Tuesday, June 28, 2016

And I Darken (The Conquerors Saga #1)
by Kiersten White






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, who’s expected to rule a nation, 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.









When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible. I had high expectations for this book, and it lived up to almost all of my expectations. There were a few things I didn't like about this book, but I really enjoyed it as a whole.

The beginning of the book felt quite slow for me. I liked learning about the world and the characters, but I still thought the pacing was slow. It took a while for me to really get into the book. Parts of the book were slow in the middle as well, but the end definitely made up for the slow parts. 

Even though parts of the book were slow, I did enjoy White's writing style. The words in this book were exquisitely put together! This book was dark and brutal. I thought it was really refreshing to read a book that didn't hold back on the brutality. 

I liked how much history was weaved into this book. It was obvious that White did a lot of research on these historical characters and this time period. The setting was addictive. I constantly wanted to learn more about it! I loved being in the world that White brought to life on the pages. 

Another thing White really nailed in this was book was characterization for Lada and Radu. Radu was such a sweet boy. I constantly wanted to give him a hug. I felt so bad for him through a majority of this book. I just want Radu to received the love and affection that he deserves! Lada was a badass. She was tough and never backed down. I loved seeing her feminist views and seeing her fight for equal respect. That was probably my favorite part of this book!


“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.” 



One thing that annoyed me sometimes about Lada was how harsh she was to the people who cared about her. I understood why she was so dark and stubborn, but it would have been nice to see her be a little warmer towards those people. I am hoping to see her open up a little more in future books. However, I still I want her to still be a powerful woman who doesn't take crap from anyone. #SlayQueen



I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a historical YA novel that doesn't hold anything back. I have a feeling that this series will be an epic one. 

4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for a honest review. * 


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