Summary from Goodreads:Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.
What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?
As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.
My Review:
I have no idea why took me forever to finally dive back into this incredible series. I read And I Darken back in 2016 when it first came out and it took me this long to pick up book two. However, the big upside is now I can start reading the final book, Bright We Burn, right away! :)
What I Liked:
Plot/Historical Information. I would have expected to enjoy a novel based heavily on historical events because I tend to not read historical fiction or nonfiction. However, White does an amazing job with this twisted version of history and I felt that the historical elements did not overtake the main plot. It makes me want to read an account of what actually happened.
Characters. White has crafted some interesting and realistic characters. She does not shy away from gore/death as she shows Lada's journey into a violent ruler. I loved the POVS of Radu and Lada, seeing how different and alike the two siblings are. The novel also had great new and old side characters that were just as developed as the main ones.
Pacing/Action. I had a hard time putting this book down. It sucked me in with the brilliant characters and the amount of action on every page. It is also interesting to note that I read book one back in 2016 and I was able to go right into this one without a reread. White did a great job of recapping events from the past book without it seeming forced or feel like info dumping.
I recommend checking out this series. It has just the right amount of historical information mixed with action and fiction. I am not a fan of historical fiction at all but I love this series.
My Rating:
5 Stars Out of 5 Stars
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