few issues, though. First of all, she's not in touch with her emotions unless that emotion is anger, which is fine, but I almost wanted her to have a true breakdown and show the cracks in her armor. That's just my preference in characters coming through, I think.
The real issue is that she gets too distracted by Mehmed. Badass female character... until Hot Dude Appears. You know, creativity. To be fair, she keeps her badassery and characterization, even when the book gets too romantic for my taste; it's just frustrating.
♚ Radu is an interesting character in the abstract, but his storyline really annoyed me. His main job in this book is to be in love with Mehmed. Unrequited gay love. You know, creativity. This narrative does definitely improve in book two (one of the many things I loved about book two #IworshipNowIRise2k17) but for this book, I'll just say that it really didn't deserve the representation praise.
♔ While Mehmed is extremely likeable in the first half, in the second half I kind of hated him. He comes off as a misogynistic ass in some sections. Granted, this was purposeful, but I really just feel like he needs to get off Lada's case.
♚ Complex sibling relationships (or rivalries) are the absolute greatest. Radu and Lada's sibling rivalry and contradicting close bond is an absolute triumph. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of their dynamic's relationship to that stupid love triangle. In general, there's too much romance; Lada and Mehmed's chemistry was completely nonexistent. Frankly, Mehmed had more chemistry with Radu, but was also portrayed entirely as heterosexual. Again, that unrequited love thing got old FAST. This love triangle is a super creative idea, and I really love it in the abstract, but it got old fast when I realized White had no intentions of portraying Mehmed as anything but straight.
All in all, the character work here wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't quite as engaging for me as so many others have said it was.
So, do I recommend this book? Yes, with every bit of my heart. This book was solid already, and then I read an arc of the sequel and it's maybe one of my favorite books of all time. This series owns my ass.
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Jun 18, 2018 ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ rated it it was ok
Why, oh why, oh why, OH FUCKING WHY do English-speaking authors insist on using Slavic names, which they obviously keep fucking misusing????? Can anyoone please explain to me in a layman's terms what so chic or risque can there be about using names you don't know how to use? Have the editors gone extinct? Is there some grand conspiracy to keep me properly irritated? Why the blazing fads can they not get into their obviously thicker than average heads that a boy would be called Vladislav, Alexand Why, oh why, oh why, OH FUCKING WHY do English-speaking authors insist on using Slavic names, which they obviously keep fucking misusing????? Can anyoone please explain to me in a layman's terms what so chic or risque can there be about using names you don't know how to use? Have the editors gone extinct? Is there some grand conspiracy to keep me properly irritated? Why the blazing fads can they not get into their obviously thicker than average heads that a boy would be called Vladislav, Alexander, Valentin, Svyatoslav, Miloslav, Radmil (if you want to get really fancy with names) ..., while a girl would be called Vladislava, Alexandra, Valentina, Svyatoslava, Miloslava, Radmila ... Do you not understand that it is maddening to read a book, where a girl gets called 'Ladislav', time and again????????
Another thing, if a girl was called in honor of Vladislav, she should have been called for short Vlada not Lada. And the long version would have been much more likely Vladislava than Ladislava.
A girl could have been called Ladislava or Lada had she been named to the honor of an ancient pre-Christian Slavic pagan goddess of female beauty and love, Lada! I repeat, the name Lada is not derived from Vlada, it was an extremely old pagan name... Even the root words are different: Lada is from 'lad' and Vlad is from 'vlad'. We are not being graced by the presence of Professor Snape, we do not need to chop word roots!
In Slavic languages it's rare to chop a single consonant on the beginning of a name to get it shorter. It's not English, for Cristsakes! In most cases Slavic (as well as many used in Slavic countries names of Greek, Aramaic or Roman origins) names get shortened from the end not from the beginning: Olga becomes Olya, Mariya - Masha, Valentina - Valya, Alevtina - Alya, Glafira - Glafa, Natalya - Nata or Natasha, Lyudmila - Lyuda or (rarer) Mila, Lyubov - Lyuba, Sofiya - Sofa or Sofochka or Sofiushka or even Sophie (with Francais-like accent), Zinaida - Zina (not In(n)a or Ida, those would be different names!), even Serafima would become either Sera or Fima, just like Margarita would become either Rita or Margo (not Garita!). Basically, all 1-letter beginning choppings that I can think of involve: Elizaveta - Liza, Elena - Lena, Anastasiya - Nastya, - and it's always a vowel dropped off, not a consonant. You don't make a Ristina out of Kristina! Klavdiya becomes a Klava not Lavdiya! And Svyatoslava never would become a Vyatoslava!
If this feels too difficult why even bother using the oh-so-impossible-to-use-correctly names of Slavic origins? Or why not call by them only male characters?
The history? It's taking a walk or maybe a flying leap (from the nearest bridge, it seems) in a bid to get rid of writers in paroxisms of flying fantasy. What's important is it's absent from this book. It has taken a giant vacation from this plot. Farewell. No point in getting offended or not offended or researching Vlad Țepeș or the Ottoman empire or whatever... The names are mostly placeholders. The plot could have happened almost anywhere where women had social issues. Which is almost everywhere.
The characters? I don't know why they were supposed to have bothered to live. I don't know how many dymentional they were but most of them definitely were missing personality pieces. For one thing, it's cool to see a girl character strong enough to chew steel (not literally but then... no one gave her this chance...), ramrod straight (both in body and in her wonderfully social skills), calculating, greedy (my Wallachia!!!), supposedly people-loving (even though this never brought any of them any good, from what I read). For another, she was bullying bullies not to bully her brother, simultaneously bullying the said 'weak' brother into outbullying the bullies. It's a mess... An entertaining one. But nevertheless messy. I like strong characters. This is beyond a strong character. This a Terminator in the throes of android rage on parade. (How do you go about attacking 2 soldiers with 1 knife and 1 sidekick?)
Why Dracula? Bram Stoker might have bit someone.
The book had some cool quotes and the character of our transvestitenamed heroine was sort of unusual but I was too irritated to bother. I will add some of those quotes soon, I think. ...more
☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ Elena wrote: "Can I please give your review all the likes in the world?
But seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Very few things make my head Elena wrote: "Can I please give your review all the likes in the world?
But seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Very few things make my head explode in pain like the constant butchering of Slavic name..." You're welcome! :) ...more
updated Apr 01, 2020 05:07AM
☽Ari Omg i was going to read this book, then I read your review and went NOPE 😂 I cannot tolerate wrong historical and cultural references. No sirro😂😂
Sep 06, 2017 Yusra ✨ rated it it was amazing
Shelves: amazing, beautiful-covers, historical-fiction, omg-gonna-read-a-million-times
here's a message to this book:
1st Read:
IT WAS SO GOOD I LOVED IT SO MUCH I HAVE NOTHING BUT AMAZING WORDS FOR THIS BOOK. I LOVED LADA, I LOVED SHE WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND I LOVE HOW SHE DEFIED EVERYTHING!!! IT WAS THE BEST HOLY here's a message to this book:
IT WAS SO GOOD I LOVED IT SO MUCH I HAVE NOTHING BUT AMAZING WORDS FOR THIS BOOK. I LOVED LADA, I LOVED SHE WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND I LOVE HOW SHE DEFIED EVERYTHING!!! IT WAS THE BEST HOLY ...more
Jan 02, 2017 Ben Alderson rated it liked it
First book of 2017 complete.
Really unique story and i did really enjoy it. Some parts were confusing but the majority was brilliant!
I thought there would be magic involved but it was not, still really good!
Feb 20, 2017 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: listened-to-audio-version, childhood-loves, dangerous-hero-themed-books-read, favorites, forbidden-romance, hate-that-i-love-them, love-triangles, shocking-twists
'And I Darken' was the first book that I've ever read by Ms. Kiersten White, but it certainly won't be the last. The first book in 'The Conquerers' series, it managed to completely captivate me. I am both intrigued, enamored, and at times appalled, by these characters and the turbulent world that they occupy.
Lada Dragwlya is an unlikely heroine. She's unattractive, uncouth and at times, downright mean. She's everything her father had hoped for in a son, but got in his daughter. Her only redeemin 'And I Darken' was the first book that I've ever read by Ms. Kiersten White, but it certainly won't be the last. The first book in 'The Conquerers' series, it managed to completely captivate me. I am both intrigued, enamored, and at times appalled, by these characters and the turbulent world that they occupy.
Lada Dragwlya is an unlikely heroine. She's unattractive, uncouth and at times, downright mean. She's everything her father had hoped for in a son, but got in his daughter. Her only redeeming qualities are her love for her homeland, Wallachia, and her love for her younger brother, Radu.
By comparison, Radu is everything that Lada is not. He is soft-spoken and gentle, an utter disappointment to their father, the Prince of Wallachia. Immediately, Radu claimed a piece of my heart.
When their father trades Lada and Radu to the Sultan of Ottoman as pawns to guarantee his loyalty, they are left to fend for themselves in a hostile new world. Lada is determined to be strong and to plan for her eventual revenge on the Sultan and his countrymen. She refuses to show any weakness that might be used against her and Radu.
Unlike his sister, Radu soon takes to the ways of this new world. He never felt that he fit in in Wallachia and finds comfort in this new country. He is not resistant to the new teachings or the new religion, as Lada is.
After months living in the Ottoman Empire, Radu and Lada make an unlikely friend. Mehmed is the illegitimate son of the sultan. Before long, the three are inseparable. The line between friend and enemy blurs and loyalties are called into question.
From start to finish, I was completely captivated by this story. It has a little of everything. There's plenty of action and battle scenes. There's romance and angst. Kingdoms rise and are overthrown. The incredible highs are off-set by bitter betrayals.
I am completely and totally hooked on this story. It is the first book, in what I'm sue will prove to be an epic saga. The characters were certainly flawed, but that only made me love them more. As soon as the next book is released, I'll be diving in again. I was left with a lot of questions and I'll have to wait for the next book to get my answers.
I listened to the Audible version of this book and I thought that the narration was well done. I could easily distinguish between the characters and I thought the narrator did a great job of conveying the emotions and intensity. It was a fantastic audiobook choice for me.
Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com ...more
Nov 23, 2018 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition
in the interest of full transparency, this was not what i was expecting. not in the least. and i think its due to the fact this book is labelled as fantasy, which is misleading because there was no fantasy element to this story at all. its straight up historical fiction. this was about two siblings who befriend mehmed (the conquerer) and experience his early years as the sultan of the ottoman empire.
but the more i think about it, the more i actually enjoyed this? which surprises me because worl in the interest of full transparency, this was not what i was expecting. not in the least. and i think its due to the fact this book is labelled as fantasy, which is misleading because there was no fantasy element to this story at all. its straight up historical fiction. this was about two siblings who befriend mehmed (the conquerer) and experience his early years as the sultan of the ottoman empire.
but the more i think about it, the more i actually enjoyed this? which surprises me because world history was my worst subject in school! hehe.
this was very heavy when it came to court politics and war strategising, which did not interest me at all. where the story really shined for me was the dynamic between the main characters. i really felt for lada and radus relationship as siblings. as someone who isnt close to their brother, i could really empathise with what they were going through. and seeing how mehmeds friendship with each of them grew and changed things was just so hard to watch, but also really touching. i thought the character depth and development was simply phenomenal.
im pretty sure i will continue this series for the characters alone. if i wanted to know more about the expansion of the ottoman empire, i would pick up a text book. but these characters made the story completely worth while. <3
↠ 4 stars ...more
Aug 08, 2016 Katerina rated it really liked it
Shelves: historical-fiction, 2017-reads, retellings
A gem of a book.
It was savage and brilliant, a bloody tale of politics laced with tainted relationships, betrayals and desire. For freedom, for power, for human touch. For greatness.
In And I Darken, Kiersten White travels through time to medieval Wallachia, a vassal state of the blooming Ottoman Empire. To the court of Vlad Dracul, the cruel fat
In And I Darken, Kiersten White travels through time to medieval Wallachia, a vassal state of the blooming Ottoman Empire. To the court of Vlad Dracul, the cruel father that terrified his son, and mesmerized his daughter. Until he gave them away to the Sultan in order to secure his reign, and left them among foes ready to devour them. Lada was always ferocious. Refusing to forget her country, despite her traitorous father, determined to set it free from Ottoman rule, from any oppressor. Radu was always tame. Afraid but socially skilled, he could entrance anyone to do his bidding. Their relationship was not an easy one, but it got more complicated when they met and befriended Mehmed, the Sultan's third son. For them he was an ally. Their only ally. For him they were his honest friends, whom he trusted unconditionally. What happens though when love collides with duty? With ambition? With loyalty? And what is the cost of ultimate power?
"I love Wallachia. It belongs to me, and I belong to it. It is my country, and it should always be mine, and I hate any king or sultan or god or prophet that proclaims anyone else has any right to it."
If there is one lesson to be learned from And I Darken, is that History is a matter of perspective. The hero of a nation is the bane of another. The greatest victory of one army, painted with the most glorious colours, is the most somber memory of the defeated. We are aware of great events that took place centuries before our time, but we fail to wonder about the men behind them, the person behind the leader. Which were his motivations? How passionate was he about his goals? What was the source of them? It was with a heavy heart that I realized halfway through the book that Mehmed was not just a Mehmed. He was the Mehmed. Mehmed II the Conqueror. The man that conquered my country and sentenced it to nearly 400 years of slavery. You can understand why I was at least prejudiced against him. But what astonished me was that throughout the story, even though his character had many weaknesses and I wasn't exactly fond of him, I came to begrudgingly admire his dedication, his cunning and sharp mind and that was the result of Kiersten White's writing. She was objective. She painted with deadly accuracy the good and the bad, without taking sides. She didn't favour Wallachia or Ottoman Empire. She took events and people who actually existed and walked this earth and infused the dry stories left by historians with life, passion, with tragedies and cruelty that made your body feel like a live wire, humming with energy and tension, desperate to unleash them. Through lush descriptions, luxury to the extent of extravagance, religious quests, customs that may disorientate your moral compass and constant plots, she crafted a world gritty yet foreign. She did not romanticise war and court intrigue. She was an experienced guide to the barracks of the Janisaries, the harems and the mosques, the schemes, the rise and fall of empires, and to the paths Lada, Radu and Mehmed followed. Paths where, as you crossed them, the light was slowly diminishing until you were left alone in the dark.
Lada. Radu. Mehmed.
A toxic triangle, a poisonous threesome bound by love, lust and yearning. In a way, they broke and reshaped each other. Lada was an extraordinary character. By changing Vlad the Impaler to Lada the Impaler, the author created a mean, ruthless and passionate figure, fixed on finding a place in the wolrd meant only for her, without depending on the graces of a man, whoever that man might be. She was the Daugher of the Dragon. The Daughter of Wallachia. A living and breathing menace, torn between her burning desire to return to her Mother, to liberate her Mother, and her complicated feelings for Radu and Mehmed. While Lada was sharp as steel, Radu was soft and pleasant. He held his sister accountable for many of his misfortunes, he was jealous of her and intimidated at the same time, but he found a way to rise. To use his talents. For Mehmed. The bright star that blinded both siblings. Guided by the belief that he was chosen to do the unthinkable, to conquer Constantinople, he had little regard for the lives that would be lost. The three of them committed terrible crimes. They betrayed each other, and kept facing the same questions, without being able to answer; Is one life worth less than a thousand? Is heartbreak sanctioned in order to protect the ones you love? What is the ultimate sacrifice they would make for the accomplishment of everything they'd ever wanted?
"Souls and thrones are irreconcilable."
And I Darken's main pillars are politics and power. Having that in mind, you will bear witness to devastating choices, to a plethora of plots and bloodshed of those getting in the way. Kiersten White won't encourage you to pick a side, though. That is your choice and your choice alone. You will wobble, curse, cry out of frustration and then wobble some more. In the end, it doesn't matter what (or whom) you choose. All that matters is that you will feel an odd kinship with these damaged characters. You will experience the clash of religions, of dreams and calls and ambitions. And you will feel yourself darken in the process.
"And so she cut out her heart and offered it as a sacrifice. She would pay whatever price her mother Wallachia demanded."
You can find this review and more over at BookNest.eu! ...more
Jul 08, 2016 Helen 2.0 rated it really liked it
Shelves: badass, brs-done, cover-candy, retelling, historical, love-triangle, royalty, 2016, new-adult, read-16
"It is the way of the world. You can be the aggressor, you can fight against crusaders on their own land, or you can stay at home and wait for them to come to you. And they would come. They would come with fire, with disease, with swords and blood and death. Weakness is an irresistible lure."
Lada made an awesome first impression, not everyone can claim to be a badass right from birth. She wasn't exactly relatable - most of the time I couldn't figure out what her motivations were -
Lada made an awesome first impression, not everyone can claim to be a badass right from birth. She wasn't exactly relatable - most of the time I couldn't figure out what her motivations were - but I couldn't help loving her no matter what.
I feel like Radu and Lada switched places in terms of gender and sexuality. Lada never wanted to be female and Radu never acted like a traditional male. Perhaps this came from their lack of adult role models growing up.
Mehmed made me angry sometimes... his determination to conquer Constantinople despite how many people would get killed in the process, and especially his obliviousness as the center of a love triangle. Every time he drove a wedge between Lada and Radu I wanted to strangle him, because Lada and Radu are my sibling bromance OTP - my brOTP. They should stand by one another no matter what.
The ending was bittersweet. (view spoiler)[It's great that Lada is taking charge of her life without relying on any man, and I agree that she and Mehmed wouldn't have worked out even if they did get married. But the thought of Radu and Lada so many miles apart, and Radu still pining over Mehmed who will never love him back... *sobs* (hide spoiler)]
Actually, about that: does anyone think it's possible Mehmed is bisexual? Sometimes he seemed to get strangely physical with Radu. Maybe that's just me and my wishful thinking.
Will be desperately waiting for And I Rise until 2017. ...more
Oct 17, 2017 Tweebs♥️ rated it really liked it
•full review posted now•
I'm in the process of giving my grades up for adoption because I'm unfit to raise them myself.
Is there any possibility tha
Is there any possibility that I can trade my grades for Radu and Lada??
Because now, I'd be fucking fabulous at raising them.
this is all lies; they'd probably end up raising me
I know it's been like 65 years since I've finished this book. I have no excuses besides being the world's biggest procrastinator but hey look at me. I deserve an A++ for managing to type up all of this.
"We cannot always have what we want, no matter how much we want it."
And I Darken, was as beautiful as the cover. I don't know whether it devoured me or I devoured it but the point is.......😍. It actually made my procrastinator self want to walk around in public and telling every human being, "If you don't read this....are you really living?" . Truthfully, I don't know what part in this book I declared I'm officially in love but all you need to know is that...you will love this. Not only because the synopsis will completely enamor you but the characters will make you want to throw up your soul and give it to them in a silver platter.
What's this book about???
✔️From beginning to end, you're thrown into a world filled with violence, abuse, dark, finding oneself and somewhat loving??
✔️ If you read the synopsis, you won't be let down.
✔️ Usually, I tend to stay away from giving anything about the plot and that's what I shall do.
✔️ honestly i don't even know where to begin like how does one explain this book ?? and actually make sense?? like I don't even understand my own self.
✔️ All I will tell you is that; the plot is very unique and interesting.
✔️ it's 5000 times better to go in as clueless as possible with zero expectations
✔️ You'd appreciate way way WAY more
✔️ Plus watching the plot unravel and tie together is the best feeling
✔️ I thought I knew what I was signing myself up for
✔️ I thought wrong
✔️ 😭
✔️ I know I know
✔️ I'm already a mother of 75875845845 fictional characters but like what is two more??
✔️ that's hardly anything
✔️ pfftttt....
✔️ listen i dare you to resist Radu and Lada
✔️ P.S: i'm not saying you will fail at this but that's exactly what I'm saying
If I were to explain the characters then I rather do it by using gifs.
Meet Lada:
Meet Radu
Don't even fight me on this.
THE WRITING
✔️ Whoa there buddy
✔️ I might as well become the heart emoji because that was all I ever was from beginning to end
✔️ i think you need further clarification
✔️ this was me
✔️ 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
✔️ In all seriousness, the writing was exquisite and everything was beautifully detailed. I may or may not have drooled but ssh you didn't hear that from me.
✔️ It made picking quotes hard because I simply loved everything.
OTHER THINGS I LOVED
✔️ Guys, It had a lot of history and I'm a fan of history so basically yes yes yes
✔️ I can't forget the representation of different sexualities
✔️ and y'all will be proud of this because I am
✔️ It even includes Islam which still makes me want to scream in joy
✔️ EVERYTHING WAS WELL EXECUTED AND I WANT MORE OF THIS
✔️ as in....right now.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
✔️ if you're reading this review then you're probably wondering why I gave it 4.5 stars?
✔️ well that's easy to explain
✔️ Mehmed
✔️ That is all
✔️ I should've wrote this review before finishing Book 2 because now i'm lost as to where my opinion of mehmed changed.
I think y'all already know what i'm going to say next but if you didn't then listen up buddy. If you don't pick this book up sometime in your life then I will come to your house and do this:
To put it kindly, you won't regret picking this book up. Give it a chance and let it surprise you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)
"I cannot afford to lose you, too"
"You cannot lose something you do not own. Take me with you"
{calls help line}
me: i tried to resist it but it gave me that, "i know you want me" look.
person: ???
me: and i can't
me: and i tried
me: and i failed
me: this title just fucking suits my mood
this makes no sense, just like my entire life but the point is i want to read it and understand the hype. This book was all over my feed so it better be goddamn beautiful and make me feel things or else i'll start a riot.
and i will ;p ...more
Jan 15, 2016 Chantal rated it it was amazing
Shelves: best-reads-of-2016, fantasy, favourite-books, historical-fiction, listened-on-audio, published-2016, read-in-2016, young-adult
Dear Kiersten White,
Thank you for restoring my faith in the YA Fantasy genre. I've had bad luck with it this year and I really needed someone to show me that the genre wasn't the problem, and I wasn't the problem, but instead I was just reading the wrong books.
Thank you for making me feel so much. For filling me up to the brim with emotion. Love, hatred, happiness, despair, frustration, glee, anxiety, passion. I felt it all while reading And I Darken and I can't remember the last time a book did Dear Kiersten White,
Thank you for making me feel so much. For filling me up to the brim with emotion. Love, hatred, happiness, despair, frustration, glee, anxiety, passion. I felt it all while reading And I Darken and I can't remember the last time a book did this to me.
Thank you for writing about a setting and time period that I've never seen before and thus gave this book an air of originality and doing it so excellently.
Thank you for not shying away from making your book all about politics. Thank you for making those political aspects easily accessible to anyone regardless of prior knowledge or reading experience, without ever trivializing it.
Thank you for all the fleshed-out, authentic characters, but most of all Lada. Thank you for Lada. Just that.
Thank you for the ending, which was exactly what I wanted to happen throughout the entire second half of the book, but wasn't sure would.
Thank you for slowly killing me from the inside in the best possible way. You've probably put me in a book hangover for the rest of the year.
Thank you for giving me everything I never knew I wanted.
It's perhaps important for me to note that this book cannot strictly be considered "Fantasy". There is no magic and it doesn't even take place in a different world from our own. Instead, it's an alternate history retelling, set in Eastern Europe during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. It is based on history, but not historically accurate. I say this, because if you go into it expecting a fast-paced, magic-filled world, you will be disappointed. It reads more like a YA historical fiction, than fantasy. Kiersten White took a real historical figure, Vlad the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, and turned history on its head. What if this man, who has a reputation for cruelty and found pleasure in torturing and killing, was a girl? The premise is intriguing to say the least, but a lot could have gone wrong and I'm happy to say it didn't.
The plot, which could easily have been boring and repetitive, was exciting and didn't ever bore me. Not once. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put the book down, even if at times, I needed to take a break just to give my poor heart some time to deal with all the feelings. I love intricate political back-and-forths and character-driven stories and this book did both wonderfully. Kiersten White knows exactly how to create tension, when to resolve misunderstandings right before they become frustrating, when to switch POV and how to make a rather slow book not feel slow-paced.
How can I talk about the characters without melting into a little puddle of mush? In short, this cast of characters was one of the best I've ever come across. They were both great standing on their own, as well as their dynamics with others. All of them were fleshed-out and three-dimensional, thoroughly flawed yet lovable and at times so relatable it hurt. I went into the book expecting to like Lada (and she did turn out to be my favourite) but I also loved the other characters. Sweet Radu with his good but emotionally scarred soul, Mehmed who does so much wrong and I sometimes wanted to slap but I warmed to anyways, Nikolai who is just the best, and all the female characters of the court who taught Lada what it means to be a woman in their world and how to be powerful and that the two aren't irreconcilable.
"Ugh," she muttered, tugging his hair. "You are so pretty. Like a delicate butterfly beneath my boot."
"Ugh, " he replied, pulling one of her own curls, which were thick and coarse. "You are so mad. Like a rabid hound that needs to be put down."
The relationship between the two siblings was one of my favourite aspects of the novel. Their dynamics were done with such realism and honesty that it had me in awe. That wavering between affection, resentment and jealousy felt palpable and in many ways, their relationship was the driving force of the novel.
Lada herself was wonderful and one of my new favourite female characters. She is so fierce, so brutal, at times evil, but somehow she's also incredibly relatable, something I did not expect. She's a badass for sure but so much more than that. Her intelligence and calculating nature fascinated me and all I wanted was for her to be happy, to give her a hug and be her best friend. Lada blows other anti-heroines, like Adelina from The Young Elites, out of the water. She's also a YA main character who isn't pretty and yields that knowledge like a blade. Watching her fury unfold and seeing the fear, thirst and want behind it was utterly captivating.
The last time she was up here, she had been... staring up at the sky and dreaming of stars. Now, she looked down and plotted flames.
The dynamics between the characters were fabulous to read, though not always a pleasure. There is so much in this book: romance, friendship, sibling love and rivalry; it's about power struggles and loyalty and the meaning of family. Feminism was clearly an important element but wasn't ever over-the-top or lecturing and I don't think I've ever read a book that treated power and its importance (both on a personal and macro level) quite so well.
I applaud the author for her elaboration on religion and her respectful way of talking about Islam, Christianity and Atheism. The novel also contains unrequited love (and lots of it) a topic that I always want to see, but that I've found to be astonishingly sparse in YA literature.
The fact that the author managed to interweave all of this seamlessly, still has me in awe. The sheer relatability I felt while reading this whole book was amazing: I felt like I knew these characters and seeing them struggle with so many things that I struggle with daily (though on a completely different scope), made me feel understood and less lonely with my feelings.
Kiersten White's writing was beautiful and a huge departure from her Paranormalcy series I read from her years ago. Quietly poetic without being purple and always effective and poignant.
To give you an idea of what to expect, I would probably compare And I Darken most closely to The Winner's Crime and The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski (also two of my favourites). If you loved that trilogy, I'm pretty sure you will love this one too. Otherwise, I know this book isn't for everyone, as I can see people finding it dragging and slow-paced, but for me it worked perfectly and I full-heartedly recommend it.
I'm going to stop gushing now, just know this: I loved everything about this book and it will end up on my list of favourites for 2016 for sure.
Apr 21, 2016 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: everyone-loved-but-me, netgalley, read-2016, young-adult
When I saw the premise for this story..A female anti-hero retelling of Vlad the Impaler..in a sort of Game of Thorns vibe..I was all set to start handing out some stars.
The book starts with Lada (Ladislav-but she will punch you in the face for calling her that) and her brother Radu growing up in Wallachia. Lada wants to impress her father Vlad so that she can prove that even though born female she is a force to be reckoned with. And she is..
Occasionally she informed her tutors when a to When I saw the premise for this story..A female anti-hero retelling of Vlad the Impaler..in a sort of Game of Thorns vibe..I was all set to start handing out some stars.
Occasionally she informed her tutors when a torture method appeared to be less effective than others. They ground their teeth and whispered that she had no soul.
Her brother is the complete opposite of Lada, Radu is handsome and meek. Sensitive to a fault. He gets beat up a ton except for the times that Lada uses her fists to get him out of a jam. She tells him that no one will kill him but her.
Their father Vlad is a spineless turd and he puts the kids off on the Ottoman empire. Their lives are at stake if he does not keep his treaty bargains. Lada HATES it there. They later try to marry her off and that works out just great...
Lada spoke with a quiet, clear voice, and the room hushed in surprise. No one expected a gril to speak. she was probably not allowed to. Radu knew Lada would not care either way. "On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied."
That really works out well...then the Sultan's son Mehmed meets Lada and Radu and wants to be their friends.
"Then you are even more stupid than you look. Radu is the one who makes friends. I am the one who makes people want to whip me."
See what an awesome character that Lada is?
The first part of this book had me all fangirly and then around 50% I started to lose interest. Mehmed started to get on my nerves..I mean grinding hard on my nerves.
Both Lada and Radu were both all in lust/love/some shit with him. I really thought he knew of both their feelings and played it to his advantage. Radu is the one who had true feelings for the idiot and he saw Lada and Mehmed all smooching and it crushed him.
Bleck. The politics kind of took over the story and I'm sorry but that stuff was boring and went on way too long. This book is a chunker and it felt like words were just getting added and repeated over and over again.
Mehmed's character just wasn't strong enough for me to want him to be Sultan. I kept hoping that either Lada would come to her senses or some assassin would finally really act like Game of Thrones on his stupid ass.
I'm going with 2.5 stars rounded up to three..just because I want to have hope for Lada's character.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
My friend Hershey and I kinda had an unofficial buddy read with this book. Her review for it is freaking awesome.
Mar 10, 2016 Natalie Monroe rated it it was amazing
Shelves: bittersweet-ending, creepy-yet-entertaining, fearless-protagonists, he-s-so-bad-but-he-does-it-so-well, kick-ass-heroines, i-spy-something-pointy, mommy-why-is-the-villain-bad, my-inner-feminist-cries-with-joy, love-wins, fabulous-five-stars
"She would never toss aside her country the way her father had. She would protect it.
A small sob threatened to break free. What could she do? She had no power.
Yet, she vowed. She had no power yet."
Can I get a high five for reached expectations? Bring it in, come on.
And I Darken is YA at its finest. There were times when I questioned if it should be classified as NA/Adult because the themes it deals with and the characters' thought processes get pretty dark. And then there's the history/world
And I Darken is YA at its finest. There were times when I questioned if it should be classified as NA/Adult because the themes it deals with and the characters' thought processes get pretty dark. And then there's the history/world-building element, which is oh so rich and layered, but I worry may fly over the head for younger readers.
It's mature YA, let's put it that. Teens deserve more credit.
I have a bone to pick with the blurb, by the way. It in no way prepared for this gem of a character named Radu, also known as Lada's younger brother.
"There are other ways to beat someone than with fists."
His character arc is magnificent. Shy and physically weak, Radu has always been overshadowed by his fierce sister. He idolizes her, relies on her to protect him. Once they get to the Ottoman empire though, he realizes Lada's definition of fighting, through her fists, is useless and steps up to the plate as a Varys/Tyrion hybrid. He schmoozes up to the nobility, gains their trust, learns their secrets and just like that, he becomes one of the most powerful men in the nation.
That's what I love about And I Darken. It portrays different kinds of power: soft and hard, subtle and obvious. It shows there is power to be found in the unexpected: women and femininity. The main reason I'm not 100% in love with Lada is she acts rather condescending towards women who embrace traditional female roles.
"You should have fought them. You should have escaped."
"To where? I was angry, for many years. And frightened. But there are many ways to be powerful. There is power in stillness. There is power in watching, waiting, saying the right thing at the right time to the right person. There is power in being a woman—oh yes, power in these bodies you gaze upon with derision...When you have something someone else wants, there is always an element of power."
To be fair, she changes. After meeting Mara (one of the sultan's wives who won peace for her country by agreeing to an arranged marriage) and Huma (Mehmed's mother who seized power through her body), she begins to long for female companionship and acknowledges "threads" of power can be found in unexpected places. Though I wish Lada could've changed more. She still considers herself better than these women and I look forward to her opinion shifting further in the sequel.
Make no mistake; I do adore Lada to pieces. Especially her decision at the end and this quote, which I will use in a wedding toast someday:
There is a love triangle and it will absolutely break you. It's not two guys vying for one girl, like I thought would be at first. Everyone is sort of tangled with each other. Quite a bit of angst is involved, but it never feels cliche or melodramatic. White set up the situation so well and the characters so beautifully, it feels exactly as it ought to be: poignant and heartwrenching.
Very rarely does a tagline comparison deliver. And I Darken is indeed Game of Thrones for teens. It's filled with political intrigue, power struggles, and lots and lots of feels.
"There is no such thing as cheating. There is only winning or losing. I won."
My review of Now I Rise
My review of Bright We Burn ...more
Oct 30, 2015 Kiki rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: awesome-ya, ya, will-read-the-next-one, love-stinks
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. EDIT: This seems incredibly random, and it is, so let's chalk it up to shower thoughts - but it's been niggling at me, especially as I contemplate picking up the second book.
I sincerely hope that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but considering this is based on history, is it not...incredibly straightwashed? In history, Mehmed and Radu were lovers for years and years, and yet in this book, the author has actually gone out of her way to avoid this, by gender bending Vlad the Impaler and push EDIT: This seems incredibly random, and it is, so let's chalk it up to shower thoughts - but it's been niggling at me, especially as I contemplate picking up the second book.
I sincerely hope that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but considering this is based on history, is it not...incredibly straightwashed? In history, Mehmed and Radu were lovers for years and years, and yet in this book, the author has actually gone out of her way to avoid this, by gender bending Vlad the Impaler and pushing Lada and Mehmed together, and shoving Radu out to the perpetual "I love you like a brother" zone, even though, historically, this romance belongs to him. The author has actually strayed further from history for no reason other than to shoehorn in a straight romance where historically there was a queer one?
I haven't read the sequel so I don't know what happens there. But creating what is essentially a fictional character and inserting them into a historical novel and going to all of these lengths to create a fake het romance in the place of the historically accurate and less boring queer one seems like a lot of hassle to go to when you could have just... made them in a queer relationship... like they were in real life?
Am I wrong? Tell me if I am. This was just my understanding of what went down, and it made me raise an eyebrow.
In terms of an actual review: I don't have one. Let's make it quick and dirty. This was one part boring, three parts thrilling, and beautifully written. It's a shame I hated Lada and Mehmed so much. Like, the thought of them now makes my eye twitch. Radu deserves better. ...more
Jan 29, 2017 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it it was amazing
Shelves: young-adult, historical, lgbtqiap, owned-ebooks, owned-physical, diverse-reads
#1 And I Darken ★★★★★
#2 Now I Rise ★★★★★
#3 Bright We Burn ★★★☆☆
Update 12.28.17 → Don't mind me, just rewrote my entire review because rereading and dwelling on this book has changed my original opinion so drastically that it deserved better. 😍
"A dragon did not crawl on its belly in front of its enemies, begging for their help. A dragon did not vow to rid the world of infidels, and then invite them into its home. A dragon did not flee its land in the middle of the night like a criminal.
A drag
A dragon burned everything around herself until it was purified in ash."
Lada has the literal best character introduction you could hope for, in her wet nurse's prayer for her at her birth:
"Let her be strong.
And let her be ugly."
The nurse's prayers do not fall on deaf ears; Lada grows into an unruly, angry, and unattractive child who gets what she wants by force. On the contrary, her younger brother, Radu, gets what he wants with his beautiful cherubic face and sweet words. The siblings couldn't be any more different if they tried, so the alternating third-person perspectives make for an incredibly fascinating read.
The writing is beautiful, though there is a lot of slow development following the characters through their childhoods, and nothing of any real note occurs until they enter their teen years. We mostly just see a lot of Lada becoming set in her violent ways, while Radu continues to be the belle of the ball, rinse and repeat.
Once I hit the halfway mark, though, the action picked up immediately. There is so much political build-up and intrigue to keep you guessing, and the twists are wonderful. There is a love triangle, but I promise that it's unlike most love triangles you've read (maybe all of them), and absolutely blows the stereotype out of the water.
On one final note, there's something I want to touch on that I've seen in some other reviews: I've seen a handful of people say that they were disappointed in Lada, because they felt as though she lost her edge in the later chapters. I have to disagree with this, as her self-awareness and shame were more than enough to notate that she wasn't losing her values and priorities, so much as simply developing as a character and a young woman. As someone who loved her tyrannical behavior, I found her development to be... flawless, honestly. I adored Lada as a character; she is rude, demanding, and yet a fantastic leader. Kiersten White made no attempts to write a "likable" heroine, but that's precisely what made me love her so damn much. ...more
Jun 22, 2018 Hamad rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Shelves: 2018-reads, buddy-reads, e-books, dnf
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found@The Book Prescription
🌟 This book was listed by many as a Fantasy book and not pure Historical fiction. I know that historical fictions don't work for me and I stopped reading them a long time ago. I have never seen a book in this genre getting this much hype so I thought that it must be special. Nothing was special about it and I don't think it is a fantasy book at all.
🌟 I DNFed This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found@The Book Prescription
🌟 I DNFed this after 41 chapters because I didn't feel I was enjoying it and I felt like I was forced to read it. It brought me back to high school days were I had to study History although I hated it. I promised myself to enjoy books this year and to not feel forced to read anything and that was that and I did not finish it.
🌟 The book started out good and I thought it had potential and I could see why it has such a large fan base. But after like 25-30% it was being even more slow, boring and nothing was happening. The characters were not interesting and I could not relate to them. I felt when Mohamed was introduced, he became the center of attention in a very annoying way (First book to feature my name and my heart is broken). I did not feel intrigued enough to finish the book, let alone a whole trilogy. I am not so sad that I read this because I have been willing to for ages! now my TBR has fewer books so it's a win-win situation.
🌟 I am going to keep this short and summarize here: This book has a good writing style, I felt it was slow, boring and I couldn't relate to the characters, but that's me with every historical book ever, so I may be biased and I am definitely not the best judge. If you love historical fiction then this is good, if you think this will have fantasy elements then stay away and just don't think about it.
A BR with Vanessa ...more
Mar 17, 2018 may ➹ rated it it was ok
Shelves: read-2018, disappointing, buddy-reads, boring, diverse, historical-fiction, in-the-trash, library, pov-3rd, pov-female
it's officially been 3 months since I finished this and I'm still wondering what there is to love about this book
// buddy read with raiasaons (please don't blame me for the horrid spelling of raisins I'm actually very smart)
Nov 19, 2016 Chesca (thecrownedpages) rated it it was amazing
Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, fantasy, qbc-2016-4th-quarter-historical-fic, favorite-covers, favorite-female-protagonists, favorites, books-i-highly-recommend, owned-books, feminism
FIVE THOUSAND STARS out of five
Highly-recommended. My new favorite.
A read for The Quarterly Book Club's Fourth Quarter: Historical Fiction
This was my first time to read a book by this author and I will definitely check out her other works. Her writing is exceptionally exquisite. She was able to rebuild a long-gone world in my head and piqued my FIVE THOUSAND STARS out of five
This was my first time to read a book by this author and I will definitely check out her other works. Her writing is exceptionally exquisite. She was able to rebuild a long-gone world in my head and piqued my curiosity into getting to know more about this part of history, its culture, and the people behind it. It was an unforgettable and intense experience that would stay with me for a long time. I do have a book hangover. I was already planning to reread it the moment I reached its last sentence.
I have never read anything like this before! Kiersten White's And I Darken is a dangerous gamble of hearts and of power that you would want to get caught up in.
This is such a brave and greatly interesting approach to history. I am in awe of how the author played with these facts, bridging gaps between historical records, in a thought-provoking way. Her unbiased story has a diamond heart at its center. It answers the question: "What are you willing to sacrifice to gain what you want the most?"
At a young age, Vlad III and his younger brother Radu were brought into the Ottoman courts. There they lived for years and have been educated just so their father could keep the throne of Wallachia, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, for himself.
Here's how the story went in Kiersten White's masterpiece: Instead of Vlad III, we get Ladislav "Lada" Dragwyla in his place. This gender switch in the character let the author focus on and deal with the issues of women during the medieval era in terms of power. Is it possible for a woman to rule an empire? How could a woman acquire power if her only role in society is to be a property of men, producing heirs, giving pleasure, and just being a wife?
Lada was a selfish and ruthless girl. As a child, she had always looked up to her father, wanting nothing but to please him more than her brothers could ever do. She never wanted to be like her mother who was weak, always begging for her life. Lada's father showed her that the woman who gave birth to her was not her real mother but Wallachia itself. This led Lada to believe that Wallachia was hers for the taking and that one day, she would be the one to sit on its throne. I think I have never read a character as tough and cunning as her. She was intriguing and I was watching out for her every decision. It seemed like, even though she was held captive in a foreign land, she always knew her way out of trouble, manipulating a situation in every way she could. She was unafraid of anyone. It was very creative of the author to nickname Ladislav "Lada". I just found out that it is the name of the Slavic goddess of beauty, love, harmony, and merriment. Isn't it ironic that our female protagonist was named after her despite having the opposite characteristics of this said deity?
Radu, Lada's younger brother whom she always considered as one of her properties, was her complete opposite. Unlike Lada who was born brave and ugly, Radu was fragile and very beautiful. He grew up clinging to their nurse all the time and wanting nothing but to be taken care of by her. He was always treated as an underdog by his older siblings, physically and emotionally hurting him. Radu saw the world with meekness. At first, I wanted to ignore Radu because of his weakness, but as I got more hooked by their tale, I realized that I was getting attracted to him more than I expected.
These two saw their captivity in different ways. Lada saw it as something she should escape, while Radu found a new home and enlightenment, especially in Mehmed, the Sultan's third and least favorite son. The three grew up together, influencing the course of their decisions, changing their fates together with that of the whole empire.
The Dragwyla siblings each have their good and admirable sides. I greatly approve the way these two have changed throughout the span of years. Radu became strong and cunning on his own, while Lada became more caring and affectionate in her own way. It was as if, by the end of the book, they were finally able to meet halfway.
I really find Mehmed absolutely interesting, first, because of his culture. I have never read a book on Islam so it was eye-opening to me to see his situation both as a Muslim and as an heir to the throne. His duties and responsibilities as an important Ottoman figure, which his people would find honorable and pleasing, could be hurtful or taboo to Lada and Christians like her. Second, I love the way his character developed. I was able to really see him shed his boyhood. The change in his priorities, the way he acts, his strength—all of them eclipsed the boy that Lada and Radu first met.
Among these three, guess which one of them is my favorite character.
It's Radu. I adore him definitely. At first, I thought that I would stick to Lada 'til the end, but Radu was just able to pull at my heartstrings the way Lada was not able to. Radu started as a boy whom you would disregard no matter what he did, but as he grew up, it was not the way his looks were described that caught my attention, it was his heart. He was at war with his emotions all the time and would sacrifice his happiness for those whom he loved. Between him and Lada, I could say that he's been making the greater sacrifices. In the end, (view spoiler)[ I understood his choice. It was the first time that he finally chose his happiness. (hide spoiler)]
The romance of this book got me torn in half. Well, not actually, but I was so confused for a few moments. Guess which ship I'm on! I'm on the Mehdu or Ramed ship! Whatever that's called. Yes, I want Mehmed to end up with Radu. Why? I think it could work better than if he would end up with Lada. I think Lada would just trample Mehmed. Sooner or later, they would just hurt each other. The two of them aren't on one, same side. It felt to me that their relationship and feelings for each other were so strained as if they're playing tug of war, and not one of them would want to let go of the rope. I think, as a leader, Mehmed would need one like Radu by his side. He needs someone to help him conquer the world and be what he was destined to be. Also, (view spoiler)[based on what I've found out through google, scholars and researchers said that it was possible that the real Mehmed the Conqueror and Radu the Handsome had a relationship with each other. It was said that Radu first became a male concubine of the Sultan Murad, and then of Mehmed afterwards. If the author wanted to stick to historical records to make her series more accurate, I think it would be best that Mehmed would end up with Radu. Also, Vlad III (Lada) eventually became enemies with Mehmed. They were at constant war with each other because Vlad would not submit to the Ottoman Empire. Radu even helped Mehmed in going against Wallachia. (hide spoiler)] But, anyway, it's the author's choice. Let her do her magic. She's the creator, not me.
Lastly, the ending was, without a doubt, amazing and a powerful one at that. It was earnest and necessary as a turning point for all of them. Lada and Radu made their choices, both of them choosing what they thought were right. I can't wait any longer for the sequel! I have a feeling that it would shatter its readers and leave us all in an emotional mess. I could already hear Future Me screaming my head off.
If you have not read this book yet, my friend, you have to get a copy very soon. You would not want to miss this. Don't add this to your regret list, if you even have a list for that. I highly recommend this to Ottoman Empire and historical fiction enthusiasts, and to everyone.
Jun 25, 2016 Ryan rated it liked it
Shelves: read-in-2016, lgbt, feels-trip, that-cover-though, unfinished-series, 3-star, july-tbr
Edit: Looking back on this, I believe I need to edit some things. See, I posted this review when I was new to Goodreads, so I thought giving a book three stars would be considered "rude" (which I find kind of amusing now, considering some of my more...rant-y reviews). Thankfully, now I know that's not the case. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this book. It did drag on a bit in some parts, and I may or may not have skimmed a few sections when things got boring, but I do love 3.5/5 stars
Edit: Looking back on this, I believe I need to edit some things. See, I posted this review when I was new to Goodreads, so I thought giving a book three stars would be considered "rude" (which I find kind of amusing now, considering some of my more...rant-y reviews). Thankfully, now I know that's not the case. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed this book. It did drag on a bit in some parts, and I may or may not have skimmed a few sections when things got boring, but I do love Kiersten White's writing style and characters, and I will most definitely be continuing with this series.
(Original review)
"'So the question becomes, Daughter of the Dragon, what will you sacrifice? What will you let be taken away so that you, too, can have power?'"
I went into this book expecting a ruthless, cunning, badass female lead - Lada Dragwyla is all of that, and so much more.
The story starts from Lada's birth, and takes you until she's about seventeen or eighteen. I was a bit skeptical as to if this was a good idea (I didn't particularly fancy the thought of reading from an eight-year-old's point of view). In time, I realized starting so early was necessary to show Lada's development and why she is who she is today. Same goes for Radu. Since their personalities are like day and night, it was interesting to read from Lada's perspective, and then from Radu's. Radu's cheerful disposition helped balance Lada's feisty one, and vice versa.
I enjoyed the first section of the book when they were children, but when they became young adults was when the story really enveloped me.
While reading this book, I found myself rooting for Lada, no matter what sort of horrible thing she may have done. Like I said before, I kind of admired her strength and viciousness, and I don't know what that says about me. Lada wasn't one to settle for what little she's given - she will fight to get what she deserves, no matter the cost.
My favourite character had to be Radu, though. If Lada is a gender-bent Vlad the Impaler, then Radu is a gender-bent version of me - forever confused, and never knowing what the hell is going on.
Seriously, I just wanted to give the guy a hug.
The fight scenes! Holy shit, the fight scenes. And talk about character development. Thank you, Kiersten White.
I need the second book now, please, thank you.
Feb 11, 2018 lucie rated it did not like it · review of another edition
Shelves: 2018, in-english
I have never, never been so disappointed in my life, not even when I have found out that my gym crush is already married. I was so close to DNF it but I kept reading because I wanted to at least like it but it didn't happen.
Now just let me find a dark corner where I can cry over my disappointment. I have never, never been so disappointed in my life, not even when I have found out that my gym crush is already married. I was so close to DNF it but I kept reading because I wanted to at least like it but it didn't happen.
Now just let me find a dark corner where I can cry over my disappointment. ...more
May 14, 2017 Claudia Ramírez rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2017, cover-love, my-sons, exceeded-expectations
I am pleasantly surprised by this one. Now I can't wait for the next book! And I ADORE Radu <3. He deserves everything that is beautiful in his life. I am pleasantly surprised by this one. Now I can't wait for the next book! And I ADORE Radu <3. He deserves everything that is beautiful in his life. ...more
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The Royal Bookies : And I Darken 15 14 Dec 16, 2020 06:30PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: And I Darken (The Conqueror's Saga #1) by Kiersten White - Restarting December 8th 2020 395 435 Dec 16, 2020 08:45AM
Challenge Corner: The Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White --> Starting September 25th, 2020 6 6 Oct 25, 2020 11:34AM
YA Any Day: And I Darken - September BOTM 17 10 Sep 15, 2020 06:23PM
Floral Tea Cups B...: "And I Darken" by Kiersten White 1 2 Jul 01, 2019 11:28AM
Historical > Historical Fiction
Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy
About Kiersten White
Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for teens and young readers, including And I Darken, Now I Rise, Bright We Burn, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, and Slayer. She lives with her family near the ocean in San Diego, where she perpetually lurks in the shadows. Visit Kiersten online at KierstenWhite.com and follow @KierstenWhite on Twitter.
The Conqueror's Saga (3 books)
Books by Kiersten White
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40 Royal Reads for YA Fans
Bow down, readers. We've rounded up the most popular royal books in the young adult fandom. How are we qualifying their noble...
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Quotes from And I Darken
"On our wedding night," she said, "I will cut out your tongue and swallow it. Then both tongues that spoke our marriage vows will belong to me, and I will be wed only to myself. You will most likely choke to death on your own blood, which will be unfortunate, but I will be both husband and wife and therefore not a widow to be pitied." — 327 likes
"Her spine was steel. Her heart was armor. Her eyes were fire." — 163 likes